The Bronx is a borough located at the northernmost part of New York City, with a population of about 1,300,000, and is the only borough that is not an island. Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens are built on islands, which many New Yorkers often forget.

Just 30 years ago, the Bronx was notorious for being a very dangerous place in New York. In the 1990s, gangs roamed freely, riots occurred frequently, and there were many arson incidents. It was considered a lawless area, and compared to other boroughs of New York City, it was truly a difficult neighborhood to live in. At that time, there were extreme expressions stating that it was "more dangerous than Harlem."

Since the 1990s, the New York City government has been gentrifying impoverished areas like Harlem, displacing Black residents to the Bronx, where Latino immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and El Salvador began to overflow.

In particular, after becoming a U.S. territory in 1898, many poor farmers from rural Puerto Rico migrated to the new homeland, the United States, forming a Puerto Rican community in New York, and they moved into the Bronx seeking affordable housing. Dominican immigrants also settled in the Bronx, leading to territorial disputes between the two groups. As Dominican immigrants and people from El Salvador joined in, conflicts among immigrants in the impoverished area arose. As a result, gangs became active, and the situation worsened.

However, starting in the late 1990s, New York City began to improve security, and things started to change gradually. In the 1990s, as the U.S. experienced economic prosperity and the city's "war on crime" began to succeed, security in the Bronx improved. The infamous Harlem area in New York was cleaned up, becoming a white residential area with affordable rents, quality facilities, and excellent access to Central Park, and similar changes have occurred in the Bronx, making it much safer now.

Still, this area remains one of the poorest in New York City, and its safety is somewhat worse than in other areas. However, despite this, the Bronx is a place that continues to undergo changes.

Here are the top 3 interesting facts related to the history of the Bronx!

Birthplace of Hip Hop
The Bronx is famous as the birthplace of hip hop. In the early 1970s, young people in the impoverished areas of the Bronx began to express their emotions through music and dance. DJ Kool Herc played a crucial role in the early development of hip hop music, and his parties combined DJing and rap battles, forming the hip hop culture we know today. This area remains an important center for hip hop to this day.

Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world, opening in 1899. It houses over 6,000 species of animals and features exhibits that recreate various natural habitats. The Bronx Zoo is also well-known for its educational programs that emphasize the importance of environmental conservation. Additionally, there are stories that famous characters from 'The Lion King,' like 'Simba,' were inspired by animals here.

Origin of the Name Bronx
The name Bronx is derived from "Jonatan Bronx," a Swedish settler. In the late 17th century, he established the first settlement in what is now the Bronx, and the area became known as 'Bronck's Land' after him. Over time, this area developed into an important borough of New York.