The Bronx - (Columbia History of Urban Life) by Evelyn Gonzalez (Paperback)

About the Book

The Bronx is a fascinating history of a singular borough, mapping its evolution from a loose cluster of commuter villages to a densely populated home for New York's African American and Hispanic populations. In recounting the varied and extreme transformations this community has undergone, Evelyn Gonzalez argues that racial discrimination, rampant crime, postwar liberalism, and big government were not the only reasons for the urban crisis that assailed the Bronx during the late 1960s. Rather, a combination of population shifts, public housing initiatives, economic recession, and urban overdevelopment caused its decline. Yet she also proves that ongoing urbanization and neighborhood fluctuations are the very factors that have allowed the Bronx to undergo one of the most successful and inspiring community revivals in American history. The process of building and rebuilding carries on, and the revitalization of neighborhoods and a resurgence of economic growth continue to offer hope for the future.

Book Synopsis

Home to the New York Yankees, the Bronx Zoo, and the Grand Concourse, the Bronx was at one time a haven for upwardly mobile second-generation immigrants eager to leave the crowded tenements of Manhattan in pursuit of the American dream. Once hailed as a "wonder borough" of beautiful homes, parks, and universities, the Bronx became--during the 1960s and 1970s--a national symbol of urban deterioration. Thriving neighborhoods that had long been home to generations of families dissolved under waves of arson, crime, and housing abandonment, turning blocks of apartment buildings into gutted, graffiti-covered shells and empty, trash-filled lots. In this revealing history of the Bronx, Evelyn Gonzalez describes how the once-infamous New York City borough underwent one of the most successful and inspiring community revivals in American history.

From its earliest beginnings as a loose cluster of commuter villages to its current status as a densely populated home for New York's growing and increasingly more diverse African American and Hispanic populations, this book shows how the Bronx interacted with and was affected by the rest of New York City as it grew from a small colony on the tip of Manhattan into a sprawling metropolis. This is the story of the clattering of elevated subways and the cacophony of crowded neighborhoods, the heady optimism of industrial progress and the despair of economic recession, and the vibrancy of ethnic cultures and the resilience of local grassroots coalitions crucial to the borough's rejuvenation. In recounting the varied and extreme transformations this remarkable community has undergone, Evelyn Gonzalez argues that it was not racial discrimination, rampant crime, postwar liberalism, or big government that was to blame for the urban crisis that assailed the Bronx during the late 1960s. Rather, the decline was inextricably connected to the same kinds of social initiatives, economic transactions, political decisions, and simple human choices that had once been central to the development and vitality of the borough. Although the history of the Bronx is unquestionably a success story, crime, poverty, and substandard housing still afflict the community today. Yet the process of building and rebuilding carries on, and the revitalization of neighborhoods and a resurgence of economic growth continue to offer hope for the future.

Review Quotes

A soberly thoughtful, statistic-filled study of that neglected borough, replete with maps and charts.--Phillip Lopate "New York Times Book Review"

A superior book, well worth reading.--Lloyd Ultan "The Bronx County Historical Society Journal"

An excellent account of a place and its people.--Brian Purnell "Urban History"

Evelyn Gonzalez and Columbia University Press earn warm praise for this valuable book.--Joeseph Dorinson "H-Urban"

Gonzalez has given New York and the Bronx a historical snapshot of the sometimes forgotten borough inThe Bronx.-- "New York Resident"

Gonzalez's reporting and research are excellent, and scholars will appreciate the extensive bibliography... recommended for public and academic libraries.-- "Library Journal"

Ms. Gonzalez has created a text, not only of historic value, but also one that should serve as a contemporary study of urbanization.... for serious students and teachers of Bronx history or urban studies. Every library should have a copy.... It's well worth a read.-- "Bronx Times Reporter"

This book tells a thoughtful story of urbanization in a place that most Americans know only stereotypically.--Darrel E. Bigham "American Historical Review"

This is must reading for any historian interested in exploring the process of suburbanization's impact on New York City...Recommended.--T. D. Beal "Choice"

About the Author

Evelyn Gonzalez is associate professor of history at William Paterson University in New Jersey.