Eisenhower began smoking cigarettes at West Point, often two or three packs a day. Eisenhower stated that he "gave [himself] an order" to stop cold turkey in March 1949 while at Columbia. He was probably the first president to release information about his health and medical records while in office. On September 24, 1955, while vacationing in Colorado, he had a serious heart attack that required six weeks' hospitalization, during which time Nixon, Dulles, and Sherman Adams assumed administrative duties and provided communication with the President. He was treated by Dr. Paul Dudley White, a cardiologist with a national reputation, who regularly informed the press of the President's progress. Instead of eliminating him as a candidate for a second term as President, his physician recommended a second term as essential to his recovery.

Where did Eisenhower pick up the habit of smoking?

West Point

How many cigarettes did Eisenhower smoke daily at West Point?

two or three packs

When did Eisenhower stop smoking completely?

March 1949

Who was Eisenhower's employer when he gave up smoking?

Columbia

Who was the cardiologist who treated Eisenhower after his heart attack?

Paul Dudley White


As a consequence of his heart attack, Eisenhower developed a left ventricular aneurysm, which was in turn the cause of a mild stroke on November 25, 1957. This incident occurred during a cabinet meeting when Eisenhower suddenly found himself unable to speak or move his right hand. The stroke had caused an aphasia. The president also suffered from Crohn's disease, chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine, which necessitated surgery for a bowel obstruction on June 9, 1956. To treat the intestinal block, surgeons bypassed about ten inches of his small intestine. His scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was postponed so he could recover from surgery at his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was still recovering from this operation during the Suez Crisis. Eisenhower's health issues forced him to give up smoking and make some changes to his dietary habits, but he still indulged in alcohol. During a visit to England he complained of dizziness and had to have his blood pressure checked on August 29, 1959; however, before dinner at Chequers on the next day his doctor General Howard Snyder recalled Eisenhower "drank several gin-and-tonics, and one or two gins on the rocks ... three or four wines with the dinner".

What caused Eisenhower's stroke of 1957?

left ventricular aneurysm

Where was Eisenhower when he suffered a stroke in 1957?

cabinet meeting

What couldn't Eisenhower move as a result of his stroke?

right hand

What is Crohn's disease?

chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine

Why did Eisenhower need surgery on June 9, 1956?

bowel obstruction


The last three years of Eisenhower's second term in office were ones of relatively good health. Eventually after leaving the White House, he suffered several additional and ultimately crippling heart attacks. A severe heart attack in August 1965 largely ended his participation in public affairs. In August 1966 he began to show symptoms of cholecystitis, for which he underwent surgery on December 12, 1966, when his gallbladder was removed, containing 16 gallstones. After Eisenhower's death in 1969 (see below), an autopsy unexpectedly revealed an adrenal pheochromocytoma, a benign adrenaline-secreting tumor that may have made the President more vulnerable to heart disease. Eisenhower suffered seven heart attacks in total from 1955 until his death.

What August 1965 event caused Eisenhower to drop out of public life?

heart attack

For what ailment did Eisenhower receive surgery in 1966?

cholecystitis

What did Eisenhower have removed via surgery on December 12, 1966?

gallbladder

In what year did Eisenhower die?

How many heart attacks did Eisenhower have between 1955 and 1969?

seven


In the 1960 election to choose his successor, Eisenhower endorsed his own Vice President, Republican Richard Nixon against Democrat John F. Kennedy. He told friends, "I will do almost anything to avoid turning my chair and country over to Kennedy." He actively campaigned for Nixon in the final days, although he may have done Nixon some harm. When asked by reporters at the end of a televised press conference to list one of Nixon's policy ideas he had adopted, Eisenhower joked, "If you give me a week, I might think of one. I don't remember." Kennedy's campaign used the quote in one of its campaign commercials. Nixon narrowly lost to Kennedy. Eisenhower, who was the oldest president in history at that time (then 70), was succeeded by the youngest elected president, as Kennedy was 43.

Who did Eisenhower endorse for president in 1960?

Richard Nixon

Who was the Democratic candidate for president in 1960?

John F. Kennedy

How old was Eisenhower in 1960?

Who was the youngest person elected to the United States presidency?

Kennedy

Who won the US presidential election of 1960?

Kennedy


On January 17, 1961, Eisenhower gave his final televised Address to the Nation from the Oval Office. In his farewell speech, Eisenhower raised the issue of the Cold War and role of the U.S. armed forces. He described the Cold War: "We face a hostile ideology global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose and insidious in method ..." and warned about what he saw as unjustified government spending proposals and continued with a warning that "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex."

On what date did Eisenhower deliver his farewell speech?

January 17, 1961

In his farewell speech, what complex did Eisenhower warn the American people of?

military–industrial

What war did Eisenhower talk about in his Address to the Nation?

Cold

From where did Eisenhower deliver his farewell speech?

Oval Office

What term did Eisenhower use to describe the character of communism?

atheistic


Eisenhower retired to the place where he and Mamie had spent much of their post-war time, a working farm adjacent to the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, only 70 miles from his ancestral home in Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. In 1967 the Eisenhowers donated the farm to the National Park Service. In retirement, the former president did not completely retreat from political life; he spoke at the 1964 Republican National Convention and appeared with Barry Goldwater in a Republican campaign commercial from Gettysburg. However, his endorsement came somewhat reluctantly because Goldwater had attacked the former president as "a dime-store New Dealer".

What town did Eisenhower retire to after his presidency?

Gettysburg

What Pennsylvania county did Eisenhower grow up in?

Dauphin

Who did Eisenhower donate his farm to in 1967?

National Park Service

Who was the Republican presidential candidate in 1964?

Barry Goldwater

What did Barry Goldwater call Eisenhower?

dime-store New Dealer


On the morning of March 28, 1969, at the age of 78, Eisenhower died in Washington, D.C. of congestive heart failure at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The following day his body was moved to the Washington National Cathedral's Bethlehem Chapel, where he lay in repose for 28 hours. On March 30, his body was brought by caisson to the United States Capitol, where he lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda. On March 31, Eisenhower's body was returned to the National Cathedral, where he was given an Episcopal Church funeral service.

How old was Eisenhower when he died?

At what facility did Eisenhower die?

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

What was Eisenhower's cause of death?

congestive heart failure

What was Eisenhower's date of death?

March 28, 1969

What Christian denomination did Eisenhower belong to?

Episcopal


That evening, Eisenhower's body was placed onto a train en route to Abilene, Kansas, the last time a funeral train has been used as part of funeral proceedings of an American president. His body arrived on April 2, and was interred later that day in a small chapel on the grounds of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The president's body was buried as a General of the Army. The family used an $80 standard soldier's casket, and dressed Eisenhower's body in his famous short green jacket. His only medals worn were: the Army Distinguished Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit. Eisenhower is buried alongside his son Doud, who died at age 3 in 1921. His wife Mamie was buried next to him after her death in 1979.

When did Eisenhower's funeral train arrive in Abilene, Kansas?

April 2

At what location was Eisenhower buried?

Eisenhower Presidential Library

What was the cost of Eisenhower's casket?

What color jacket was Eisenhower buried in?

green

When did Mamie Eisenhower die?


In the immediate years after Eisenhower left office, his reputation declined. He was widely seen by critics as an inactive, uninspiring, golf-playing president compared to his vigorous young successor. Despite his unprecedented use of Army troops to enforce a federal desegregation order at Central High School in Little Rock, Eisenhower was criticized for his reluctance to support the civil rights movement to the degree that activists wanted. Eisenhower also attracted criticism for his handling of the 1960 U-2 incident and the associated international embarrassment, for the Soviet Union's perceived leadership in the nuclear arms race and the Space Race, and for his failure to publicly oppose McCarthyism.

In popular memory, what sport was Eisenhower known for playing?

golf

What did critics feel that Eisenhower should have opposed in public?

McCarthyism

Where was Central High school located?

Little Rock

How did critics characterize Kennedy in comparison to Eisenhower?

vigorous young successor

What nation was considered the leader in the nuclear arms race?

Soviet Union


Since the 19th century, many if not all presidents were assisted by a central figure or "gatekeeper", sometimes described as the President's Private Secretary, sometimes with no official title at all. Eisenhower formalized this role, introducing the office of White House Chief of Staff – an idea he borrowed from the United States Army. Every president after Lyndon Johnson has also appointed staff to this position. Initially, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter tried to operate without a chief of staff, but each eventually appointed one.

From where did Eisenhower get the idea of a White House Chief of Staff?

United States Army

Who was the last president not to appoint a Chief of Staff?

Lyndon Johnson

Along with Ford, what president initially didn't appoint a Chief of Staff but later did?

Jimmy Carter

What 19th century informal political office did the modern role of White House Chief of Staff correspond to?

President's Private Secretary


The development of the appreciation medals was initiated by the White House and executed by the Bureau of the Mint through the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. The medals were struck from September 1958 through October 1960. A total of twenty designs are cataloged with a total mintage of 9,858. Each of the designs incorporates the text "with appreciation" or "with personal and official gratitude" accompanied with Eisenhower's initials "D.D.E." or facsimile signature. The design also incorporates location, date, and/or significant event. Prior to the end of his second term as President, 1,451 medals were turned-in to the Bureau of the Mint and destroyed. The Eisenhower appreciation medals are part of the Presidential Medal of Appreciation Award Medal Series.

How many appreciation medals were minted?

In what city were the appreciation medals minted?

Philadelphia

During what period were the appreciation medals minted?

September 1958 through October 1960

What were Eisenhower's initials?

D.D.E.

How many appreciation medals were destroyed by the Bureau of the Mint?


The Interstate Highway System is officially known as the 'Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways' in his honor. It was inspired in part by Eisenhower's own Army experiences in World War II, where he recognized the advantages of the autobahn systems in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Commemorative signs reading "Eisenhower Interstate System" and bearing Eisenhower's permanent 5-star rank insignia were introduced in 1993 and are currently displayed throughout the Interstate System. Several highways are also named for him, including the Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) near Chicago and the Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70 west of Denver.

What is the formal name of the Interstate Highway System?

Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways

Along with Germany and Switzerland, what country contained an autobahn during the Second World War?

Austria

When were "Eisenhower Interstate System" signs first posted along highways?

What is another name for Eisenhower Expressway?

Interstate 290

What major city is Interstate 290 close to?

Chicago


A loblolly pine, known as the "Eisenhower Pine", was located on Augusta's 17th hole, approximately 210 yards (192 m) from the Masters tee. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, an Augusta National member, hit the tree so many times that, at a 1956 club meeting, he proposed that it be cut down. Not wanting to offend the president, the club's chairman, Clifford Roberts, immediately adjourned the meeting rather than reject the request. The tree was removed in February 2014 after an ice storm caused it significant damage.

At what Augusta hole was the Eisenhower Pine located?

How many meters away from the Masters tee on Augusta's 17th was the Eisenhower Pine?

What did Eisenhower want to be done to the Eisenhower Pine?

cut down

What damaged the Eisenhower Pine in February 2014?

ice storm

In what year did Eisenhower propose that the pine tree named after him be removed?


The Bronx /ˈbrɒŋks/ is the northernmost of the five boroughs (counties) of New York City in the state of New York, located south of Westchester County. Many bridges and tunnels link the Bronx to the island and borough of Manhattan to the west over and under the narrow Harlem River, as well as three longer bridges south over the East River to the borough of Queens. Of the five boroughs, the Bronx is the only one on the U.S. mainland and, with a land area of 42 square miles (109 km2) and a population of 1,438,159 in 2014, has the fourth largest land area, the fourth highest population, and the third-highest population density.

How many boroughs are in NYC?

five

Where is the Bronx positioned among NYC boroughs?

northernmost

What is the Bronx's population?

How large is the Bronx?

42 square miles (109 km2)

What is unique about the Bronx's location?

Of the five boroughs, the Bronx is the only one on the U.S. mainland


The Bronx is named after Jonas Bronck who created the first settlement as part of the New Netherland colony in 1639. The native Lenape were displaced after 1643 by settlers. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Bronx received many immigrant groups as it was transformed into an urban community, first from various European countries (particularly Ireland, Germany and Italy) and later from the Caribbean region (particularly Puerto Rico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic), as well as African American migrants from the American South. This cultural mix has made the Bronx a wellspring of both Latin music and hip hop.

Who is the Bronx named for?

Jonas Bronck

What did Bronck do?

created the first settlement as part of the New Netherland colony

When did Bronck settle in the New York area?

What native tribe lived in the New York area?

Lenape

What types of music the Bronx famous for?

Latin music and hip hop


The Bronx contains one of the five poorest Congressional Districts in the United States, the 15th, but its wide diversity also includes affluent, upper-income and middle-income neighborhoods such as Riverdale, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, Schuylerville, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Morris Park and Country Club. The Bronx, particularly the South Bronx, saw a sharp decline in population, livable housing, and the quality of life in the late 1960s and the 1970s, culminating in a wave of arson. Since then the communities have shown significant redevelopment starting in the late 1980s before picking up pace in the 1990s into today.

How poor is part of the Bronx?

one of the five poorest Congressional Districts in the United States

What neighborhoods of the Bronx are more affluent?

Riverdale, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, Schuylerville, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Morris Park and Country Club

When did the South Bronx lose quality of life?

the late 1960s and the 1970s

What crime problem happened in the Bronx in the 70s?

arson


Jonas Bronck (c. 1600–43) was a Swedish born emigrant from Komstad, Norra Ljunga parish in Småland, Sweden who arrived in New Netherland during the spring of 1639. He became the first recorded European settler in the area now known as the Bronx. He leased land from the Dutch West India Company on the neck of the mainland immediately north of the Dutch settlement in Harlem (on Manhattan island), and bought additional tracts from the local tribes. He eventually accumulated 500 acres (about 2 square km, or 3/4 of a square mile) between the Harlem River and the Aquahung, which became known as Bronck's River, or The Bronx. Dutch and English settlers referred to the area as Bronck's Land. The American poet William Bronk was a descendant of Pieter Bronck, either Jonas Bronck's son or his younger brother.

When was Jonas Bronck born?

Where did Bronck emigrate from?

Småland, Sweden

When did Bronck reach the New York area?

spring of 1639

What entity did Bronck get his land from?

the Dutch West India Company

How much land did Bronck eventually own?

500 acres


The Bronx is referred to, both legally and colloquially, with a definite article, as the Bronx. (The County of Bronx, unlike the coextensive Borough of the Bronx, does not place the immediately before Bronx in formal references, nor does the United States Postal Service in its database of Bronx addresses.) The name for this region, apparently after the Bronx River, first appeared in the Annexed District of the Bronx created in 1874 out of part of Westchester County and was continued in the Borough of the Bronx, which included a larger annexation from Westchester County in 1898. The use of the definite article is attributed to the style of referring to rivers. Another explanation for the use of the definite article in the borough's name is that the original form of the name was a possessive or collective one referring to the family, as in visiting The Broncks, The Bronck's or The Broncks'.

What is the Bronx's county name?

The County of Bronx

What is the Bronx's borough name?

Borough of the Bronx

When was the Bronx created?

What county was the Bronx split off from?

Westchester

When was the Bronx added to?


The development of the Bronx is directly connected to its strategic location between New England and New York (Manhattan). Control over the bridges across the Harlem River plagued the period of British colonial rule. Kingsbridge, built in 1693 where Broadway reached the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, was a possession of Frederick Philipse, lord of Philipse Manor. The tolls were resented by local farmers on both sides of the creek. In 1759, the farmers led by Jacobus Dyckman and Benjamin Palmer built a "free bridge" across the Harlem River which led to the abandonment of tolls altogether.

When did farmers build a bridge over the Harlem River?

Why did farmers build a bridge over the Harlem River?

tolls were resented

What strategic advantage did the Bronx's location have?

between New England and New York

When was Kingsbridge built?

Who owned Kingsbridge?

Frederick Philipse


The territory now contained within Bronx County was originally part of Westchester County, one of the 12 original counties of the English Province of New York. The present Bronx County was contained in the town of Westchester and parts of the towns of Yonkers, Eastchester, and Pelham. In 1846, a new town, West Farms, was created by division of Westchester; in turn, in 1855, the town of Morrisania was created from West Farms. In 1873, the town of Kingsbridge (roughly corresponding to the modern Bronx neighborhoods of Kingsbridge, Riverdale, and Woodlawn) was established within the former borders of Yonkers.

How many counties did New York originally have?

Parts of which towns became part of the Bronx?

Yonkers, Eastchester, and Pelham

When was West Farms created?

When was Morrisania created?

When was the town of Kingsbridge created?


The consolidation of the Bronx into New York City proceeded in two stages. In 1873, the state legislature annexed Kingsbridge, West Farms and Morrisania to New York, effective in 1874; the three towns were abolished in the process. In 1895, three years before New York's consolidation with Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, the whole of the territory east of the Bronx River, including the Town of Westchester (which had voted in 1894 against consolidation) and portions of Eastchester and Pelham, were annexed to the city. City Island, a nautical community, voted to join the city in 1896.

When did New York City annex Kingsbridge?

When did New York City annex West Farms?

When did New York City annex Morrisania?

When did New York City annex part of Pelham?

When did New York City annex part of Eastchester?


The history of the Bronx during the 20th century may be divided into four periods: a boom period during 1900–29, with a population growth by a factor of six from 200,000 in 1900 to 1.3 million in 1930. The Great Depression and post World War II years saw a slowing of growth leading into an eventual decline. The mid to late century were hard times, as the Bronx declined 1950–85 from a predominantly moderate-income to a predominantly lower-income area with high rates of violent crime and poverty. The Bronx has experienced an economic and developmental resurgence starting in the late 1980s that continues into today.

When was the Bronx's boom period?

What was the Bronx's population in 1900?

What was the Bronx's population in 1929?

1.3 million

When did the Bronx's income declined?

When did the Bronx's economy regrow?

starting in the late 1980s


The Bronx underwent rapid urban growth after World War I. Extensions of the New York City Subway contributed to the increase in population as thousands of immigrants came to the Bronx, resulting in a major boom in residential construction. Among these groups, many Irish Americans, Italian Americans and especially Jewish Americans settled here. In addition, French, German, Polish and other immigrants moved into the borough. The Jewish population also increased notably during this time. In 1937, according to Jewish organizations, 592,185 Jews lived in The Bronx (43.9% of the borough's population), while only 54,000 Jews lived in the borough in 2011. Many synagogues still stand in the Bronx, but most have been converted to other uses.

How many Jews lived in the Bronx in 1937?

How many Jews lived in the Bronx in 2011?

What led to the Bronx's population growth?

Extensions of the New York City Subway

What immigrant groups were the most prevalent in the Bronx?

Irish Americans, Italian Americans and especially Jewish Americans

How much of the Bronx was Jewish in 1937?


Yet another may have been a reduction in the real-estate listings and property-related financial services (such as mortgage loans or insurance policies) offered in some areas of the Bronx — a process known as redlining. Others have suggested a "planned shrinkage" of municipal services, such as fire-fighting. There was also much debate as to whether rent control laws had made it less profitable (or more costly) for landlords to maintain existing buildings with their existing tenants than to abandon or destroy those buildings.

What is redlining?

a reduction in the real-estate listings and property-related financial services (such as mortgage loans or insurance policies) offered in some areas

What might have encouraged landlords to abandon or destroy buildings?

rent control laws

What example city service was cut back on in the Bronx?

fire-fighting


In the 1970s, the Bronx was plagued by a wave of arson. The burning of buildings was predominantly in the poorest communities, like the South Bronx. The most common explanation of what occurred was that landlords decided to burn their low property-value buildings and take the insurance money as it was more lucrative to get insurance money than to refurbish or sell a building in a severely distressed area. The Bronx became identified with a high rate of poverty and unemployment, which was mainly a persistent problem in the South Bronx.

What crime was common in the Bronx in the 1970s?

arson

Why did some landlords burn their own buildings?

it was more lucrative to get insurance money than to refurbish or sell a building in a severely distressed area

Where were poverty and unemployment the worst in the Bronx?

South Bronx


Since the late 1980s, significant development has occurred in the Bronx, first stimulated by the city's "Ten-Year Housing Plan" and community members working to rebuild the social, economic and environmental infrastructure by creating affordable housing. Groups affiliated with churches in the South Bronx erected the Nehemiah Homes with about 1,000 units. The grass roots organization Nos Quedamos' endeavor known as Melrose Commons began to rebuild areas in the South Bronx. The IRT White Plains Road Line (2 5 trains) began to show an increase in riders. Chains such as Marshalls, Staples, and Target opened stores in the Bronx. More bank branches opened in the Bronx as a whole (rising from 106 in 1997 to 149 in 2007), although not primarily in poor or minority neighborhoods, while the Bronx still has fewer branches per person than other boroughs.

What city plan helped redevelop the Bronx?

"Ten-Year Housing Plan"

How many units are in the Nehemiah Homes?

about 1,000

Who built the Nehemiah Homes?

Groups affiliated with churches in the South Bronx

Who led the Melrose Commons project?

Nos Quedamos

How many bank branches were in the Bronx by 2007?


In 1997, the Bronx was designated an All America City by the National Civic League, acknowledging its comeback from the decline of the mid-century. In 2006, The New York Times reported that "construction cranes have become the borough's new visual metaphor, replacing the window decals of the 1980s in which pictures of potted plants and drawn curtains were placed in the windows of abandoned buildings." The borough has experienced substantial new building construction since 2002. Between 2002 and June 2007, 33,687 new units of housing were built or were under way and $4.8 billion has been invested in new housing. In the first six months of 2007 alone total investment in new residential development was $965 million and 5,187 residential units were scheduled to be completed. Much of the new development is springing up in formerly vacant lots across the South Bronx.

What award did the Bronx receive in 1997?

All America City

Who gave the Bronx an award in 1997?

the National Civic League

How were window decals used in the Bronx in the 1980s?

pictures of potted plants and drawn curtains were placed in the windows of abandoned buildings

How many housing units were built in the Bronx in 2002-2007?

How much was invested in housing in the Bronx in 2002-2007?

$4.8 billion


Several boutique and chain hotels have opened in recent years in the South Bronx; in addition, a La Quinta Inn that has been proposed for the Mott Haven waterfront. The Kingsbridge Armory, often cited as the largest armory in the world, is scheduled for redevelopment as the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. Under consideration for future development is the construction of a platform over the New York City Subway's Concourse Yard adjacent to Lehman College. The construction would permit approximately 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) of development and would cost US$350–500 million.

What was the largest armory in the world?

Kingsbridge Armory

What is Kingsbridge Armory being turned into?

Kingsbridge National Ice Center

Where is a La Quinta being built in the Bronx?

the Mott Haven waterfront

How much development space would a Concourse Yard platform provide?

2,000,000 square feet

How much would a Concourse Yard platform cost?

US$350–500 million


The Bronx is almost entirely situated on the North American mainland. The Hudson River separates the Bronx on the west from Alpine, Tenafly and Englewood Cliffs in Bergen County, New Jersey; the Harlem River separates it from the island of Manhattan to the southwest; the East River separates it from Queens to the southeast; and to the east, Long Island Sound separates it from Nassau County in western Long Island. Directly north of the Bronx are (from west to east) the adjoining Westchester County communities of Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Pelham Manor and New Rochelle. (There is also a short southern land boundary with Marble Hill in the Borough of Manhattan, over the filled-in former course of the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Marble Hill's postal ZIP code, telephonic Area Code and fire service, however, are shared with the Bronx and not Manhattan.)

What's on the other side of the Hudson from the Bronx?

Alpine, Tenafly and Englewood Cliffs

What county is Tenafly in?

Bergen County

What state is Alpine in?

New Jersey

What's on the other side of the Harlem River from the Bronx?

Manhattan

What's on the other side of the East River from the Bronx?

Queens


The Bronx's highest elevation at 280 feet (85 m) is in the northwest corner, west of Van Cortlandt Park and in the Chapel Farm area near the Riverdale Country School. The opposite (southeastern) side of the Bronx has four large low peninsulas or "necks" of low-lying land that jut into the waters of the East River and were once salt marsh: Hunt's Point, Clason's Point, Screvin's Neck and Throg's Neck. Further up the coastline, Rodman's Neck lies between Pelham Bay Park in the northeast and City Island. The Bronx's irregular shoreline extends for 75 square miles (194 km2).

Where is the Bronx's highest point?

in the northwest corner, west of Van Cortlandt Park and in the Chapel Farm area near the Riverdale Country School

What part of the Bronx formerly a salt marsh?

southeastern

What are the Bronx's four low peninsulas?

Hunt's Point, Clason's Point, Screvin's Neck and Throg's Neck

What is Rodman's Neck between?

Pelham Bay Park in the northeast and City Island

How long is the Bronx's shoreline?

75 square miles


The northern side of the borough includes the largest park in New York City—Pelham Bay Park, which includes Orchard Beach—and the fourth largest, Van Cortlandt Park, which is west of Woodlawn Cemetery and borders Yonkers. Also in the northern Bronx, Wave Hill, the former estate of George W. Perkins—known for a historic house, gardens, changing site-specific art installations and concerts—overlooks the New Jersey Palisades from a promontory on the Hudson in Riverdale. Nearer the borough's center, and along the Bronx River, is Bronx Park; its northern end houses the New York Botanical Gardens, which preserve the last patch of the original hemlock forest that once covered the entire county, and its southern end the Bronx Zoo, the largest urban zoological gardens in the United States. Just south of Van Cortlandt Park is the Jerome Park Reservoir, surrounded by 2 miles (3 km) of stone walls and bordering several small parks in the Bedford Park neighborhood; the reservoir was built in the 1890s on the site of the former Jerome Park Racetrack. Further south is Crotona Park, home to a 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) lake, 28 species of trees, and a large swimming pool. The land for these parks, and many others, was bought by New York City in 1888, while land was still open and inexpensive, in anticipation of future needs and future pressures for development.

When did NYC buy land for its parks?

How many types of trees are in Crotona Park?

How large is Crotona Park's lake?

When was the Jerome Park Reservoir built?

in the 1890s

What do the NY Botanical Gardens preserve?

the last patch of the original hemlock forest that once covered the entire county


East of the Bronx River, the borough is relatively flat and includes four large low peninsulas, or 'necks,' of low-lying land which jut into the waters of the East River and were once saltmarsh: Hunts Point, Clason's Point, Screvin's Neck (Castle Hill Point) and Throgs Neck. The East Bronx has older tenement buildings, low income public housing complexes, and multifamily homes, as well as single family homes. It includes New York City's largest park: Pelham Bay Park along the Westchester-Bronx border.

What is Screvin's Neck also called?

Castle Hill Point

In what river does the Bronx have 4 peninsulas?

East River

What is NYC's largest park?

Pelham Bay Park

Where is Pelham Bay Park?

along the Westchester-Bronx border


The western parts of the Bronx are hillier and are dominated by a series of parallel ridges, running south to north. The West Bronx has older apartment buildings, low income public housing complexes, multifamily homes in its lower income areas as well as larger single family homes in more affluent areas such as Riverdale and Fieldston. It includes New York City's fourth largest park: Van Cortlandt Park along the Westchester-Bronx border. The Grand Concourse, a wide boulevard, runs through it, north to south.

What parts of the Bronx have more hills?

western

What parts of West Bronx are more affluent?

Riverdale and Fieldston.

What is NYC's 4th-largest park?

Van Cortlandt Park

Where is Van Cortlandt Park?

along the Westchester-Bronx border

What is the Grand Concourse?

a wide boulevard


Like other neighborhoods in New York City, the South Bronx has no official boundaries. The name has been used to represent poverty in the Bronx and applied to progressively more northern places so that by the 2000s Fordham Road was often used as a northern limit. The Bronx River more consistently forms an eastern boundary. The South Bronx has many high-density apartment buildings, low income public housing complexes, and multi-unit homes. The South Bronx is home to the Bronx County Courthouse, Borough Hall, and other government buildings, as well as Yankee Stadium. The Cross Bronx Expressway bisects it, east to west. The South Bronx has some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, as well as very high crime areas.

Why has the supposed size of the 'South Bronx' grown?

The name has been used to represent poverty in the Bronx and applied to progressively more northern places

When was Fordham Road being used as the limit of the South Bronx area?

by the 2000s

Which river is the eastern edge of the South Bronx?

The Bronx River

Which stadium is in the South Bronx?

Yankee Stadium

Which direction does the Cross Bronx Expressway run through the South Bronx?

east to west


There are three primary shopping centers in the Bronx: The Hub, Gateway Center and Southern Boulevard. The Hub–Third Avenue Business Improvement District (B.I.D.), in The Hub, is the retail heart of the South Bronx, located where four roads converge: East 149th Street, Willis, Melrose and Third Avenues. It is primarily located inside the neighborhood of Melrose but also lines the northern border of Mott Haven. The Hub has been called "the Broadway of the Bronx", being likened to the real Broadway in Manhattan and the northwestern Bronx. It is the site of both maximum traffic and architectural density. In configuration, it resembles a miniature Times Square, a spatial "bow-tie" created by the geometry of the street. The Hub is part of Bronx Community Board 1.

What in the Bronx has been compared to Broadway?

The Hub

What is the main retail area of the South Bronx?

The Hub–Third Avenue Business Improvement District

Which streets demarcate The Hub BID?

East 149th Street, Willis, Melrose and Third Avenues

What is The Hub's nickname?

"the Broadway of the Bronx"

What shape is The Hub?

bow-tie


The Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market, in the West Bronx, is a shopping center that encompasses less than one million square feet of retail space, built on a 17 acres (7 ha) site that formerly held the Bronx Terminal Market, a wholesale fruit and vegetable market as well as the former Bronx House of Detention, south of Yankee Stadium. The $500 million shopping center, which was completed in 2009, saw the construction of new buildings and two smaller buildings, one new and the other a renovation of an existing building that was part of the original market. The two main buildings are linked by a six-level garage for 2,600 cars. The center has earned itself a LEED "Silver" designation in its design.

How much land was the Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market built on?

17 acres

How much did the Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market cost?

$500 million

How many floors does the Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market's parking garage have?

six

How many cars can the Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market's parking garage hold?


The Bronx street grid is irregular. Like the northernmost part of upper Manhattan, the West Bronx's hilly terrain leaves a relatively free-style street grid. Much of the West Bronx's street numbering carries over from upper Manhattan, but does not match it exactly; East 132nd Street is the lowest numbered street in the Bronx. This dates from the mid-19th century when the southwestern area of Westchester County west of the Bronx River, was incorporated into New York City and known as the Northside.

What part of Manhattan are the West Bronx's streets similar to?

northernmost part of upper Manhattan

What is the lowest street number seen in the Bronx?

What was the Bronx called in the mid-19th century?

the Northside

When was the Bronx added to NYC?

the mid-19th century


According to the 2010 Census, 53.5% of Bronx's population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race); 30.1% non-Hispanic Black or African American, 10.9% of the population was non-Hispanic White, 3.4% non-Hispanic Asian, 0.6% from some other race (non-Hispanic) and 1.2% of two or more races (non-Hispanic). The U.S. Census considers the Bronx to be the most diverse area in the country. There is an 89.7 percent chance that any two residents, chosen at random, would be of different race or ethnicity.

How much of the Bronx's population is Hispanic?

How much of the Bronx's population is non-Hispanic Black?

How much of the Bronx's population is non-Hispanic White?

How much of the Bronx's population is non-Hispanic Asian?

How much of the Bronx's population is non-Hispanic multiracial?


As of 2010, 46.29% (584,463) of Bronx residents aged five and older spoke Spanish at home, while 44.02% (555,767) spoke English, 2.48% (31,361) African languages, 0.91% (11,455) French, 0.90% (11,355) Italian, 0.87% (10,946) various Indic languages, 0.70% (8,836) other Indo-European languages, and Chinese was spoken at home by 0.50% (6,610) of the population over the age of five. In total, 55.98% (706,783) of the Bronx's population age five and older spoke a language at home other than English. A Garifuna-speaking community from Honduras and Guatemala also makes the Bronx its home.

How much of the Bronx speaks Spanish at home?

How much of the Bronx speaks English at home?

How much of the Bronx speaks African languages at home?

How much of the Bronx speaks French at home?

How much of the Bronx speaks Chinese at home?


According to the 2009 American Community Survey, White Americans of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin represented over one-fifth (22.9%) of the Bronx's population. However, non-Hispanic whites formed under one-eighth (12.1%) of the population, down from 34.4% in 1980. Out of all five boroughs, the Bronx has the lowest number and percentage of white residents. 320,640 whites called the Bronx home, of which 168,570 were non-Hispanic whites. The majority of the non-Hispanic European American population is of Italian and Irish descent. People of Italian descent numbered over 55,000 individuals and made up 3.9% of the population. People of Irish descent numbered over 43,500 individuals and made up 3.1% of the population. German Americans and Polish Americans made up 1.4% and 0.8% of the population respectively.

How much of the Bronx is white (including Hispanic) as of 2009?

How much of the Bronx was non-Hispanic white as of 1980?

How much of the Bronx was non-Hispanic white as of 2009?

How many white people live in the Bronx?

How many non-Hispanic white people live in the Bronx?


At the 2009 American Community Survey, Black Americans made the second largest group in the Bronx after Hispanics and Latinos. Blacks of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin represented over one-third (35.4%) of the Bronx's population. Blacks of non-Hispanic origin made up 30.8% of the population. Over 495,200 blacks resided in the borough, of which 430,600 were non-Hispanic blacks. Over 61,000 people identified themselves as "Sub-Saharan African" in the survey, making up 4.4% of the population.

How much of the Bronx's population is black (including Hispanic)?

How much of the Bronx's population is black (not including Hispanic)?

How many Bronx residents called themselves "Sub-Saharan African" in 2009?

Over 61,000

What percent of Bronx residents called themselves "Sub-Saharan African" in 2009?

How many people in the Bronx are black (not including Hispanic)?


In 2009, Hispanic and Latino Americans represented 52.0% of the Bronx's population. Puerto Ricans represented 23.2% of the borough's population. Over 72,500 Mexicans lived in the Bronx, and they formed 5.2% of the population. Cubans numbered over 9,640 members and formed 0.7% of the population. In addition, over 319,000 people were of various Hispanic and Latino groups, such as Dominican, Salvadoran, and so on. These groups collectively represented 22.9% of the population. At the 2010 Census, 53.5% of Bronx's population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race). Asian Americans are a small but sizable minority in the borough. Roughly 49,600 Asians make up 3.6% of the population. Roughly 13,600 Indians call the Bronx home, along with 9,800 Chinese, 6,540 Filipinos, 2,260 Vietnamese, 2,010 Koreans, and 1,100 Japanese.

What percent of the Bronx is Hispanic and Latino Americans?

What percent of the Bronx is Puerto Rican?

What percent of the Bronx is Mexican?

What percent of the Bronx is Cuban?

What percent of the Bronx is Asian?


Multiracial Americans are also a sizable minority in the Bronx. People of multiracial heritage number over 41,800 individuals and represent 3.0% of the population. People of mixed Caucasian and African American heritage number over 6,850 members and form 0.5% of the population. People of mixed Caucasian and Native American heritage number over 2,450 members and form 0.2% of the population. People of mixed Caucasian and Asian heritage number over 880 members and form 0.1% of the population. People of mixed African American and Native American heritage number over 1,220 members and form 0.1% of the population.

How many multiracial people live in the Bronx?

over 41,800

What percent of the Bronx is multiracial?

What percent of the Bronx has mixed Caucasian and African American heritage?

What percent of the Bronx has mixed Caucasian and Native American heritage?

What percent of the Bronx has mixed Caucasian and Asian heritage?


The office of Borough President was created in the consolidation of 1898 to balance centralization with local authority. Each borough president had a powerful administrative role derived from having a vote on the New York City Board of Estimate, which was responsible for creating and approving the city's budget and proposals for land use. In 1989 the Supreme Court of the United States declared the Board of Estimate unconstitutional on the grounds that Brooklyn, the most populous borough, had no greater effective representation on the Board than Staten Island, the least populous borough, a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause pursuant to the high court's 1964 "one man, one vote" decision.

When was the 'one man, one vote' decision?

Which amendment contains the Equal Protection Clause?

Fourteenth

When were Borough Presidents created?

When was the Board of Estimate found unconstitutional?

Why was the Board of Estimate found unconstitutional?

Brooklyn, the most populous borough, had no greater effective representation on the Board than Staten Island, the least populous borough


Until March 1, 2009, the Borough President of the Bronx was Adolfo Carrión Jr., elected as a Democrat in 2001 and 2005 before retiring early to direct the White House Office of Urban Affairs Policy. His successor, Democratic New York State Assembly member Rubén Díaz, Jr., who won a special election on April 21, 2009 by a vote of 86.3% (29,420) on the "Bronx Unity" line to 13.3% (4,646) for the Republican district leader Anthony Ribustello on the "People First" line, became Borough President on May 1.

When did Carrion Jr. retire as Borough President?

March 1, 2009

When was Carrion Jr. first elected Borough President?

When was Carrion Jr. re-elected Borough President?

Who succeeded Carrion Jr.?

Rubén Díaz, Jr.

When was Diaz Jr. elected?

April 21, 2009


In the Presidential primary elections of February 5, 2008, Sen. Clinton won 61.2% of the Bronx's 148,636 Democratic votes against 37.8% for Barack Obama and 1.0% for the other four candidates combined (John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, Bill Richardson and Joe Biden). On the same day, John McCain won 54.4% of the borough's 5,643 Republican votes, Mitt Romney 20.8%, Mike Huckabee 8.2%, Ron Paul 7.4%, Rudy Giuliani 5.6%, and the other candidates (Fred Thompson, Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes) 3.6% between them.

In the 2008 primary, how much of the Bronx vote did Clinton get?

In the 2008 primary, how much of the Bronx vote did Obama get?

In the 2008 primary, how much of the Bronx vote did McCain get?

In the 2008 primary, how much of the Bronx vote did Romney get?

In the 2008 primary, how much of the Bronx vote did Huckabee get?


Since then, the Bronx has always supported the Democratic Party's nominee for President, starting with a vote of 2-1 for the unsuccessful Al Smith in 1928, followed by four 2-1 votes for the successful Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Both had been Governors of New York, but Republican former Gov. Thomas E. Dewey won only 28% of the Bronx's vote in 1948 against 55% for Pres. Harry Truman, the winning Democrat, and 17% for Henry A. Wallace of the Progressives. It was only 32 years earlier, by contrast, that another Republican former Governor who narrowly lost the Presidency, Charles Evans Hughes, had won 42.6% of the Bronx's 1916 vote against Democratic President Woodrow Wilson's 49.8% and Socialist candidate Allan Benson's 7.3%.)

Who did the Bronx support for President in 1928?

Al Smith

How much of the Bronx's vote in 1916 did Hughes get?

How much of the Bronx's vote in 1916 did Wilson get?

How much of the Bronx's vote in 1916 did Benson get?

How much of the Bronx's vote in 1948 did Truman get?


The Bronx has often shown striking differences from other boroughs in elections for Mayor. The only Republican to carry the Bronx since 1914 was Fiorello La Guardia in 1933, 1937 and 1941 (and in the latter two elections, only because his 30-32% vote on the American Labor Party line was added to 22-23% as a Republican). The Bronx was thus the only borough not carried by the successful Republican re-election campaigns of Mayors Rudolph Giuliani in 1997 and Michael Bloomberg in 2005. The anti-war Socialist campaign of Morris Hillquit in the 1917 mayoral election won over 31% of the Bronx's vote, putting him second and well ahead of the 20% won by the incumbent pro-war Fusion Mayor John P. Mitchel, who came in second (ahead of Hillquit) everywhere else and outpolled Hillquit city-wide by 23.2% to 21.7%.

Who was the only Republican Mayor candidate to win the Bronx since 1914?

Fiorello La Guardia

Who did the Bronx vote against for mayor in 1997?

Rudolph Giuliani

Who did the Bronx vote against for mayor in 2005?

Michael Bloomberg

What party was Hillquit?

Socialist

How much of the Bronx vote did Hillquit get in 1917?

over 31%


Education in the Bronx is provided by a large number of public and private institutions, many of which draw students who live beyond the Bronx. The New York City Department of Education manages public noncharter schools in the borough. In 2000, public schools enrolled nearly 280,000 of the Bronx's residents over 3 years old (out of 333,100 enrolled in all pre-college schools). There are also several public charter schools. Private schools range from élite independent schools to religiously affiliated schools run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and Jewish organizations.

How many students attended the Bronx public noncharter schools as of 2000?

nearly 280,000

How many students attended the Bronx public and private schools as of 2000?

Which religious organizations run private schools in the Bronx?

the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and Jewish organizations

Which entity runs the Bronx's public noncharter schools?

The New York City Department of Education


Educational attainment: In 2000, according to the U.S. Census, out of the nearly 800,000 people in the Bronx who were then at least 25 years old, 62.3% had graduated from high school and 14.6% held a bachelor's or higher college degree. These percentages were lower than those for New York's other boroughs, which ranged from 68.8% (Brooklyn) to 82.6% (Staten Island) for high school graduates over 24, and from 21.8% (Brooklyn) to 49.4% (Manhattan) for college graduates. (The respective state and national percentages were [NY] 79.1% & 27.4% and [US] 80.4% & 24.4%.)

What percent of the Bronx population has a high school diploma, as of 2000?

What percent of the Bronx population has a university degree, as of 2000?

What percent of the Brooklyn population has a high school diploma, as of 2000?

What percent of the Staten Island population has a high school diploma, as of 2000?

What percent of the Manhattan population has a university degree, as of 2000?


Many public high schools are located in the borough including the elite Bronx High School of Science, Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music, DeWitt Clinton High School, High School for Violin and Dance, Bronx Leadership Academy 2, Bronx International High School, the School for Excellence, the Morris Academy for Collaborative Study, Wings Academy for young adults, The Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice, Validus Preparatory Academy, The Eagle Academy For Young Men, Bronx Expeditionary Learning High School, Bronx Academy of Letters, Herbert H. Lehman High School and High School of American Studies. The Bronx is also home to three of New York City's most prestigious private, secular schools: Fieldston, Horace Mann, and Riverdale Country School.

Which of NYC's prestigious nonreligious private schools are in the Bronx?

Fieldston, Horace Mann, and Riverdale Country School

Where is the High School for Violin and Dance?

The Bronx

Where is the Validus Prepatory Academy?

The Bronx

Where is the School for Excellence?

The Bronx

Where is the DeWitt Clinton High School?

The Bronx


In the 1990s, New York City began closing the large, public high schools in the Bronx and replacing them with small high schools. Among the reasons cited for the changes were poor graduation rates and concerns about safety. Schools that have been closed or reduced in size include John F. Kennedy, James Monroe, Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Evander Childs, Christopher Columbus, Morris, Walton, and South Bronx High Schools. More recently the City has started phasing out large middle schools, also replacing them with smaller schools.

When did NYC begin splitting up the large Bronx high schools?

Which Bronx schools have been closed or made smaller?

John F. Kennedy, James Monroe, Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Evander Childs, Christopher Columbus, Morris, Walton, and South Bronx High Schools

What type of schools is NYC now working on shrinking?

large middle schools


The Bronx's evolution from a hot bed of Latin jazz to an incubator of hip hop was the subject of an award-winning documentary, produced by City Lore and broadcast on PBS in 2006, "From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale". Hip Hop first emerged in the South Bronx in the early 1970s. The New York Times has identified 1520 Sedgwick Avenue "an otherwise unremarkable high-rise just north of the Cross Bronx Expressway and hard along the Major Deegan Expressway" as a starting point, where DJ Kool Herc presided over parties in the community room.

When did a PBS documentary air about the Bronx's music history?

What PBS documentary covered the Bronx's music history?

"From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale"

Where did DJ Kool Herc hold parties?

1520 Sedgwick Avenue

Who produced 'From Mambo To Hip Hop'?

City Lore

Where is 1520 Sedgwick?

just north of the Cross Bronx Expressway and hard along the Major Deegan Expressway


Beginning with the advent of beat match DJing, in which Bronx DJs (Disc Jockeys) including Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Kool Herc extended the breaks of funk records, a major new musical genre emerged that sought to isolate the percussion breaks of hit funk, disco and soul songs. As hip hop's popularity grew, performers began speaking ("rapping") in sync with the beats, and became known as MCs or emcees. The Herculoids, made up of Herc, Coke La Rock, and DJ Clark Kent, were the earliest to gain major fame. The Bronx is referred to in hip-hop slang as "The Boogie Down Bronx", or just "The Boogie Down". This was hip-hop pioneer KRS-One's inspiration for his thought provoking group BDP, or Boogie Down Productions, which included DJ Scott La Rock. Newer hip hop artists from the Bronx include Big Pun, Lord Toriq and Peter Gunz, Camp Lo, Swizz Beatz, Drag-On, Fat Joe, Terror Squad and Corey Gunz.

Who were the Herculoids?

Herc, Coke La Rock, and DJ Clark Kent

What is 'The Boogie Down'?

The Bronx

Where is Big Pun from?

the Bronx

What types of music did hip hop emerge from?

funk, disco and soul

Who started BDP?

KRS-One


The Bronx is the home of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. The original Yankee Stadium opened in 1923 on 161st Street and River Avenue, a year that saw the Yankees bring home their first of 27 World Series Championships. With the famous facade, the short right field porch and Monument Park, Yankee Stadium has been home to many of baseball's greatest players including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera.

When did the first Yankee Stadium open?

Where was the first Yankee Stadium?

on 161st Street and River Avenue

How many times have the Yankees won the World Series?

Which historic great players have played at Yankee Stadium?

Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera

What league are the NY Yankees in?

Major League Baseball


The Bronx is home to several Off-Off-Broadway theaters, many staging new works by immigrant playwrights from Latin America and Africa. The Pregones Theater, which produces Latin American work, opened a new 130-seat theater in 2005 on Walton Avenue in the South Bronx. Some artists from elsewhere in New York City have begun to converge on the area, and housing prices have nearly quadrupled in the area since 2002. However rising prices directly correlate to a housing shortage across the city and the entire metro area.

Where are many of the Bronx's playwrights from?

Latin America and Africa

How many seats does the Pregones' new theater have?

What does the Pregones specialize in?

Latin American work

When did the Pregones' new theater open?

Where is the Pregones' new theater?

on Walton Avenue in the South Bronx


The Bronx Museum of the Arts, founded in 1971, exhibits 20th century and contemporary art through its central museum space and 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) of galleries. Many of its exhibitions are on themes of special interest to the Bronx. Its permanent collection features more than 800 works of art, primarily by artists from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, and mixed media. The museum was temporarily closed in 2006 while it underwent a major expansion designed by the architectural firm Arquitectonica.

When did the Bronx Museum of the Arts open?

What types of art does the Bronx Museum of the Arts focus on?

20th century and contemporary art

How large are the Bronx Museum of the Arts' galleries?

11,000 square feet

How many works are in the Bronx Museum of the Arts' permanent collection?

more than 800

Who designed the Bronx Museum of the Arts' 2006 expansion?

Arquitectonica


The Bronx has also become home to a peculiar poetic tribute, in the form of the Heinrich Heine Memorial, better known as the Lorelei Fountain from one of Heine's best-known works (1838). After Heine's German birthplace of Düsseldorf had rejected, allegedly for anti-Semitic motives, a centennial monument to the radical German-Jewish poet (1797–1856), his incensed German-American admirers, including Carl Schurz, started a movement to place one instead in Midtown Manhattan, at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street. However, this intention was thwarted by a combination of ethnic antagonism, aesthetic controversy and political struggles over the institutional control of public art.

When was the Lorelei Fountain written about?

Where was Heinrich Heine born?

Düsseldorf

When was Heine born?

When did Heine die?

What ethnicity is Carl Schurz?

German-American


In 1899, the memorial, by the Berlin sculptor Ernst Gustav Herter (1846–1917), finally came to rest, although subject to repeated vandalism, in the Bronx, at 164th Street and the Grand Concourse, or Joyce Kilmer Park near today's Yankee Stadium. (In 1999, it was moved to 161st Street and the Concourse.) In 2007, Christopher Gray of The New York Times described it as "a writhing composition in white Tyrolean marble depicting Lorelei, the mythical German figure, surrounded by mermaids, dolphins and seashells."

When did Herter die?

When was Herter born?

What was Herter's career?

sculptor

Where was Herter's Heine memorial placed in 1899?

164th Street and the Grand Concourse, or Joyce Kilmer Park

Where was Herter's Heine memorial moved in 1999?

161st Street and the Concourse


The peninsular borough's maritime heritage is acknowledged in several ways.The City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum occupies a former public school designed by the New York City school system's turn-of-the-last-century master architect C. B. J. Snyder. The state's Maritime College in Fort Schuyler (on the southeastern shore) houses the Maritime Industry Museum. In addition, the Harlem River is reemerging as "Scullers' Row" due in large part to the efforts of the Bronx River Restoration Project, a joint public-private endeavor of the city's parks department. Canoeing and kayaking on the borough's namesake river have been promoted by the Bronx River Alliance. The river is also straddled by the New York Botanical Gardens, its neighbor, the Bronx Zoo, and a little further south, on the west shore, Bronx River Art Center.

Who designed the City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum's building?

C. B. J. Snyder

What was the City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum's building originally?

a former public school

Where is the NY Maritime College?

Fort Schuyler

What is 'Scullers' Row'?

the Harlem River

Which river is near the New York Botanical Gardens?

Bronx River


The Bronx has several local newspapers, including The Bronx News, Parkchester News, City News, The Riverdale Press, Riverdale Review, The Bronx Times Reporter, Inner City Press  (which now has more of a focus on national issues) and Co-Op City Times. Four non-profit news outlets, Norwood News, Mount Hope Monitor, Mott Haven Herald and The Hunts Point Express serve the borough's poorer communities. The editor and co-publisher of The Riverdale Press, Bernard Stein, won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his editorials about Bronx and New York City issues in 1998. (Stein graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1959.)

What does the Inner City Press now focus on?

national issues

Who is the Riverdale Press's editor?

Bernard Stein

When did Stein win a Pulitzer?

Why did Stein win a Pulitzer?

for his editorials about Bronx and New York City issues

Where did Stein graduate from?

the Bronx High School of Science


The City of New York has an official television station run by the NYC Media Group and broadcasting from Bronx Community College, and Cablevision operates News 12 The Bronx, both of which feature programming based in the Bronx. Co-op City was the first area in the Bronx, and the first in New York beyond Manhattan, to have its own cable television provider. The local public-access television station BronxNet originates from Herbert H. Lehman College, the borough's only four year CUNY school, and provides government-access television (GATV) public affairs programming in addition to programming produced by Bronx residents.

Where is the official city TV station broadcast from?

Bronx Community College

What channel in the Bronx does Cablevision run?

News 12 The Bronx

What is the Bronx's only 4-year CUNY college?

Herbert H. Lehman College


Mid-20th century movies set in the Bronx portrayed densely settled, working-class, urban culture. Hollywood films such as From This Day Forward (1946), set in Highbridge, occasionally delved into Bronx life. Paddy Chayefsky's Academy Award-winning Marty was the most notable examination of working class Bronx life was also explored by Chayefsky in his 1956 film The Catered Affair, and in the 1993 Robert De Niro/Chazz Palminteri film, A Bronx Tale, Spike Lee's 1999 movie Summer of Sam, centered in an Italian-American Bronx community, 1994's I Like It Like That that takes place in the predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood of the South Bronx, and Doughboys, the story of two Italian-American brothers in danger of losing their bakery thanks to one brother's gambling debts.

When was 'From This Day Forward' released?

Where was 'From This Day Forward' set?

Highbridge

When was 'The Catered Affair' released?

What did 'The Catered Affair' explore?

working class Bronx life

What was 'Summer of Sam' about?

an Italian-American Bronx community


Starting in the 1970s, the Bronx often symbolized violence, decay, and urban ruin. The wave of arson in the South Bronx in the 1960s and 1970s inspired the observation that "The Bronx is burning": in 1974 it was the title of both a New York Times editorial and a BBC documentary film. The line entered the pop-consciousness with Game Two of the 1977 World Series, when a fire broke out near Yankee Stadium as the team was playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. Numerous fires had previously broken out in the Bronx prior to this fire. As the fire was captured on live television, announcer Howard Cosell is wrongly remembered to have said something like, "There it is, ladies and gentlemen: the Bronx is burning". Historians of New York City frequently point to Cosell's remark as an acknowledgement of both the city and the borough's decline. A new feature-length documentary film by Edwin Pagan called Bronx Burning is in production in 2006, chronicling what led up to the numerous arson-for-insurance fraud fires of the 1970s in the borough.

Where was arson a big problem in the Bronx?

the South Bronx

When was the phrase "The Bronx is burning" first widespread?

Who made a documentary called "The Bronx is burning"?

BBC

Who published an editorial called "The Bronx is burning"?

New York Times

Who made a film called 'Bronx Burning'?

Edwin Pagan


Bronx gang life was depicted in the 1974 novel The Wanderers by Bronx native Richard Price and the 1979 movie of the same name. They are set in the heart of the Bronx, showing apartment life and the then-landmark Krums ice cream parlor. In the 1979 film The Warriors, the eponymous gang go to a meeting in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, and have to fight their way out of the borough and get back to Coney Island in Brooklyn. A Bronx Tale (1993) depicts gang activities in the Belmont "Little Italy" section of the Bronx. The 2005 video game adaptation features levels called Pelham, Tremont, and "Gunhill" (a play off the name Gun Hill Road). This theme lends itself to the title of The Bronx Is Burning, an eight-part ESPN TV mini-series (2007) about the New York Yankees' drive to winning baseball's 1977 World Series. The TV series emphasizes the boisterous nature of the team, led by manager Billy Martin, catcher Thurman Munson and outfielder Reggie Jackson, as well as the malaise of the Bronx and New York City in general during that time, such as the blackout, the city's serious financial woes and near bankruptcy, the arson for insurance payments, and the election of Ed Koch as mayor.

When was 'The Wanderers' published?

When was 'The Wanderers' movie released?

When was 'The Warriors' movie released?

When was 'A Bronx Tale' released?


The 1981 film Fort Apache, The Bronx is another film that used the Bronx's gritty image for its storyline. The movie's title is from the nickname for the 41st Police Precinct in the South Bronx which was nicknamed "Fort Apache". Also from 1981 is the horror film Wolfen making use of the rubble of the Bronx as a home for werewolf type creatures. Knights of the South Bronx, a true story of a teacher who worked with disadvantaged children, is another film also set in the Bronx released in 2005. The Bronx was the setting for the 1983 film Fuga dal Bronx, also known as Bronx Warriors 2 and Escape 2000, an Italian B-movie best known for its appearance on the television series Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The plot revolves around a sinister construction corporation's plans to depopulate, destroy and redevelop the Bronx, and a band of rebels who are out to expose the corporation's murderous ways and save their homes. The film is memorable for its almost incessant use of the phrase, "Leave the Bronx!" Many of the movie's scenes were filmed in Queens, substituting as the Bronx. Rumble in the Bronx was a 1995 Jackie Chan kung-fu film, another which popularised the Bronx to international audiences. Last Bronx, a 1996 Sega game played on the bad reputation of the Bronx to lend its name to an alternate version of post-Japanese bubble Tokyo, where crime and gang warfare is rampant.

When was 'Fort Apache' released?

When was 'Fuga dal Bronx' released?

What origin was 'Escape 2000'?

Italian


Bronx native Nancy Savoca's 1989 comedy, True Love, explores two Italian-American Bronx sweethearts in the days before their wedding. The film, which debuted Annabella Sciorra and Ron Eldard as the betrothed couple, won the Grand Jury Prize at that year's Sundance Film Festival. The CBS television sitcom Becker, 1998–2004, was more ambiguous. The show starred Ted Danson as Dr. John Becker, a doctor who operated a small practice and was constantly annoyed by his patients, co-workers, friends, and practically everything and everybody else in his world. It showed his everyday life as a doctor working in a small clinic in the Bronx.

When was 'True Love' released?

What genre was 'True Love'?

comedy

Who starred in 'True Love'?

Annabella Sciorra and Ron Eldard


Penny Marshall's 1990 film Awakenings, which was nominated for several Oscars, is based on neurologist Oliver Sacks' 1973 account of his psychiatric patients at Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx who were paralyzed by a form of encephalitis but briefly responded to the drug L-dopa. Robin Williams played the physician; Robert De Niro was one of the patients who emerged from a catatonic (frozen) state. The home of Williams' character was shot not far from Sacks' actual City Island residence. A 1973 Yorkshire Television documentary and "A Kind of Alaska", a 1985 play by Harold Pinter, were also based on Sacks' book.

When did "Awakenings" come out?

Whose real story is 'Awakenings' based on?

Oliver Sacks

What is Sacks' career?

neurologist

When was 'A Kind of Alaska' performed?

Who wrote 'A Kind of Alaska'?

Harold Pinter


The Bronx has been featured significantly in fiction literature. All of the characters in Herman Wouk's City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder (1948) live in the Bronx, and about half of the action is set there. Kate Simon's Bronx Primitive: Portraits of a Childhood is directly autobiographical, a warm account of a Polish-Jewish girl in an immigrant family growing up before World War II, and living near Arthur Avenue and Tremont Avenue. In Jacob M. Appel's short story, "The Grand Concourse" (2007), a woman who grew up in the iconic Lewis Morris Building returns to the Morrisania neighborhood with her adult daughter. Similarly, in Avery Corman's book The Old Neighborhood (1980), an upper-middle class white protagonist returns to his birth neighborhood (Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse), and learns that even though the folks are poor, Hispanic and African-American, they are good people.

When was 'City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder' published?

How much of 'City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder' is set in the Bronx?

about half

Who wrote 'City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder'?

Herman Wouk

When was 'The Grand Concourse' published?

Who wrote 'The Grand Concourse'?

Jacob M. Appel


By contrast, Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities (1987) portrays a wealthy, white protagonist, Sherman McCoy, getting lost off the Major Deegan Expressway in the South Bronx and having an altercation with locals. A substantial piece of the last part of the book is set in the resulting riotous trial at the Bronx County Courthouse. However, times change, and in 2007, the New York Times reported that "the Bronx neighborhoods near the site of Sherman's accident are now dotted with townhouses and apartments." In the same article, the Reverend Al Sharpton (whose fictional analogue in the novel is "Reverend Bacon") asserts that "twenty years later, the cynicism of The Bonfire of the Vanities is as out of style as Tom Wolfe's wardrobe."

Who wrote 'Bonfire of the Vanities'?

Tom Wolfe

When was 'Bonfire of the Vanities' published?

Who was the main character of 'Bonfire of the Vanities'?

Sherman McCoy

What race was Sherman McCoy?

white

Where did McCoy get lost?

off the Major Deegan Expressway in the South Bronx


It threatened the collapse of large financial institutions, which was prevented by the bailout of banks by national governments, but stock markets still dropped worldwide. In many areas, the housing market also suffered, resulting in evictions, foreclosures and prolonged unemployment. The crisis played a significant role in the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth estimated in trillions of U.S. dollars, and a downturn in economic activity leading to the 2008–2012 global recession and contributing to the European sovereign-debt crisis. The active phase of the crisis, which manifested as a liquidity crisis, can be dated from August 9, 2007, when BNP Paribas terminated withdrawals from three hedge funds citing "a complete evaporation of liquidity".

What action in 2007 by national governments prevented the collapse of large financial institutions?

bailout of banks

How much estimated consumer wealth was lost as a result of the financial crisis of 2007?

trillions of U.S. dollars

What is the date the active phase of the financial crisis began as a liquidity crisis?

August 9, 2007

What year did the global recession that followed the financial crisis of 2007 end?

What was the name of the company that terminated withdrawals from three hedge funds in 2007 citing a liquidity crisis?

BNP Paribas


The bursting of the U.S. (United States) housing bubble, which peaked in 2004, caused the values of securities tied to U.S. real estate pricing to plummet, damaging financial institutions globally. The financial crisis was triggered by a complex interplay of policies that encouraged home ownership, providing easier access to loans for subprime borrowers, overvaluation of bundled subprime mortgages based on the theory that housing prices would continue to escalate, questionable trading practices on behalf of both buyers and sellers, compensation structures that prioritize short-term deal flow over long-term value creation, and a lack of adequate capital holdings from banks and insurance companies to back the financial commitments they were making. Questions regarding bank solvency, declines in credit availability and damaged investor confidence had an impact on global stock markets, where securities suffered large losses during 2008 and early 2009. Economies worldwide slowed during this period, as credit tightened and international trade declined. Governments and central banks responded with unprecedented fiscal stimulus, monetary policy expansion and institutional bailouts. In the U.S., Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

What year did the U.S. housing bubble peak?

What year did Congress pass the American Recover and Reinvestment Act?

Overvaluation of bundled subprime mortgages was based on the theory that housing prices would continue to do this?

escalate

One of the causes of the financial crisis was easier access to loans by this type borrower?

subprime

In 2007, banks and insurance companies did not have adequate holdings of which type to back their financial commitments?

capital


Many causes for the financial crisis have been suggested, with varying weight assigned by experts. The U.S. Senate's Levin–Coburn Report concluded that the crisis was the result of "high risk, complex financial products; undisclosed conflicts of interest; the failure of regulators, the credit rating agencies, and the market itself to rein in the excesses of Wall Street." The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission concluded that the financial crisis was avoidable and was caused by "widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision", "dramatic failures of corporate governance and risk management at many systemically important financial institutions", "a combination of excessive borrowing, risky investments, and lack of transparency" by financial institutions, ill preparation and inconsistent action by government that "added to the uncertainty and panic", a "systemic breakdown in accountability and ethics", "collapsing mortgage-lending standards and the mortgage securitization pipeline", deregulation of over-the-counter derivatives, especially credit default swaps, and "the failures of credit rating agencies" to correctly price risk. The 1999 repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act effectively removed the separation between investment banks and depository banks in the United States. Critics argued that credit rating agencies and investors failed to accurately price the risk involved with mortgage-related financial products, and that governments did not adjust their regulatory practices to address 21st-century financial markets. Research into the causes of the financial crisis has also focused on the role of interest rate spreads.

What is the name of the U.S. Senate report giving their conclusions for the cause of the crisis?

Levin–Coburn Report

Which act was repealed in 1999 effectively removing the separation between investment and deposit banks?

Glass-Steagall Act

What is the name of the commission who concluded the financial crisis was avoidable?

Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

What agency failed to accurately price risk involved in mortgage-related financial products?

credit rating agencies

What practices should have been adjusted by governments to address 21st-century financial markets?

regulatory


As part of the housing and credit booms, the number of financial agreements called mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and collateralized debt obligations (CDO), which derived their value from mortgage payments and housing prices, greatly increased. Such financial innovation enabled institutions and investors around the world to invest in the U.S. housing market. As housing prices declined, major global financial institutions that had borrowed and invested heavily in subprime MBS reported significant losses.

What are MBS as related to the housing and credit booms?

mortgage-backed securities

What are CDO as related to the housing and credit booms?

collateralized debt obligations

When housing prices declined, who reported significant losses from being heavily invested in subprime MBS?

major global financial institutions

Who could invest in the U.S. housing market through MBS and CDO?

institutions and investors around the world

MBS and CDO derive their value from?

mortgage payments and housing prices


Falling prices also resulted in homes worth less than the mortgage loan, providing a financial incentive to enter foreclosure. The ongoing foreclosure epidemic that began in late 2006 in the U.S. continues to drain wealth from consumers and erodes the financial strength of banking institutions. Defaults and losses on other loan types also increased significantly as the crisis expanded from the housing market to other parts of the economy. Total losses are estimated in the trillions of U.S. dollars globally.

What year did the foreclosure epidemic begin?

late 2006

How much are total losses estimated to be from falling home prices?

trillions of U.S. dollars

What is the financial incentive when a home is worth less than the mortgage loan?

foreclosure

What other financial instruments had significant defaults and losses as a result of the crisis expanding from housing to other parts of the economy?

other loan types

What continues to drain consumer wealth and erode the strength of banks?

foreclosure epidemic


While the housing and credit bubbles were building, a series of factors caused the financial system to both expand and become increasingly fragile, a process called financialization. U.S. Government policy from the 1970s onward has emphasized deregulation to encourage business, which resulted in less oversight of activities and less disclosure of information about new activities undertaken by banks and other evolving financial institutions. Thus, policymakers did not immediately recognize the increasingly important role played by financial institutions such as investment banks and hedge funds, also known as the shadow banking system. Some experts believe these institutions had become as important as commercial (depository) banks in providing credit to the U.S. economy, but they were not subject to the same regulations.

What institutions comprise the shadow banking system?

investment banks and hedge funds

What institutions are not subject to the same regulations as commercial banks?

investment banks and hedge funds

What process caused the financial system to both expand and become fragile?

financialization

What policy has U.S. Government emphasized from the 1970's onward?

deregulation

Since the 1970's, what has emphasized deregulation to encourage business, but resulted in less oversight and less disclosure?

U.S. Government policy


These institutions, as well as certain regulated banks, had also assumed significant debt burdens while providing the loans described above and did not have a financial cushion sufficient to absorb large loan defaults or MBS losses. These losses impacted the ability of financial institutions to lend, slowing economic activity. Concerns regarding the stability of key financial institutions drove central banks to provide funds to encourage lending and restore faith in the commercial paper markets, which are integral to funding business operations. Governments also bailed out key financial institutions and implemented economic stimulus programs, assuming significant additional financial commitments.

Some regulated banks did not have sufficient financial cushions in place to absorb what losses as a result of the financial crisis of 2007?

MBS

What was a consequence of the large loan defaults and MBS losses in 2007?

slowing economic activity

Who provided funds to encourage lending and restore faith in commercial banks in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007?

central banks

Who bailed out key financial institutions and implemented economic stimulus programs as an answer to the financial crisis of 2007?

Governments

What impacted the ability of financial institutions to lend in the financial crisis of 2007?

large loan defaults or MBS losses


The U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission reported its findings in January 2011. It concluded that "the crisis was avoidable and was caused by: widespread failures in financial regulation, including the Federal Reserve’s failure to stem the tide of toxic mortgages; dramatic breakdowns in corporate governance including too many financial firms acting recklessly and taking on too much risk; an explosive mix of excessive borrowing and risk by households and Wall Street that put the financial system on a collision course with crisis; key policy makers ill prepared for the crisis, lacking a full understanding of the financial system they oversaw; and systemic breaches in accountability and ethics at all levels".

When did the U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission report its findings?

January 2011

What was one of  the conclusions of the U.S. Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission regarding the financial crisis of 2007?

the crisis was avoidable and was caused by: widespread failures in financial regulation

What agency failed to stem the tide of toxic mortgages contributing to the financial crisis of 2007?

Federal Reserve

Who was not prepared for the financial crisis in 2007 by lacking a full understanding of the financial system?

key policy makers

Which business sector contributed to the financial crisis by acting recklessly and taking on too much risk?

financial firms


During a period of tough competition between mortgage lenders for revenue and market share, and when the supply of creditworthy borrowers was limited, mortgage lenders relaxed underwriting standards and originated riskier mortgages to less creditworthy borrowers. In the view of some analysts, the relatively conservative government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) policed mortgage originators and maintained relatively high underwriting standards prior to 2003. However, as market power shifted from securitizers to originators and as intense competition from private securitizers undermined GSE power, mortgage standards declined and risky loans proliferated. The worst loans were originated in 2004–2007, the years of the most intense competition between securitizers and the lowest market share for the GSEs.

What caused mortgage lenders to relax underwriting standards and approve riskier mortgages?

tough competition

In what year were high underwriting standards relaxed?

What years were the worst mortgage loans originated?

What years had the most intense competition between securitizers and the lowest market share for GSEs?

Who policed mortgage originators and maintained relatively high standards prior to 2003?

government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)


The majority report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, written by the six Democratic appointees, the minority report, written by 3 of the 4 Republican appointees, studies by Federal Reserve economists, and the work of several independent scholars generally contend that government affordable housing policy was not the primary cause of the financial crisis. Although they concede that governmental policies had some role in causing the crisis, they contend that GSE loans performed better than loans securitized by private investment banks, and performed better than some loans originated by institutions that held loans in their own portfolios. Paul Krugman has even claimed that the GSE never purchased subprime loans – a claim that is widely disputed.

How many Democratic appointees wrote the majority report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission?

six

Who claimed that the GSE never purchased subprime loans - a claim that is widely disputed?

Paul Krugman

Several reports written by various agencies  concluded that which policy was not the primary cause of the financial crisis?

government affordable housing policy

How many Republican appointees wrote the minority report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission?

According to reports, which loans performed better than some loans securitized by private investment banks?

GSE loans


In his dissent to the majority report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, American Enterprise Institute fellow Peter J. Wallison stated his belief that the roots of the financial crisis can be traced directly and primarily to affordable housing policies initiated by HUD in the 1990s and to massive risky loan purchases by government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Later, based upon information in the SEC's December 2011 securities fraud case against 6 ex-executives of Fannie and Freddie, Peter Wallison and Edward Pinto estimated that, in 2008, Fannie and Freddie held 13 million substandard loans totaling over $2 trillion.

Which government-sponsored entities had massive risky loan purchases?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

How many estimated substandard loans did Fannie and Freddie have in 2008?

13 million

What was the value of the estimated 13 million substandard loans held by Fannie and Freddie in 2008?

over $2 trillion

How many ex-executives of Fannie and Freddie were named in the SEC's December 2011 securities fraud case?

Peter J. Wallison believes that the one of the roots of the financial crisis can be traced to affordable housing policies by which agency in the 1990s?

HUD


In the early and mid-2000s, the Bush administration called numerous times for investigation into the safety and soundness of the GSEs and their swelling portfolio of subprime mortgages. On September 10, 2003, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing at the urging of the administration to assess safety and soundness issues and to review a recent report by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) that had uncovered accounting discrepancies within the two entities. The hearings never resulted in new legislation or formal investigation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as many of the committee members refused to accept the report and instead rebuked OFHEO for their attempt at regulation. Some believe this was an early warning to the systemic risk that the growing market in subprime mortgages posed to the U.S. financial system that went unheeded.

Which administration called for investigation into the soundness of GSEs in the early and mid-2000s?

Bush administration

Who uncovered accounting discrepancies in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO)

On what date did the House Financial Services Committee hold a hearing to assess safety and soundness issues regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

September 10, 2003

What was the result of the House Financial Services Committee on September 10, 2003 regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

The hearings never resulted in new legislation or formal investigation

Who rebuked OFHEO in 2003 for their attempt at regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

House Financial Services Committee


A 2000 United States Department of the Treasury study of lending trends for 305 cities from 1993 to 1998 showed that $467 billion of mortgage lending was made by Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)-covered lenders into low and mid level income (LMI) borrowers and neighborhoods, representing 10% of all U.S. mortgage lending during the period. The majority of these were prime loans. Sub-prime loans made by CRA-covered institutions constituted a 3% market share of LMI loans in 1998, but in the run-up to the crisis, fully 25% of all sub-prime lending occurred at CRA-covered institutions and another 25% of sub-prime loans had some connection with CRA. In addition, an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in 2009, however, concluded that the CRA was not responsible for the mortgage loan crisis, pointing out that CRA rules have been in place since 1995 whereas the poor lending emerged only a decade later. Furthermore, most sub-prime loans were not made to the LMI borrowers targeted by the CRA, especially in the years 2005–2006 leading up to the crisis. Nor did it find any evidence that lending under the CRA rules increased delinquency rates or that the CRA indirectly influenced independent mortgage lenders to ramp up sub-prime lending.

What was the value of mortgage lending made by Community Reinvestment Act covered lenders to low and mid level income borrowers and neighborhoods from 1993-1998?

$467 billion

What percent of mortgage lending was made by Community Reinvestment Act covered lenders from 1993 to 1998?

What does CRA stand for?

Community Reinvestment Act

What percent of sub-prime lending occurred at CRA-covered institutions in the run-up to the financial crisis?

What percent of sub-prime loans had some connection with CRA in the run-up to the financial crisis?


To other analysts the delay between CRA rule changes (in 1995) and the explosion of subprime lending is not surprising, and does not exonerate the CRA. They contend that there were two, connected causes to the crisis: the relaxation of underwriting standards in 1995 and the ultra-low interest rates initiated by the Federal Reserve after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Both causes had to be in place before the crisis could take place. Critics also point out that publicly announced CRA loan commitments were massive, totaling $4.5 trillion in the years between 1994 and 2007. They also argue that the Federal Reserve’s classification of CRA loans as “prime” is based on the faulty and self-serving assumption that high-interest-rate loans (3 percentage points over average) equal “subprime” loans.

When did CRA make rule changes to relax underwriting standards?

How much were CRA loan commitments between 1994 and 2007?

$4.5 trillion

What was the Federal Reserve's assumption regarding what makes a loan subprime?

high-interest-rate loans (3 percentage points over average)

How did the Federal Reserve classify CRA loans?

prime

When were ultra-low interest rates initiated by the Federal Reserve?

after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001


Others have pointed out that there were not enough of these loans made to cause a crisis of this magnitude. In an article in Portfolio Magazine, Michael Lewis spoke with one trader who noted that "There weren’t enough Americans with [bad] credit taking out [bad loans] to satisfy investors' appetite for the end product." Essentially, investment banks and hedge funds used financial innovation to enable large wagers to be made, far beyond the actual value of the underlying mortgage loans, using derivatives called credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations and synthetic CDOs.

What financial innovation enabled investment banks and hedge funds to make large wagers?

credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations and synthetic CDOs.

Credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations and CDOS are all types of what?

derivatives

Which magazine had an article where Michael Lewis spoke with a trader about bad loans?

Portfolio Magazine

What financial innovation allows investment banks and hedge banks to make large wagers?

derivatives

What are some names of derivatives?

credit default swaps, collateralized debt obligations and synthetic CDOs


Countering Krugman, Peter J. Wallison wrote: "It is not true that every bubble—even a large bubble—has the potential to cause a financial crisis when it deflates." Wallison notes that other developed countries had "large bubbles during the 1997–2007 period" but "the losses associated with mortgage delinquencies and defaults when these bubbles deflated were far lower than the losses suffered in the United States when the 1997–2007 [bubble] deflated." According to Wallison, the reason the U.S. residential housing bubble (as opposed to other types of bubbles) led to financial crisis was that it was supported by a huge number of substandard loans – generally with low or no downpayments.

Peter J. Wallison believes that the huge number of these loans led to the financial crisis?

substandard

What type downpayments do substandard loans generally have?

low or no downpayments

According to Peter J. Wallison, why did the U.S. residential housing bubble led to financial crisis?

it was supported by a huge number of substandard loans

Other countries had large residential housing bubbles that deflated during what years?

Peter J. Wallison's conclusions regarding the financial crisis are not in agreement with this economist's views?

Krugman


Krugman's contention (that the growth of a commercial real estate bubble indicates that U.S. housing policy was not the cause of the crisis) is challenged by additional analysis. After researching the default of commercial loans during the financial crisis, Xudong An and Anthony B. Sanders reported (in December 2010): "We find limited evidence that substantial deterioration in CMBS [commercial mortgage-backed securities] loan underwriting occurred prior to the crisis." Other analysts support the contention that the crisis in commercial real estate and related lending took place after the crisis in residential real estate. Business journalist Kimberly Amadeo reports: "The first signs of decline in residential real estate occurred in 2006. Three years later, commercial real estate started feeling the effects. Denice A. Gierach, a real estate attorney and CPA, wrote:

Who believed that the growth of the commercial real estate bubble indicated that U.S. housing policy was not the cause of the crisis?

Krugman

When did Xudong An and Anthony B. Sanders issue a report about commercial mortgage-backed securities?

December 2010

According to business journalist Kimberly Amadeo, when did the first signs of decline in real estate occur?

What are CMBS?

commercial mortgage-backed securities

According to most analysts, what crisis took place after the crisis in residential real estate?

the crisis in commercial real estate


In a Peabody Award winning program, NPR correspondents argued that a "Giant Pool of Money" (represented by $70 trillion in worldwide fixed income investments) sought higher yields than those offered by U.S. Treasury bonds early in the decade. This pool of money had roughly doubled in size from 2000 to 2007, yet the supply of relatively safe, income generating investments had not grown as fast. Investment banks on Wall Street answered this demand with products such as the mortgage-backed security and the collateralized debt obligation that were assigned safe ratings by the credit rating agencies.

What is one investment assigned safe ratings by the credit rating agencies?

collateralized debt obligation

How much was invested worldwide in fixed income investments?

$70 trillion

How much did the pool of money invested worldwide in fixed income investments grow in size from 2000 to 2007?

roughly doubled in size

What is an example of a product Wall Street invented to answer the demand for income generating investments?

mortgage-backed security

In the 2000s, investors were seeking higher yields than those offered by this investment?

U.S. Treasury bonds


The collateralized debt obligation in particular enabled financial institutions to obtain investor funds to finance subprime and other lending, extending or increasing the housing bubble and generating large fees. This essentially places cash payments from multiple mortgages or other debt obligations into a single pool from which specific securities draw in a specific sequence of priority. Those securities first in line received investment-grade ratings from rating agencies. Securities with lower priority had lower credit ratings but theoretically a higher rate of return on the amount invested.

What is the name of the securities that enabled financial institutions to obtain investor funds to finance subprime?

collateralized debt obligation

What was the outcome of collateralized debt obligations?

extending or increasing the housing bubble

What type ratings did securities first in line receive from rating agencies?

investment-grade ratings

What type pool do collateralized debt obligations place their payments from mortgages into?

single pool

What securities had lower credit ratings but potentially a higher rate of return?

Securities with lower priority


By September 2008, average U.S. housing prices had declined by over 20% from their mid-2006 peak. As prices declined, borrowers with adjustable-rate mortgages could not refinance to avoid the higher payments associated with rising interest rates and began to default. During 2007, lenders began foreclosure proceedings on nearly 1.3 million properties, a 79% increase over 2006. This increased to 2.3 million in 2008, an 81% increase vs. 2007. By August 2008, 9.2% of all U.S. mortgages outstanding were either delinquent or in foreclosure. By September 2009, this had risen to 14.4%.

How much had average U.S. housing prices declined by September 2008?

over 20%

When was the peak of U.S. housing prices?

How many foreclosure proceedings were initiated by lenders in 2007?

nearly 1.3 million

What was the percentage increase on foreclosure proceedings from 2007 to 2008?

How many U.S. mortgages were either delinquent or in foreclosure by September 2009?


Lower interest rates encouraged borrowing. From 2000 to 2003, the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate target from 6.5% to 1.0%. This was done to soften the effects of the collapse of the dot-com bubble and the September 2001 terrorist attacks, as well as to combat a perceived risk of deflation. As early as 2002 it was apparent that credit was fueling housing instead of business investment as some economists went so far as to advocate that the Fed "needs to create a housing bubble to replace the Nasdaq bubble". Moreover, empirical studies using data from advanced countries show that excessive credit growth contributed greatly to the severity of the crisis.

Was was the federal funds rate target lowered to by the Federal Reserve in 2003?

What is one reason the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate target to 1.0% in 2003?

to combat a perceived risk of deflation

In the early 2000s, what type bubble did some economists believe the Fed needed to create to replace the Nasdaq bubble?

a housing bubble

What contributed greatly to the severity of the financial crisis of 2007?

excessive credit growth

What encouraged borrowing from 2000 to 2003?

Lower interest rates