E.B White gives us a first class tour of New York City at its earliest peak by personifying the streets, depicting daily scenarios and going into the minds of the typical 20th Century New Yorker. If we fast forward 65 years, modern day New York has definitely seen some changes, mainly a spike in prices and people and a drop in slums and over all living space. E.B White mentions that it only cost a quarter to ride public transportation, and only $8 to rent a room in one of the newly developed housing projects. Nowadays, regular transportation costs 1000% more standing at $2.50 per ride, while the cheapest housing arrangement is unlikely to fall below the thousand dollar mark. One reason why the prices are sky rocketing is that more and more people are flowing into the city. In 1949 E.B. White estimates that there were approximately 8 million recorded citizens inhabiting the state, today there are only 8 million recorded citizens living in New York City alone. Many of which are willing to pay for any housing facility that they can find, even ones where the kitchen and bathroom share the same sink. And we thought our subway rides were cramped. With the high increase in population, space is becoming more and more limited, resulting in star bound sky scrapers, instead of the mansions that once were. The new “mansions” have been renamed penthouses and stand several floors above ground, occupying land that was long ago filled with slums. Now the only people wealthy enough to live on that land are the ones who basically own it.
I agree with the points that you made in terms of the major inflation that New York experienced on such a large scale, especially in the housing market in many areas of the city. With the heavy gentrification of the city in the last few years, rent is increasing for small apartments and penthouses alike. It gets difficult for people to sufficiently raise their families in the city, and they end up struggling to make ends meet.
I also agree with your point about the transit fare increase across the board. $2.50 for a subway ride, $6.00 for the express bus, and upwards of $7 for a ride on the LIRR. Although public transportation is even more prevalent now than it was during White’s time, the prices for fares have increased nonetheless.
I like your description of the new mansions as penthouses.
Very true : “Now the only people wealthy enough to live on that land are the ones who basically own it.” This is sad that New York City has become so expensive over time. And it’s mind blowing to see how it has changed over time from being a city that immigrants came to and lived in tenements to millionaires living in penthouses. How did this change happen so quickly? It’s bizarre to think about.