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South Bronx Rising: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of an American City

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Thirty-five years after this landmark of urban history first captured the rise, fall, and rebirth of a once-thriving New York City borough―ravaged in the 1970s and ’80s by disinvestment and fires, then heroically revived and rebuilt in the 1990s by community activists―Jill Jonnes returns to chronicle the ongoing revival of the South Bronx. Though now globally renowned as the birthplace of hip-hop, the South Bronx remains America’s poorest urban congressional district. In this new edition, we meet the present generation of activists who are transforming their communities with the arts and greening, notably the restoration of the Bronx River. For better or worse, real estate investors have noticed, setting off new gentrification struggles.

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

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Jill Jonnes

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5 stars
33 (48%)
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24 (35%)
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8 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Petisa García.
50 reviews6 followers
July 5, 2021
Gran cronica, escrita con información a nivel de calle, sobre qué hace, destruye, y rehace, a una comunidad. En este libro podemos ver los distintos tejidos sociales que se formaron o se rompieron gracias al contexto histórico y la composición demográfica de un lugar, y como estos hacen invivible o súper deseable una zona para vivir. Es un libro muy valioso para quienes queremos entender de tejido social, y política desde el barrio. La organización política del Bronx en la primera mitad del siglo XX tiene muchas cosas que enseñarnos, y la destrucción que sucedió después, una historia de cautela para observar la política pública de vivienda de forma crítica.
387 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2023
This was a fascinating history of The Bronx from colonial time up to the the 1980s including the eventual downfall and destruction of the South Bronx which was slowly being rebuilt as this book was written.
103 reviews2 followers
June 13, 2023
amazing story

Amazing urban decay and resurrection. Fascinating history and analysis
For those who lived in the Bronx a walk down memory lane
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
744 reviews
July 14, 2014
For anyone interested in the Bronx or urban sociology, this book is a must. It is not technical, yet specific enough to give the layperson an idea of how a community can go from farmland to burning destruction in 70 years. The speed with which the Bronx grew and fell is breathtaking.
This book is out of print, but well worth grabbing a copy from a used book seller before it disappears (I would urge Fordham University Press to keep it in print or at least make an eBook of it).
How the Bronx grew as Manhattan grew and the elevated trains made the northern county accessible is one story. How it grew during the twenties and thirties and become choice real estate in the forties is another story. And then in the 1950s, many different factors caused the Bronx to slowly decline until the decline became a landslide (loss of factory jobs, increase of uneducated immigrants, cars, the Cross Bronx Expressway--there are many causes).
The update for this volume, originally published in 1986, is 2002 and since then, the Bronx has made greater strides. The people from Detroit who are interested in revitalizing their city would be wise to read this volume. However, the Bronx has the great advantage to be an outer borough of one of the greatest cities in the World from which it can gain and give much.
3 reviews
May 9, 2007
The bronx has a very interesting background. The book starts with the first immigrant group that came to the bronx and follow along with the subsequent transitions in demographics.

She provides a history of how the bronx started from a high point all the way down to it's horrible condition in the 80s and then slowly back up to where it is now and where it continues to improve.
Profile Image for Jay.
48 reviews
February 13, 2008
seriously amazing. just read about the 60's and 70's, unless you are jewish. or like to read about jews.
3 reviews4 followers
March 13, 2008
This was my techincal-historical intro to the Bronx. A little dry, but good if you're into history.
Profile Image for bianca .
170 reviews3 followers
April 19, 2017
The best book on the Bronx I've ever gotten my hands on. Would recommend to anyone looking to give some context to the Get Down or just wanting to learn about what NYC looked like in some of its roughest times
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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