Customer Reviews

The Beautiful Bronx 1920-1950

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The Beautiful Bronx brings back to life many beautiful memories. It is truly an excellent text and pictorial review of what was once home for so many people. The words and pictures give the reader a feeling of going back into the past. Life in the Bronx from the Roaring 20's to the beginning of the Kennedy Presidency certainly experienced many changes,good and bad,like the rest of our beloved country. The book describes events and locations perhaps forgotten by many people because so much time has passed from the time period examined. To study the many pictures is tantamount to looking at a time capsule. This book is "must reading" for those folks who never lived in the Bronx during this era and also for those folks who did. Yes, you can go home again.

Born 79 years ago on Bway. near Van Cortlandt. Lived in Kingsbridge & Mosholu areas 27 years. Drove the trolley cars, Bx.& Van Cort., University, Webster, 167 st. xtown, etc. after WW2. Fordham Rd.,3 movies and the Windsor within a few blocks. Loews Grand, Paradise and 1 more few blocks east. What an era! Skinny dip & sleep out in Botanical Gardens. De Witt Clinton Grad. 1938. Jacob H. Schiff center. Brought back many memories. Only complaint, didn't cover enuff. Faded roses are almost impossible to revive. Still a few childhood friends left from those years. Going back brought a mixture of emotions, so many are gone. elkvppast@aol.com

My mom and dad have a wonderful gift coming to them this week. Yesterday evening I read The Beautiful Bronx 1920-1950 and The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday, 1935-1965. Well - I mostly looked at the pictures and read the descriptions of the pictures, as that was the meat of each book, but the intro sections were also very cool.

My parents were each born in the Bronx and lived there until they moved to Blytheville, Arkansas in 1965 for a year. Growing up, my brother Daniel and I visited the Bronx periodically, as that's where our grandparents lived (until my dad's parents moved to Ft. Lauderdale) and we often heard tales of their time growing up in the Bronx.

I discovered these books a few weeks ago at my close friend Len Fassler's house. Len is key mentor of mine who has had a profound influence on me both personally and professionally. I was scanning his bookshelves during a break in the evening and noticed these two books. He noticed me noticing them and told me to borrow them. Instead, I emailed myself their names and bought them later that night on Amazon.

They are beautiful books about a different time in America. The Bronx was growing fast during the time period and was a magical place to live. It was close enough to Manhattan to get to use the New York, NY mailing address, yet far enough away to be its own place. It has huge ethnic diversity that was integrated in many ways, but also organized around the notion of neighborhoods. I recognized some of the street names, neighborhoods, and buildings from conversations with my parents and the few times that I've been through the Bronx in recent years. But mostly I just tried to transport myself back to a different time in our country.

I've encouraged my dad to write more about his childhood in the Bronx on his blog. He's written a few, like Punch Ball In Claremont Park, The Bronx (NY) 1945-1953, Jake the Pickle Man, Summer of '47, and StrikeOuts: A New York City Street Game. But he's got a ton more in him so I hope these books inspire him.

For all who lived in The Bronx or knows someone who grew up in the Bronx, this book is a pure joy! I first bought it for myself when it was first published and found a picture of my apartment house in it! Bought copies for everyone in my family. Since then have recommended it for anyone who mentions they lived in The Bronx.

If you are from the Bronx, or interested in Bronx History, this is a great book.

First read the book at my brothers in Florida, had to have one. So many memories, Happy ones. The RKO Royal my farther worked thier for over 25 years. The pictures were so good again memories of days gone by. I lived in Edgewater remember the Mansion and our Volinteer Fire Dept. How things have changed, but your book brought it back to life for me again, no Bronx-ite should be without one Thankyou Bill Taylor

I loved the book, but was very disappointed that my neighborhood which is around Mckinley Square, Morrisania Library, Fulton Avenue Y, Crotona Park and the Indian lake, Boston Road Yiddish Theater, Jennings Street with Jackie the Pickle man were not mentioned.