The same elements of wonder, danger, uniqueness, cultural richness and excitement tie these two very different places together in my mind....but maybe it's just me.
The cultural richness and excitement of the Bronx has eroded in a sea of anger, frustration and general thuggishness.
This has been happening for a while, but it's become more pronounced recently. Very few kids want to be students and athletes, or much of anything anymore around here. They just want to be thugs or posers, spending their time in tenement hallways rolling blunts and drinking Hennessey from plastic cups because they think it exudes class. And many just don't care about school. Only 7% of those who actually graduate high school in the Bronx go off to college.
And cats in their 30's and over who are unemployed and unemployable roam the streets perpetually angry at the whole world, racist as Hell against anyone with light skin. This includes Puerto Ricans and Dominicans as well as blacks.
Not so long ago young people here had music, dance (the Salsa explosion of the late 60's/early '70's and then hip-hop in the late 70's), graffiti art, and sports as an outlet to offset the negativity derived from poverty, drugs, and crime. Most of these positives have eroded. Young people ain't into none of that anymore in the Bronx like they used to be.
You can tell the difference by taking the number 13 bus from Yankee Stadium into 181 St. Street in Washington Heights.
The streets go from gloomy to vibrant once you cross the bridge into Manhattan. The difference is palpable just from the vibe you get walking down the street. There are certain parts of Washington Heights going all the way up to 207th Street and Broadway that have taken advantage of gentrification, and there are many Dominicans that have contributed.
The Bronx is just getting sad.