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To be honest, I think many hardworking Blacks and Hispanics were also disgusted by the drug scourge. My mother used to live in a solidly middle classed area of Harlem (her mother was a homemaker and her father was NYPD). Everyone knew each other and there was a sense of community. Then the city decided to construct a huge housing project complex that to this day is horrible. People who had the means to do so left and the area was no longer the same. Mind you, the demographic change wasn't racial, but economical. The public housing projects ushered in many people who subscribed to a different lifestyle. Many did not work. Soon crime started to pick up. Then came the drugs and all of what you described. The gentrification fairy probably won't touch that area for some time. Sad really, because it used to be a solidly middle classed area. Those who didn't have the means to leave are still there, reminiscing on the old days.
I agree we had solid middle class black families in the Bronx back in the day. Husband a bus driver, cop or con ed worker with a stay at home wife. They all ran too.
These Puerto Ricans, Colombians, and Dominicans that moved in - were they buying homes? Were they renting apartments? Squatting in abandoned buildings?
Because if they were buying homes, then I can't imagine somebody being so destructive to their own property (at least for the most part).
If they were renting apartments, what landlord was approving them, and why?
If they were squatting, that means the building was abandoned - who abandoned and why?
They were renting apartments. But jammed packed into them. It was not their properties.
My block at one point was like West Side Story. The Italian/Irish controlled the top of block. The bottom of block controlled by Dominicans.
Past the bottom of block we had a butcher, pizza place and candy store, unless you had a large group of older friends to go with you walked the long way around the block or risk a severe beating.
Once I took the short cut, OMG I had 3 or 4 Domicians on top of me with bats chasing me, Lucky it was four pm and as I got to top of my block, thank God there was a street hockey game going on and we had 20 guys holding hockey sticks who chased them back down. We only held on for 2-3 years.
Bodegas, drugs you name it overwelmed block and the old Italian Buther, Pizza place, Shoemaker, Tailor, Grand Union Supermarket and Irish bars were run out of town. Folks lost life savings if you were a store owner.
They were renting apartments. But jammed packed into them. It was not their properties.
My block at one point was like West Side Story. The Italian/Irish controlled the top of block. The bottom of block controlled by Dominicans.
Past the bottom of block we had a butcher, pizza place and candy store, unless you had a large group of older friends to go with you walked the long way around the block or risk a severe beating.
Once I took the short cut, OMG I had 3 or 4 Domicians on top of me with bats chasing me, Lucky it was four pm and as I got to top of my block, thank God there was a street hockey game going on and we had 20 guys holding hockey sticks who chased them back down. We only held on for 2-3 years.
Bodegas, drugs you name it overwelmed block and the old Italian Buther, Pizza place, Shoemaker, Tailor, Grand Union Supermarket and Irish bars were run out of town. Folks lost life savings if you were a store owner.
I'm sure the Italians welcomed the Dominicans with open arms and cannolis.
They were renting apartments. But jammed packed into them. It was not their properties.
My block at one point was like West Side Story. The Italian/Irish controlled the top of block. The bottom of block controlled by Dominicans.
Past the bottom of block we had a butcher, pizza place and candy store, unless you had a large group of older friends to go with you walked the long way around the block or risk a severe beating.
Once I took the short cut, OMG I had 3 or 4 Domicians on top of me with bats chasing me, Lucky it was four pm and as I got to top of my block, thank God there was a street hockey game going on and we had 20 guys holding hockey sticks who chased them back down. We only held on for 2-3 years.
Bodegas, drugs you name it overwelmed block and the old Italian Buther, Pizza place, Shoemaker, Tailor, Grand Union Supermarket and Irish bars were run out of town. Folks lost life savings if you were a store owner.
If it was me, I would blame the landlord who let all these bad tenants move into the building. That's just me though.
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
They were renting apartments. But jammed packed into them. It was not their properties.
My block at one point was like West Side Story. The Italian/Irish controlled the top of block. The bottom of block controlled by Dominicans.
Past the bottom of block we had a butcher, pizza place and candy store, unless you had a large group of older friends to go with you walked the long way around the block or risk a severe beating.
Once I took the short cut, OMG I had 3 or 4 Domicians on top of me with bats chasing me, Lucky it was four pm and as I got to top of my block, thank God there was a street hockey game going on and we had 20 guys holding hockey sticks who chased them back down. We only held on for 2-3 years.
Bodegas, drugs you name it overwelmed block and the old Italian Buther, Pizza place, Shoemaker, Tailor, Grand Union Supermarket and Irish bars were run out of town. Folks lost life savings if you were a store owner.
I love hearing/reading stories from (with all due respect, I don't mean to offend you) older folks about NYC back in the day.
This. It will happen and the early stages of gentrification and urban renewal are already there. It will take decades before full gentrification. Upper Manhattan will likely have to completely gentrify first before you have full gentrification in the Bronx.
And upper Manhattan is still nowhere near fully gentrified. Its like a whole other world up there compared to below 96/110.
I love hearing/reading stories from (with all due respect, I don't mean to offend you) older folks about NYC back in the day.
Thanks and the funniest part I think is if you watch All in the Family it was kinda like that. Archie had Black Neighbors, Spanish Neighbors. Polish Son in law you name it. And when you really really are neighbors and friends of folks of different colors and religions you can say stuff like ****, Wap, Mick, **** you name it we made fun of each others nationalities.
Today folks live in completely segregated neighborhoods for the most part and they would consider it offensive and racist to say some of stuff we said everyday back them. But funny we could say it back then as it was just friends busting on friends and neighbors, Hey Tony do your tires go **** WAP WAP when the go flat? type of jokes you yell out.
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