Vanishing New York

How a Great City Lost Its Soul

By: Jeremiah Moss

Narrated by: Paul Heitsch

An unflinching portrait of gentrification in the 21st century, and a love letter to lost New York, by the creator of the popular and incendiary blog Vanishing New York

New York City has long been a destination for rebels and rule breakers, artists, writers, and other hopefuls longing to be part of its rich cultural exchange and unique social fabric. But today, modern gentrification is transforming the city from an exceptional, iconoclastic metropolis into a suburbanized luxury zone with a price tag only the top one percent can afford.

Blogger and cultural commentator Jeremiah Moss has emerged as one of the most outspoken and celebrated critics of this dramatic shift. He has spent the past decade observing and painstakingly documenting this sea change, and in Vanishing New York, he reports on the city's development in the 21st century, a period of "hyper-gentrification" that has resulted in the shocking transformation of beloved neighborhoods and the loss of treasured unofficial landmarks.

Moss leads us on a colorful guided tour of the most changed parts of town - from the Lower East Side and Chelsea to Harlem and Williamsburg - lovingly eulogizing iconic institutions as they're replaced with soulless upscale boutiques, luxury condo towers, and suburban chains.

©2017 Jeremiah Moss (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[A] comprehensive, emotional exploration of the historical, economic and social forces that have permitted and in many cases encouraged things to play out so dismally." (New York Times)

Passionate delivery!

One of the best books ever. NYC. Born there, lived it all and loved it. Heartbreaking and real. Passionately written, matched with perfect narration.

I may not keep reading (but I probably will.)

Although I agree heartily with a lot of what the author says, his judgmental tone and rejection of outsiders sounds too much like Trump and his wall. I've spent a great deal of time in NYC since my first visit as a child in the 1960's and the Times Square of today bears no resemblance to the scary, weird, and utterly fascinating Times Square of the past. But one cannot fairly judge midwesterners and tourists for how things have become, there are far too many variables. One person cannot declare a city off limits to everyone except those who he deems acceptable. Not everyone comes just to shop.( And, for the record, I am from Louisville and I will always love NYC. ) I find this book extremely interesting but also one big superior sounding rant. Lighten up, Jeremiah.

One time read only.

As a New Yorker, I sympathize with Jeremiah. I left the Bronx at a real early age and remember a New York that was plight ridden.

Jeremiah did a terrific job in his research. The book is rather long, and at times Jeremiah becomes rather whiny. The narration of the book was exceptional.

The reason I chose to give this book a three star rating, simply because of the length.

A must read!

This book spells out perfectly the crisis we are facing in cities across the United States. I find myself agreeing with everything Jeremiah is saying (vehemently so) I believe this book should be read by all urban/city planning & civic leaders to help us address the underlying issues that we are ALL facing.

Great Book

This is a must read. If you are a true New Yorker you will enjoy what this book is about.