Never-before-seen photographs document the history of the diverse communities of the East Bronx.
Using a collection of many never-before-seen photographs, East Bronx: East of the Bronx River celebrates the history of this group of neighborhoods. From the late 1800s to the present day, the area has undergone many dramatic changes. The most important factor in the history of the east Bronx is the development of mass transit. Its introduction to the Bronx brought a new age of commuters, people seeking professions largely in Manhattan as well as the comforts of suburbia and a more rural atmosphere for raising families. The elevated trains and the highway construction between 1910 and 1940 helped to triple the population. Property values rose and new construction became commonplace along the waterfront from Pelham Bay to Clason Point as summer houses were built. Today, the area east of the river is a community rich in history and diversity. Here we can watch the changing landscape, as old modes of transportation replace new ones, neighborhoods evolve, and the people of the Bronx build communities full of pride.