Another memoir of the Grand Concourse is E.L. Doctorow's 1985 novel 'World's   
   Fair". I recommend it. It led me to read the recent non-fictional "Boulevard   
   of Dreams" by Constance Rosenbloom, and then to do a walking tour of the   
   Concourse   
   on a trip to NYC last June.   
      
   It's interesting, but mostly in a sad way. Many Art Deco buildings remain,   
   but the surroundings are shabby, and the people are poor. The glamour is gone;   
   the middle class is gone; the movie palace (Loew's Paradise) is a church.   
   It's certainly not dangerous in the daytime.   
      
   A visitor to NYC nowadays is most impressed by how busy, prosperous, and   
   luxurious Manhattan has become -- almost every part.   
   It's a sobering contrast to visit the downtown Bronx and see crowds of poor   
   people who shop for cheap stuff, just as in other decaying american cities.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)