Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Apparently they do since they keep INSISTING (and may I add vehemently) that we're in the Bronx because it pains them so much because our neighborhood is not crime filled and poor. Deep down inside everyone knows that the Bronx wouldn't even be on the map if Riverdale wasn't in the vicinity. The Bronx is still the poorest borough by a mile, has the highest unemployment and so on so forth and that's with Riverdale being thrown into the mix. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.
Actually, the pathetic thing is you continuing on with this I Heart Riverdale nonsense ad infinitum... Most people really don't care. Why would they? There are far better things to discuss than one neighborhood's desire to be separate because you know...they're special. Politicians are probably the only ones who would care, and purely for tax purposes. I'm not even gonna comment about "Bronx wouldn't even be on the map if Riverdale wasn't in the vicinity" because obviously that was meant as a joke. How many people know about Riverdale outside of the Tri-State area or nearby environs? Very few.
Heh. Who are you kidding? The Bronx went through DECADES of decay and poverty. Tell me what other borough saw the level of decline that the Bronx did? Someone is really in denial. The Bronx has a LONG way to go and anyone who doesn't think so needs to have their head examined. Still plenty of crime, drugs and shootings. They may be down overall, but in comparison to other parts of the city, the stats for the Bronx in terms of crime is still quite high.
The entire Bronx, a county that is over 1 million people, did not go through decades of decay and poverty. Who are YOU kidding? I was blessed enough to never had to deal with drugs, shooting, or lots of crime and I didn't live in Riverdale. If you think the Bronx was the only borough that looked poverty-stricken, then you are the one who is in denial. Like NYWriterdude said, BK for the longest time was another symbol of urban decay and poverty. Hell, there were several films dedicated to that. Where do you think Bed-Stuy do or die came from? There is a lot of gentrification going on in Brooklyn because they're running out of room in Manhattan, but there are many hoods that are still hood. Wherever there's lots of PJs and tenements, there's gonna be poverty and everything that goes along with it. Bronx is no exception. The thing about the Bronx though is that I feel an inordinately large number of PJs were constructed and less commercial. I'm all for development of office parks and buildings along the Southern waterfront. Park Slope had to deal with being lumped together with places like Red Hook and Brownsville, so suck it up -- Riverdale is part of the Bronx.
There are many neighborhoods in the Bronx that still retain their charm and have remained nice. All I need to do is look at trulia, for example, and see for myself. Beautiful buildings and homes. In my old neighborhood, condos sold within a day and rentals go within a day. But go ahead and keep maligning the Bronx. If that gets you off
lol... Maybe not the entire Bronx, but damn there just about all of it. The only parts that remained somewhat desirable were the area that were further out like Throggs Neck or City Island or places that were harder to get to. The Bronx was set up to fail from the beginning. Endless rows of housing projects, tons of poverty and despair and the nail in the coffin: White flight.
It certainly isn't a coincidence that Riverdale has so many banks in the neighborhood. Banks represent wealth and more importantly a willingness to invest, something that is still in limbo in many parts of the Bronx. What bank is going to want to invest in a neighborhood that is rife with unsightly housing projects and squalor? They know residents won't want to move there for fear that their property values will remain low or in the worse case scenario, their properties will be completely worthless and they'll owe more on their homes than they're worth.
lol... Come on now... You and I know why Fresh Direct is moving in.... CHEAP RENT!! We're talking about a company that was only delivering to Woodlawn in the Bronx and Riverdale. When they were offered some breaks, that's when they suddenly became interested in delivering to all of the Bronx. I mean what an insult.
I personally question the quality of jobs that they will bring. Politicians like to yell WE NEED JOBS then tout the "great job" they've done to bring in new employers, but in most cases, the jobs pay peanuts. It seems as if there are enough service jobs here in NYC as it is and mainly low paying ones outside of the industries like the financial sector. I wouldn't be all that pumped about Fresh Direct coming to the Bronx. Sure, it'll get some people jobs, but they'll still be living in poverty.
The other issue is Fresh Direct is not exactly cheap. They were catering to more upscale neighborhoods because they know who their primary customers are going to be so like with any business they're looking to maximize profit, and let's face it, most of the Bronx doesn't fit into the ideal plan in terms of upscale and high profits.
The interesting thing will be what happens when Brooklyn and Queens become too expensive? Will the hipsters look to the Bronx or will they move to Staten Island or New Jersey or what?
Of course Fresh Direct is moving in for CHEAP RENT. That's great! Having a number working making some money is better than a JOB making no money.
One reason why drugs and crime became so high in the Bronx is that people weren't working at all. Idle people on welfare have plenty of time to do DRUGS all day, and as their habit GROWS, they need more money and that leads to CRIME. Anything that increases employment DECREASES Crime. It doesn't really matter who Fresh Direct caters to, the fact is this would be a company investing in the South Bronx, an area that sorely needs it. Presently, the South Bronx is not going to get Microsoft anytime soon, and SHOULD be happy that they are getting a big company like Fresh Direct. Getting one big high profile company can lead to other big high profile companies, and eventually the pay scale can improve. But for now, Fresh Direct is a much needed start.
And by the way, when you're dealing with an undereducated populace, they can't be too picky in terms of pay.
Of course Fresh Direct is moving in for CHEAP RENT. That's great! Having a number working making some money is better than a JOB making no money.
One reason why drugs and crime became so high in the Bronx is that people weren't working at all. Idle people on welfare have plenty of time to do DRUGS all day, and as their habit GROWS, they need more money and that leads to CRIME. Anything that increases employment DECREASES Crime. It doesn't really matter who Fresh Direct caters to, the fact is this would be a company investing in the South Bronx, an area that sorely needs it. Presently, the South Bronx is not going to get Microsoft anytime soon, and SHOULD be happy that they are getting a big company like Fresh Direct. Getting one big high profile company can lead to other big high profile companies, and eventually the pay scale can improve. But for now, Fresh Direct is a much needed start.
And by the way, when you're dealing with an undereducated populace, they can't be too picky in terms of pay.
My point is that you're not going to lure in high educated professionals to live in those areas of the Bronx who could improve those areas much quicker.
My point is that you're not going to lure in high educated professionals to live in those areas of the Bronx who could improve those areas much quicker.
Those highly educated professionals were not going to move those areas of the Bronx in great numbers ANYWAY. You might get recent grads who aren't making much money, but lets face it, most of the Bronx isn't going to attract wealthy people.
Oh, and highly educated people actually can come and go pretty easily. You cannot rely on gentrification to solve all of a city's problems, especially if there isn't a big upswing in unemployment.
However, you can increase the number of working people in the Bronx, by putting more businesses in the Bronx. That's the only way to really substantially improve the Bronx, is for there to be employers here. Fresh Direct currently was the first big company willing to relocate here.
I moved to wakefield after I lost everything in Hurricane Sandy (after the hurricane, my building had a fire). Previously I lived in the Jewish section of Far Rockaway (nice area). Being desperate, with nothing, I moved to the Bronx because it and Staten Island were the cheapest parts of town.
After living here for awhile, though, the Bronx has almost NO amenities. Full service gyms with a pool (at the best only a couple). Cool, fun clubs? Not really. There really is nothing to do here. I am out of here in a few months at the max. I don't think its the worst place, but it just has a huge way to in terms of development, and its not going to attract that many highly educated professionals a whole. Dream on that.
Do keep in mind that most jobs do not pay large sums of money . There's this fantasy that every neighborhood in NYC can be turned into a wealthy neighborhood. It will never happen. I do support gentrification, but the only way you can increase the number of working people in places like the Bronx is to have more employment in the Bronx. You cannot expect wealthy people to just magically materialize, and to be honest, presently, the Bronx would do well to focus on working class people and decreasing the number of people on welfare programs (and for those who still need some sort of subsidy, decreasing that).
Those highly educated professionals were not going to move those areas of the Bronx in great numbers ANYWAY. You might get recent grads who aren't making much money, but lets face it, most of the Bronx isn't going to attract wealthy people.
Oh, and highly educated people actually can come and go pretty easily. You cannot rely on gentrification to solve all of a city's problems, especially if there isn't a big upswing in unemployment.
However, you can increase the number of working people in the Bronx, by putting more businesses in the Bronx. That's the only way to really substantially improve the Bronx, is for there to be employers here. Fresh Direct currently was the first big company willing to relocate here.
I moved to wakefield after I lost everything in Hurricane Sandy (after the hurricane, my building had a fire). Previously I lived in the Jewish section of Far Rockaway (nice area). Being desperate, with nothing, I moved to the Bronx because it and Staten Island were the cheapest parts of town.
After living here for awhile, though, the Bronx has almost NO amenities. Full service gyms with a pool (at the best only a couple). Cool, fun clubs? Not really. There really is nothing to do here. I am out of here in a few months at the max. I don't think its the worst place, but it just has a huge way to in terms of development, and its not going to attract that many highly educated professionals a whole. Dream on that.
Do keep in mind that most jobs do not pay large sums of money . There's this fantasy that every neighborhood in NYC can be turned into a wealthy neighborhood. It will never happen. I do support gentrification, but the only way you can increase the number of working people in places like the Bronx is to have more employment in the Bronx. You cannot expect wealthy people to just magically materialize, and to be honest, presently, the Bronx would do well to focus on working class people and decreasing the number of people on welfare programs (and for those who still need some sort of subsidy, decreasing that).
That and getting rid of the endless supply of housing projects.
But you should not be posting an opinion in a public forum about a place in which you lived only briefly.
I am a native but I know little about the Bronx and I would seldom, therefore, assert an opinion myself. .
A person can have an opinion about a place, and can certainly share that opinion on a public forum without having to have lived there for...well, you neve established an appropriate length of time someone should spend in a place before they have the "authority" to publish an opinion about it on a discussion forum. Should it be 2 years, 5 years, one's entire life? The entire purpose of City Data is to discuss cities and neighbourhoods. If every member restricted themselves to the places they lived in, it wouldn't be a very interesting forum, and opportunity for debate would be quite limited. I suppose all of you post strictly in the New York forum (or forums dedicated for other cities you've lived in) and only give opinions about the neighbourhoods you live or have lived in for a period of time no less than six months.
But all this has me thinking....
Historians have never been to ancient Egypt, but they write volumes about it because they have researched it enough to have knowledge on the subject and a valid opinion to go with it. Astronomers have never been to deep space, but they know all about it from their observations and scientific discoveries. And what of travel writers who publish entire volumes on aces they've never lived in. i suppose they too are out of their depth. Because I've been visiting and staying in the Bronx since 1998. I have family and friends who live there (or once lived there) and I've researched the borough and its history over a period of many years, in addition to talking to many residents about their lives there (including members of my own family who have been living in the South Bronx on and off since the early 60's). I've probably spent more time in the South Bronx than 90% of New Yorkers who don't live and work there, but because I don't live the there myself, apparently I have no standing to post my opinions on a public forum. That's the silliest bit of nonsense I've ever heard. This Grosvenor person claims he doesn't live in the Bronx, but asserts it's a dump, and when I counter that I don't feel that way, I'm told I don't have sufficient knowledge of the place to make that statement. You people are too much. In reality, you take issue with my posts because you disagree with me, not because I don't live in New York. It's easy to dismiss someone you don't agree with by simply telling them they don't have sufficient knowledge to have a valid opinion. A simple, but effective strategy to undermine a person's credibility. But don't pretend not living there prevents me from knowing something about the place. That's just stupid.
Anyways, I'm not going to post here any more. Not because I don't feel that I lack the knowledge and authority to do so, but because too many of the regular posters in here are *******s. You can keep your stinking forum. Thankfully, when I visit my family and friends in New York, I don't come across folk like you.
If you had some semblance of knowledge and can contribute opinions with merit, nobody would care that you are not from here. Your comments are silly, and represent complete ignorance about the borough, particularly about the Southern Bronx. I am glad that you researched the borough extensively, and have friends that live here, and heck I am sure you have driven on the cross bronx and bruckner expressway many many times....I bet you even shopped in Fordham Rd! Yippee!
Here's a hint: Despite all this "experience" with the borough, you have no idea what you are talking about based on your grossly inaccurate and ignorant statements. Period. That is the only reason I take issue with you, and why some others do also (I would just ignore Grosvenor because he also has no idea what he is talking about, and what's worse is that he actually lives in the borough...sad. Same goes for NYWriterdude..he just moved to the borough, is just a kid renting in Wakefield and has no idea what he is talking about, best to ignore them both).
Now if you want to discuss the borough, and learn, I am happy to discuss with you. But when you make silly statements based on "you know a friend who lived there 10 years ago", you sound as ignorant as those who live in Westchester with equally "accurate" opinions because they commute through the Major Deegan so they "know" the Bronx.
Here's a hint: Despite all this "experience" with the borough, you have no idea what you are talking about based on your grossly inaccurate and ignorant statements. Period. That is the only reason I take issue with you, and why some others do also (I would just ignore Grosvenor because he also has no idea what he is talking about, and what's worse is that he actually lives in the borough...sad. Same goes for NYWriterdude..he just moved to the borough, is just a kid renting in Wakefield and has no idea what he is talking about, best to ignore them both).
Number 1, its not my goal in life to be the number one expert on the Bronx. Is there pay for knowing everything there is to know in the Bronx? I don't think so.
So who really gives a flying crap if someone is right or wrong? This is just a discussion forum. People are posting their opinions, plain and simple. Grosvenor maybe right, maybe wrong ,but when all is said and done, what difference does it make?
He's proud to live in Riverdale and hates the rest of the Bronx. He is entitled to his opinion, plain and simple. As is TOKDD.
Anyways, I'm not going to post here any more. Not because I don't feel that I lack the knowledge and authority to do so, but because too many of the regular posters in here are *******s. You can keep your stinking forum. Thankfully, when I visit my family and friends in New York, I don't come across folk like you.
Now, I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do, and of course if you don't post here, that's fine. But at the same point, why engage in pissing contests with someone over whose's right? While I will debate with people within reasonable limits, when people on this forum claim ultimate knowledge of the housing projects or of the Bronx, I leave them to that ultimate knowledge because I am not going out for degrees in ghettoness. There's no reason to let any of that frustrate you. If someone wants to be the number one expert in the Bronx, let them be that way. Grovesnor doesn't consider Riverdale the Bronx and says the rest of it is trash. Well ,he is entitled to that opinion, so let him think that. He maybe right, or he could be wrong, but either way its not harming you, is it?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Deep down inside everyone knows that the Bronx wouldn't even be on the map if Riverdale wasn't in the vicinity. 
The Bronx is still the poorest borough by a mile, has the highest unemployment and so on so forth and that's with Riverdale being thrown into the mix. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.
