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The first 18 years of my life were in Highbridge, South Bronx. I joined the Military, and have never been back. Why are crime ridden areas of our cities so hard to fix? Any attempts to have neighborhood patrols, solidarity, cleanup, talk to the police, etc. are blocked by the gangs. They are the ultimate Republicans, blocking any attempt to improve life, in order to keep money flowing into the pockets of a small percentage of the population.
The basic problem with the Bronx is that it has too many sketchy neighborhoods. The neighborhoods west of the Bronx River and south of Bedford Park BLVD are just plain awful. The areas around White Plains Road in the 200's are terrible. The western half of Soundview, closest to Hunts Point is crap. So off the bat, you have roughly half the borough with widespread poverty and a very high crime rate. Then you have the sketchy/declining neighborhoods of Bedford Park, Norwood, Parkchester, Bronx Park, Westchester Square, Co-op city and the areas around Allerton. All these neighborhoods have average to above average crime rate. So you can say that at least 75% of the borough has crime problems, although to different degrees. No other entire borough has a precentage this high. Only a relatively small part of Brooklyn has high crime...as does Queens and Manhattan. Staten Island is overwhelmingly "safe".
As to why the Bronx has seen such an uptick this year? Well, the blame can go to certain neighborhoods. Neighborhoods, in the 43rd (Soundview), 48th (East Tremont/West Farms), 42nd (Morrisania) and 44th (Highbridge, Concourse) have seen very large increases in homicides.
I've said this before and I'll say it again...the Bronx has the highest density of poor, low income people out of ALL 5 boroughs. It also has the highest AIDS rate as well.
All poor people flock to the Bronx because it also has the cheapest rent of ALL 5 boroughs. You can thank rent stabilization for the wonderful gift of poverty preservation and inhibiting neighborhood growth.
It's also proven fact that high crime and drug areas tend to be in poor, low income neighborhoods performed by poor, low income people.
Ultimately I blame landlords in accepting those type of people into the neighborhood who destroy the community as well as the rent stabilization system that makes it impossible to evict undesirable tenants as described above.
It is close to impossible to reverse this negative trend and turn it into a middle to upper middle class neighborhood as it will take investors with deep pockets to buy Bronx buildings, do extensive renovations to appeal to the classier tenant as the case in Harlem.
Look how nice Harlem has gotten over the past few years. No more eye-sores of abandoned/burned down buildings.
Crime has gone down this year in the 52nd precinct which covers Fordham, Bedford Park, Norwood (Kingsbridge?). For example, murder is down 15% between 2007 and 2008.
It is close to impossible to reverse this negative trend and turn it into a middle to upper middle class neighborhood as it will take investors with deep pockets to buy Bronx buildings, do extensive renovations to appeal to the classier tenant as the case in Harlem.
Look how nice Harlem has gotten over the past few years. No more eye-sores of abandoned/burned down buildings.
Most Harlem landlord's of rent stabilized buildings gave up on them a long time ago. Most of them have turned into coops or became part of the NYC affordable housing program. Others were turned into luxury condos or torn down and condo buildings built in their place.
There are many condo constructions that are now in limbo in Harlem. Buildings going up that have not been finished. These buildings haven't been worked on in months, they are definitely an eye sore.
Most Harlem landlord's of rent stabilized buildings gave up on them a long time ago. Most of them have turned into coops or became part of the NYC affordable housing program. Others were turned into luxury condos or torn down and condo buildings built in their place.
There are many condo constructions that are now in limbo in Harlem. Buildings going up that have not been finished. These buildings haven't been worked on in months, they are definitely an eye sore.
Those unfinished condos will eventually get done and improve the look of the neighborhood plus, its only a temporary eye sore. No where near as bad as an eye sore from abandoned buildings. Not even close.
When people see new construction going up, they see GROWTH, when people see abandoned buildings, they see DECAY. Theres a differance. GROWTH invites positive, good people, DECAY deters good people from moving in.
So what does it take for Bronx apartment buildings to convert to co-ops? If thats what it takes to improve a neighborhood, then so be it.
Those unfinished condos will eventually get done and improve the look of the neighborhood plus, its only a temporary eye sore. No where near as bad as an eye sore from abandoned buildings. Not even close.
When people see new construction going up, they see GROWTH, when people see abandoned buildings, they see DECAY. Theres a differance. GROWTH invites positive, good people, DECAY deters good people from moving in.
So what does it take for Bronx apartment buildings to convert to co-ops? If thats what it takes to improve a neighborhood, then so be it.
That is a good point that made about decay vs growth. But I'm afraid that if they are not finished in the near future it will scare others off and the long time residents will be stuck with these eyesores. Then it is just a matter of opinion on which is better. Also these unfinished building can become a shelter of sorts for some.
As far as the coop thing goes. Mathjak gave you and all of us on the forum a great holiday present, in what I think of as a series of lessons on coop conversion, and investing, instead of owning rent stabilized buildings.
It can work just as good in the Bronx as it has in Harlem.
these unfinished building can become a shelter of sorts for some.
As far as the coop thing goes. Mathjak gave you and all of us on the forum a great holiday present, in what I think of as a series of lessons on coop conversion, and investing, instead of owning rent stabilized buildings.
It can work just as good in the Bronx as it has in Harlem.
Yeah I agree that it can become a shelter drug addicts and those sort of people.
At least when you tell a prospective tenant that its an up and coming neighborhood, they'll tend to believe you if they see construction going on as oppose to vacant and abandon buildings. Then they'll really know your full of it.
It's also proven fact that high crime and drug areas tend to be in poor, low income neighborhoods performed by poor, low income people.
Ultimately I blame landlords in accepting those type of people into the neighborhood who destroy the community as well as the rent stabilization system that makes it impossible to evict undesirable tenants as described above.
It is close to impossible to reverse this negative trend and turn it into a middle to upper middle class neighborhood as it will take investors with deep pockets to buy Bronx buildings, do extensive renovations to appeal to the classier tenant as the case in Harlem.
Look how nice Harlem has gotten over the past few years. No more eye-sores of abandoned/burned down buildings.
Hmmmm, so where should "these type of people" live? I have a decent job and a university degree and I can't afford to live in Harlem because the "classier tenants" are the only ones that can afford to live there.
You see, "these type of people" refers to me, my family and my friends, who are slowly being pushed out of NYC because "investors with deep pockets" have bought buildings and are charging exorbitant rent.
P.S. The bronx has less abandoned/burned down buildings also.
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