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You are describing the Bronx before the Cross Bronx Expressway was built and before Robt Moses dug his claws in. It was a wonderful place to live. Lots of parks. Great public transportation into Manhattan and north to resorts, local beaches and grand avenues. And of course the New York Yankees. It had everything a working class or middle income family could want. Until the giant bulldozer plowed through its heart.
"The Cross Bronx Expressway is known as one of the most congested roadways in all of the U.S. Some might not know, however, of the displacement and destruction it created. Study into the expressway raises more questions about how great of an impact it has had on the social and economic problems in the Bronx leading up to today."
You are describing the Bronx before the Cross Bronx Expressway was built and before Robt Moses dug his claws in. It was a wonderful place to live. Lots of parks. Great public transportation into Manhattan and north to resorts, local beaches and grand avenues. And of course the New York Yankees. It had everything a working class or middle income family could want. Until the giant bulldozer plowed through its heart.
"The Cross Bronx Expressway is known as one of the most congested roadways in all of the U.S. Some might not know, however, of the displacement and destruction it created. Study into the expressway raises more questions about how great of an impact it has had on the social and economic problems in the Bronx leading up to today."
I don't think the Expressway is what caused any social and economic problems in the Bronx, and even if the Expressway had been one factor in the 1950s, it isn't any more. My primary home is in Boston where the Mass Turnpike cuts right through the best, most expensive, most desirable historic part of the city - and nobody left because of the Turnpike, and the crime is extremely low in the area. So no, expressways can't be the problem - the problem is simply the takeover of a part of a city by a criminal population. Wherever that is allowed, the economic death and zero quality of life rapidly follows.
I don't think the Expressway is what caused any social and economic problems in the Bronx, and even if the Expressway had been one factor in the 1950s, it isn't any more. My primary home is in Boston where the Mass Turnpike cuts right through the best, most expensive, most desirable historic part of the city - and nobody left because of the Turnpike, and the crime is extremely low in the area. So no, expressways can't be the problem - the problem is simply the takeover of a part of a city by a criminal population. Wherever that is allowed, the economic death and zero quality of life rapidly follows.
I lived there in the 1950's. The Expressway broke up neighborhoods. It separated people from their churches and their shopping. Major streets that went across the area were stopped and closed off at the expressway as dead ends. I can't comment on the Boston and MA expressways because I wasn't there; but I can comment on the XBx Expressway because I lived it.
My parents and all their friends started moving out. Some to Riverdale; some to NJ; some to Westchester. I lived it.
"The building of this new highway system meant that over 60,000 residents would have to be uprooted and relocated to new areas. Most of these people lived in South Bronx. Moses led the white exodus out of the Bronx. Most of the white residents moved to either Westchester or Northern Bronx areas and other moved to small suburban houses being built around the Cross Bronx Expressway in New Jersey. The poorer residents who where given a meager $200 per room compensation were forced to move out and settle in new high-rise apartment buildings that were being built. These new behemoths had could include up to 1700 apartments per building.
As a result of this mass relocation the economy of the Bronx suffered immensely. The South Bronx area lost over 600,000 manufacturing jobs. Youth unemployment rose to 40 percent and in some areas as high as 80 percent. The most devastating affect of the Cross Bronx Expressway took place when the newly built apartment buildings passed into the hands of slumlords. "
I lived there in the 1950's. The Expressway broke up neighborhoods. It separated people from their churches and their shopping. Major streets that went across the area were stopped and closed off at the expressway as dead ends. I can't comment on the Boston and MA expressways because I wasn't there; but I can comment on the XBx Expressway because I lived it.
My parents and all their friends started moving out. Some to Riverdale; some to NJ; some to Westchester. I lived it.
"The building of this new highway system meant that over 60,000 residents would have to be uprooted and relocated to new areas. Most of these people lived in South Bronx. Moses led the white exodus out of the Bronx. Most of the white residents moved to either Westchester or Northern Bronx areas and other moved to small suburban houses being built around the Cross Bronx Expressway in New Jersey. The poorer residents who where given a meager $200 per room compensation were forced to move out and settle in new high-rise apartment buildings that were being built. These new behemoths had could include up to 1700 apartments per building.
As a result of this mass relocation the economy of the Bronx suffered immensely. The South Bronx area lost over 600,000 manufacturing jobs. Youth unemployment rose to 40 percent and in some areas as high as 80 percent. The most devastating affect of the Cross Bronx Expressway took place when the newly built apartment buildings passed into the hands of slumlords. "
That's a ridiculous notion that expressways destroyed neighborhoods. Queens and Brooklyn all had expressways built through neighborhoods and did not have any of this problem.
Factory jobs are gone because the US has transitioned away from it. Highways give people more access to the neighborhood than it destroys.
The problem with the Bronx was it's geography doesn't support increase in property values.
That's a ridiculous notion that expressways destroyed neighborhoods. Queens and Brooklyn all had expressways built through neighborhoods and did not have any of this problem.
Factory jobs are gone because the US has transitioned away from it. Highways give people more access to the neighborhood than it destroys.
The problem with the Bronx was it's geography doesn't support increase in property values.
Sure they do. Since you know everything about everything, you must have read The Power Broker. Some of the highways Moses created absolutely did destroy neighborhoods.
In Jersey, the Garden State Parkway did it to East Orange.
That's a ridiculous notion that expressways destroyed neighborhoods. Queens and Brooklyn all had expressways built through neighborhoods and did not have any of this problem.
Factory jobs are gone because the US has transitioned away from it. Highways give people more access to the neighborhood than it destroys.
The problem with the Bronx was it's geography doesn't support increase in property values.
While I agree with the first part of the post, I don't understand your link between the geography of the Bronx and lack of increase in property values. I think geography of the Bronx is perfect - it is the land connection of NYC with the rest of the continent, and it can expand as much as it wants since it does not have natural limits (although eventually you are so far away from Manhattan that it does not make sense to live there if your goal is an affordable proximity to Manhattan). Re property values, I think the supply of properties in the Bronx is large enough to keep prices in check, which is desirable for new middle income families looking for home, yet the geography (ie, easy access to Manhattan) is favorable enough to guarantee that the value of homes will keep up with inflation. It is not geared towards real estate speculators, but it is certainly geographically excellent for people who want to live near Manhattan. Again, I think crime is the one and only problem with the Bronx, everything else about it is perfect.
Sure they do. Since you know everything about everything, you must have read The Power Broker. Some of the highways Moses created absolutely did destroy neighborhoods.
In Jersey, the Garden State Parkway did it to East Orange.
The Expressway may have mattered in the 1950s if people had a mentality of absolutely having to be able to attend their old church and no other, but I don't see its relevance to people moving to the Bronx in 2021. If anything, an expressway is a bonus to people who want to keep a car and drive. Again, in Boston, the Turnpike goes right through the commercial area of the upscale Back Bay - it was also built in the mid-1950s, but has never caused any displacement of the local upper middle class population. People simply cross the overpass the way they cross any other street, and it is a total non-issue.
The Expressway may have mattered in the 1950s if people had a mentality of absolutely having to be able to attend their old church and no other, but I don't see its relevance to people moving to the Bronx in 2021. If anything, an expressway is a bonus to people who want to keep a car and drive. Again, in Boston, the Turnpike goes right through the commercial area of the upscale Back Bay - it was also built in the mid-1950s, but has never caused any displacement of the local upper middle class population. People simply cross the overpass the way they cross any other street, and it is a total non-issue.
No, I don't think it has anything to do with 2021, either. I thought the person was just giving historical information.
I think the more important question here is: Do hot cakes really sell so well that people compare other sales to them?
Sure they do. Since you know everything about everything, you must have read The Power Broker. Some of the highways Moses created absolutely did destroy neighborhoods.
In Jersey, the Garden State Parkway did it to East Orange.
In San Francisco, they tore down the highways that were going through neighborhoods and those neighborhoods improved exponentially.
If the Expressway was the cause, why didn't the East Bronx neighborhoods burn down?
Melrose and for the most part Mott Haven aren't broken up by expressways and they were burnt to a crisp.
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