The Lost City Diaries

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• 2017
• 1 hr 5 mins
• Documentary

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In 1952, Newburgh, NY was named an All-American City by the National Civic League. A cause for celebration at the time would prove an ominous omen for the next half a century. In the 1960's, globalization and outsourcing of manufacturing jobs led the factories and warehouses that drove Newburgh's economy to either scale back operations or close outright. This quickly decimated the city's economy, as the manufacturing workforce fled to find work, and those left were largely unskilled. This, combined with the corrupt decision of a handful of self-serving city officials to destroy the historic riverfront district in favor of building low income housing projects under the banner of "urban renewal," created a perfect storm of disastrous circumstances that would eventually earn Newburgh its most recent nickname, "The Murder Capital of New York". The city now consistently ranks among the poorest and most violent in the entire country. The Lost City Diaries is a chronicle of a forgotten corner of America; an intimate, up close and personal look into a community faced with challenge after challenge, having been dealt blow after blow, coming to grips with the changing times and a new American way of life.