Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx

( 3 )

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$10.53

NOOK Book

——

$10.53

Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx (eBook) Pub. Date: 8/1/2009 Publisher: New York University Press
$8.41

$15.01

Paperback

$8.41

$15.01

Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx Pub. Date: 3/18/2011 Publisher: New York University Press
$13.41

$61.90

Hardcover

$13.41

$61.90

Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx Pub. Date: 8/1/2009 Publisher: New York University Press

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

Stretching over four miles through the center of the West Bronx, the Grand Boulevard and Concourse, known simply as the Grand Concourse, has gracefully served as silent witness to the changing face of the Bronx, and New York City, for a century. Now, a New York Times editor brings to life the street in all its raucous glory.

Designed by a French engineer in the late nineteenth century to echo the elegance and grandeur of the Champs Elysées in Paris, the Concourse was nearly twenty years in the making and celebrates its centennial in November 2009. Over that century it has truly been a boulevard of dreams for various upwardly mobile immigrant and ethnic groups, yet it has also seen the darker side of the American dream. Constance Rosenblum unearths the colorful history of this grand street and its interlinked neighborhoods. With a seasoned journalist’s eye for detail, she paints an evocative portrait of the Concourse through compelling life stories and historical vignettes. The story of the creation and transformation of the Grand Concourse is the story of New York—and America—writ large, and Rosenblum examines the Grand Concourse from its earliest days to the blighted 1960s and 1970s right up to the current period of renewal. Beautifully illustrated with a treasure trove of historical photographs, the vivid world of the Grand Concourse comes alive—from Yankee Stadium to the unparalleled collection of Art Deco apartments to the palatial Loew’s Paradise movie theater.

An enthralling story of the creation of an iconic street, an examination of the forces that transformed it, and a moving portrait of those who called it home, Boulevard of Dreams is a must read for anyone interested in the rich history of New York and the twentieth-century American city.

Editorial Reviews

Ada Calhoun

Rosenblum is an infectiously enthusiastic tour guide. You can almost feel her pulling you up and down the Grand Concourse…giddily pointing out the sights: the absurdly opulent Loew’s Paradise movie theater, say, or the daring, mermaid-bedecked Lorelei fountain.
—The New York Times

Publishers Weekly

The Bronx's Grand Concourse, with its Art Deco structures, is one of New York City's architectural delights, and its political and social history is the worthy subject of this new book by New York Times staffer Rosenblum, who edited the paper's now-defunct City section and now writes a column for its Sunday real estate section. Stretching over four-and-a-half miles, the thoroughfare designed by Louis Aloys Risse, an Alsatian immigrant, and modeled after Paris's Champs Elysées—was completed in 1909 and saw the arrival of upwardly mobile Jews in the first five decades of the 20th century, followed by waves of Irish and Italian immigrants seeking to pursue their culture and careers in a safe environment. While Rosenblum explores various aspects of Jewish communal life near the boulevard, she also dissects the rivalry between West Bronx affluence and the working-class East Bronx, and the racial tensions that led to white suburban flight and the decline and neglect of the area. The author also draws attention to the many noteworthy characters who lived on or near the Concourse such as Edgar Allan Poe and fallen NBA star Jacob Louis Molinas. A seminal recounting of the rise, fall and current revival of a major landmark, this book, with many archival photos and drawings, is a must for those interested in the cultural history of the Bronx and New York City. 43 illus., 1 map. (Aug.)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780814777244
Publisher: New York University Press
Publication date: 3/18/2011
Pages: 274
Sales rank: 294,683
Product dimensions: 5.70 (w) x 8.70 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

Constance Rosenblum, the longtime editor of the New York Times’ City section and former editor of the newspaper’s Arts and Leisure section, is the author of Boulevard of Dreams: Heady Times, Heartbreak, and Hope along the Grand Concourse in the Bronx and editor of New York Stories: The Best of the City Section of the New York Times and More New York Stories: The Best of the City Section of the New York Times.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

I A Promenade for the Bronx

1 "A Drive of Extraordinary Delightfulness" 15

2 "Get a New Resident for the Bronx" 41

3 "I Was Living in 'a Modern Building" 59

II The Golden Ghetto

4 "Something That Everybody Had in Awe" 87

5 "An Acre of Seats in a Garden of Dreams" 125

6 "By the Waters of the Grand Concourse" 141

7 The Grand Concourse of the Imagination 159

III To Hell and Back

8 "The Borough of Abandonment" 177

9 Who Killed the Concourse? 201

10 "Bends in the Road" 215

Sources 229

Bibliography 243

Index 253

About the Author 267

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3

( 3 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

Anonymous

Posted September 1, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted May 23, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted May 29, 2011

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble