Carol Zakaluk Oral History Interview | Session 3

Carol Zakaluk Oral History Interview | Session 3

A third-generation Bronxite born in 1955, Carol Zakaluk has lived most of her life in Mott Haven. In 1921, her German/Dutch maternal grandparents bought a row house in the now-landmarked Bertine Block Historic District. Eventually, all four of Carol’s grandparents settled near one another in the neighborhood. The building has stayed in the family for 97 years, has been home to Carol and her husband for more than three decades, and is where Carol raised her daughter. Carol remembers the rise of the Mitchell Housing Projects vividly, as well as the difficult ‘70s and early ‘80s—and also many grassroots efforts to revive the neighborhood. Her mom, dad, and sister worked locally, teaching public school—and Carol, too, had several jobs in the neighborhood. She was an ESL teaching aide, then a grant and shop assistant for a sculptor, a co-director for the Haven Arts Gallery, and currently is a building manager for two small brownstones.

This is the third of a 3-part interview. Carol Zakaluk, 62 years old at the time of the interview, is a third-generation native New Yorker whose connection to the Mott Haven neighborhood is tied to the properties she inherited from her grandparents and her own childhood. She discusses her father’s wish to give special historical consideration to some properties in her neighborhood, what it is like to live in an apartment complex in New York City and to be a landlady, life during the crack epidemic of the 1980’s, and community organizing. Particular detail is given to her efforts regarding the opening of Port Morris to the public. She also discusses her experiences with raising grant money through the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and its impact on the neighborhood and gentrification.

2018-02-21

audio

Amy Starecheski

Carol Zakaluk