Jane Jacobs and the Upper West Side
It was in the midst of this urban renewal maelstrom that Jane Jacobs wrote Death and Life in 1960, and it is unsurprising that she would view the intermediate results of such a disruptive transformation with horror.
Jacobs first salvo occurs in her introductory chapter and is aimed just to the north of the UWS in Morningside Heights at Morningside Gardens, a six-building middle-class cooperative project that was spearheaded by David Rockefeller and Robert Moses and built along with the low-income General Grant Houses:
...the planning arms of the city government got together, applied more planning theory, wiped out the most run-down part of the area and built in its stead a middle-income cooperative project complete with shopping center, and a public housing project, all interspersed with air, light, sunshine and landscaping. This was hailed as a great demonstration in city saving. After that, Morningside Heights went downhill even faster. (Jacobs 1961, pp 8)
IRT subway line going elevated in Morningside Heights
Morningside Gardens west perimeter wall
Morningside Gardens
Morningside Gardens
Morningside Gardens
Morningside Gardens
Morningside Gardens security booth
Morningside Gardens
Morningside Gardens parking
Morningside Gardens security booth
Morningside Gardens parking garage
General Grant Houses sign
General Grant Houses
General Grant Houses
Playground in General Grant Houses
General Grant Houses
General Grant parking
Entry to 1295 Amsterdam
Entry to 3150 Broadway
Manhattanville Houses (north of General Grant Houses)