When the costs of living increase significantly, leading to the displacement of long-standing community members, experts in demographics and sociology typically identify this phenomenon as a form of urban transformation.
For those living through it, this is not merely an idea; it is a reality now unfolding for some residents in areas previously believed to be safe from disruptive changes.
During his visit to the neighborhood in 1977, President Jimmy Carter characterized the South Bronx as “very sobering” and filled with “devastation.” That year, a series of building fires in the neighborhood led sportscaster Howard Cosell to declare to his audience, “The Bronx is burning.”
The fourth most populous of New York City’s five boroughs is currently experiencing a surge in development, impacting long-time residents who remember the area before it transformed into a luxury hotspot.
In the past year, the Bronx has emerged as the leading area for development among all five boroughs. In 2023, the Bronx acquired more new housing than Brooklyn, which had held the top spot for more than a decade. Last year, the Bronx outpaced Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island in housing development.
A significant number of these new units have been constructed in towering buildings by the waterfront along the Harlem River in the southern and southwestern areas of the Bronx.
Notices on the structures promoting apartment openings characterize the recently constructed residences as “where elegance aligns with functionality,” or “upscale rentals” featuring “exceptional facilities.”