Cross Bronx/Living Legend

Cross Bronx/Living Legend reconsiders one of New York City’s most mythologized infrastructures. The story of the Cross Bronx has long been told as a saga of heartless governments and powerful men, destruction, disconnection, and congestion. But behind these sweeping narratives are the everyday lives of the people who call the corridor home. In neighborhoods like Highbridge, West Farms, Crotona Park, and Parkchester, residents have long contended with the highway’s indisputable harms–displacement, asthma, noise, and barriers that cut across community life. Yet alongside anger and struggle are joy, pride, and love of neighbors. 

Rather than retelling the story of the highway itself, Cross Bronx/Living Legend is a story of people and place. Through new images of the corridor by Bronx-based photographer Abigail Montes, audio excerpts from conversations with dozens of Bronx residents, and never-before-exhibited historical materials, Cross Bronx/Living Legend presents a picture of the corridor as one continually in the making. As new visions for its future take shape, the boldest possibilities cannot be dictated from the perspective of the highway, but must come from the expertise, hopes, and imaginations of the communities who live with it every day.