Many people, when they hear the words 'South Bronx,' think of the many adjectives that have been associated with it over the past couple of decades: ghetto, slums, and many more. The South Bronx started to change drastically in the 1960s due to abandonment by land owners, change in demographics, and white flight.
"The Bronx is Burning" was a term coined by Howard Cosell, due to the rapid fires set by arsonists that took place in the 1970s. Crippled by unemployment, many had turned to street gangs and drug dealing to support themselves. The majority of the abandoned buildings have turned into homes for squatters and drug addicts, which lowered the value of the neighborhood even more. However, we still can't forget that The South Bronx is the birthplace of Hip-Hop music.
Fast forward many years and the South Bronx has come a long way! The community has changed, with the help of the people who have grown to change the negative image that is associated with the neighborhood, since the arsonist fires and numerous abandoned homes.
Something bigger is coming to The South Bronx, and it just might change it - forever. Gentrification is on the high tide for the once poorest urban area in America, only two stops away from the affluent Upper East Side in Manhattan on the 6 train. Change is coming to the South Bronx and for the native people who called this home for generations aren't happy about it.
Rezoning strategies are already in the works, which means, big developers are moving in and taking over lots to build up high rise condos (which the say are low income but usually are not) and big million dollar chain stores like Starbucks, replacing the once numerous mom and pop shops the neighborhood knew for so long. And best believe everybody wants a piece of The South Bronx, hoping that it will turn into the next Williamsburg or Dumbo in Brooklyn, NY.
Some developers have already made their move and started renaming the waterfront neighborhood of The South Bronx, which is known as Mott Haven to many "The Piano District." The change wasn't welcomed with open arms and kisses. People are upset that outsiders are coming in and changing their community. Michael Brady, the director for special projects in the South Bronx, said he hoped the Bronx district would become like once-gritty, now fashionable and expensive, parts of Brooklyn.
Members of an organization called "The Bronx Is Not For Sale," rallied together outside in front of office buildings they believe are pushing the agenda to bring gentrification quickly to the area. With signs that read "These are our homes, Leave the Bronx alone," and "No displacement, No buyout!" Their goal is to keep South Bronx affordable for the current residents who have lived in the community for so long.
To some gentrification may seem good, but to others actually going through it feel misplaced as if their opinions aren't even valued, especially when it's about a community some have lived in for generations.2
