One of my last posts from here is about another remarkable place in the Bronx. Hillside Homes was the first public housing built through the New Deal and more evidence of what government for the people, not private developers, can do, especially in an emergency. (Any similarity with today’s situation is purely non-coincidental.) Hillside Homes… Continue reading Hillside Homes
Tag: The Bronx
On the edge of eviction
Today, about 7 million Americans stand on the edge of homelessness. The national ban on evictions (which was never comprehensive) has expired and so landlords can resume or commence legal action to force people out of their homes, even if they’ve lost income, through no fault of their own, due to COVID. Meanwhile, the pandemic… Continue reading On the edge of eviction
CASA Power!
“CASA” stands for Community Action for Safe Apartments, with a very appropriate double meaning in Spanish. It’s an organisation I’ve known for several years and where I hope to spend lots of time while I’m here. They’re based in the Mount Eden neighbourhood of the Bronx, one of the most impoverished in the US, with… Continue reading CASA Power!
The Coops
I made a discovery this morning. Three miles east of Co-Op City is more evidence of NYC’s somewhat hidden history of non-market housing. When I first arrived here (the Allerton neighbourhood of the Bronx), I noticed a very distinctive building on the corner of Allerton Avenue and Bronx Park East. I had a quick look… Continue reading The Coops
Co-Op City
Co-Op City is a couple of miles east of where I’m staying. Reputedly, it’s the biggest housing co-operative in the world and part of a US tradition of non-market housing that may confound expectations. I went there yesterday for a walkabout. It’s massive. Many years ago, I spent a bit of time on one of… Continue reading Co-Op City
One Bronx, many Bronxes
When I told my aunties I was going to live in The Bronx, I think they thought I was going to a war-zone. That’s understandable. It’s a place whose reputation precedes it, the name alone conjuring a host of associations. I think that’s partly to do with the definite article followed by a hard “x”,… Continue reading One Bronx, many Bronxes
Flowers Grow in The Bronx
I’ve just arrived. I’m staying in “zip code” 10469, which is just beyond the area where I’m planning to do most of my research, . Looks like I’m in the 14th Congressional District, which I think makes me a temporary constituent of none other than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez! It will take me a while to get… Continue reading Flowers Grow in The Bronx
Test Card
Barring last minute hitches, I’ll be flying to the US next Monday to start my six-month Fulbright Scholarship in The Bronx. I’m planning to use this blog to record and share my experiences, but I’m having launch anxiety! So this post is by way of a Test Card to check if things are working. It… Continue reading Test Card
Bronx Tales 