As we reported several weeks ago, New York City somehow decided that it could take away land mapped and slated for parkland development, which was promised to the community, and now hand it over to developers so that they can construct “affordable” housing along our waterfront.
The lot, now known as Lower Concourse North, is sandwiched between Mill Pond Park and the 145th Street Bridge at 149th Street and was promised as part of the extension to Mill Pond.
The city has issued a request for interest expressions of interest (RFEI) and has stated that they will rezone the lot to accommodate up to a 40 story tower and a 26 story tower on the lot.
Although The Bronx is the greenest borough in all of NYC with 25% of our land dedicated to parkland and open spaces, The South Bronx has one of the worst access to green spaces and every acre added matters and is important for our health and well-being.
Fact is, we can’t breathe concrete!
So come out tomorrow and let folks know how you think this land should be developed, after all, it is public land and yes it was promised and slated for development as park land so you should have a voice in the matter. Don’t forget to RSVP!
Mill Pond Park map at the park itself shows the southern parcel as part of future expansion of Mill Pond Park.NYC Parks includes the extension’s 4.7 acres in the total 15 acres of the park. As it stands, only 11.3 acres have been improved as park land.ZoLa, NYC’s zoning and land use site shows the area mapped out as parkland as well. It even categorizes it as open space/recreation
17 months after it was first announced that Hollywood director, Baz Luhrmann was teaming up with Netflix to produce a musical series based on the 70s in the South Bronx and the nascent days of hip-hop, we were finally treated to the finished product at the world premiere screening of the first episode right here in The Bronx.
Held at The Old Bronx County Courthouse in Melrose and hosted by the Universal Hip Hop Museum, roughly a hundred people—mostly from The Bronx—attended the premiere along with stars from series, including Jaden Smith (yes, that Jaden, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith), Justice Smith who plays the main character and of course Luhrmann himself.
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the series. Last year when it was announced, we (along with many others) voiced our concerns that it wouldn’t be true to the era and more importantly true to the South Bronx and the people of the South Bronx. There was also the issue that when the initial cast was announced, there appeared to be very little to no Latino representation something which was troubling considering that during that time and era, Puerto Ricans were the largest group and played an integral role in Hip Hop’s birth and evolution.
After watching the first episode, I can confidently say that it was worth the wait and they got it right. Not perfect, but the look, the feel, the vibe, the music, every little thing seemed just right as I remembered the late 70s to be.
From the fires to the rubble but more importantly to the LIFE that was going on amidst the devastation, it was captured beautifully as one would expect Baz Luhrmann to do. From the opening scene to the landscape of the South Bronx of the 70s brought to life on a big (or small) screen gave me goosebumps and was a very emotional journey for me to witness this.
We lived and survived those years but we also remember those who didn’t survive, something that you can’t help but remember while watching ‘The Get Down’.
The story feels like a South Bronx Romeo and Juliet with a couple who seem destined for each other but their lives and ambitions driving them apart.
You also get a lot of humor thrown into the first episode and some clear nods to the Blaxploitation movies of the 70s—an indication not to take the entire series so seriously and also a clear acknowledgment that YES there was life in the South Bronx.
Via Netflix
In the first episode, we start to get to know the main characters a bit and Justice Smith’s acting was excellent, who plays Ezekiel “Books” Figueroa as was most of the cast including his leading lady, Herizen F. Guardiola who plays his love interest, Mylene Cruz who’s father is a devout Christian and pastor who vehemently disapproves of her singing disco and “straying” from the church.
We’re also introduced to Papa Fuerte aka Francisco Cruz, played by Jimmy Smits, who’s a huge community leader tugging at City Hall’s strings with the power he sways over the communities he takes care of. There’s no doubt at all that this character is loosely based off real life Bronxite, the late Ramon Velez.
Oh and let’s not forget the scenes in St Mary’s Park made folks smile and laugh with excitement at seeing our local landmarks in a major series.
Which brings me to the point of historical accuracy etc. This is a television series, not a documentary, so clearly there are gonna be many loose interpretations of actual people of that era but one thing that remains true, at least in this first episode, is that feel for the era seems right and somehow they captured it well.
And that’s not by luck but purely by design as photographer Joe Conzo Jr, who was referenced as taking hip hop’s baby pictures by David Gonzalez of The New York Times in a 2005 article, and also a part of Seis del Sur collective and legendary graffiti artist, John “Crash” Matos were eventually hired as consultants to the series. This was after there were community outcry and concern that our stories may not be told the right way.
“I was touched personally by what I saw of the first episode,” said Joe Conzo Jr, “I could identify with many scenes and so did my wife who grew up in a Pentecostal household so she could see herself in the scenes with the pastor and his daughter.”
But not everyone is thrilled or happy about the series even though they haven’t watched the first episode. Many have already written it off completely and some even chose not to attend the premiere.
If you’ve been following our coverage of The Get Down since it was first announced, you know we’ve been cautious about passing any sort of positive, glowing review until we saw the finished product.
“To the naysayers, just fucking relax!” added Joe Conzo Jr, “Be happy that so many of our Latino BBoys and BGirls straight from the concrete floors of DA BRONX got to be a part of this project. Is it a bit glorified at moments? Of course, it’s Hollywood.”
Crash aka John Matos also seemed pretty pleased with how the first episode turned out.
“I like how they incorporated all the main characters, the music, dance, and everything else,” said Crash who, like Conzo Jr, has been on board consulting with the creators of The Get Down.
He added that “There’s always room for improvement and that will come when they dive deeper with the main characters, the neighborhood. It’s still being written but the best part is how they listen to our suggestions and rewrite scripts to get things right. To me, that says a lot.”
And that’s a key element in making it as authentic as possible. Here you have two icons from the Era. Joe who documented the nascent scene and Crash who also lived it through his graffiti bombing of trains and the likes.
They both have helped convey a sense of authenticity and realness to the production.
And yes, there’s always room for improvement but I was pleasantly surprised with the first episode. I was left wanting to see more to see where these ragtag crew of kids would head to next.
I’m definitely looking forward to binging on the rest of the series when it comes out.
‘The Get Down’ premieres Friday, August 12th, only on Netflix.
Exterior Street in Mott Haven will soon be transformed as the Harlem River waterfront is developed with market rate towers.
It’s been a while since we’ve heard Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr utter the words ‘New Bronx‘, something we’ve been vocally against along with legions of Bronxites.
But he doesn’t have to, the damage is done and it’s already embedded in the psyche of people from billionaire developers of the oligarchy to the working poor who make our beautiful Bronx run.
The Village Voice published an article titled, ‘Brooklynizing The Bronx: Will The Boogie Down’s Boom Leave Thousands of Workers in The Dust?‘ which examines, among many things, Ruben Diaz Jr’s ties to real estate interests and his lack of advocacy for the auto workers of Jerome Avenue who are facing displacement and loss of thousands of jobs as the area faces rezoning.
The Voice writes:
No one is more poised to cash in on the boom than Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., who partied with Melo and company last Halloween, and who seems to be emerging as Governor Andrew Cuomo’s preferred candidate in the 2017 mayoral race. (“I’m a fan of his,” Cuomo gushed at a recent event the two appeared at in the Bronx, calling Diaz a “rising star.”)
“I don’t want the Bronx to be the ‘new Brooklyn,’ ” Diaz tells the Voice. “I want the Boogie Down to be better.”
Yet some critics wonder whether he’s too cozy with the real estate sharks circling the borough. A massive rezoning along Jerome Avenue may put Diaz’s priorities to the test.
The signs are rising in numbers across the South Bronx as developers are driving up property values with speculative purchases that are not in line with the actual market value of the area.
Rents are also rising for you see, not everyone has the luxury of living in rent stabilized or control apartments and two bedrooms renting for $2,500 in Mott Haven and Port Morris isn’t that uncommon of a sight any more.
We need to continue to organize and be a part of this forced shaping of our future because as I’ve heard many times, “If you aren’t at the table, it’s because you’re on the menu.”
The Voice further adds:
Meanwhile, since Diaz took office, the Bronx, the fourth most populous borough, has continued to lead the city in the total number of evictions, which should highlight the need for the borough president to take bolder action.
Diaz also has a mixed record as an advocate for job creation. Since 2012, he has fought to convert the Kingsbridge Armory (located just north of the Jerome rezoning area) into an ice rink that would provide living-wage jobs. While that project remains in limbo, Diaz has fully supported FreshDirect coming to the South Bronx. Backed by over $130 million in city subsidies, the company has not adhered to the city’s living-wage law, because its deal was negotiated before the 2012 legislation took effect. Diaz has exerted no pressure on FreshDirect to voluntarily comply. Meanwhile, most of the new retail jobs coming to the borough are entry-level and nonunion.
The future of The Bronx is very bright and promising but it remains to be seen for whom. At least this moment in time, it isn’t for us but developers and our Borough President.
A townhouse on E 134th Street has been listed for sale by Corcoran for $995,000 and other than a major renovation, there is nothing special about this home to justify such an outrageous price way above actual market value.
The home was purchased in August of 2003 by the current owners and sellers for $205,000 and has front row seats to the chaos that is the Major Deegan Expressway isn’t even one of the desirable landmarked homes in the general area over in Mott Haven. Oh, and did we mention that the home sits in front of an exit ramp to boot?
With a sales price that works out to $444 per square foot, it is well above the average for the area during the past two years of $240 per square foot.
If someone really wants this home, they’ll have to put down a significant deposit because the home is not worth it based on the market data.
Although the renovations look great, not sure who will be crazy enough to purchase a home for just shy of $1 million to live directly in front of a major (pun intended) highway.
The listing for the property says:
Up the stairs, on the top floor, is an airy 3-bedroom layout, featuring a massive, master suite with an en suite bathroom and more access to out door space- your very own, finished, private roof deck! This level of craftsmanship and access is rarely seen in the city at such a price! Don’t miss the wave of development flooding the Grand Concourse area.
So basically a million bucks for a roof deck on top of the Major Deegan? No Thanks.
Image Via CorcoranImage Via CorcoranImage Via Corcoran
A mother mourns the loss of her son murdered last week on 153rd and Courtlandt Avenue in Melrose.
Please join community residents and leaders at The Bronx Documentary Center today, Monday through July 25th at 6:30PM to be a part of a coalition to face gun violence in our neighborhoods by creating a gun-free zone in the South Bronx.
What this will entail and look like is up to YOU, our local neighbors and residents so PLEASE spread the word and bring a friend.
Another person was shot and killed in the 40th Precinct on 153rd and Courtlandt Avenue and our Precinct has now exceeded the murder count from last year.
We cannot just sit back and watch people continuously being murdered.
Tell a friend! Bring a friend!
The Bronx Documentary Center is located at 614 Courtlandt Avenue at 151st Street.
9 Bruckner Boulevard recently purchased by Keith Rubenstein’s Somerset Partners for $7.5 Million which he plans to transform into a food hall called “Bruckner Market”./ Image via Google
In case you haven’t been following the saga of the “Piano District” attempt to rebrand an existing neighborhood for the benefit of developers, Keith Rubenstein of Somerset Partners has just snatched up yet another Port Morris property this time for $7.5 million to create a food hall much like Chelsea Market.
“Bruckner Market”, as Rubenstein is calling it according to The Real Deal, “Rubenstein said, but he envisions a fresh food market, food kiosks, sit-down restaurants and possibly a beer garden.
“We have a great hospitality and restaurant concept that we want to do there,” he said. “It will provide great food and beverage options at affordable prices for the existing community and new community.”
This isn’t the first venture in Port Morris for Rubenstein besides the purchase of several parcels of land for 25 story market-rate towers along the waterfront. Rubenstein has been steadily snatching up commercial spaces and creating his own vision of what the neighborhood should look and feel like by bringing mostly outside businesses into The Bronx.
With Bruckner Market, Rubenstein has an opportunity to make amends with the community if he focuses on supporting the many local Bronx entrepreneurs that are venturing in the food service industry from cafes to bakeries and restaurants.
As he told The Real Deal if he wants affordable prices for the existing community, does this include the thousands of residents who live in New York City public housing developments at NYCHA just a few blocks away? Does this mean affordable to the 64.1% of residents in Community Board 1 that receive some form of pubic assistance? Will this mean much-needed QUALITY jobs for local residents?
Or will this be for just the select who live within just a few block radius and for future, potential tenants?
One can only hope that Keith Rubenstein does the right thing and partner with local community entrepreneurs to truly make a positive impact in helping lift up our residents rather than just installing businesses that will ultimately lead to displacement.
Wandering through the streets of Belmont on Arthur Avenue and side streets, you soon realize what a special place this is.
The most authentic Little Italy in New York City, Arthur Ave, despite changing demographics, still offers a unique slice of Italian tradition and history.
From bakeries, to cheese shops, and butcher shops to freshly made pasta, there’s really nothing quite like it.
Albanian restaurants, cafes and other businesses have opened up shop alongside Latin American, particularly Mexican, and all coexist quite well if you ask me.
It attracts shoppers from across the region who are in search of the finest quality Italian ingredients both imported and made right here in our borough of The Bronx.
Update July 20, 2016 10:22AM: An earlier version reported that speeds would be slower in The Bronx and outer boroughs, however, a spokesperson reached out letting us know that all will have same, fast speeds.
Back in 2014, it was announced that old New York City payphones would be removed and in their place a super fast WiFi and charging kiosk would be installed at 7,500 former public phones.
The system has been slowly rolling out throughout Manhattan and now LinkNYC has arrived in The Bronx—and surprisingly enough—before Brooklyn (and Queens and Staten Island too!)
Pretty shocking to see The Bronx get a new amenity or service before the other outer boroughs.
I spotted them a couple of weeks along the Concourse in the Fordham Road area but the one that was active was on 149th Street across from Hostos Community College at Walton Avenue (As of this moment, only the West Bronx has them).Head over to LinkNYC to see locations nearest you
The first thing I did when connecting to the free system was to test the speed since the Daily News reported that most of the kiosks in The Bronx would have the slower speeds thanks in part to the tale of two cities we’re still living in.
According to LinkNYC spokesperson, however, all LinkNYC systems will provide super fast WiFi access, not just Manhattan’s links so we’re happy that this digital divide is no longer the case.
The LinkNYC kiosk at 149th Street and Walton is definitely one of the faster ones with download speeds reaching 106 megabytes per second and upload speeds reaching 156 megabytes per second. To put it into perspective, that’s 4 times faster download speed with Optimum Internet and 35 times faster uploading speeds.
Using them as wireless WiFi hot-spots aren’t the only thing LinkNYC is good for. You can plug in your phone to charge in one of several USB “fast charging” ports where the company claims you can get 10% battery in just 1 minute (no, we didn’t get a chance to verify that).
If you’re out if juice and need to make a phone call you can simply plug in your headphones and voila, you can make free phone calls.
The kiosks also serve as an information booth where you can use it to look up city services and even push the red button to call 911 in case of an emergency.
In a perfect world, there would be enough kiosks to blanket the city and provide this free and needed service which pays for itself by advertising on the 55″ digital displays on either side of the LinkNYC system but alas the range isn’t all that far.
You can connect within 150 foot range although claims are made that 400 foot range is possible, our connection didn’t go beyond 100 feet before severely degrading and ultimately dropping.
Let us know if you’ve used it yet and what you think!
The subway cars of the future have been unveiled complete with WiFi and charging ports for your energy hungry devices along with new station design elements.
1,025 new subway cars are coming and of those, 750 are expected to be open ended—from front to back it will be just one long open train.
Doors will also be wider to increase the flow of passengers on and off much faster (in theory, in practice we won’t hold out breath).
But that’s not all. For decades, subway entrances have fairly been unscathed by progress’s touch but even that will get a major face-lift along with virtually every inch of the 31 stations slated to close for these upgrades and renovations (7 are in The Bronx so get ready).
The MTA has a timeline of having these upgrades completed by 2020 (again, we’re not going to hold our breath) and gone will be the green and red globes we’ve come to know for most of not all of our lifetimes.
The entrances will be sleek with canopies and provide real-time updates on service so you don’t have to go all the way down (or up) only to find out that yet again, trains are not running due to some excuse like say, rain.
Lighting elements will be upgrades to provide for safer and brighter stations and two things I’m happy about is that artwork will be a component of these renovations and even more importantly, the architectural legacy of stations will be considered and sensitivity to historical elements will guide the renovations of stations.
Oh, did we mention that Metrocards will also be phased out? At least the subway token lasted for 50 years before being discontinued.
So what do you think about these planned upgrades? Let us know!
Back in 2009 when Mill Pond Park opened along the Harlem River in the Lower Concourse area, the 11.3-acre site was promised to be a 15-acre waterfront park once it expanded using the empty parcel between the 145th Street Bridge and the finished park itself.
Time went by and many folks forgot about the expansion but we didn’t and neither did other folks in the area seeking park equity in the South Bronx for you see, The Bronx may be the greenest borough but the South Bronx actually has some of the worst access to green spaces in New York City.
NYC Parks includes the extension’s 4.7 acres in the total 15 acres of the park. As it stands, only 11.3 acres have been improved as park land. It even shows up on NYC Park’s map of the park (Click to enlarge)
Now, last Wednesday, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the same entity that has been shoving FreshDirect down against our will and taking away of more public land, has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to potentially develop up to 920,000 square foot mixed-use project. The RFEI indicates that up to two towers can be built on the site, one 40 stories, and another 26 stories.
ZoLa, NYC’s zoning and land use site shows the area mapped out as parkland as well. It even categorizes it as open space/recreation (Click to enlarge).
How did this happen? How did the city just take away this land, this much needed open space and now wants to hand it over to developers? In return, we’re supposed to get a small sliver of an extension of Mill Pond Park but the fact remains: We can’t breathe concrete!
If you look on ZoLa, New York City’s Zoning and Land Use online tool, you can see the area mapped as parkland (same in Google Maps) and even NYC Parks website clearly shows the area marked as part of Mill Pond Park calling the area a 15 acre park—but that’s only if the extension were completed. As it stands, only 11.3 acres have been improved.
Parks sign outside the extension site which the city now wants to develop up to 920,000 square feet development with as many as two towers, one 40 stories and another 26 stories in height.
The city is already going through the process of having the site rezoned to accommodate such a development as current zoning doesn’t allow for it.
Yes, we do need housing and more affordable housing but not at the continual cost of our open spaces. We are already oversaturated with a booming population without the necessary access to green spaces.
Mill Pond Park map located within the park itself shows the southern parcel as part of future expansion of the waterfront park. (click to enlarge).
We can’t let the city simply get away with consistently taking our public lands and developing them into something that has little to no public benefit especially when it comes to affordable housing. Affordable housing isn’t truly affordable to the local residents who are in the direst of circumstances.
With the Lower Conourse Rezoning Area finally kicking developments into high gear, we need to preserve what little space we have.
Since its sale almost two years ago to developer YoungWoo and Associates, the Bronx General Post Office has been gearing up for a major overhaul as a new destination for shopping, office space, and dining.
Now, after the 13 Ben Shahn murals have carefully been restored to their original grandeur, the post office which once occupied the entire grand landmarked building has moved into their new space at the northern wing of the building.
It’s a little bittersweet moment to know that the grandeur of the landmarked interior lobby will be blocked off during construction but it’s our sincerest hope that once complete, it will serve our borough well as a destination not just for The Bronx but even more specifically those who live in the area.
In previous conversations, YoungWoo is committed to making sure the place is diverse and reflective of the community and borough not to mention that they are also committing to making it a place for local small business.
Bronx Post Place, as the project is being called, is scheduled to open sometime in 2017. Take a look at the renderings for the space and let us know what you think.
A new Fine Fare supermarket opened today in Melrose at the recently opened Triangle Plaza at 149th Street and Brook Avenue.
Once Melrose was a food desert but the South Bronx neighborhood has been flooded with so many supermarkets that you can’t walk 3 or 4 blocks (sometimes less) without running into one.
The new 14,000 square foot Fine Fare has a huge variety of products not to mention an onsite bakery, deli, and butcher shop.
Upon entering the store, the first thing you notice is the huge space dedicated to fresh produce filled with colorful fruits and veggies alongside the typical staples you’d expect in a neighborhood of Latin American, African, and African American descent.
Some notable items we saw was a nice Asian food section, naan Indian bread, challah bread, and lentil chips.
Prices seem to be pretty much in line with others in the area but more supermarkets in the area can only be a good thing because one thing we can never have too much of is access to food.
This is Frank Pimental’s second Fine Fare in Melrose and Mr Pimental said earlier today as we checked the space out, “I’m happy to serve the community, I’m here for the neighborhood and its residents as a small business owner. I’m not a bit chain.”
Fine Fare’s small bulk section is a good start.
And Pimental is a man of his word. A few years ago, we had conversations about the new location and we mentioned something we’d like to see and that’s bulk items for purchase such as rice, beans, grains and today we were pleasantly surprised at seeing a small little section dedicated to mostly organic bulk buying.
This is a great way to purchase items as you get to buy as little or as much as you want. From organic lentils (green, red, and french) to oats, shredded coconut, and even hemp seeds. In total, there are currently 28 items available for bulk purchasing. Perfect for those who don’t want to purchase a giant bag of rice or beans or if you want to try something new.
Throughout the store, you’ll see a great variety of items in a clean and bright open space. For those driving, there is even free parking on the rooftop for customers.
We need more mom and pop markets and supermarkets so don’t forget to support locally owned small businesses.
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