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Exclusive: First Market Rate Condos Planned for E 138th Street in Lower Concourse Rezoning Area

Ed García Conde
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Exclusive: First Market Rate Condos Planned for E 138th Street in Lower Concourse Rezoning Area
Condominiums slated to rise at 221 E 138th Street. 3 other developments across the street from each other stretching to the east side of 3rd Avenue are also slated to rise.
Condominiums slated to rise at 221 E 138th Street. 3 other developments across the street from each other stretching to the east side of 3rd Avenue are also slated to rise.

The gentrification of the South Bronx is in full swing despite denials by our borough president, Ruben Diaz Jr, that it isn’t happening.

Yesterday we reported on the expansion of the landmarked Clocktower Loft Apartments and today we share the exclusive story of the first market rate condominiums coming to the Lower Concourse Rezoning Area.

The old 2 story factories at 221 E 138th Street at Canal Place has been torn down and in its place will rise a 7 story, 50 unit condominium development with ground floor commercial space according to Anthony Gurino of Tahoe Development which purchased the buildings for $2,800,000 in September 2015.

When we first asked Gurino if it was going to be market rate or affordable housing, he said “it doesn’t pay to construct affordable housing anymore including mandatory inclusionary affordable housing (MIH).”

The original development on file with New York City’s Department of Buildings calls for a 10 story building but as per Gurino, “We scaled it down from 10 stories to 7, got rid of parking and decided to go condo instead.”

An offering plan has yet to be filed with the State of New York for the condominium.

MIH is the cornerstone of de Blasio’s zoning changes which his administration insists it will help spur construction of more affordable housing, however, this particular developer in the poorest congressional district in the country has indicated that it is not worth it for him financially.

It may not seem like much but this is a further blow to the proposed zoning changes and a clear indication that the vast majority of NYC residents—especially those in vulnerable, poor neighborhoods—are right in their assumption that MIH will not benefit the community and spur more market rate developments.

The building will be made up mostly of studios, 1 bedrooms, and a few 2 bedrooms according to Mr Gurino and expected to be priced at $599 a square foot. With 14 sales of condos within the past 12 months below 161st Street in the general area, the average price per square foot was $173—more than 3x less than what Tahoe Development is considering for their development.

What does this mean in terms of pricing? Although the size of the apartments have yet to be announced, the following is a rough expectation per current supplied information:

  • A typical studio is roughly 550 square feet and would be offered roughly at $330,000.
  • One bedrooms are typically 750 square feet placing it approximately at $450,000.
  • Two bedroom apartments average at 1,000 square feet putting these units at $599,000.

As you can see, these price points are well above what is available in the South Bronx (the majority of condos in the area are huddled in Melrose just a dozen blocks away).

However, these prices will appear very attractive compared to what’s happening across the river in East Harlem where the average price per square foot for condos is at $1,000.

Gurino told us that they have developed in Williamsburg before it became gentrified and several other neighborhoods, “…and now we’re here.”

While homeownership is a corner stone in stabilizing a neighborhood, sadly these units will be far out of reach from the typical Mott Haven resident who wants to stay put. Instead, it will create an affordable opportunity for outsiders who have been priced out of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

This development will be the second market rate condo development after Bronx Brick lofts converted in 2007 with 11 loft apartments selling from $388,362-$789,143 (those prices are not a typo).

Across the street at 225 E 138th Street, a 96 unit, 8 story affordable housing development is rising on the site of the old Kentucky Fried Chicken at 3rd and 138th Street.

Opposite that site another TWO developments are set to rise as part of an expansion of the senior housing at Borinquen Court which will include a 12 story, 118 unit building at 2550 Third Avenue and an 8 story building with 56 units with a senior center on the ground floor.

According to Yimby, once completed the 3 buildings will be known as “Tres Puentes” or 3 Bridges for the 3rd, Willis, and Madison Avenue bridges that dominate the Port Morris/Mott Haven area.

Other developments completed or under construction in the Lower Concourse Rezoning Area are:

The aformentioned developments aren’t even taking into consideration the controversial and divsive “Piano District” development just a few blocks south in the same district with thousands of units spread across six 25 story towers planned for the waterfront.

With these developments along 138th Street, the character of this cooridor—a major gateway into The Bronx—is set for a major make over and within a few years will not be recognizable.

Gentrification is upon us folks and we must unite together or be priced out of our own neighborhoods—neighborhoods no one wanted to live in and we were left to rot in and now after planned shrinkage, disinvestment, and depopulation of the neighborhoods, the developers have returned to build not for us but those that will price us out.

Rendering of Landmark Clocktower Expansion in Port Morris Revealed

Ed García Conde
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Rendering of Landmark Clocktower Expansion in Port Morris Revealed
Rendering that is circulating among existing residents of the landmark Clocktower loft apartments of the expansion currently under construction.
Rendering that is circulating among existing residents of the landmark Clocktower loft apartments of the expansion currently under construction.

Rising adjacent to the historic Clocktower Loft building is a new 6 story, 128,340 square foot residential expansion adding 190 units to the 95 unit loft building—oh and did we mention the enclosed pool?

The rendering is from architectural firm Karl Fischer Architect who is the architectural firm listed on NYC’s Department of Building’s database. One has to scratch their heads as to why a firm that is so despised in NYC was chosen for the project.

According to an opinion piece—titled ‘New York’s Most Loathed Architect‘— in the New York Post 5 years ago, Maureen Callahan wrote:

“Every time one of his buildings goes up, it seems another New Yorker’s heart sinks.

Since 2003, Montreal-based architect Karl Fischer has designed more than 200 residential structures in Manhattan and Brooklyn, each one looking very much like the last: glass-curtained boxes flecked with grim brick or concrete, characterless high-rises in bohemian areas that, like uninvited party guests, seem to neither know nor care that they are profoundly out of place.

“Like doctors, there is a certain ethic of the architect: You’re not supposed to make anything worse,” says Aleksandr Mergold, architect and professor at Cornell University. “I’m not saying Karl Fischer is making things worse. But he’s not making things any better. That Cold War look seems to come from a lack of imagination. Great business model, though.”

“The contempt for the historical and architectural character and context of the neighborhood is appalling,” Bowery Alliance of Neighbors member David Mulkins told the Local East Village at the time.

Still, Fischer’s designs — lacking as they may be — are constrained by a host of other factors, from zoning laws to the developers’ budgets to marketing directives. “I’m proud of almost all the buildings I do,” Fischer says.

At real-estate blog Curbed.com, Fischer, who works mainly in Williamsburg, Greenpoint and lower Manhattan, has become something of a bête noire. “We average eight posts a month on him,” says editor Sara Polsky. “With our readers, he’s among the worst offenders.”

And clearly when one looks at the rendering, there is that evident contempt for historical and architectural character of the neighborhood. With the dull, gray bricks, the building is the antithesis of what the landmark Clocktower represents in its vibrant red brick facade, not to mention the general architecture in the area.

The iconic Clocktower building on the left—its vibrant facade and exterior is quite the opposite of the expansion being constructed.
The iconic Clocktower building on the left—its vibrant facade and exterior is quite the opposite of the expansion being constructed.

Gentrification is clearly moving at a rapid pace in the South Bronx and this doesn’t include several other properties under development in the immediate area as developers descend upon The Bronx like vultures.

No further details or whether the rendering is final but it does look quite beautiful. Sadly, this is not being constructed for the majority of folks who live in the district or the South Bronx and will only help further push the ever escalating rents of Port Morris and Mott Haven.

Thoughts?

Bronx Photojournalist Captures Hope & Despair Among Puerto Rico’s Millennials on The Island & Our Borough

Ed García Conde
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Bronx Photojournalist Captures Hope & Despair Among Puerto Rico’s Millennials on The Island & Our Borough
Ground Truth Project: Bronx Millennials October 2015 Zuly Molina, 28, on Southern Boulevard neat Hunts Point in the Bronx. After years surviving domestic violence Zuly decided to work as a resident assistant at a Woman's domestic violence shelter.
Ground Truth Project: Bronx Millennials
October 2015
Zuly Molina, 28, on Southern Boulevard near Hunts Point in the Bronx. After years surviving domestic violence Zuly decided to work as a resident assistant at a Woman’s domestic violence shelter./©Edwin J. Torres

Bronxite Edwin J Torres, a Puerto Rican photojournalist born and raised here in The Bronx, has launched ‘Portraits of Resilience: Puerto Rican millennials face economic meltdown with a spirit of pa’lante’, a beautiful photo-essay showing the plight of Puerto Rican millennials—both in Puerto Rico and in The Bronx—as the United States territory faces one of the largest economic meltdowns in history.

Puerto Rico is facing a massive brain drain along with a massive migration of these US citizens (by birth even on the island) in numbers unseen since the 1950s.

The situation is so dire that in 2010, for the first time in history, Puerto Rico registered a drop in population of 2.2% (roughly 85,000 people) and since then it has shrunk by almost 400,000. Every 10 years since 1930 through 2000, Puerto Rico’s population was increasing by roughly 300,000 people and now, in just 5 years that many people have fled the island in search of a better life.

Edwin writes:

“In Puerto Rican culture, from the island to the Bronx, [pa’lante] it is steeped in meaning, and roughly translated from Spanish as “forward” or “onward.” It was coined as street slang amid the community activism and fight for Puerto Rican self-determination that grew out of Spanish Harlem in the late 1960s. And these days the word has become less about radical politics and more about economics and resiliency.

And these days, pa’lante is about a new generation of Puerto Ricans recognizing that their spirit of moving forward, of hustling and persevering is an important collective culture train that is much needed these days as the economy of Puerto Rico is in a historic meltdown.

The territory of one of the wealthiest countries in the world is now teetering on bankruptcy and hoping for a bailout during hearings on the matter in Washington which are underway this month. The commonwealth’s economic relationship with the mainland has become increasingly unfavorable in recent years, contributing to one of the largest population exoduses in the Western Hemisphere.

With a relatively high cost of living, an oppressive level of debt and a 60 percent unemployment rate, Puerto Rico is losing the next generation of its middle class to the U.S. in a “brain drain.” And a new surge of immigration has begun. “

Keznr Jewelry Guaynabo, PR December 2015 Maria Laura Martinez, 25, founded Keznr Jewelry. Utilizing 3D printing and design, her latest collection won her 3 awards at a London Design competition. "I started with the economy as bad as it is so I don't have a comparison of how it would have been better. In reality I think my pieces are worth more than their price but i cant say I would have made this much more if the economy was better. People don't value things that are Puerto Rican. Things from the U.S. are more valued. We need to value ourselves more. " "Your from Puerto Rican your not legit or believable. The Jewelry started moving when I won a prize in London. It required a validation for people to see it here on the island and that it was worth it. That is what is keeping Puerto Ricans back. 85% imports to the island is from the U.S. Anything that the U.S. does is good. It doesn't have to be designed or anything specific it just has to be United States. Puerto Ricans we don't have the the confidence of what we do is good. Of what we are is good. The confidence is not there because Puerto Ricans don't know who we are in terms of a sense of identity. We are not a state and we are not completely independent. We are like in the middle so until we know who we really are, that confidence is not going to come and that why a lot of Puerto Ricans that are good at what we do leave.." "You yourself create the confidence I am a confident women now because I know who I am and I know what I can do. I found what I love and I know and have the validation that I am doing good things. it just comes from us individually." I started 6 months learning with online classes on how to do 3D printing. I approached my partner, Vicente, with my ideas to make a Jewelry printing company. Keznr has been running for a year and the first few pieces were experimental. We wanted to see what limits we can push the 3D printing medium to make very complex designs that are not possible with
Ground Truth Project: Bronx Millennials Keznr Jewelry
Guaynabo, PR
December 2015
Maria Laura Martinez, 25, founded Keznr Jewelry. Utilizing 3D printing and design, her latest collection won her 3 awards at a London Design competition.
“I started with the economy as bad as it is so I don’t have a comparison of how it would have been better. In reality, I think my pieces are worth more than their price but I cant say I would have made this much more if the economy was better. People don’t value things that are Puerto Rican. Things from the U.S. are more valued. We need to value ourselves more. “
©Edwin J. Torres

In his portraits, Torres captures the spirit of the Puerto Rican people—hope in the darkest of moments coupled with survival.

“I realized that so many Puerto Ricans in my generation were doing incredible things—despite adversity—and I always wanted to pay tribute to them and have a dialogue with them on the important issues of our time…I personally wanted to tell stories within the diaspora and celebrate it,” said Torres when asked why he decided to pursue this project.

He added, “At the same time, my eyes and ears were open to the economic issues on the island and the new generation of Ricans coming to the United States to find success. I was interested in a dialogue between Boricuas from the Bronx and Boricuas from the island. I wondered what advice they would give each other and what would be the common thread between the two. Finally the word Pa’lante came to mind,  a deeply cultural word that meant a lot of things but now more than ever is collective memory for all Puerto Ricans in the struggle trying to make their dreams come true and always moving forward.”

And Torres’ journey in creating this series also had an impact on himself.

“Visually, I learned to shoot with feeling than just content or composition…The word Pa’lante has always been a timeless word and I wanted to match that feeling with the portraits. As a writer, I developed a stronger voice. It’s more personal now. I am discovering that if I have the privilege of representing my community I am going to tell the story with “ganas” (a deep desire) and the way I want to tell it. I am driven by love for my people and the frustration of our history in the United States.”

The story of the Puerto Rican people is one that many ethnic groups can relate to when yet at times so alien. Puerto Ricans have lived in limbo for 118 years as a colony of the United States and for 99 years as full-fledged citizens of our country. They have been drafted into every major war since WWI and fought valiantly for our country and now that very country’s congress has failed 3.5 million United States citizens of the island commonwealth of Puerto Rico not to mention the 5.2 million Puerto Ricans who live on the mainland.

Ground Truth Project: Bronx Millennials October 2015 Isaac Baum, 18, is a senior at All Hallows High school in the Bronx. Given his experience as a school television anchor he hopes to pursue a career in public speaking.
Ground Truth Project: Bronx Millennials
October 2015
Isaac Baum, 18, is a senior at All Hallows High school in the Bronx. Given his experience as a school television anchor he hopes to pursue a career in public speaking./©Edwin J. Torres

“It’s a message of Hope. Pa’lante is something that you can only feel when you come from the bottom and aspire to move up and forward. To never give up. You can’t go up if you are already at the top. Its a feeling of perseverance which is ingrained in the people who work hard, have the odds against them but find clever and witty ways to make it.” said Torres of his project.

Torres added, “Its time we start celebrating these people. They show us that dreams do come true. These portraits are proof of our success stories.”

Take a look at the entire photo essay over at The GroundTruth Project and let us know what you think.

How has the economic crisis in Puerto Rico impacted you? We’d love to hear your stories.

The Bronx is Close to Breaking Its Population Record Set in 1970

Ed García Conde
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The Bronx is Close to Breaking Its Population Record Set in 1970

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In 1970, The Bronx registered a historic population record of 1,471,701 residents—and then the great decline led to a 20% drop by 1980 as over 300,000 people fled the chaos our borough was thrown into by government officials with planned shrinkage, landlords torching their properties, redlining, and a host of other systemic issues that plagued our borough of which we still feel the impact today.

As of 2014 census estimates, The Bronx has an estimated population of 1,438,159—just 33,542 shy of our historic high in 1970.

Now in 2016, it may be safe to say that we’re even closer to that mark.

The Bronx of today is very different from the one in 1970.

For example, we’re considered the most diverse area in the country as per the US Census Bureau estimate which said in 2013 that if you picked two people at random in The Bronx, there was an 89.7% chance that they would be of a different race or ethnicity. That was not the case 46 years ago when things were a bit more homogenous in some regards.

Last year the census also placed The Bronx in the top 50 in the country that grew by numbers between 2013 and 2014.

A lot of this is due to the slew of construction that is taking place in our borough filling what was once vacant land so it only makes sense that our population is about to reach that historic peak—and surpass it very soon.

New contstruciton in Melrose alone can close that gap as thousands of more units are under development.

While this is certainly good news, it is definitely a moment for pause and introspection and ask ourselves where exactly are we headed? Can we make our borough truly a home for ALL and not displace residents with encroaching gentrification and force residents who have generations of history in The Bronx?

Will our borough be able to survive the oncoming wave of development being thrust upon us? Change is an inevitable part of life but we don’t have to lose our soul in the process like Manhattan, Brooklyn and now Queens is doing.

We can truly live up to being the one TRUE borough if we stick together.

Plans Filed for Yet Another Affordable Housing Development in Melrose

Ed García Conde
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Plans Filed for Yet Another Affordable Housing Development in Melrose

Development doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon in Melrose, The Bronx’s unofficial downtown neighborhood.

After a lull in construction for a few years, developments are either in the process of breaking ground, in the middle of construction, almost complete or just filing applications in the neighborhood.

Blue Sea Development, who has constructed a large number of developments in Melrose, has finally filed plans for their latest development to be located at 443 E 162nd which will be one of 3 developments adjacent to each other—the others being Elton Corners which is under construction and the 3rd being Bronx Commons which will house The Bronx Music Heritage Center.

According to NYC’s Department of Buildings website, the plans call for a new 12 story 340,678 square foot building with 303 residential units of “affordable” housing. Included in the space is 13,302 square feet for a community facility and 25,643 square feet for commercial use.

No details have emerged as of yet regarding the levels of affordability for the development but according to Les Bluestone of Blue Sea Development, they are hoping to, “break ground by July of this year.”

Other developments in various phases of construction and planning are:

  • 706 Courtlandt Ave|Under Construction|14,794 square foot, 5 story building with 16 residential units. Affordability unknown.
  • 407 E 160th|Under Construction|25,280 square feet 8 stories, 39 units market rate apartments. According to the developer, details of what the rents will be is, “…too soon to determine”.
  • Elton Crossing|Under Construction|258,000 square feet, 263 units with 60 units for homeless veterans.
  • Bronx Commons| (DELAYED) Groundbreaking scheduled for 2016|361,000 square foot development with  277 apartments and a 15,000 square foot Bronx Musical Heritage Center along with retail space.
  • La Central| (DELAYED) Groundbreaking anticipated for end of 2016/beginning of 2017|1.1 million square feet, 992 apartments (studios to 4 bedrooms, supportive housing for people with HIV/AIDS), 5 buildings from 8 to 25 stories, 50,000 square foot YMCA, 2 acres of public and private landscaped grounds, rooftop decks, astronomy tower and education center, rooftop farm, 10,000 square foot BronxNet studio and classroom space, 30,000 community space and over 45,000 of new retail space.
  • 655 Morris Avenue|Under Construction| 217,579 square feet, 15 stories with 176 units including retail and community space.
  • 3160 Park Ave|Under Construction|11 story, 185,000 square foot with retail and commercial space and 152 residential units.

This pushes the total number of units under construction or filed to over 2,200 units of varying affordability and unit types in Melrose.

Of course, this leads to the question of “affordable” for who exactly since we’ve seen that most of these developments have left out the majority of residents in the immediate area and community boards they’re built in. People either are over qualified or under qualified in the neighborhood to meet that sweet spot, the goldilocks zone if you will, to be able to attain one of these units.

We also have to keep in mind that developers can opt out of affordability after 15 years so what will happen then to all the hard work residents put into making sure Melrose became a vibrant, mixed income, mixed development neighborhood? The Melrose model is one of the most studied urban renewal models in the country particularly the grassroots efforts of the late Yolanda Garcia, founder of Nos Quedamos/We Stay to make sure the neighborhood was included in the process and not railroaded.

As the population in Melrose—and The Bronx—continues to rise, can our existing infrastructure handle it particularly mass transit which is already bursting at the seams?

Check out renderings for the other developments below:

La Central on Westchester Ave and Bergen one block east from 3rd Avenue/ Image via by FXFOWLE
La Central YMCA/Image by FXFOWLE
La Central YMCA/Image by FXFOWLE
La Central YMCA/ Image by FXFOWLE
25 story building of La Central will be located at the north of the development across from Via Verde and will feature an astronomy tower and educational center. At the end of the block will be a skate park/Image by FXFOWLE
Note how much space is green and open for La Central / Image by FXFOWLE
Rendering of 655 Morris Avenue/ Courtesy of HPD
Rendering of Elton Crossings by MAP Architects
Rendering of Elton Crossings by MAP Architects
Bronx Commons rendering and future home of Bronx Musical Heritage Center.
Aerial view of the proposed development, La Central
One of the buildings in La Central, 980 unit affordable housing development slated for Melrose
North Along Bergen Avenue
In keeping with all new developments in Melrose, you can see from the renderings that open spaces including rooftop areas will play a large part of La Central
Rendering of 3160 Park Avenue in Melrose / Courtesy Newman Design
Bronx Commons rendering once complete will house a 15,000 square foot home of The Bronx Musical Heritage Center

Four Bronxites Talk About Growing Up in Co-op City & Other parts of The Bronx

Ed García Conde
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Four Bronxites Talk About Growing Up in Co-op City & Other parts of The Bronx

Curbed has launched its new series called ‘New York Narratives’ which takes a look at “Lifelong New Yorkers share stories commemorating, celebrating, and reflecting on the lived experience in New York City” and with its first series, 4 Bronx residents talk about growing up in Co-op City, Mott Haven, Highbridge, in the East Bronx along the 6 line, and living in Morris Park.

All the interviews for New York Narratives have been conducted by Curbed’s very own Zoe Rosenberg with photography by Khushbu Shah (as seen below).

First up is Isaac Moore (someone who I personally know and absolutely think he’s everything The Bronx is about rolled up into one person).

Via Curbed:
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Isaac Moore

Isaac Moore is a 43-year-old resident of the Bronx’s Morris Park neighborhood, who spent his formative years in Co-op City, to this day one of the largest housing projects in the world. Here, Moore remembers what it was like growing up in the Bronx in the late ’70s, and how a kid who wanted to escape the borough ended up right back where he started.

Read his story here.

Jose Vega

Jose Vega

Jose Vega grew up “lower middle class” in the Bronx during the crack epidemic. Now, at 45 years old and as a resident of East Harlem, he reflects on how his lifelong interest in art opened up Manhattan—and by extension, the world—to him.

Read his story here.

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Michele Carlo

Storyteller and author Michele Carlo was raised in the Bronx, but has lived in South Slope, Brooklyn, for nearly 30 years—and in that time, she’s seen her hometown undergo a drastic transformation. Here, she recalls her youth and explains why “anyone can be a New Yorker.”

Read her story here.

Robin Nurse

Robin Nurse

After growing up in Co-op City and then living abroad for two decades, Robin Nurse returned to Harlem to find a changed New York City. Here, she reminisces about her childhood and shares why she thinks that “New York has lost its voice.”

Read her story here.

Bronx Woman Helen Kane Was Inspiration For Betty Boop

Ed García Conde
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Bronx Woman Helen Kane Was Inspiration For Betty Boop
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Helen Kane circa 1930 / IMAGE: HULTON-DEUTSCH COLLECTION/CORBIS

Born in 1904 in The Bronx and attended St Anselm’s Roman Catholic school on Tinton Avenue, Helen Clare Schroeder would eventually become the inspiration for one of the most iconic and lasting cartoon characters, Betty Boop.

Little did Helen Kane, a German-Irish Catholic woman from The Bronx (as she later became known), know that her likeness would set the globe ablaze as one of the first and most famous of all sex symbols in all the world of animation.

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Two years after the 1930 debut of Betty Boop, Kane sued due to unauthorized use of her likeness.

The courts didn’t side with her and said that she didn’t invent “booping” but that a young African American woman known as Baby Esther did.

Kane may have copied the signature style of singing but the main question was her physical likeness to which there was no question and most agree Betty Boop was based on Hellen Kane.

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IMAGE: OTTO DYAR/HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

Here’s to a Bronx woman who continues to live in many women’s hearts as a loveable cartoon character who, albeit perhaps had its root in a misogynistic culture, they have reclaimed her from those very clutches and turned her into their own symbol.

Check out Mashable’s article on Helen Kane aka Betty Boop.

A Riot of Color Awaits As the Orchids Are Back in ‘Orchidelirium’ at The New York Botanical Garden!

Ed García Conde
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A Riot of Color Awaits As the Orchids Are Back in ‘Orchidelirium’ at The New York Botanical Garden!

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This year’s Orchid show at the New York Botanical Garden, ‘Orchidelirium‘ is just a riot of color in all shapes and sizes.

From tiny orchids the size of a mosquito to the larger, more “traditional” ones we’re used to seeing, NYBG’s 14th annual orchid show delivers not just a visual feast for the senses but one chock full of knowledge and tales of conquests by the hunters who discovered some of these species.

The stories you’ll read along the orchid trail are the stuff of legends and movies and hark from the late 19th-century craze that swept Victorian England.

Compared to last year’s show, which was pretty spectacular with the many orchid chandeliers, this one is even more special filled with so much color.

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As with many of NYBG’s exhibitions, Orchidelirium is packed with programming for all to enjoy from poetry, art, and music, to the famous and popular Orchid Evenings where you can enjoy some cocktails as you stroll through the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory while taking in the splendor of all that is Orchidelerium. There’s even a special LGBT Orchid Evening on Thursday, March 24th.

The show is open from now until April 17th so go ahead and make some plans to visit the New York Botanical Garden and experience some ‘Orchidelirium’!

 

Popular East Harlem Bakery Opens Bronx Location in Melrose

Ed García Conde
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Popular East Harlem Bakery Opens Bronx Location in Melrose
East Harlem's Capri Bakery is now open in Melrose on 149th Street.
East Harlem’s Capri Bakery is now open in Melrose on 149th Street.

In the heart of El Barrio aka East Harlem is Capri Bakery on 116th between Lexington and 3rd Avenue since 1984.

Now, after working on opening their second location for over a year, Capri is open for business and is already a hit having only opened this past Thursday.

As I sit here eating a typical Cuban and Puerto Rican pastelito de guayaba con queso—guava filled pastry with cheese—and a nice warm cup of tea, dozens of people have come and gone happily after purchasing their fresh baked delights.

Guava and cheese filled deliciousness!
Guava and cheese filled deliciousness!

Growing up in Melrose, one of the things we lacked was a full-fledged bakery and now thanks to Capri, we have one on 306 E149th Street between Morris and Courtlandt Avenues.

All goods are freshly baked on the premises including the hard to find pan de mallorca, a sweet bread with powdered sugar that is popular in Puerto Rico and has its roots in the ensaïmada (the Catalán name) breads of Mallorca, a Spanish Balearic island in the Mediterranean going back to the 1600s.

The fact that you can find this bread so locally now is a huge plus.

Besides traditional Puerto Rican and Cuban baked delicacies (the owners are Cuban), they also bake their own line of donuts, danishes, muffins, cookies, cannolis, eclairs, and even bagels.

In the mood for something hot? They’ve got you covered with coffee, hot chocolate, teas, and hot sandwiches like a Cubano, ham and cheese, pork, turkey, and yes, pastrami.

So far the best Cuban sandwich in the neighborhood
So far the best Cuban sandwich in the neighborhood

Capri also bakes cakes for any occasion from traditional styles of cakes to the more modern and popular sculpted fondant ones we see everywhere nowadays. Customers are already placing their orders for these specialty cakes. In fact, two orders were placed as I sat down observing customers coming in and out.

“I’m so happy they’re finally open,” said Jaenne Maldonado of Melrose who has been going to Capri in East Harlem for the past 13 years. “Now I don’t have to go far for a good bakery. We don’t have anything like this around here.” she added.

Nancy Testa, daughter of Ignacio Testa who founded the East Harlem bakery back in 1984, is excited to be operating her own location. She has been extremely patient as she faced delays with Con Edison making the necessary connections for her to operate her equipment.

Customers are already placing orders for Capri's specialty cakes. "It's convenient and nothing like it around here," said one customer.
Customers are already placing orders for Capri’s specialty cakes. “It’s convenient and nothing like it around here,” said one customer. Nancy Testa, owner, takes a customer’s order.

Since the East Harlem and East Village gas explosions, there has been a backlog of work as Con Ed is moving forward more cautious than ever to make sure everything is done safely.

But now that they’re open, customers are pouring in.

They couldn’t have picked a better spot as they’re on 149th Street just half a block away from Lincoln Hospital and a few doors down from The College of New Rochelle and the Hub which sees over 200,000 pedestrians a day—the busiest intersection outside of Times Square.

Let us know what you think of the place and tell them Welcome2TheBronx sent ya!

Located at 306 E 149th Street between Morris and Courtlandt Avenues, Capri is open from 7AM to 7PM and plans on expanding their hours to 6AM-9PM.

Fresh baked donuts and bagels mmmmm!
Fresh baked donuts, muffins, and bagels mmmmm!
East Harlem’s Capri Bakery is now open in Melrose on 149th Street.
Fresh baked donuts and bagels mmmmm!
Guava and cheese filled deliciousness!
So far the best Cuban sandwich in the neighborhood
Customers are already placing orders for Capri’s specialty cakes. “It’s convenient and nothing like it around here,” said one customer.

 

The Top 25 Celebrity Outfits of Summer

Ed García Conde
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The Top 25 Celebrity Outfits of Summer

There are many elements of Charlotte D’Alessio’s life that read like a teenager’s fairy tale. Instagram didn’t exist when I was in high school, but I imagine I’d be pretty fascinated by the beautiful, leggy 17-year-old with more than 174,000 followers and a Wilhelmina Models contract, too. For the legions of aspiring Cool Teens™, D’Alessio, who has been modeling full-time for the last year, is living the dream — though her Cinderella story has been anything but conventional.

At Coachella in 2015, pictures of D’Alessio (above, right) and her friend, 18-year-old model Josie Canseco (left), flooded the Internet, winding up on places like the festival’s official Twitter and The Cobra Snake’s Instagram, among others. BuzzFeed spoke to D’Alessio soon after, resulting in a viral article that has since garnered 1,479,600 views. Wilhelmina reached out to D’Alessio from there, and the rest is history. In the 12 months since D’Alessio was discovered, the Canada native has landed a slew of commercial campaigns, left Beverly Hills High School to pursue homeschooling and launched a YouTube channel with her friend and fellow model, Abby Champion. And with a secret project in the works for this summer, I imagine that D’Alessio’s stake in the California modeling pantheon will only deepen.

On the eve of Coachella 2016’s first weekend, I hopped on the phone with D’Alessio to get caught up on the last year of her life, from her social media strategy to her dream campaign.

 

You obviously gained a lot of attention at Coachella last year. What can you tell me about your experience there?

I went with my friend Josie — it was my first year going — and we barely took photos. I think we took 10 photos, but people really responded to them. They ended up everywhere. I saw them on Facebook, and not just [from] friends, but random people posting them. And then The Weeknd and the Coachella Twitter reposted [one of their photos]. It was so surreal because I was just a normal girl from Canada who was going to Coachella. I had, like, 16,000 [Instagram] followers, and now it’s [174,000].

Coachella really got me started in modeling. Wilhelmina reached out to me from the [BuzzFeed] article — that’s how they saw me.

Fragrance is great, but it’s hard to write or read about because your computer screen isn’t scratch and sniff—also because I can’t talk about base notes or top notes without feeling like a fancy sommelier. I prefer to think of fragrance in terms of anthropology, which is much more fun. Have you ever thought about your personal fragrance history? Well, here’s mine.

 

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And when Wilhelmina reached out to you, how did you feel about going forward with the process?

Basically every single one of my friends in L.A. is a model, with Next or Wilhelmina or whatever it is. I was the non-model in the friend group because I wanted to go to UCLA. I didn’t have that much of an interest — well, I had an interest, but I didn’t think I would be successful so I didn’t really pursue it.

When they asked me to come in, I went with my dad because I was 16. I almost didn’t sign because I was so scared. But I’m happy I ended up signing with them, because they’ve been a really great agency. I had the contract in my room for two days — like, I was scared they were going to tell me to cut my hair or lose weight or something like that, but they’ve been so supportive. They never told me to change anything.

 

Fifth Grade: Tommy Boy

I’m not kidding, I won Tommy Boy after I aced a quiz contest in Sunday School. The ultimate bounty. If you find yourself deep in the attic of my parent’s house, and you pay close attention, you might be able to smell it.

 

Puberty: Abercrombie and Fitch Fierce

Don’t even pretend like you didn’t.

 

College: Kenzo Homme Sport

My college years were timed with the heyday of the Kenzo sweatshirt, so this was a very fancy scent to own. You can now buy it for $30 on Amazon.

 

I can look back at them like a tiny museum of me that smells really good—literally, because I still have them all. But enough about me and how (great) I smell. I want to know your fragrance history—tell me what scents you love and why you love them. Tell me when you wear them, and how you apply them, and why they’re special to you. Tell me everything.

 

—Brennan Kilbane

Photo via ITG.

Immaculate Conception Church in Melrose Prioritized for Landmarking After 36 Years Since First Introduced for Preservation

Ed García Conde
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Immaculate Conception Church in Melrose Prioritized for Landmarking After 36 Years Since First Introduced for Preservation
The 129 year old Immaculate Conception Church in Melrose will has been prioritized for landmark status by NYC Landmark Preservation Commission after 36 years being on their calendar with no action.
The 129 year old Immaculate Conception Church in Melrose will has been prioritized for landmark status by NYC Landmark Preservation Commission after 36 years being on their calendar with no action.

 

36 years ago in 1980, Immaculate Conception Church in the Melrose neighborhood of The Bronx, along with its convent, rectory, and priests’ residence was calendered for landmarking by New York City’s Landmark Preservation Commission but nothing happened.

Until this past Tuesday.

LPC removed 65 properties from the calendar, many of which sat for decades waiting for action, but kept Immaculate Conception and prioritized for designation as a landmark by year’s end pending further hearings and a vote.

Personal disclaimer, I grew up attending mass at Immaculate Conception and my parents have been heavily involved with the parish for decades and even further with my grandmother has been attending the mass on a daily basis for almost 44 years.

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Although I am no longer a Catholic, I have always had a strong connection to the building. I was always fascinated by its beauty both on the inside and outside and I respect worshippers believe that it is not just a building to them but a living, breathing entity.

Its cavernous interior with tall vaulted ceilings made you feel so small and it was no wonder Immaculate Conception Church is referred to as the Cathedral of The Bronx by its parishioners.

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The stained glass windows are magnificent works of art telling the story of Mary—in German since the parish was founded by the German population who founded the village of Melrose in the 1850s.

The windows were imported from Germany and were made by the famous Franz Mayer & Co of Munich who created these beautiful windows for churches and cathedrals (mostly Roman Catholic) throughout Europe and across the world.

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According to parish documents, here’s a brief account of this magnificent church and parish (with our comments in parenthesis):

A Brief Story of How Our Church Came to Be (dated 2012)

“September 25, 1887, 125 years ago, the ground was broken for our beautiful Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Story of the parish and the school begins much earlier in 1853. Mr Ignatius Vossing and Mr Caspar Braudlacht had built a wooden church and then went to Archbishop John Hughes to ask for a priest. This is how Rev. Caspar Mtzler became the first pastor of Immaculate. 

Help was needed and it came. The Redemptorist church on East 3rd Street was being torn down and they donated pews and stations of the cross to their german friends in The Bronx (then the village of Melrose in Westchester County) and most importantly they donated a statue of the Immaculate Conception from its niche in Most Holy Redeemer Church. They probably never suspected that one day Immaculate would become a Redemptorist parish.

1873 saw the Sisters of Christian Charity come to administer Immaculate Conception School and as the parish and school grew there was need for bigger buildings. Attempts were made, but problems with the city led to many postponements. (By this time, Melrose and the West Bronx had been annexed to New York County becoming a part of NYC). Rev. Joseph Stumpe, the fourth pastor of Immaculate, gave his little school wings, the east side for the Sisters of Christian Charity and the west for the Christian Brothers. A large top floor of the building would be the new Immaculate Conception Church as the city tore down the little wooden church on 150th Street. The new church was blessed on October 3rd, 1875 and Immaculate had a pastor and now two associate pastors. 

The neighborhood grew even faster and Father Stumpe knew he needed  bigger church. His health was not up to the task and when he returned from Europe in 1886 he found that Archbishop Michael Corrigan had asked the Redemptorists to administer the parish and to build a bigger church.

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The convent attached to the west side of Immaculate Conception Church

On October 26, 1886, Father Jacob Keitz C Ss.R. was appointed the first Redemptorist pastor. The first Redemptorist community consisted of 5 priests and two brothers. Father Keitz began the work and it was left to Father John Liebfritz, who was appointed pastor on January 24, 1888 to complete it. With their German roots the Redemptorists commissioned Father Schauer C.Ss.R., who was returning to Germany, to look into stained glass windows; he found what he was looking for with Mayer of Munich and the story of Mary was told in our beautiful stained glass windows. The total cost of the church was $152,000.00

Someone might ask why didn’t they build the church on 150 and Melrose Avenue. There was no Melrose Avenue then and the city steamrolling the hills, it was safer in the middle of the street. Immaculate started as a church for German Catholics but the predecessor of the Redemptorists, Father Stumpe, had introduced sermons in English. Archbishop Corrigan told the Redemptorists that Immaculate was to be for German Catholics, but Father Keitz saw the wave of the future and insisted on having the 9:00AM Mass with English sermon and English bulletins. 70 years later Father Walter Reinhart C.Ss.R. saw the new wave of immigrants and celebrated the first Mass in Spanish. “

And since the 1950s, mass has been celebrated in both English and Spanish. Today on Sundays, Mass is held 4 times with 2 English Masses and 2 Spanish Masses.

The parish and church has witnessed Melrose transform from a nascent village where just 3 years prior to the founding of Immaculate, in 1850 Matthias Haffen and his wife Catherine Hayes moved to 152nd and Courtlandt Avenue where a man by the name of Louis F. Haffen, their son, would be born and go on to become the first Borough President of The Bronx.

Immaculate Conception has withstood the test of time for almost 130 years watching a small village turn into a bustiling downtown area and hub which would eventually give birth to The Bronx as an official County at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse back in 1914 in Melrose.

Louis F. Haffen himself attended mass with his family at Immaculate Conception and completed the sacrament of First Holy Communion there.

Now the church also serves as a haven for the influx of Mexican immigrants and is a base for pathways to citizenship by providing classes to those in need as well as free immigration services.

Considering the number of churches that have fallen to developers’ crains such as St Augustine up in Morrisania and countless others, let’s hope that by the end of the year, Immaculate Conception is saved from that same possible fate in the future by it receiving landmark status.

More images below the break:

The 129 year old Immaculate Conception Church in Melrose will has been prioritized for landmark status by NYC Landmark Preservation Commission after 36 years being on their calendar with no action.

 

Why I’m Voting for Julio Pabón Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 23rd

Ed García Conde
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Why I’m Voting for Julio Pabón Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 23rd

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TO FIND OUT IF YOU LIVE IN THE 17TH DISTRICT, CHECK HERE

TO FIND OUT WHERE TO VOTE, CHECK HERE

When Julio Pabón first told me he was running against then Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, I didn’t hesitate to volunteer for that campaign in 2013.

It was an opportunity to help dismantle the dirty political machine that has a stranglehold in The Bronx that keeps us from truly uplifting our community and benefits Te politicians who sell us out to developers and the likes for the highest bid.

 

Listen to the Chairman of the United African Coalition speak on why they are endorsing Julio Pabon for this Tuesday’s…

Posted by Welcome2TheBronx on Saturday, February 20, 2016

Although we didn’t win that election (notice I use to plural we and not he to refer to just Julio for we are all in it together with Julio) we won an unprecedented 32 percent of the votes and a record turnout of voters came out because they are tired of business as usual in The Bronx.

Tomorrow, I’ll be voting for Julio Pabón because he has no ties to ruling Bronx Democratic Machine on doesn’t support Julio because they are terrified in an elected official with a mind of his own and someone who won’t vote a certain way because the county leadership tells them how to vote.

Voting for anyone else is a vote for the establishment that doesn’t care about us and only cares about photo ops with celebrities at gentrification parties that make fun of our borough’s painful past.

Bronx Democratic County machine leaders are calling UNIONS and telling them not to endorse Julio. As a union leader said, “They don’t tell us who to vote for, WE TELL THEM WHO WE’RE VOTING FOR!”

 

Watch: Major support for Julio Pabon for City Council District 17 from Teamster Local Unions. Listen to what this Union…

Posted by Welcome2TheBronx on Saturday, February 20, 2016

Don’t forget that the county backed candidate, Rafael Salamanca arrived 15 minutes late to the first forum with the candidates—and didn’t even bother to apologize to the audience and constituents of the district. This is how much they truly care about the people of our district and The Bronx. They’re above a simple apology.

Let’s face it, with all the monies that pour into our district and borough, we should have already been able to economically uplift our residents by equipping them with the necessary educational tools for a stronger future.

The money flowing in to provide resources to keep our kids involved in educational and extracurricular activities including the Arts and athletics.

But not enough of the has been done.

We continue to build affordable housing that isn’t truly affordable to those who live in our district and borough thereby neglecting those who need it.

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Julio Pabon speaks with local small business owner. As a son of a street vendor and a business owner himself, Julio has a lifetime experience in this critical sector of our economy and our people’s well-being.

Small businesses are closing at alarming rates because their are no protections for them like residential renters. Forget about opening a business as it is virtually impossible for small businesses to do so because of all the red tape.

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Local resident from District 17 calls the people to arms with their voting power at the polls tomorrow.

Julio is a small business owner and understands this better than anyone running.

I’m voting for Julio Pabón tomorrow not because he’s the change we need but because he will be the catalyst that provides the space for us to change and take charge of our own futures.

Tell a friend, your neighbors, Abuela y Abuelo, grandma and grandpa, loved ones, family members and anyone else to vote for Julio Pabón because The Bronx is Not For Sale.

An IMPORTANT reminder from Camella Pinkney Smith, Bronx resident and candidate for Bronx Borough President in 2017:

Tomorrow is Election Day in the 17th CD. The polls are open from 6:00am-9:00pm. If you are not sure if you live in the 17th CD or don’t know where you polling site is located click on the below link;

http://vote.nyc.ny.us/html/home/locator_updates.shtml.

If your name has always been in the Voter Book and tomorrow it’s not in there and they advised you to do an Affidavit Ballot. Take a picture of the Ballot (with your cellphone) after you complete it and before you put it in the envelope. Properly fill out the envelope and sign it. Make sure the inspector signs it also. Then file a complaint with the Dept. of Justice Voting Section.

If you experience any problems while in the polling site contact United States Department of Justice Civil Rights division. The Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of the federal laws that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts.

The Voting Section accepts complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws –
By email at voting.section@usdoj.govEmail links icon
By telephone at (800) 253-3931 (toll free)
By telephone at (202) 307-2767
By fax at (202) 307-3961
By complaint form athttp://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php

By letter to the addresses below:
Voting Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Room 7254 – NWB
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20530

REMEMBER TO EXCERISE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE ON FEB. 23RD 2016. SEE YOU AT THE VOTING POLLS.

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Since 2009, Welcome2TheBronx has been a popular online platform dedicated to highlighting the vibrant culture, history, and ongoing developments within New York City’s northernmost borough. Founded by life-long resident and community advocate Ed García Conde, the site features local news, personal stories, and in-depth coverage of issues such as gentrification, community empowerment, art, and real estate. Through its engaging content and active social media presence, Welcome2TheBronx has become a trusted resource for residents and visitors alike, shining a spotlight on the unique identity and rich heritage of the Bronx.

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