The Bronx Strikes Back: Piano District Billboard Defaced in Act of Defiance

Piano District billboard didn't last long without being defaced.
Piano District billboard didn’t last long without being defaced.

In an act of civil disobedience, The Bronx has struck back against the disgusting billboard at the Third Avenue Bridge in The Bronx declaring the coming arrival of luxury housing and the rebranding of our neighborhood as The Piano District.

Since the billboard went up almost 3 weeks ago and the tasteless gentrification party almost 2 weeks ago, residents from the South Bronx and The Bronx as whole have been outraged at the developers pushing for luxury housing in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the poorest congressional district of our country.

It is no surprise that the billboard was attacked by paint being thrown at it.

Is this The Bronx’s version of The Boston Tea Party? One thing is for sure is that residents are already coalescing from all corners of The Bronx and meetings are being held to plan direct actions to protect our borough from the clutches of gentrification and the displacement which follows.

Many agree that this isn’t about being against development, it’s about responsible development where the needs of an existing community are met. Can a mixed income community exist? Absolutely, but we have a lot of work to do so that those most vulnerable are protected from displacement.

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.