Our tour of the Grand Concourse last Saturday gave me a different perspective of the Bronx. The elegance of the architecture lining the street, the beauty of the fountain, and the overwhelming feelings of vanished wealth portrayed a Bronx of luxury and money and not of poverty and struggle. It was definitely a tour worth taking.
It was strange finding out that the buildings we entered, with their beautiful Art Deco interiors, were now extremely affordable. I left the tour thinking that if more people knew about the now decaying beauty of the Grand Concourse, and the affordability of the apartments lining it, then there would be a furious migration to the area, for better or for worse.
Will, I shared a similar impression of the tour. One of the best ideas that came out of it, I think, was the idea that you don’t have to be rich to live in a beautiful home. Everybody, regardless of wealth or class, deserves to live somewhere beautiful, in a place which befits their dignity. Nobody should live in a place which is beneath them. In looking at immigrant housing it is interesting to consider how a home can shape immigrants’ perceptions of themselves, as well as their feelings of hope and optimism. It is not only the physical qualities–like sanitation, electricity, etc–of a home that matter, but also the impression that it gives; that is, the spiritual and psychological effect it has on the occupant. A clean, warm home is good for your body; a beautiful home is good for your soul and mind. You need both in order to make a home truly livable.