Culture

The Crossroads for a More Peaceful Bronx

Decades after photographing its abandoned buildings and makeshift playgrounds, Camilo José Vergara sees an unmatched contrast between past and present in the economically devastated borough.
99 Cent Store, Southern Blvd. at E. 163rd St., Bronx, 2018Camilo José Vergara

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Camilo José Vergara’s Crossroads project. Previous stories covered Newark’s “Four Corners,” the Bronx’s “Hub,” Harlem’s 125 and Lexington, and Bed-Stuy’s Fulton and Nostrand.

I have long been drawn to the intersection of Southern Boulevard and Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, the heart of a Latino neighborhood as seen in its urban forms, folk art, signage, fashion, and interactions.