Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York's Greatest Borough

by Ian Frazier

Ian Frazier’s magnum a love song to New York City’s most various and alive borough.

For the past fifteen years, Ian Frazier has been walking the Bronx. Paradise Bronx reveals the amazingly rich and tumultuous history of this amazingly various piece of our greatest city. From Jonas Bronck, who bought land from the local Native Americans, to the formerly gang-wracked South Bronx that gave birth to hip-hop, Frazier’s loving exploration is a moving tour de force about the polyglot culture that is America today.

During the Revolution, when the Bronx was unclaimed territory known as the Neutral Ground, some of the war’s decisive battles were fought here by George Washington’s troops. Gouverneur Morris, one of the most colorful Founding Fathers, owned a huge swath of the Bronx, where he lived when he was not in Paris during the French Revolution or helping write the US Constitution.

Frazier shows us how the coming of the railroads and the subways drove the settling of the Bronx by various waves of immigration― Irish, Italian, Jewish (think the Grand Concourse), African American, Caribbean, Puerto Rican (J.Lo is one of the borough’s most famous citizens). The romance of the Yankees, the disaster of the Cross Bronx Expressway, the invention of rap and hip-hop, the resurgence of community as the borough’s communities learn mutual aid―all are investigated, recounted, and celebrated in Frazier’s inimitable voice.

This is a book like no other about a quintessential American city and the resilience and beauty of its citizens.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, New York, Travel, Audiobook, Own, Hip Hop

576 pages, Hardcover

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Ian Frazier (b.1951) is an American writer and humorist. He is the author of Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, On the Rez, Lamentations of the Father and Coyote V. Acme, among other works, all published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He graduated from Harvard University. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianfra...

Reviews

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

From his fifteen years of walking The Bronx, Ian Frasier has discovered much about this historic locale. He presents a history of the United States, indeed the world, as it relates to The Bronx and what it, in turn, has given birth to. It is packed full of interesting names, anecdotes, historical facts and love for that much maligned, very important borough. What was particularly meaningful was learning how bureaucratic decisions affected so much what was visited on the real estate and people of The Bronx.

I wanted to read this book because my long deceased grandparents and mother lived in The Bronx (Bryant Ave.). I grew up hearing them speak fondly of “Jerome Ave., Bruckner Blvd., Willis Ave." and other streets and the businesses, parks, schools, neighbors they enjoyed there and I wanted to know more about it.

I learned so much! This is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in The Bronx, or just American history in general as well as urban anthropology. It is long (almost 600 pages), but Frazier is an excellent writer who held my attention throughout.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @fsgbooks for the DRC.

[Mike Mikulski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve only been to the Bronx twice. Once to see the Yankees play which hardly qualifies since we drove across the GW bridge directly to a parking ramp and back out to NJ and then again to visit Fordham U and the Italian Belmont neighborhood to the south.

But, I have read several books by Ian Frazier which have always been enjoyable and insightful. Paradise Bronx does not disappoint. Frazier also visits the Bronx from NJ but he spends countless hours walking the streets of NYC’s mainland borough and talking to its residents and community leaders.

Frazier lays out a thorough history starting with first interactions between Dutch and Puritan colonists with Native Americans then on to a dark part of Bronx history during the American Revolution when the Bronx was Neutral Ground ravaged by bands of outlaws with both loyalist and revolutionary allegiance. These years left the Bronx a deserted and desolate landscape. Frazier offers a short biography of Bronx’s founding father Gouverneur Morris who established an estate in the South Bronx, wrote the preamble to the constitution, befriended George Washington, served as the second US ambassador to France and was an eye witness to the French Revolution. Good stuff. Interesting guy

Frazier moves on to describe the growth of the Bronx driven by emigration from the south and immigration of Eastern European Jews, Puerto Ricans and others making it one of the most integrated communities in the US.

He then goes into the second great tragedy of the Bronx when massive highway construction and government neglect led to loss of housing and community and devastating fires in the 70’s which probably hit a nadir in the NYC blackout of ‘77.

Frazier comes away hopeful, latching onto the strength of those who stayed and organized during this period. And the cultural influence of the birth of hip hop which came out of South Bronx.

He ends the history with looming gentrification and thoughts on how it will impact the future contrasted against the Bronx culture of community activism which has been a force to save housing and combat a government that frequently centers on “benign neglect” and financial gain when “serving” the residents of the borough.

[Drew M Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating approach to writing a history. Frazier writes of his contemporary experiences walking throughout The Bronx while providing historical groundings for the events that shaped the modern Bronx. It delved into personal details of many people who have contributed to the history of The Bronx - both good and bad - while connecting people to each other and to the places. The best sections were, for me, about the people that own and operate La Morda restaurant and their belief in MUTUAL AID as a methodology and the FLAT FIX chapter. The book deserves a slow read to fully absorb some of the more modern stories and the connections between the plundering of the land by the wealthy class across the narrow river in Mnahattan and the resilience of the people of The Bronx

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, original meditation on the Bronx’s history, population and culture. Frazier, author of “Great Plains”, has a thing for fly over country, and notes that few people think about the Bronx beyond Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Zoo and driving over the highways and bridges that have bisected the borough. Yet the Bronx has a colorful history, even once serving as a potential site for the U.S. capital in the time of founding father Guvernor Morris. It has served as an effective offload of Jewish immigrants who had overflowed the lower east side, resulting in unique housing developments like Co-Op City; and it has been home to key figures in U.S. history, including W.E. B. Dubois, Leon Trotsky (“just another crazy New Yorker”) Mother Teresa , Sonia Sotomeyer, and many key jazz and salsa figures , including many who are buried at Greenlawn Cemetary, such as Duke Ellington. And then in its period of notorious decay, when it inspires Fort Apache, The Bronx, the borough became the birthplace of rap and hip hop — which Frazier argues, has served as a building block for the Bronx’s inevitable gentrification. The book is quite long at 508 pages, and Frazier strains in places to find a Bronx connection — he is just dying to tell the story. He also, in places, comes off as a loud mouthed New Yorker, crudely dismissing elitist and racist politicians (in his eyes) who had impacted the Bronx, including Robert Moses, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Ed Koch. I’d like to see their side of the story, too. But the book is quite a lively, fascinating work that I will long remember. It ranks up there with other great New York histories and fictions, such as The Power Broker (Caro’s book on Robert Moses), James McBride’s wonderful Deacon King Kong, Gay Telese’s New York and Philip Laporte’s Waterfront.

[Alec Pompeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frazier is much more of a storyteller than a historian, and it makes this book a great and engaging read. He manages to bring places to life. I didn't find myself loving every aspect of the book- the fifty pages spent as a governeur morris biography is a bizarre choice, and i disagreed with some of his takeaways on gentrification, but the stories he weaves through the years are remarkable. The only thing keeping this book from being a five star though is Frazier's status as an outsider- while he clearly loves the Bronx and its people and has become incredibly knowledgable about its history, he is not from there and approaches events and places as a stranger.

[Michele Owrutzky Endick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books about The Bronx where I was born and raised and went from Kindergarten through grad school. It’s my beloved hometown. I received this as a bday gift and started reading it immediately.
I learned some “new to me” historical tidbits and very interesting Native American history. All was great but then he quickly skipped through the 1930s, 40s and barely mentioned the 50s, 60s and very early 70s. He then gave a VERY detailed hip hop and rap history which is certainly interesting but this was way too detailed for a generalized book… also spent a good chunk of the book about the burned out Bronx, also important history but way too detailed and long.
I did very much like the book, read every word… but in these areas I mentioned way too much time was spent.
Historical aspects of the many famous Bronx sites would have been appreciated…
Thus I gave it 4.5 stars rather than 5.
Nevertheless it’s a very worthwhile read for Bronx enthusiasts.
Oh, let’s go Yankees in upcoming 2024 WS… the Bronx Bombers are such an important piece of Bronx history, sports and entertainment… more on the team, stadium would have been nice as well but I have several books on this topic so not necessary for me!

[user_fjifods998877 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot pieces of info that could only be useful during a trivia lol (learned about this book from New Yorker Radio Hour - listened to David Remnick's interview with Ian Frazier)

[Sidik Fofana · Rating 5 out of 5]

SIX WORD REVIEW: Now know story behind Hutchinson Parkway.

[Marissa Lorenzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited for this book but it ended up somewhere between a 3 and a 4 for me. It was not what I was expecting. Definitely more of a historical book, while I was looking for more sociology lense. The Hamilton b-sides were interesting but went on a bit far too long. I also would have loved some pictures because I wanted to reference the streets or sites he was referring to.

Definitely happy I took this one slow to really enjoy it

[Joshunda Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored reading this book about my beloved hometown, even if it felt overly detailed in some sections. A beautiful, fitting tribute for NYC’s only borough that is a part of the contiguous U.S.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for an advance copy of this book that looks at history, life, times, rise and fall, and return of the the best borough of the greatest city in the world, The Bronx.

I was born in Albert Einstein Hospital, not far from the house where my mother spent her entire life, before getting married. My parents lived near Westchester Square where I went to Catholic school for a few years before leaving the place that seems part of my DNA, The Bronx. We moved to Connecticut, where more people in our small town seemed to come from the Bronx then even knew who the Pilgrims were. I remember being confused not having a sidewalk to walk on, street lights to break up the dark, and my God was it quiet. Even after all this time I still think of myself as a Bronx boy. I've always felt that cities have a feeling. Something to them. London and Paris both seemed old to me. Boston has always reminded me, no matter where I was of the sea. Other cities bring out other ideas, but the Bronx has a different feeling, even from Manhattan and Brooklyn. And don't get me started on Staten Island. I have read a few books on New York and the Bronx, but Ian Frazier is the only author I know who captured the Bronx on paper. Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York's Greatest Borough is not just a history but a cultural study, a guide book and an attempt to understand, why does a place that seems so ordinary have such an effect on people.

The book is not a guide book or even a walking book, though one can follow some of Frazier's amblings around and find a lot of neat places, and learn a lot. This is a history of an area, and in looking at that history, Frazier seeks to explain the draw of this area. We begin with a brief walk around describing the land and the area, the grip that the Bronx has on the island of Manhattan, making sure it doesn't escape from the mainland. Frazier than goes deep into the history of the land, the role of the Dutch, and more importantly deeply in the Revolutionary War, where parts of the Bronx were known almost as a neutral zone, where horrible things seemed to happen on both sided. Important people like Gouverneur Morris, who is probably more remembered for playgrounds and area, are featured, and while some time might be spent away from the Bronx, the history is important to understand, as Morris was also the person who set up the grid system of the entire city. Frazier also looks at the bad times, the changes in the area from economics, and of course the 70's when the Bronx was burning. Frazier looks at the time, why things were burning, and more importantly those that said no, we are not going to see our neighborhoods die. These are some of my favorite parts of the book.

This is not a tour book. If one wants to find bakeries on Arthur Avenue, or cute little bubble tea places, look to Fodor's or Yelp. This is a big sprawling history of an area that has so much to share and give. Frazier is an author I have long enjoyed, both in book form and in The New Yorker, and is a fantastic writer, and perfect for this subject. Frazier cares about places, facts and most importantly people. Famous people are talked about, but so are people he meets casually. Their stories are just as important. Maybe more so. His discussion of the politicians, many who are still looked on as great men, giving up on a large chunk of area, cause it would cost money, or because "they' liked to burn things, is fascinating. As are the little things. Watching a basketball in the rain. Seeing a deer in a park. Just driving around an looking at the Bronx. A very well written, and often touching book.

As I said I have long liked Ian Frazier and his writing, and yes I am biased, but I think this is his best. Every page was interesting, from facts, history, to just little things. People who did great things, and will never get a plaque for, or even be remembered. But at least they got a few pages in this great book.

[Bookreporter.com Biography & Memoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

“New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery’s down…”

Well, for a good part of Ian Frazier’s massive project, PARADISE BRONX: The Life and Times of New York’s Greatest Borough, the opposite seems to be the case. It’s the Bronx that’s down, thanks to economic issues, drug abuse, corruption and racism.

At one point, I’m sure the Bronx was a paradise. Kids played games in front of their apartments and in the street, always wary of approaching cars. Their parents gathered outside to sit and chat. People looked out for each other. The various neighborhoods were homes to jazz musicians, writers, scholars, etc. (not to mention members of the New York Yankees). It’s a familiar story, though. As some groups moved in, seeking to escape poverty or persecution, others saw them as a threat and retreated further and further into the suburbs.

"Frazier has a playful sense in his writing, describing his long walks through the borough, looking for folks to share stories about family and friends."

Urban planning also had a hand in forcing some out and some in. Frazier describes the labyrinth of roads winding through the Bronx, cutting up communities, often at the expense of Black and brown residents. The 1960s and ’70s saw shocking amounts of violence, fires and buildings falling into disrepair as landlords looked to dump their shambling properties with the apocryphal warning coming from Howard Cosell during a televised Yankees game: “Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning!”

That’s not to say that a return to former glories might not be in the offing. There are still good people who seek to improve their community and the lives of their neighbors. Unfortunately, their work is often overshadowed by incidents that provide more lurid headlines. As the newspaper saying goes, “If it bleeds, it leads.” As someone who grew up in Brooklyn --- whose denizens might disagree with Frazier’s use of the word “greatest” (respectfully or not) --- I wonder what lies ahead. My old haunts were ethnic enclaves inhabited by the lower-middle class. Now, many of them have been gentrified to such an extent that they are out of the price range of many who are looking for a place to hang the proverbial hat.

Frazier has a playful sense in his writing, describing his long walks through the borough, looking for folks to share stories about family and friends. However, despite his worthy efforts, I fear that this type of book has a limited audience, like videos of kids at dance recitals. People who have a connection with the Bronx might be interested, looking for familiar names, places and events. But to do so, they will have to get through scores of pages of excellently researched history of the Bronx during the American Revolution and beyond that occupy a good portion of the text.

In the final scene of Gangs of New York, we see the grave of one of the major characters. Time passes, and the scene gradually changes. The site with its wooden marker is overcome by weeds as the Manhattan skyline evolves into skyscrapers.

That’s a sad part of PARADISE BRONX: people and events who were essential to the growth of the borough are lost in the same way. Where major events took place, there might be a historical marker in the parking lot of a White Castle.

Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you're a part of what is probably one of the top ten most infamous cities on the globe, it is easy to see how the collective conscious can fold your markers and influence into that with what is now the 'parent'. Unless, of course, you're in trouble. Ian Frazer undertakes the herculean task of not only untangling this web, but highlighting, uplifting, and dusting off the features that make this particular subsection. The result is a love letter in the truest sense. For while there is a true, deep, appreciation there is no disillusionment of the shortcomings through history.

First and foremost, while I might have had a better mental visual or personal connection if I was even remotely from this area, residency is not a requirement to be captivated by this novel. I confess that going into this novel I would be able to name the boroughs for you but I couldn't tell you much in way of the culture and history of each. But I have an interest in the city as a whole from both a historical and cultural standpoint. much to my delight this delivered both those things and more. Who knew I'd be considering transportation infrastructure so much and not be bored to tears and only partially lost as my directional and imaging skills are barely functional separately let alone when needing to perform both. The fact I felt like I had any idea of a layout was an accomplishment in itself.

Looking back on this reading experience I am in awe of the breadth of information that was in here. Though some may be disappointed, I was pleasantly surprised to encounter so much exploration into the people and events of the American Revolution (and may never look at the white castle logo ever the same) as I have a deep interest in that era. Given how much has been covered on that time period I expected it to be glossed over. In spite of that, Frazier gives ample time for so many topics that by the end even the reverberation of that section seem as far back as the 1700s themselves--not to say this book is a slog. just the opposite. it's hard to call this fast paced given the length, but it sure walks a smart step.

Maybe the best part of the book, the very heart of it, isn't how it displays the borough and area went on to be a model and forerunner for most of the states. It's what it has to say about the people. It covers the population influxes and exoduses, industry, notable citizens, a touch of sports, housing, crime, and most significantly the power of community. Plus probably a dozen things I'm forgetting.

One things for sure. If I had a physical copy, which I am considering, it would be tabbed to high heavens to mark all the trivia and people of note that caught my attention. it is unbelievable how he managed to compile all of this in such a cohesive, approachable, and broadly appealing manner. On top of that he weaves in personal observations, notes, and a sly humor.

Consider me to officially be on his "why isn't there a plaque" campaign.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many my age, I grew up thinking of the Bronx as the Burning Borough. It was also a drive-thru borough. Frazier restores a little of its greatness in its history, cultural history, as well as its sons and daughters. There is a major river that is cut off from its headwaters by a dam, so its source is now a reservoir. Yet it still has natural waterfalls. The Bronx also has the Bronx Zoo and the NYBG, site of some interesting geology and at least one rocking stone. It also has stair streets which I didn't know and is only 6.5 miles wide. Frazier physically walks most of this book, but also spends a little time explaining his historical sources, which I like. His holistic method means his chapter on the Jewish settlement of the Bronx in the early 20th century begins with the assassination of Alexander II of Russia. The walking part makes possible the interesting chapter on Flat Fix (and its cousin, Do Not Two), the floating prison barge, closed now, the unofficial names of streets (Sissy Kelly), and Robert Moses' 24/7 Qur'anic recitation (traffic noise). Interesting historical bits were the rise and fall of wampum, of Stella d'Oro, and of Haagen Dazs. I also liked where he compared Madison Grant's mustache to Snidely Whiplash, and Avis Hanson's parents searching for Jewish neighborhoods because they knew there would be good schools there - my parents did the same. I had been so focused on Forest Hills at the time, I forgot til Frazier's book that Son of Sam also killed in the Bronx. Though much history is packed in, both good and bad, the book is still very personal for Frazier. A typical comment: "The better angels of our nature require patient exhortation before they appear, but the worst, evilest demons will show up in a blink, if you summon them, and they will be reluctant to leave."

[Maureen Sepulveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a delightful book to read. It’s part historical account of the founding of the Bronx from the time the Dutch settled what is modern day NYC until present day. It’s also an account from the author himself as he walks through the borough along streets interviewing some residents as well as his own observations and research. He tells the stories of the people who have made the Bronx what it is today going back to Revolutionary times whether these people are/were famous or not. Of note, my father and grandmother hail from the Bronx. My father grew up on the Grand Concourse and attended and graduated from Fordham University as an undergraduate. My grandparents moved from that neighborhood in late 60’s approximately to the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. I traveled with my parents many times all during childhood to the Bronx to visit my grandmother and other family for holidays and other visits. I have such fond memories of visiting the Bronx and of all the stories my father would tell about his childhood either playing stickball in street with friends or about all of his family and neighbors in the apartment building he grew up in. I sincerely appreciated the author documenting so thoroughly the rich history of the Bronx. Immigrant groups have come and gone. Robert Moses, NYC city planner, had the Cross Bronx Expressway built and that divided Bronx in mid 20th century leading to redlining in neighborhoods. The 1960’s and 70’s saw many fires and abandoned buildings. The crack epidemic of the 80’s ushered in more crime to the borough. But, the author tells so many stories of resilience. New housing developments were invested in during the 80’s as well. There have been community organizations and groups who have worked to improve their neighborhoods. Hip hop as a music genre started in the Bronx in the 1970’s. The Bronx has an incredible zoo, Botanical Gardens, the New York Yankees. The Bronx will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to the author for capturing the essence of the borough.

[Roy Lotz · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion of this book is probably rather uncharitable. By any conventional standard, it is a well-written and well-researched piece that uncovers an unduly ignored part of the city. If I didn’t love it, it is largely a matter of taste. To me, the book felt like an extended New Yorker article—and it irked me for the same reasons that I can never make it through a full issue of that venerable publication: a tone that strikes me as both overly formal and needlessly dry, combined with a tendency to write articles about 50% longer than necessary. (To be fair, these criticisms probably apply to me as well.)

I found the first third of the book the strongest. This section largely focuses on Gouverneur Morris, a forgotten Founding Father who made his home in the Bronx. Yet even here, the biography of this man—undoubtedly interesting as it is—sometimes takes us far afield of the subject, such as an extended section about his time in Paris. The latter two-thirds suffered from a lack of a through-line, the chapters seeming like a collection of essays. To be fair to Frazier, any history of the Bronx is bound to be messy and difficult to organize; and sometimes a good story is worth telling for its own sake. Still, I admit that I often had to force myself to return to this book, and put it down only marginally enlightened. The fault, perhaps, is mine.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise Bronx should fascinate many readers. From The Bronx's role during the Revolutionary War and its deep connections to the Founding Fathers, to its role in welcoming successive generations of immigrants, the rise and decline of urban development, and the history of popular music from jazz to hip hop, there are likely few Americans, if any, who will not find that aspects of Americana they take for granted came from The Bronx, such as Haagen Dazs.

Frazier could have written an entire book on any individual chapter, but then those books would not be surrounded by the context that makes them more meaningful. Frazier refers forward and back to moments and history throughout the book like a skilled comedian, drawing connections across history and cultural groups that many would overlook.

I have been visiting The Bronx since 2003 and lived here since 2022. I am often amazed by the views that New Yorkers have of The Bronx, many who have never been off the highways, except perhaps to visit the Zoo or Botanical Garden. Hopefully Frazier's book is a hit and has the right impact of inspiring people to move to and visit The Bronx to embrace its history and culture and not either run away in shock or try to gentrify the already rich and diverse environment.

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our history book club selected Paradise Bronx thinking that it was a history of Bronx and NY environs. Unfortunately, it was one of a very few books that we've selected since the club started 7 years ago that we began and dropped. If you haven't lived in or aren't familiar with NYC streets, highways, bridges, etc. it was just too much of a struggle. I tried to follow his walking around on a map and just gave up.

The author made an interesting attempt of overlaying the current map over the geography as it existed before the area was settled, pre-Revolutionary period, past-Revolution .... and then I gave up. There didn't appear to be any system on his wandering .... was it driven by history or by current geography. The structure sort has a "free association" sort of rhythm. For example, "When I walk in the Bronx, or anywhere, I check out the fances. Our whole country seems to become more fenced every year, in the same way that our citizenry becomes increasingly tattooed. No place employs more fences, or more elaborate ones, than the Bronx." Really? Source?

Anyway, we passed, perhaps you should also.

[Jack Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has been told in bits and pieces, but never as a whole. Starting with the times before human settlement, Frazier spends much of the book detailing the little-known connection between the Bronx and the Revolutionary War. After an abbreviated journey through the 19th century, Frazier describes the events that led to the destruction of the Bronx, events that did not begin with Robert Moses, but with planners who viewed the Bronx and its people as expendable. Following a gut-wrenching description of the fires that turned the Bronx into rubble and ashes in the 1970's and 1980's, Frazier attempts to show how the borough will be resurrected.
As a refugee of the Bronx's destruction in 1975, I cannot find solace in the portrait Frazier creates of a latter-day Bronx in ascendance. I cannot shake the anger I feel from the one point in the author's biography that says it all: he lives in Montclair, New Jersey. Those who have never lived in the Bronx can say all they want about what happened, but it carries no resonance with me.
All that said, it is a worthwhile read, particularly for those without my frame of reference.

[Ethan Reisbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anecdote that most adeptly sums up this book is that while Ian Frazier was on his way to meet with a Bronxite whom he met during his explorations, he fell on the street and broke his elbow. Instead of going to the hospital to tend to his injury, he persevered and showed up to this event because he said he would. It is evident from this dedication how deeply he cares about the subject matter and the research process, and this seeps through the pages to the reader.

The extent of research and level of detail is astonishing, producing an incredibly rich and encyclopedic product that is informative and fascinating, albeit sometimes dry. Frazier writes with much conviction and winds history, facts, and real Bronx perspectives into common sense conclusions about life in the Bronx. For anyone who is interested about the worlds greatest borough and is willing to read through 200 pages of anecdotes of revolutionary times and a forgotten founding father, there is no better piece of writing than this.

[Mady Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this started as two separate books that were then combined into one. 5/5 for the second half. An excellent description of the really history of the Bronx in the 20th century. I learned so much about Robert Moses, the Cross Bronx expressway, and the fires of the 70s. Fun fact that MetLife built Parkchester. Also a nuanced description of how redlining and systemic racism hurt the Bronx. I was dismayed to learn how the city has so failed its own citizens, particularly with de-investment in fire stations which literally let the Bronx burn. The first half of the book was disjointed to me, 3/5. I could tell it was well researched but I found myself getting lost in switching from Anne Hutchinson to the Van Cortlandt mansion (which I have visited and is a fun museum) to George Washington. I will say it’s really cool to ride the bus and see all of the history that is still present in street names.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply a marvelous book. If you are a history buff, you'll quickly be immersed in this book, even if you've never been to the Bronx. Frazier is just so darn gifted at storytelling and he cleverly and smoothly intersperses a linear history with his own exploration of the Bronx. He's dug up the most fascinating stories. I admit I quite often would stop reading to google a character or a place. It is total genius. This is not just history for historians, but rather history for anybody. It will spark you, entertain you, educate you, and make you want to seek out his other books as well. And if you DO have a connection to the Bronx in even a tenuous sense, you must definitely read this. I loved it. I truly did.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's simply fantastic.

[Joe McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A major plus of this tome is that the author details his walking routes, such as walking the route of Jimmy Carter's motorcade. He also walked the route of Sonia Sotomayor from her family's apartment in Co-op City uphill to Needham Avenue and Cardinal Spellman High School, where I was then teaching.
---
Another strength of the author is his gracious attitude towards the many people he meets. Of most people (and there are many), he is understanding and sympathetic. On page 453: "And of course you're grateful for Berry Gordy and Motown. Certain kinds of American grace are so sweet and so undeserved, it's like a textbook example of the mystery of grace."
---
However, multiple errors beginning on page 220 distress me. The first subway did not travel up Park Row, but rather up Center Street, Lafayette Street, and Fourth Avenue (renamed Park Avenue South in 1959). No motorman shoved passengers onto Interborough trains. Their title was Platform Guard, and their prime purpose was to get the doors closed without delaying the train. A sensible Interborough device retracted the closing door if it hit a person. On page 220, the terminus was not at East 180th Street and West Farms Road. The road was Boston Road.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Frazier tells about his wanderings around the Bronx, and in so doing provides a wandering history of New York City’s only continental borough. Most of the wandering is quite pleasant, though there are some gratuitous lists, especially early on, that feel a bit like filler.
If you enjoy Sarah Vowell’s history as a series of This American Life stories, and if you like reading The New Yorker, then you’ll probably enjoy Frazier’s history as a series of New Yorker essays. (I didn’t check to see if any of the chapters first appeared in the New Yorker; that might be true of Sarah Vowell’s work too.)
One of the things I appreciated about the book is its hopefulness. Politicians and patricians really screwed the Bronx, and caused a lot of misery, but in many instances ordinary, or extraordinary, residents were able to organize and turn things around.

[Robbin Zella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book a GALAXY of stars. Ian Frazier takes the reader on a walking tour of the Bronx through the centuries. His writing is so beautiful and packed with history, facts, close observation, and wry commentary. Hand-drawn maps are also included to help orient the reader to the network of highways and roads that the author has traversed over the course of fifteen years. He loops around the same roads and recounts the people and events that populated Da Bronx over time. The pacing and rhythm of his writing created, for me, the sensation of having walked beside him on these forays.
He introduces the reader to the heroes and villains across the centuries from the Revolutionary War to the present-day Banksters and Financiers that continue to extract profits from this borough at the expense of its family-run businesses and residents. We meet the people and nonprofit organizations that are working to protect, improve, and preserve these neighborhoods.
BRONX RISING!!!
I highly recommend Paradise Bronx!

[Jim D · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a native New Yorker I was eager to read this book about the borough where i lived the early part of my life. Overall, i found it very interesting. The author uses social themes as he weaves his story of the borough from early days of the Dutch through the revolutionary war, to today. I left the Bronx when i was 21 and saw the beginning of the decline. It became national news in 1977 when Howard Cosell famously announced from Yankee Stadium that the "Bronx is burning." The first half of the book was not as interesting as the rest, but the latter part was devastating. Horrible city decisions, highway construction, neglect, faulty urban planning all led to this devastation.
I would recommend it to natives but know that many sections of the borough were not covered at all. Still, an eyeopening book.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read for someone who grew up in Brooklyn and lived for a couple of decades in the Bronx, and well-written, but with odd emphases and notable omissions, especially given its great length.

The book has extensive gory details about the revolutionary war, and far more than I cared to know about the history of hip-hop. Whole neighborhoods were virtually omitted: City Island, Riverdale, and recreation at Orchard beach. I really appreciated learning more about the devastating effects of the construction of the Cross-Bronx Expressway, and why that route was chosen. I also enjoyed learning about the community leaders and organizations that have been key to the borough's revitalization. Many of the Bronx's notable natives are mentioned; I wish that an appendix were present, tabulating these names.

[Mark T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am from the Bronx. I grew up in Pelham Bay, and my father grew up on Fox Street. There is a lot in here that I did not know, like a Revolutionary War battle that took place right down the block from my high school. Or, the person who came up with "We the People" was from the Bronx. The reason why it took me so long to finish it was that with every chapter, I kept heading down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. He is a really good writer. He explained much better than the "Power Broker' what the Cross Bronx Expressway did to the Bronx, as well as a host of other indignities that the people there were forced to shoulder. More than anything, this is a book about creative, resilient people who changed the world and received very little credit for it.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paradise Bronx by Ian Frazier recounts the history of the storied borough of The Bronx through Frazier's eyes as he walks that famed place. It's an interesting enough read. Frazier uses historical events that fashioned the Bronx as his background. mostly successfully. A little too much time is spent on the events of the Revolution, in my opinion, as opposed to some of the more recent events of history that would resonate more with the reader. It's a read that leaves you wanting more in terms to the people of The Bronx, but you do walk away knowing what created it. Thank you to #netgalley and #FarrarStrausGiroux for the opportunity to preview this book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This love letter to the Bronx was a little dense for my taste. I was there for 20th century and the first 40% was the American Revolution - the late 1800s.

Once we hit the 20th century, I was completely drawn in. Racism, urban planning, drugs, corruption are among the many elements that led to the Bronx we know from popular culture and the news. It’s a very sad story but the author introduces us to people in the community - both living and long deceased who can take credit for the good that can be found in and from the Bronx.

I listened to the audiobook and probably would have enjoyed the written version more.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

3.5⭐️