From The Peopling of New York City
Reaction to the walking tour
Compared to the first walking tour, I found this walking tour more interesting than the first one. I have passed the Grand Concourse on the 1 or 2 bus so many times that I didn’t notice the true history behind all the structures. I really found the tour more informative in that it changed some of my impression of the South Bronx to some extent. The tour guide made me realize many things that I never realized before. I never actually fully have been to Concourse near 149th street. The second time around, I began to notice all the change that is going around Yankee Stadium. I didn’t really feel that unsafe, but quite the contrary. However, this walking tour was more insightful than before, I still feel we didn’t fully see or experience how life in the South Bronx really is. The walking tour allowed me to appreciate the architecture of the buildings in the Bronx. I noticed the art décor buildings do have their own sense of beauty. The reason why the Grand Concourse doesn’t look as great as Park Avenue is that it experienced negligence. I also didn’t know that there was an actually a Catholic high school in the South Bronx which was well kept than some of the high schools I’ve seen in the North Bronx and in Lower Manhattan. I noticed that all the buildings around Hostos Community College looked very well kept. I noticed that Lincoln Hospital was nearby. The neighborhood by 149th Street looked like a quite bustling area in that had many shops and restaurants. This neighborhood seemed like a place where I might have no problem living in. I noticed that it was undergoing many changes besides the building of the new stadium. I noticed that there were newly built co-ops that were available for rent and sale. The buildings looked similar to the ones in Co-op City. Looking at these developed buildings, didn’t make me feel like the South Bronx that I was have thought of. However, I still didn’t feel that I didn’t it was not enough accurate impression of the South Bronx in general, in that the tour was more about the Grand Concourse rather than life in the South Bronx. It was nice to learn about some of the history of many of the landmarks such as the post office, the Metro-North Railroads, St. Cardinal High School and the Concourse itself, but I didn’t see the type of people that were living there now. What we saw was basically all the structures and landmarks that were on the Concourse. We did really get to explore the Melrose, Morrisania or the HighBridge sections of the South Bronx, which were neighborhoods that probably had unique histories of their own. Also as we walking around, you couldn’t tell what ethnic groups of people lived in that area, because there weren’t a lot of people around. The more I revisit the South Bronx; I can see the dramatic changes in the landscape, especially in the area by the stadium. I saw a lot of construction and rapid development around the area, such as the Concourse Village, where new residential buildings have been put up. In a few years, the South Bronx may not have the same infamous reputation as in the past. Looking at all the development in the area, it might be the next place where more people will want to move in.Who knows? It might regain its glory from the past.
