South Bronx Keeps Changing, Maybe Not for the Good

“It’s a shame to see a neighborhood I’ve grown up in for years being changed so drastically.” Ralph De La Cruz said. He has lived in the Melrose section of the Bronx since he was three-years-old and in recent years has watched the new buildings go up and new people move in. “On one hand I can understand how this is helping the community because of all the crime, but it’s not the home we once knew. Everything is different now,” he said.

Long time residents in the Melrose, Mott Haven and Hunts Point sections of the Bronx, like Ralph, have seen luxury apartment buildings replace tenement buildings where families lived for decades. The New York State Comptroller praised the change in a recent report saying, “The South Bronx has undergone a period of revitalization that has enabled it to thrive as a cultural hotspot.”

But that’s not the way locals see it.  Alishya Amber and Milagros Gomez have both lived in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx for around 20 years. Familiar corner stores and bodegas that they once knew have disappeared. They’ve been replaced by a new Urgent Care Center and new luxury apartment buildings. Amber said, “I grew up in Hunts Point for so long. As a kid that corner store was where I’d get all my lunches for school trips. It held so many memories there, so seeing it be replaced does bother me.”

Gomez also explained her concern saying, “I love the idea of Urgent Cares in the area, but we already have so many around us. Those corner stores that stay open 24 hours a day and have been here for years are what keeps these neighborhoods going.

South Bronx residents can’t afford to move into new buildings. Photo by Amari Obey.

But like the New York State Comptroller, Tanja Johnson, a resident in the Melrose section of the Bronx, believes that the gentrification has done good for the neighborhood, “We’re seeing new museums being opened up in local areas that we’ve never seen before.” And it’s true the good news is that there is now a Hip Hop Museum in the South Bronx on 610 Exterior St, and the new Music Hall that opened on E 162nd St in the Elton section.

As a result of the gentrification in these areas, longtime residents are scrambling to figure out where to go now. Some people say they plan to move out of state.De La Cruz said, “Moving to North Carolina is my only option at this point. These southern states have houses that are so affordable compared to the New York City rent that I’ve been paying for years.”

New York City has seen an increase in rent over the past few years. The Rent Guidelines Board set out rules for rent increases. Landlords can charge 2.75% for the first year and in the second year it can increase 3.2% and rent increases have gone into effect in NYCHA housing as well.

Martina Mendez, Melrose Projects resident explained “I have lived here for years, and the sudden change in my rent has made it hard for me.” Mendez has lived in the projects since the ’90s. She has seen a lot go on in her neighborhood, and although she does admire the new homes being built in the area, she is now starting to realize that it’s becoming hard for her to continue living in the area because she can no longer afford to.

Like many residents of the South Bronx  Martina Mendez asks the same questions. Will those who live in the South Bronx now get to remain in their homes, or will they be pushed out by gentrification?