New Eltona apartment building by interloafer

“SoBro” flows effortlessly off the tongue as though it were part of a nursery rhyme. But the story of this neighborhood—from “hell on earth” to a hip locale—is more complex than the name lets on.

For generations, SoBro, traditionally known as Mott Haven, was a crime-infested junkyard. In the 1950s and 60s, poor immigrant families were displaced from Manhattan due to massive urban renewal projects, and many relocated to the Bronx. Unwilling to take care of decaying rent-controlled properties, stingy landlords literally set their buildings on fire in order to liquidate their assets. In 1977, when a building near the World Series game at Yankees Stadium succumbed to flames, the announcer stated bluntly, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning.”

But a new wave of artists and young professionals seeking cheap rent and proximity to Manhattan are helping to bring Mott Haven back to life. Former factories, once on the brink of collapse, have been transformed into vast loft spaces. Abandoned storefronts now host cafes, art galleries, antique stores and bars. Stations along the 6 train, such as 138^th Street, Brook, or Cypress Avenues, are now brimming with rush-hour activity not seen for decades.

Why might young professionals pick the South Bronx over other already gentrified areas? According to an article in The New York Times, some are attracted to the nabe’s industrial, edgy scene. Jonathan Mull, a teacher originally from Kentucky, has lived in Mott Haven for four and a half years. Once employed at a South Bronx school, he chose SoBro for its central location and his personal affinity for hip-hop music. Others are lured by the promise of inexpensive, spacious apartments. The average price per square foot of a Manhattan apartment is $1,115, compared to the Bronx rate of $189. For now.

Long-time business owners welcome the new residents, and are even adjusting to the tastes of the new wave, adding vegetarian options to their menus, for example. The owner of a neighborhood standard, Bruckner Bar and Grill, credits its business boom to the new residents. Customers who might have been hesitant about visiting the Bronx now find themselves returning to the bar’s warm atmosphere, conveniently located right off the Third Avenue Bridge. Even new businesses are choosing to spread their seeds in the growing neighborhood. Bronx Hydro and Garden, a unique plant store attributes the economy for their decision to open in Mott Haven, arguing that the nabe “is demanding green technology” and “is in dire need of healthy fruits and vegetables.”

Still, Mott Haven has a while to go before it changes completely. One resident, Nikki Brown, says crime still exists. “Cars are still broken into,” she says, “but I still feel pretty safe.”  She argues that the increased gentrification is good for the neighborhood, and has led to a decrease in crime. Although SoBro has visibly improved and become safer, the owner of the Bruckner Bar and Grill says that, despite the changes, “the Bronx is still a bad word for a lot of people.” –Amelia Zaino

Old and New Buildings Make Up the NYC Skyline By Jorbasa

When was the last time you questioned the history of the buildings in your nabe? Many of the structures in our cities have been reinvented a hundred times over becoming what we see today. Old buildings are often juxtaposed with new ones, giving us a comparison of the past and the present. In downtown New York every street can tell a thousand stories. The layering of architectural changes to New York City’s skyline is what makes it so unique.

Wall Street, the financial epicenter of the country, was once the spot of an actual wall built to defend Dutch settlers. The wall stretched across lower Manhattan for a third of a mile, ending at Trinity Church. Today that same third of a mile bears the name Wall Street, marking its place in history.

Further north, the elevated High Line Park, now an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle, once served as train tracks, transporting meat and other raw goods right into processing factories (hence the metal eyebrow structures that protrude from the face of old meat packing plants). The slaughterhouses and packing plants that once dominated this district are gone, but the remaining warehouse spaces have become art galleries and residences.

By RobInh00d

In Mid-town, Fifth Avenue is famous for being New York’s most luxurious shopping district. Early city planning made certain that the most desirable avenues would be in the middle of the island, while those less fortunate would be pushed to the outer, industrial avenues along the waterfront. Today New Yorker’s are reclaiming their shoreline, but Fifth Avenue’s reputation as a symbol of NYC’s wealth remains unchanged.

Decades may have gone by, but the architectural elements in this city reveal its past lives through names, architecture and reputations. Communities are shaped not only by current circumstances, but also by all that came before. Next time you’re out in your nabe have a look around and see if you can pinpoint what defines your sense of place.  –Jennifer Gregoire

A Brownstone Grows in Brooklyn By Zachvs

The gals of “Sex and the City” may be trendsetters in fashion, but when it comes to brownstone living, the Huxtables were there first. Bill Cosby and his television family lived in a classic Brooklyn brownstone long before Carrie Bradshaw nabbed her apartment on the Upper East Side. But while both “The Cosby Show” and “Sex and the City” brought fame to these now coveted homes, the story of the brownstone begins much earlier.

In the 1800s brownstones were designed as single-family homes for the middle and upper classes throughout Harlem, Brooklyn and many districts of Manhattan.  Back then you had your pick of mansions on New York’s avenues or stately apartments uptown, but for those wanting a home in the city, New York’s side streets where the place to be and the brownstone the home of choice.

The distinguishable Triassic sandstone facade was a cheaper alternative to marble and was favored for how easily it could be carved.  Over the years New Yorkers came to learn that, although lovely to look at, sandstone didn’t weather well. So by 1910 brownstone construction came to an end.

By Zachvs

The iconic stoop was originally intended to keep horse droppings, slush and mud out of the home. Today the stoop serves as a common gathering spot for neighbors to chat and rest. Or in Carrie Bradshaw’s case, pose for a “photo op”.

But before we can arrive at Carrie’s door, we have to get through the Great Depression, when brownstones were often neglected or turned into tenements and the apartments that are available today. Next came the 40s and 50s, when many brownstones were demolished to make room for new buildings.

Bohemians were the ones to save the brownstone’s fall from grace, bringing it back into a popular light in the mid-20th century. Hip artists and writers like E.E. Cummings, Jack Kerouac and Jackson Pollack took up residence in the famed nabe, Greenwich Village. They paved the way for current celebrity inhabitants, such as Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler, Marc Jacobs and even the real-life Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker. Even though most of us can’t afford to live in a brownstone, these gorgeous buildings speak to the history of the city, and the defining culture of each nabe in which they exist. – Jennifer Gregoire