I used to teach high school English in the South Bronx. As a white guy relatively new to New York City, I had certain assumptions about the area.
Almost all of them were wrong.
The one that astounded me, when I first arrived, was that you could have a one family home with a yard if you lived in the Bronx. Yes, like a front yard or backyard (or in some cases, both).
But there’s much more to it than that. In order to truly understand the South Bronx, you have to look at its history, its cultural heritage, and where it is today.
The white flight
Up until the 1950’s, the Bronx was predominantly Irish and German. A large Jewish population existed as well, making up nearly half of the population at one point.
Two things happened at the start of the 1950’s: the white flight and the entrance of immigrants. Many white Americans living in the South Bronx benefited from the booming economy and the GI Bill following World War II. Able to afford properties closer to the city, they moved out.
To take their place, a mass migration of poor minorities entered the South Bronx. The demographics quickly shifted. Now, the South Bronx was two-thirds black or Latino.
Decaying and burning
The 1960’s and 1970’s were a tough time in the South Bronx. Property values sunk. The black and Latino citizens lost massive investments and the cycle of poverty continued.
Further hurting these neighborhoods was the creation of the Cross Bronx Expressway (which I used to take into work). This destroyed many of the neighborhoods, bringing to property values to a redline.
Property owners, now with unsellable buildings, resorted to burning their properties to the ground to collect insurance money. Gang activity ran rampant in the poorly regulated area, and things got bad for quite some time.
A deep culture
Despite all of the socio-economic issues, people in the South Bronx were resilient. When things were at their worst, they created an art form we know today as hip hop.
If you’ve watched the show The Get Down, you know what I’m talking about (although I don’t think it happened exactly like that). What it gets right, for sure, is the block parties, where the genre first appeared. These were a staple of the South Bronx.
The South Bronx is also home to the real Little Italy, aka Arthur Avenue. If you haven’t been, you’re missing out on pasta, wine, and hand-rolled cigars, the likes of which you’ve never seen before.
And who could forget Yankee Stadium, the home of beloved Bronx Bombers? This South Bronx institution has fueled one of the world’s most iconic sports teams to become the stuff of legends.
Life in the South Bronx now
New York is not the same city anymore. It’s safer, and for a lot of complicated reasons.
But that’s not just Manhattan, that extends to the boroughs as well, including the South Bronx. And much like we saw with Williamsburg and Harlem, it’s not the same neighborhood it used to be.
As Manhattan prices have become unlivable for many people, the South Bronx has allotted a rare opportunity for people to buy property close to the city. In fact, in Q1 of this year, home sales were at 35% (beating out Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens).
Sarah Saltzberg, who runs Bohemia Realty Group, commented: “The boom that the South Bronx has experienced is nothing short of astonishing. Everyone wants to live there because they can actually afford to live in a decent place.” And it’s true; you get more bang for your buck in the South Bronx.
The food hasn’t changed, with Arthur Avenue still standing proud (thank God for that).
But the safety of the South Bronx is what’s truly amazing. In a place once riddled with gang violence and poverty, it’s now a haven for families looking to invest in a home in New York City. One resident said: “Even five years ago, people were asking about the safety of the neighborhood...Now those questions are not even there.”
I never felt unsafe there, in fact, I met some of the most amazing people in my life there.
Experience it. Explore the South Bronx and see what I’m talking about. It’s truly a special place.