New Book Traces Social History of the Grand Concourse
Posted in Shop/Book Reviews on November 24 2009, by Plant Talk
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Stephen Sinon is Head of Information Services and Archives in The New York Botanical Garden’s LuEsther T. Mertz Library. |
The Grand Concourse, stretching over four-and-a-half miles in the Bronx, is one of New York City’s lesser known architectural delights. Now its political and social history is the subject of a new book, Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, by New York Times City Desk editor Constance Rosenblum.
The thoroughfare, modeled after Paris’s Champs-Élysées, was completed in 1909 and saw the arrival of many Art Deco structures housing upwardly mobile Jews in the first five decades of the 20th century, followed by waves of Irish and Italian immigrants.
While Rosenblum explores various aspects of Jewish communal life near the boulevard, she also dissects the rivalry between the affluent West Bronx and the working-class East Bronx, and the racial tensions that led to white suburban flight and the decline and neglect of the area. The first major book to document the rise, fall, and current revival of this century-old Bronx landmark is a must-read for those interested in the cultural history of New York City, urban history, Jewish-American life, and yes, even baseball and the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.
I had the honor of assisting Connie (as she is known) in creating the book, taking on the roles of fact checking, proofreading, and helping to track down images. I handled a number of interesting research questions that arose such as: the number of seats in the original Yankee Stadium on its opening day, the length of the Champs-Élysées, average income figures for the Bronx, and the number of servicemen from the Bronx who died in World War II.
The Concourse was nearly 20 years in the making and celebrates its centennial this month. Over its 100 years of existence, it became a boulevard of dreams for various upwardly mobile immigrant and ethnic groups and then a victim of the racism, job losses, and urban blight that tore apart many American cities in the mid-20th century.
The story of the creation and transformation of the Grand Concourse is the story of the Bronx and the story of urban American life. I hope that this book will focus attention on the ongoing renovation and recovery of the Concourse and inspire other urban areas to document and celebrate their own treasured neighborhoods.
