Considering this was my first time visiting this section of the Bronx, everything seemed new and intriguing to me. I appreciated the art deco designs featured in the buildings, especially because I studied 1930’s art and architecture (in middle school, but I surprisingly still remember it). I realized that most of the architectural elements and designs of the buildings were mainly for aesthetics—rather than convenience.
Yet, what intrigued me the most was Mr. Goodman’s explanation of the premeditated “burning of the Bronx” during the 1970s. I did not want to believe that landlords deliberately burned their buildings because they profited more from the insurance money than tenants’ rents.
I found this informative quote by Robert Worth:
“… the Bronx began to burn in about 1970. Some of the fires were accidents, the inevitable result of decaying electrical systems. Many were set by landlords who would then collect the insurance money. Often they would sell the building–whether it was still inhabited or not–to “finishers” who would strip out the electrical wiring, plumbing fixtures, and anything else that could be sold for a profit before torching it. “Sometimes there’d be a note delivered telling you the place would burn that night,” one man who lived through the period told me. “Sometimes not.” People got used to sleeping with their shoes on, so that they could escape if the building began to burn.”
It’s disheartening to hear individuals prioritize money over human lives. Imagine being one of the tenants who received a note that your home was going to be burned down. How would you react? What would you do first? Where would you go?
Although it’s easy to label these landlords as greedy and heartless, I find it quite saddening that arson was a logical solution to some people. It came from a place of helplessness and desperation. It’s reflective of the social and political turmoil of the Bronx during the 1970s.
To learn more about “why the Bronx burned,” read this article and visit this website!
Ledia, thanks so much for this very moving comment. I’m sharing with Sam Goodman, who’ll be very pleased to know that his words had an impact. As I’m sure all of you realized from our visit, he has very strong (and in my opinion wise) feelings about what happened to the Bronx over the years. It’s a challenge to get beyond the hype and the headlines, but one of his strengths, I think, is that he helps all of us do it.
And thanks to all of you who trudged up the Concourse on a rainy Saturday morning. I really, really appreciate that, and Sam did too,
cr
and Ledia, just FYY, this was Sam’s response to your posting:
I am truly struck by this amazing e-mail. Touching the outlook of a young person is perhaps the most important achievement anyone can ever hope to realize. As a planner this observation is even more relevant since what I have devoted my professional life to is making the future for our young people a bit better than they might otherwise realize.
You have made my day!!!
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The neighborhood tour gave me a different view of The Bronx. I always viewed The Bronx as a crime-ridden borough with high unemployment and poverty. I now believe that like any place, The Bronx has both prosperous and impoverished regions. The only “dangerous” place of the whole tour was the living room in the apartment. The birds targeted me 11 times. Why? I have no idea. But, I am still very thankful that Mr. Goodman provided us with temporary shelter from the rain.
On a different note, landlords haven’t changed much from the 1970s. Landlords are still landlords. They want to make as much money as possible and provide minimal service to their tenants. They might also be glad if their buildings get burned down. First, landlords will be compensated (assuming their buildings are insured, and of course, all landlords insure their buildings). Second, they can use the compensation to build taller buildings to make even more money. Like Mr. Goodman said, “no one does anything in NYC unless they know that for every dime they invest, they will get a quarter in return.”
Mr. Goodman provided us with interesting details that I would’ve never bothered to research during my free time. I highly appreciate how he emphasized on the importance of youth awareness in society. In my opinion, if youth aren’t aware about critical issues, it would be very hard for future generations to solve problems and improve the quality of life.