Paradise Bronx

From his fifteen years of walking The Bronx, Ian Frasier has discovered much about this historic locale. He presents a history of the United States, indeed the world, as it relates to The Bronx and what it, in turn, has given birth to. It is packed full of interesting names, anecdotes, historical facts and love for that much maligned, very important borough. What was particularly meaningful was learning how bureaucratic decisions affected so much what was visited on the real estate and people of The Bronx.

I wanted to read this book because my long deceased grandparents and mother lived in The Bronx (Bryant Ave.). I grew up hearing them speak fondly of “Jerome Ave., Bruckner Blvd., Willis Ave." and other streets and the businesses, parks, schools, neighbors they enjoyed there and I wanted to know more about it.

I learned so much! This is a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in The Bronx, or just American history in general as well as urban anthropology. It is long (almost 600 pages), but Frazier is an excellent writer who held my attention throughout.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for an advance copy of this book that looks at history, life, times, rise and fall, and return of the the best borough of the greatest city in the world, The Bronx.

I was born in Albert Einstein Hospital, not far from the house where my mother spent her entire life, before getting married. My parents lived near Westchester Square where I went to Catholic school for a few years before leaving the place that seems part of my DNA, The Bronx. We moved to Connecticut, where more people in our small town seemed to come from the Bronx then even knew who the Pilgrims were. I remember being confused not having a sidewalk to walk on, street lights to break up the dark, and my God was it quiet. Even after all this time I still think of myself as a Bronx boy. I've always felt that cities have a feeling. Something to them. London and Paris both seemed old to me. Boston has always reminded me, no matter where I was of the sea. Other cities bring out other ideas, but the Bronx has a different feeling, even from Manhattan and Brooklyn. And don't get me started on Staten Island. I have read a few books on New York and the Bronx, but Ian Frazier is the only author I know who captured the Bronx on paper. Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York's Greatest Borough is not just a history but a cultural study, a guide book and an attempt to understand, why does a place that seems so ordinary have such an effect on people.

The book is not a guide book or even a walking book, though one can follow some of Frazier's amblings around and find a lot of neat places, and learn a lot. This is a history of an area, and in looking at that history, Frazier seeks to explain the draw of this area. We begin with a brief walk around describing the land and the area, the grip that the Bronx has on the island of Manhattan, making sure it doesn't escape from the mainland. Frazier than goes deep into the history of the land, the role of the Dutch, and more importantly deeply in the Revolutionary War, where parts of the Bronx were known almost as a neutral zone, where horrible things seemed to happen on both sided. Important people like Gouverneur Morris, who is probably more remembered for playgrounds and area, are featured, and while some time might be spent away from the Bronx, the history is important to understand, as Morris was also the person who set up the grid system of the entire city. Frazier also looks at the bad times, the changes in the area from economics, and of course the 70's when the Bronx was burning. Frazier looks at the time, why things were burning, and more importantly those that said no, we are not going to see our neighborhoods die. These are some of my favorite parts of the book.

This is not a tour book. If one wants to find bakeries on Arthur Avenue, or cute little bubble tea places, look to Fodor's or Yelp. This is a big sprawling history of an area that has so much to share and give. Frazier is an author I have long enjoyed, both in book form and in The New Yorker, and is a fantastic writer, and perfect for this subject. Frazier cares about places, facts and most importantly people. Famous people are talked about, but so are people he meets casually. Their stories are just as important. Maybe more so. His discussion of the politicians, many who are still looked on as great men, giving up on a large chunk of area, cause it would cost money, or because "they' liked to burn things, is fascinating. As are the little things. Watching a basketball in the rain. Seeing a deer in a park. Just driving around an looking at the Bronx. A very well written, and often touching book.

As I said I have long liked Ian Frazier and his writing, and yes I am biased, but I think this is his best. Every page was interesting, from facts, history, to just little things. People who did great things, and will never get a plaque for, or even be remembered. But at least they got a few pages in this great book.