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8 reviews of Bronx

Where rap and hip hop were born

It is curious that many New York visitors think that the Bronx is a separate district at the heart of the luxurious Big Apple like Brooklyn, Queens or Harlem but it's the only district in New York that is part of the mainland and is separated only by the Harlem River. I do not want to talk about what everyone always says about the Bronx and it being dangerous. On the contrary, it's a neighborhood where rap and hip hop were born and where more than 75 languages ​​and dialects, predominantly of English and Spanish, mix together. To understand this, though, we of course need to know a little history.

The neighborhood underwent a continuous process of degradation in the 70's and 80's. This was aided by the cinema and the television in which police and gang members gave off a fearsome image and notoriety that we all now know. At that time, the multi-ethnic, poor and overpopulated Bronx was the victim of racial segregation and injustice and was the most bitter expression of poverty, marginalization and social inequality. Initially the first inhabitants of the neighborhood were mostly Jews who gradually began moving out before the arrival of Hispanics, West Indians and the Black southern Americans, all trying to live their own American Dream. After the massive influx of these people, the white inhabitants left more quickly. Soon the property values ​​plummeted, driven by the racism that still prevailed in American society and developers simply lost interest in the place, condemning the abandonment and decay that started taking over. Public transportation lines were removed, unemployment rose to levels previously unknown, and homes were being burned in order to receive insurance money as they couldn't be sold. Bronx became hell as the new Four Riders of the Apocalypse--Poverty, Unemployment, Crime and Drugs--appropriated the district. It was easier to buy heroin and crack than a loaf of bread and the neighborhood became a drug store and a haven for drug addicts. Thus, crime, fear and insecurity were faced everyday. Fortunately everything has changed, albeit slowly and not completely. Today investors are once again looking to the Bronx because the city needs to expand. In fact, SoBro is already becoming a stylish area as they attempt to revitalize trade and services. It is a neighborhood that has gone from black and white to more colorful and that lives with hopes but also fears of an uncertain future. Only time can tell...
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+8

Bronx

We drove through Bronx. They said it was a bit risky to walk through its streets. It is a neighborhood left of Harlem. We stopped to buy a drink and they told us that the neighborhood had the best nightlife around. There are houses of all kinds, but yes, with gates on all doors and windows. We saw houses with signs that authorize the police to enter without a warrant to arrest traffickers and common criminals. We were also struck by the painted faces of young boys.

+17

+9
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Excellent
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