Bill Twomey

East Bronx (Images of America: New York) Bill Twomey

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.