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I cant speak for LA, as I have never been, but I can say that the South Bronx has changed, and continues to improve. And as the yet-to-open Gateway Center, New Yankee Stadium, and HUGE Melrose Redevelopment (UNiversity, condo-coops, and retail) to name a few, have yet to come online, the real changes and influx of new working/middle class residents hasn't even occured yet. The greening however continues, and I am happy to say that my entire area, thanks to my diligent work, is getting new tree planting everywhere...pics to come shortly...they are not in yet.
Didn't the New Yankee Stadium take way 22 acres of public park land from the South Bronx? And cost the city $400 million in tax dollars. I wouldn't consider that a good thing for the area in particular.
Yes but to be fair for every scary story about LA, there is one for NYC, or similar places..nobody is ever going to win the "this happened to me or my friend therefore it is much worse a place than X". I do not claim to be BETTER than one place or another, or that it is paradise, Utopia, idyllic, or any such nonsense, what I say is that the place HAS improved, and CONTINUES to improve, and I provide clear examples to support my assertion, and not just my own personal experiences. And I am utterly thrilled that my entire area is being greened with new trees...its kinda corny..but it makes a big difference to have beautiful tree lined streets, as well as the flowers in the spring and the different colors in fall..sweet!
You are right, Sobroguy. After posting, I chastised myself for doing the same thing I get frustrated with SM about. However, if someone were to come on here talking about how they see how much LA has improved since then, I would say "Great, glad to hear it. Fantastic!" (However, growing up in Santa Monica / Venice until I was 10 and then going back to live and work in the Wilshire District in my twenties - I am so skeeved out by the place and all the crazy things that happened to me, I will never want to go back there to live, despite what anybody says. That's my own personal myopia and prejudice.) But again, I wouldn't make a habit out of bashing the place ad naseum on online forums trying to strike fear into the hearts of anyone thinking about moving or visiting there...
Enough of LA. Back to all the great things going on in the South Bronx...
Joe Bama...your comment indicates to me your only knowledge of the South Bronx is what you get regurgitated/fed to you by the media and the critics. Here is the deal with Yankee Stadium. The area surrounding the stadium has been deteriorating for decades to say the least (as well as the stadium itself). YES they lost SOME parkland in this specific area, but what do they get in return for the loss of SOME parkland? The community is receiving BRAND NEW PARKLAND AND ACCESS TO THE WATERFRONT, which of course the community did not have before. They are building a huge waterfront park, nicely landscaped along the Harlem River. They are also doing a massive greening of the entire area, including planting trees, new landscaped plazas, and upgrading and rehabbing all the other existing parkland. In addition, they community is getting a new shopping center that is catered DIRECTLY to the community (i.e. Target, Toyrs R Us, Best Buy, Marshalls, and some mid range eating establishments just to name a few). In addition, the community is also getting upgraded infrastructure, including streets, street lights, sidewalks, medians, etc. Also, the community is getting hundreds of thousands in grants from Yankee stadium to go directly to the community for school programs, whatever. Furthermore, the community is getting a new Metro-North station and upgraded bus service as well. Some of the indirect benefits to the community will be additional investment in the form of more retailers, housing, and commercial space as the area continues to improve due to this massive investment. But then again, you can just be simple minded and focus on the 1 negative (maybe 2), and ignore the overwhelming increase in the quality of life that is coming to the community now, and the future. If you actually lived in the community, you would see why this was a BIG PLUS for the community, the Bronx, and the city...but hey..if you want to find something to be negative about with everything..you will no doubt find it. Based on your logic, we should not be building the new WTC, or anything else for that matter..we could be losing parkland after all!
Joe Bama...your comment indicates to me your only knowledge of the South Bronx is what you get regurgitated/fed to you by the media and the critics. Here is the deal with Yankee Stadium. The area surrounding the stadium has been deteriorating for decades to say the least (as well as the stadium itself). YES they lost SOME parkland in this specific area, but what do they get in return for the loss of SOME parkland? The community is receiving BRAND NEW PARKLAND AND ACCESS TO THE WATERFRONT, which of course the community did not have before. They are building a huge waterfront park, nicely landscaped along the Harlem River. They are also doing a massive greening of the entire area, including planting trees, new landscaped plazas, and upgrading and rehabbing all the other existing parkland. In addition, they community is getting a new shopping center that is catered DIRECTLY to the community (i.e. Target, Toyrs R Us, Best Buy, Marshalls, and some mid range eating establishments just to name a few). In addition, the community is also getting upgraded infrastructure, including streets, street lights, sidewalks, medians, etc. Also, the community is getting hundreds of thousands in grants from Yankee stadium to go directly to the community for school programs, whatever. Furthermore, the community is getting a new Metro-North station and upgraded bus service as well. Some of the indirect benefits to the community will be additional investment in the form of more retailers, housing, and commercial space as the area continues to improve due to this massive investment. But then again, you can just be simple minded and focus on the 1 negative (maybe 2), and ignore the overwhelming increase in the quality of life that is coming to the community now, and the future. If you actually lived in the community, you would see why this was a BIG PLUS for the community, the Bronx, and the city...but hey..if you want to find something to be negative about with everything..you will no doubt find it. Based on your logic, we should not be building the new WTC, or anything else for that matter..we could be losing parkland after all!
Slow down there champ, I don't wanna fight!
Don't assume first of all where I got my information from.
The new Yankee stadium project was a focus of study in my Urban Sociology class/ urban planning.
Now don't be rediculous comparing the WTC to the yankee stadium. First of all the old Stadium was still standing and according to studies could of lasted for another 50 years at least.
Here's my issues:
*1.3 billion dollars- the 3rd most expensive stadium in the world! *4,000 less seats with half as much bleacher seats
*$400 million is state and city tax dollars
*$175 million for transportation
*$70 million for a parking lot
*This money is being spent in the poorest congressional district in the U.S. (why not housing, hospitals, schools?) *The teams will keep 96% of ticket revenues
*The team will keep 100% of all other revenues
* The team will not pay sales tax or property tax
* The stadium will recieve discounted electricity
*22 acres of lost park land
*Stadiums have been proven to cause little if no effect on the betterment of a city's economy. What has the old Yankee stadium done for the South Bronx for the past decades?
What has the old Yankee stadium done for the South Bronx for the past decades?
Well for one, for many years its been the only reason many people even bother to go into the Bronx.
BTW the Yankees are one of the most famous and storied teams in all of sports. People come from all over the country to see the Yankees, heck even other countries, and they spend their money here in NYC. To insinuate that they have not done anything for the Bronx or NYC in general is ridiculous IMO.
Okay and here are my thoughts. It is the 3rd most expensive stadium in the world..so what? WTC no doubt will likely be the MOST expensive building(s) in the world by the time all is said and done. Less seats...so what? They put less seats and used the additional space for increased amenities for everyone, and special amenities for the high rollers. Problem? Private tax money was used...aha...now where has that happened before...oh right..to bail out our economy right? It is just like that...but on a smaller scale for the community/city. The money is being spent in the poorest congressional district..not sure why this would be a problem exactly. Unless you mean because it is not being spent on other items instead, like schools, housing, etc. IMMENSE amounts of money is ALREADY spent on education and housing in this city, this investment however is addressing a different variety of problems in the community. We can do both, and we should. The team is keeping this, not paying that, okay..they got a sweetheart deal from the city...this is not the first or last time it will happen..no surprises here....that's the way the world goes round.
But regarding your last comment...what has the old stadium done for the community. It was the ONLY reason the city did not give up on the entire South Bronx at all, and was the only lifeline for the South Bronx. However, the city HAS learned its lesson...and what you are missing, although I have educated you already on this, is that the community is not JUST getting a new stadium. That in itself would not "change" anything in the community..and we know this. What the community is getting is a new stadium, AND new retail (Target, Marshalls, Best Buy, Toys R US, etc), new restaurants (Applebee's, Red Lobster, etc), access to their waterfront which they never had before, a new waterfront park and pavillion, new Metro-North stop, new landscaped plazas, rehabbed parks, new streets, lighting, sidewalks, medians, new trees throughout, and the subsequent secondary investment that is expected to follow, including new housing, further retail/commercial investment, and beautifation projects (some of which has already been guaranteed by the city). So yes, getting anew stadium really doesn't change anything..and they would be right...of course..that is not the case here. They are getting a revitalized entire swath of the community..and therein lies the change and why it IS good for the community..and long overdue for that matter. But hey..the alternative was to do nothing and keep the old stadium......OR lose the stadium altogether...now which deal looks better?
The alternative could have been to do nothing, but why not work with what we got before 3 billion dollars are spent? The bronx could have Target, K-Mart, Wal Mart, Disney Land, Apple Bees, and all those other terrible places that put Mom and Pop shops outta business without building a new stadium. Without closing the Bronx Terminal Market and unemploying thousands.
BTW have you read any of the many in depth studies of the complete failures of new stadiums across the nation. It is proven that sports teams do nothing to help out a community/ city. What they do is make partners very wealthy, not only partners of the Yankees but partners of those charming chain stores you mentioned before. It is not going tohelp the people of the South Bronx. Just the malfunctioning corporation of the USA!
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