Watch: City Within a City as Co-op City Turns 50

Tucked away in the Northeast Bronx is the world’s largest cooperative housing development not just in the country but in the world.

Once these wetlands was home to Freedomland, one of several amusement parks that dotted our borough which eventually gave way in the 1960s to create this 35 building, 15,372 residential unit utopia of sorts.

Occupying 320 acres and just under 1 square mile, Co-op City is also the country’s largest residential development: It is, literally, a city within a city.

Late last year, Co-op City celebrated its 50th anniversary and CityLab took a close look at how it has been a mostly successful affordable housing development what made it work and what could be better.

Watch the video below:

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.