Peace, obviously, is a very subjective term. This will be based on your own individual thoughts. Tranquility for one may be silence and/or scary for another.

But your “peace” will be at a price! After all, we do live in a capitalist society, right?

But again, based on your own definition, it does not have to cost too much.

Peace for me, for example, started in the early 1990s, just graduating college and starting on Wall Street as an investment analyst. During those years, there were many early days and late nights. After 15-hour days, I wanted to be in a place, afterward, that was quiet, clean, and stable. I moved to Bedford Park, the Bronx, in 1992, and have been here ever since.

Since housing for most will be their biggest monthly cost we might as well use it for our own form of peace, right?

Housing for this part of the North Bronx has always been 25 percent higher than the Bronx average cost, but again peace has a price. In the old days, we would have called it getting the bang from the dollar. Clean streets, lovely parkland!

The bang is now gone!

I have been recently interviewed from two media outlets about the disgusting and dangerous parties, picnics, BBQs, garbage, children running in the highway, green land and other activities currently taken place on Mosholu Parkway and other open space green lands around New York.

Mosholu Parkway, formally deemed a highway by the federal government and built in the 1930s, is a beautiful strip of highway with passive open space on its northern and southern side, going from Van Cortlandt Park at its west to The New York Botanical Garden at its east. Many of the old timer local residents that live in places like this have always used the open space benches and paths for the leisurely enjoyment. Leisurely enjoyment 30 years ago it seems was reading a book, enjoying a bicycle ride or even having a family get together around the open green land.

Today, or as I should better say, in the last decade, Bedford Park, like many other communities in New York, is now going through a transformational change. No, I don’t mean race! I mean look up, you see taller buildings!

Yes, your neighborhood had been sold and rebought.

And your new neighbors are destroying your old neighborhood while the new landlords are so happy with their new private/government-based affordable housing millions.

Ok, let me exhale! I’m getting mad! Yes, old and new landlords, we’ll save this for another discussion. And yes, my cost is huge.

1992 Price of Peace, as mentioned above, was 25 percent, paid happily.
2019 Price of Peace, $0, nothing to pay.

Oh wait, it looks likes I saved 25 percent, didn’t I?
The emotional non-financial cost of peace? As they say in the American Express TV commercial, priceless!

Professor Anthony Rivieccio, MBA PFA is the founder and CEO of The Financial Advisors Group, celebrating its 24th year as a fee-only financial planning firm specializing in solving one’s financial problems. Mr. Rivieccio, a recognized financial expert since 1986, has been featured by many national and local media including: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, The New York Post, News 12 The Bronx, Bloomberg News Radio, BronxNet Television, the Norwood News, The West Side Manhattan Gazette, Labor Press Magazine, Financial Planning Magazine, WINS 1010 Radio, The Bronx News, thisisthebronx.com and The Bronx Chronicle. Mr. Rivieccio is also currently an Adjunct Professor of Business, Finance & Accounting for both, City University of New York & Monroe College, a Private University. Financial Focus Interactive is now an app and a place where one can: Read, Listen, Watch Talk & Learn about Financial Solutions with like-minded people and a live financial advisor. Financial Focus Interactive app can be found on the Google Play Store or Internet app at: https://financialfocus.goodbarber.com  For financial assistance, Anthony can be reached at (347) 575-5045.