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Councilwoman Arroyo’s Abrupt Retirement, More Food Along the 2 Train, & The Worst Slumlords|Bronx AM Links

Ed García Conde
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Councilwoman Arroyo’s Abrupt Retirement, More Food Along the 2 Train, & The Worst Slumlords|Bronx AM Links
Worst landlords and buildings in The Bronx/Screen shot from Public Advocate's Office
Worst landlords and buildings in The Bronx/Screen shot from Public Advocate’s Office

This morning’s top stories (we didn’t forget about you yesterday, there just wasn’t enough newsworthy items for a list!) are the abrupt resignation by the scandal plagued Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, more great restaurants along the 2 (and 5) train, and the worst slumlords in The Bronx as Public Advocate Letitia James took a tour of one of the worst buildings. (See the full list in the link)

Scandal Plagued Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo To Step Down

This one caught some folks by surprise and others think it’s a set up to install yet another puppet of The Bronx Democratic Machine.

Either way, democracy is at stake and we must insist on a candidate that will truly be the people’s choice and not one shoved down our throats. Read more on our previous post.

Score Dominican shrimp off the Prospect Ave. 2 train stop

The Daily News continues a series on what to eat along the 2 subway line in The Bronx (although for this leg of their journey they need to rename it ‘Eating along the 2 and 5 line).

This installment brings you the epicurean delights of the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, as well as a preview of an upcoming restaurant. Check out the mouth watering details over at The Daily News

Public advocate releases list of worst landlords

The Bronx is not a stranger to slumlords. According to a new list issued by Public Advocate Letitia James, there are over 900 apartments on the worst of the worst list (although we suspect that number to actually be higher considering not everyone reports poor living conditions in fear of reprisals from their slumlords.

Most of the worst offending properties were located in the West Bronx (see link for full details or the list below)

News 12 The Bronx wrote:

“Public Advocate James released a list Monday of the city’s most notorious landlords, ranked by the number of violations accrued in their building.

There are over 900 apartments in the Bronx on the worst apartments watchlist.

According to the list, the worst buildings in the Bronx include 2075 Wallace Ave., 750 Grand Concourse, 20 West 190th St. and 875 Longwood Ave. 

“Landlords often hide behind this veil of secrecy, so we need to pierce the corporate veil,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “We need to make sure we get the correct names of individuals who unfortunately are allowing seniors and children to live in horrendous conditions.”

One building in particular raked up more violations than any other building in the borough.  The building received 544 violations, predominately of the class-B variety, which can include poor lighting in public areas or failure to remove vermin.” Watch the video over at News12

The worst in The Bronx in order of most violations are: (Click see details for more information the each specific property)

Scandal Plagued Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo To Step Down

Ed García Conde
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Scandal Plagued Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo To Step Down
Maria del Carmen Arroyo (Credit: William Alatriste for NYC Council)
Maria del Carmen Arroyo (Credit: William Alatriste for NYC Council)

Welcome2TheBronx has just learned from The Observer that New York City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo—the politician from The South Bronx who scandals have a penchant for following her—has announced late today that she will be stepping down from office as of December 31, 2015.

We CANNOT allow The dirty politics of The Bronx Democratic machine to take over this democratic process and install one of their puppets yet again.

This comes to many as a huge surprise for someone who fought so hard to hang on to her council seat through methods deemed less than savory which even landed her in court when during last elections in 2013 she had celebrities such as model Kate Moss and former Yankees Derek Jeter on her ballot petitions.

According to the Observer:

“Bronx Councilwoman Maria Carmen del Arroyo announced late today that she would be stepping down at the year’s end.

The Puerto Rican-born South Bronx politician was vague on her reasons for stepping down, citing only “pressing family needs.”

“After much consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided to resign from the City Council effective December 31, 2015,” Ms. Arroyo said in a statement sent out this evening. “I will always be thankful to my colleagues in the Council for their continuous support, along with my friends and supporters who have made it possible for me to serve the people of the Bronx.”

One source, however, told the Observer that Ms. Arroyo may be leaving for a position in the private sector.

Ms. del Arroyo is the daughter of long-serving Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, and has sat in the Council since 2005, when she won a special election to replace newly-elected Congressman Jose Serrano.

The resignation will trigger another special election for the seat, which Mayor Bill de Blasio will have to declare within three days of the vacancy, and which will likely be held on February 16.

In March of last year, three of Ms. Arroyo’s 2013 campaign workers were arrested on charges of forging names to ballot petitions.”

Some of the scandals that followed Arroyo were:

Councilwoman Arroyo Admits Petition Signatures Were Fake But Refuses To Accept Responsibility; Scandal Deepens

In a Stinging Blow to Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Board of Elections Tosses Over 1,800 Fraudulent Signatures

Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen E. Arroyo Breaks Law — Yet Again: Will Albany Act This Time?

BREAKING NEWS: Corrupt Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo DENIED Public Funds!

Bronx Nonprofit Emails About Fundraiser for Maria del Carmen Arroyo | City & State

Feel free to Google Maria del Carmen Arroyo and scandal and you’ll see how many will pop up.

We now have to seize the moment and make sure we get a candidate in that truly has our community’s best interest at heart.

19th Century Torah Rescued From Nazis Finds New Home in The Bronx

Ed García Conde
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19th Century Torah Rescued From Nazis Finds New Home in The Bronx
At Calvary Hospital's kick-off event for the restoration of a historic Torah Scroll, Rabbi Moshe Druin from Sofer On Site educated the audience about the Torah restoration process. / Via Daily News
At Calvary Hospital’s kick-off event for the restoration of a historic Torah Scroll, Rabbi Moshe Druin from Sofer On Site educated the audience about the Torah restoration process. / Via Daily News

A Torah scroll from 1880 that originated in the town of Domazlice, Czech Republic, has made its way to Calvary Hospital in The Bronx.

According the The Daily News, the Torah was damaged when Nazis took away religious and cultural artifacts from Jewish communities in Europe during World War II.

Although still damaged, the scroll will be restored with care at Calvary Hospital and then will be able to be used in ceremonies for its Jewish patients.



The Bronx might seem like an unlikely place for the Torah to make its way to but at one point our borough was the most Jewish borough in all of New York City.

The Daily News writes:

“So-called Scroll No. 515, taken from a synagogue in the Czech town of Domazlice, is on permanent loan to Calvary from London-based Memorial Scrolls Trust, an organization that has been mending and distributing Torah scrolls to congregations worldwide since the 1960s.

“When a Torah is no longer able to be used, it’s either buried like a person or restored,” said Calvary Hospital Rabbi Rachmiel Rothberger.

“The beauty of the whole project is that when the scribes inspected the Torah, they found it could be repaired. The fact that they were able to repair it and bring it back to life is a special honor.”

The Calvary scroll, housed at the hospital’s Bronx campus in Eastchester, is being worked on by a rabbinical restoration team from the organization Sofer On Site that is painstakingly fixing the many creases, tears and holes, as well as re-inking words and letters originally written with a quill feather.

The restoration may cost as much as $100,000, a Calvary spokeswoman said. Once enough money is raised, remaining funds will go toward benefiting patients and families regardless of faith.

The Calvary Torah is undergoing careful restoration/Image Via Daily News
The Calvary Torah is undergoing careful restoration/Image Via Daily News

The hospital, which provides end-of-life care for cancer patients of all faiths and others with serious illnesses, has set up a Web page for contributions at calvaryhospital.org/torahrestoration.

The Torah scroll isn’t only valued for its religious and historical significance; it’s also a symbol of Calvary’s outreach to the Jewish community.

While it isn’t ready yet for services, Rothberger said the scroll has so far been a source of inspiration and peace for many of its Jewish patients.

“We bring it to their rooms so that they can say a prayer and kiss the Torah,” he said.” Read the full story at The Daily News



Legionnaires Update, Migration Stories, Puerto Rican Heritage Artist & Book Expo|Bronx PM Links

Ed García Conde
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Legionnaires Update, Migration Stories, Puerto Rican Heritage Artist & Book Expo|Bronx PM Links

Legionnaires update on the second outbreak in The Bronx in Morris Park, Puerto Rican Heritage Month’s Artist and Book Expo at Hostos Community College, and Migration Stories at The Bronx Documentary Story are part of this evening’s Bronx PM Links roundup.

Autumn Legionnaires’ outbreak likely caused by Bronx Psychiatric Center’s cooling tower: officials

So many questions, so little real answers. We’ve covered the original Legionnaires’ Outbreak in the South Bronx which was the largest in NYC history and probed and asked the questions no one else was. After the outbreak was declared over and we were continuously told that our drinking water supply was safe (but the city hadn’t tested it) several buildings show up with their drinking water supply contaminated in Melrose at Melrose Houses NYCHA development. Then come fall and Morris Park in the East Bronx suffers an outbreak and a death (although in much lower numbers than this summer’s toll).

What exactly is happening? Well the Daily News reports that water cooling towers are still being blamed (despite CDC, EPA, major agencies and scientists and physicians who have intimate knowledge of the disease who state that the vast majority of infections arise from our drinking water supply.

The Daily News reports:

“A cooling tower at the Bronx Psychiatric Center was identified as the likely source of the city’s latest Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, officials said Friday.

The disease plagued the Bronx throughout October and November — killing one person and sickening 14 others.

The autumn outbreak was not related to the one that struck more than 120 people, killing 12, in the borough over the summer.

City officials said the problem cooling tower — and all others across the city — have been disinfected.” – Head on over to the Daily News to read the rest.

Migration Stories

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As part of the Bronx Documentary Center’s programming around the Via PanAm exhibition, tomorrow evening at 6PM, the center will host a migration stories event where locals will share their migration experiences.

Please join the BDC, MASA and Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders for a night of Bronx community members sharing their migration stories. Free and open to all. The BDC is located at 614 Courtlandt Avenue at 151st Street- See more at the BDC’s website:

10th Annual Comité Noviembre Puerto Rican Artisan Fair & Exhibition along with the 4th Annual Puerto Rican Authors Book Expo

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In what has become a favorite event of the year for Puerto Ricans and Bronxites alike, tomorrow is the 10th annual Comité Noviembre fair celebrating Puerto Rican heritage and culture. The event is filled with live performances and tons of art to buy (perfect for the holidays) by local artisans and those straight from Puerto Rico. This is a perfect event to find that unique gift for your loved ones.

The event is located at Hostos Community College at 450 Grand Concourse and runs from Noon to 7PM, tomorrow, Saturday November 21st.

1 Millionth Tree Planted in The Bronx Celebrated By Residents, Elected Officials & Of Course, Bette Midler

Ed García Conde
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1 Millionth Tree Planted in The Bronx Celebrated By Residents, Elected Officials & Of Course, Bette Midler
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From left to right, New York Restoration Project’s Executive Director, Deborah Marton, along with the organization’s founder, Bette Midler, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Councilman Mike Levine and Chair of the Committee on Parks, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, and US Congressman Jose E. Serrano.

Today was a special day in The Bronx at Joyce Kilmer Park on 161st Street and The Grand Concourse. Local school children gleefully joined residents, elected officials, NYC Parks employees to celebrate the millionth tree which was planted last month at the park as part of the MillionTreesNYC program initiated by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

When the millionth tree was planted last month at the park, it was 2 years ahead of schedule as 2017 was the target date for completion of the project to green up New York City—especially the areas which lacked greenery and green streets such as The South Bronx where the ceremony took place.

The Bronx actually received the 2nd most number of trees with a total of 276,600 adding to the greenest of the five boroughs of New York City. Queens received the highest number of trees but only by a little over 8,000 more trees at 284,755.

Last month’s planting was supposed to have happened with today’s fanfare but the celebration was postponed after NYPD Officer Holder was tragically killed in East Harlem the day before of that planting.

The local school children from PS 35 Franz Siegel School were so excited that when Mayor de Blasio said good morning to the crowd, the children all shouted in unison, “Good morning Mayor de Blasio!”

It was especially nice to see the children get to help plant the 1,017,634th tree at Joyce Kilmer, an American Linden, after Bette Midler, and local elected and city officials did their ceremonial shoveling in for the planting.

School kids from PS 35 Franz Siegel School helped plant the 1,017,634th tree, an American linden, during today's celebration.
School kids from PS 35 Franz Siegel School helped plant the 1,017,634th tree, an American linden, during today’s celebration.

In a press release issued by the mayor’s office, Bette Midler says, “There are now one million more reasons why New York is the greatest city in the world. Nine years ago, planting one million trees was a far-fetched idea. Today, we’ve done the impossible. One million trees means that every single New Yorker has a little more green space in their life. I’ve always loved this city, but I’ve never been more proud to call it home. Tonight, we’re lighting the Empire State Building, New York’s most beloved skyscraper, in forest green to symbolize the city becoming more sustainable and a healthier place for all of its citizens.”

The release goes on to say:

“MillionTreesNYC has not only transformed our City’s green spaces – it has also helped reduce our carbon foot print and made New York more equitable for all New Yorkers, in all five boroughs,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “This critically important initiative builds on the Council’s on-going efforts to make our City more sustainable and environmentally friendly and I thank Mayor Bloomberg, Mayor de Blasio and all of our partners for making this program a tremendous success.”

“I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for helping us build a more resilient, greener city for all New Yorkers. This one millionth tree highlights what New Yorkers can do when we work together for the greater good of our city, and is a strong example of the impact that volunteers are having in and around our communities every day,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Today is a major achievement in this city’s vision for a healthier, more sustainable city, and one that we are carrying forward through OneNYC.”

“We planted tree number one just down the road eight years ago and we’ve added one million more thanks to the dedication of so many: Mayor de Blasio and his team who carried the work through, our founding partner Bette Midler, the New York Restoration Project, dozens of members of our Administration and more than 50,000 volunteers,” said 108th Mayor of New York City Mike Bloomberg. “Each new tree planted makes our city a little more beautiful, the air we breathe a little cleaner, and our carbon footprint a little smaller. MillionTreesNYC was an important part of our comprehensive sustainability plan, which has led to New Yorkers breathing the cleanest air our city has had in 50 years. We worked extremely hard to expand and strengthen our parks, particularly in low-income communities. Seeing tree number one million take root is something we can all be proud of.”

“We are enormously grateful to the thousands of volunteers, sponsors, and partners who donated time, energy, and funding to make MillionTreesNYC so successful,” saidParks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, FAICP. “MillionTreesNYC was an unprecedented initiative in New York City and has become a renowned greening model used internationally. It has led to a host of valuable research regarding urban greening efforts and has transformed acres of parkland and streets into new, ecologically healthy, multi-story forests that provide benefits to all New Yorkers. Through the Mayor’s Community Parks Initiative (CPI), we will continue to make strides in creating an environmentally equitable city, engage New Yorkers in their parks in new and exciting ways, and reimagine our open spaces together.”

Bette Midler has been a personal inspiration for me for I remember when 20 years ago she adopted 2 miles along The Bronx River Parkway in our borough in an effort to help clean up our borough. It was something she didn’t have to do but she saw the disinvestment in places like The Bronx and decided to do something about it.

Eventually, through her organization which she found, The New York Restoration Project, it went steps further and protected community gardens from development by purchasing them—a move not always popular with everyone—so as to prevent development on such sacred spaces.

These green spaces that the organization now owns, along with the green thumb gardens are spaces that could have been developed but instead turned over to nature and community to be stewards of the land. They have become places where urban farmers have grown, cultural spaces where traditions are passed.

To all who made this possible, from local residents and grassroots organizations, to the elected officials who stood behind this, Bette Midler for her vision along with her organization, The New York Restoration Project, and most of all the volunteers and stewards who take care of these trees and have helped plant them, a big thank you is in order.

Who would have thought that such a feat would be possible?

I live in Melrose and our neighborhood has been transformed. Before the first tree was planted in October of 2008, you could go blocks and blocks and only encounter  a handful of trees. Now you can walk by tree-lined streets that go on for blocks on end.

Thanks for sprucing up our borough and city along with our quality of life and health.

From left to right, New York Restoration Project’s Executive Director, Deborah Marton, along with the organization’s founder, Bette Midler, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Councilman Mike Levine and Chair of the Committee on Parks, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, and US Congressman Jose E. Serrano.
The millionth tree which was planted last month at Joyce Kilmer Park in The Bronx.
Bette Midler and crew of elected and city officials threw in the ceremonial dirt for the planting of the 1,017,634th tree.
NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito chats with Bette Midler and Congressman Jose E. Serrano.
I finally was able to personally thank Bette Midler for all the advocacy she’s done and joined local communities to help us save our green spaces.
Yes, shameful plug. I was very happy to meet someone I have admired since my youth because of her advocacy for green spaces especially for equity for green spaces in areas that are economically at a disadvantage like the South Bronx.
School kids from PS 35 Franz Siegel School helped plant the 1,017,634th tree, an American linden, during today’s celebration.

 

A Look Inside the Changing Bronx General Post Office, Green Taxis, & 4 Apartment Buildings Get Major Makeover|Bronx AM Links

Ed García Conde
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A Look Inside the Changing Bronx General Post Office, Green Taxis, & 4 Apartment Buildings Get Major Makeover|Bronx AM Links

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The top story this morning continues to be how community boards across New York City are striking down de Blasio’s zoning changes. Meanwhile, a look into the world of green taxis, Comptroller Scott Stringer thinks it’s fine time to shut down Rikers, 4 buildings get a new lease on life, and a peek inside the Bronx General Post Office and plans for the landmark.

After Sale, What Comes Next for the Bronx General Post Office?

It’s been almost 3 years since we first broke the story on the sale of the Bronx General Post Office and since then we’ve given you some sneak peeks into what it will look like on the outside and some select areas inside.

After the beloved landmark was up for sale, besides being protested by the community, folks made sure that the lobby received landmarking as well to protect this wonderful and historical community asset.

Curbed writes:
After Sale, What Comes Next for the Bronx General Post Office?

During the past year, most of its interior spaces have slowly been dismantled, with offices, lockers, and mailboxes auctioned off and hidden rooms and catwalks emptied out to make way for a different future.

The new version of the Bronx post office will be called Bronx Post Place, and it is being branded as “a crossroads for community, commerce, and culture.” Mindful of the building’s important role in the neighborhood’s fabric, and undoubtedly aware of the increasing wariness of gentrification and the “feeding frenzy” of development in the South Bronx, the new owners have created a cheerful, unthreatening plan for the structure, which will include a rooftop restaurant, a lobby marketplace, and flexible office spaces, all with an emphasis on local businesses and entrepreneurs. “Everybody that I’ve met in the Bronx has a story about the post office, whether they remember standing in line with their parents, or they have a relative that worked there,” said Christine Nebiar, the director of marketing and innovation for YoungWoo. “So it’s great that we will be able to give it a use that will keep in line with a community hub experience. And of course, the post office will still remain.” Read more over at Curbed

Bill de Blasio’s plan for affordable housing gets roasted

It’s time for de Blasio and Co to head back to the drawing board after city-wide rejections of zoning changes as part of his campaign to create and preserve 200,000 units of “affordable” housing.

The Daily News reports:

Mayor de Blasio’s affordable-housing plan has been given a Bronx cheer in four boroughs.

The Bronx Borough board — which includes the borough president, pols repping the borough and community leaders — voted unanimously Thursday against zoning changes that his plan requires.

The thumbs down comes just days after the Queens Borough Board also voted against the same zoning changes, which would require all new buildings in the city to have at least 20% to 30% of affordable housing in rezoned areas.

Also Thursday, more than two dozen Manhattan elected officials — including Borough President Gale Brewer and seven City Council members — released a letter to City Hall outlining their “major concerns” with the plan. Read the rest at The Daily News

Exclusive Look: Rough Past Erased as City Rehab Effort Transforms Bronx Buildings

Four Bronx apartment buildings considered among the city’s worst have undergone a transformation, changing the lives of residents in the process. NY1’s Erin Clarke got an exclsuive first look and filed the following report.

Lizbel Moronta describes living at 2239 Creston Avenue five years ago as a “horror movie.”

She and the other tenants like Francis Almonte were surrounded by squalor – doors off hinges, broken windows, crumbling ceilings.

“Really dirty. Really ugly and dangerous,” Almonte recalled. Head on over to watch the video and read the rest at NY1

Scott Stringer: It’s time to shut down Rikers Island

Rikers Island, also known as the world’s largest penal colony is crumbling, and not just physically but it’s failing the population houses there through abuses sometimes which lead to death.

According to the Daily News, “Scandal-scarred Rikers Island is an “urban shame” that should be shut down, the city’s financial watchdog said Wednesday.

During a speech at The New School in Manhattan, City Controller Scott Stringer said it was time to close the notorious jail.

“Right now, Rikers Island is a case study in poor outcomes,” he said. “We need to create a system that is a national model, rather than an urban shame.”

Stringer cited crumbling buildings, skyrocketing cost and repeated reports of inmate abuse as primary reasons for a shutdown.

The inmate population has decreased enough for the city to find other places to jail people, he said — without giving any locations.”

Welcome2TheBronx asks, “Now where exactly would these inmates go? No one wants a jail in their backyard… Read the story at the Daily News

Green Taxis Offer Wheel Alternative for Bronx Residents

Still confused about green taxis? Erin Clark at NY1 has you covered. She reports:

“Lime green taxis have been cruising New York streets for two years now, but do you know the difference between a yellow and green taxi? NY1’s Erin Clarke filed the following report.

Nancy Soria has been driving people around New York for six years.

“I get to go to so many places, to parts of the city that I’ve never been to before and now I get to meet a lot of interesting people,” she said.

In 2013, Soria became a driver for the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s Borough Taxi Program aimed to improve service in areas yellow taxis typically don’t go, but Soria says many people in the places the program aims to serve don’t know how green taxis work.

The commission is trying to get the word out about the program that is the only legal way to catch a taxi without pre-arranging the trip.” Check out the rest of the story and video at NY1

Pandas Coming to The Bronx, South Carolina Crabs In Our Borough, and New Doc Explores Struggling Single Dads|Bronx PM Links

Ed García Conde
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Pandas Coming to The Bronx, South Carolina Crabs In Our Borough, and New Doc Explores Struggling Single Dads|Bronx PM Links

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Pandas in The Bronx, buying South Carolina crabs right here in our borough, and a new documentary explores the difficulty of extreme poverty facing single fathers and devastate impacts on their families are some of the stories you’ll find in this evening’s edition of Bronx Links.

Daddy Don’t Go Shows the Havoc Poverty Wreaks on Struggling Single Fathers

We often hear the plight of single mothers and children being raised in single family homes by their moms but we rarely get a peek into the other side of the equation.

‘Daddy Don’t Go’ explores this other side and ‘The Muse’ writes:

“If there’s one thing you’ll take away from Daddy Don’t Go, Emily Abt’s compassionate but restrained documentary following four struggling single fathers in New York City, it’s that even when you love your kids desperately, and even when you want more than anything to do right by them, your problems might just be too big to outrun.

The specifics of that bleak sprint may vary. Maybe if you’re Roy, a 28-year-old from Long Island raising your son alone, it’s trying to outrun the demons of an abusive childhood, selling drugs as a teenager, and the resulting prison sentence and chronic unemployment.

Maybe if you’re Nelson, a 26-year-old in the Bronx helping raise the three children of your girlfriend, it’s trying to outrun a gang past and chronic unemployment. Maybe if you’re Omar, 34, living in the Bronx, utterly devoted to your four children, it’s a learning disability that’s made employment untenable, one you now struggle to help navigate with your daughter, who has inherited it. Or if you’re 26-year-old Alex, you are smitten with your two-year-old son, but haunted by an assault you still stand to do time for, even as you’ve fought for custody and worked to certify as a mechanic.” Read the full story at Jezebel’s ‘The Muse’

You Can Buy Live Crabs From South Carolina in the South Bronx

I’ve walked by this stand running from errand to errand and meetings and never knew that these guys were hauling their South Carolina blue crabs up for sale in the Melrose neighborhood of The Bronx at The Hub.

DNAinfo shares, “Blue crabs from South Carolina have scuttled their way up to the South Bronx.

Floyd Gadsden, a 48-year-old who has been in the seafood business since he was 8 years old, recently started manning a tent by The Hub, where he sells live crabs from down south.

He said the neighborhood has enthusiastically welcomed him so far, even though many people who stop by have never seen a live crab before.

“We’ve been getting a good response,” he said. “People love the quality of the crabs.”

Gadsden typically sells the crustaceans for $12 a dozen and said they are much bigger than what you would find at most stores in the borough.

“A lot of their crabs are farm raised crabs: very small, very little meat in them. I like a good meaty crab,” he said.

“We go to South Carolina every three days to get fresh seafood,” he continued, “so when we bring them up, it’s fresh.” Read the full story at DNAinfo

Panda plan for Bronx Zoo gets OK from Mayor de Blasio

The Bronx is known as the most diverse area as per the 2010 United States Census and things are about to get really diverse—at least with reference to the animal kingdom.

The Bronx Zoo is home to many species (endangered as well) and is a recognized world leader in conservation efforts.

Now he Daily News reports that we’re one step closer to becoming the home for a pair of pandas after many hurdles to get us this close.

If this happens, we’ll have the bragging rights to say that we’re one of only 5 places in America that are home to these endangered and wonderful animals.

The Daily News reports:

The years-long battle to bring a pair of pandas to New York City has cleared a major hurdle with the addition of a new high-profile backer — Mayor de Blasio.

The mayor, who had been one of the last holdouts in the push to bring the cuddly black-and-white bears to the five boroughs, has had one of his top aides reach out to Chinese officials to say he is now on board and would like to place the animals in the Bronx Zoo.

“I’m thrilled that the mayor is supportive,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who has been in negotiations with the Chinese for years to bring pandas to the Big Apple.

“Wherever I go, people say to me, ‘When are the pandas coming?’ ”

Last year, Beijing balked at granting permission for a pair of pandas to come here without de Blasio’s blessing, despite the fact that Gov. Cuomo had given his seal of approval. Read the full story over at The Daily News

New York Times Poll Suggests 36% of Bronx Residents Struggling To Get By

Ed García Conde
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New York Times Poll Suggests 36% of Bronx Residents Struggling To Get By
Via the New York Times
Via the New York Times

The New York Times has released an article on a recent poll they conducted which indicates that roughly half of New York City residents are barely able to make ends meet. In The Bronx, that number is at 36%. The Bronx also leads New York City with the percentage of residents (25% of respondents) who do not feel confident that local government elected officials are not addressing the multitude of problems facing our borough.

The article says:

“Half of New York City residents say they are struggling economically, making ends meet just barely, if at all, and most feel sharp uncertainty about the future of the city’s next generation, a new poll shows.

The poll, conducted by The New York Times and Siena College, shows great disparities in quality of life among the city’s five boroughs. The stresses weighing on New Yorkers vary widely, from the Bronx, where residents feel acute concern about access to jobs and educational opportunity, to Staten Island, where one in five report recently experiencing vandalism or theft.

But an atmosphere of economic anxiety pervades all areas of the city: 51 percent of New Yorkers said they were either just getting by or finding it difficult to do so.

Even in Manhattan, three in 10 said they were just getting by. (Fifty-eight percent said they were doing all right or thriving financially — the highest response of the five boroughs.)”

Although folks are struggling and facing these economic uncertainties, the poll and The New York Times goes on to suggest that residents are also are optimistic about their situations.

Some of the findings in the poll indicate the following about the perceptions of Bronx residents:

  • 48% feel that the availability of goods and services that meet their needs is fair or poor
  • 33% think that finding decent employment is poor
  • 44% feel that the chance a family member may be incarcerated is very likely or almost certain
  • 36% feel that as a borough to live in, The Bronx has improved.

In the first 3 questions above, Bronx residents represented higher percentages than the other 4 boroughs whereas the 4th question posted above, The Bronx came in second only to Brooklyn, indicating that overall, residents do feel the borough has improved more so than counterparts in Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan.

With all the fanfare about how great Brooklyn is and how much The Bronx should be like Brooklyn or is the next Brooklyn, the polls showed how we share more in common than we think.

For example, the article continues on in saying:

“In some respects, the poll echoed the “tale of two cities” theme of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2013 campaign: Residents of the Bronx and Brooklyn shared the most pronounced sense of economic insecurity, and the lowest confidence in local government and the police — a distinctly different experience from the rest of the city.

In those boroughs, nearly three in five residents said they were straining to make ends meet. In the Bronx, 36 percent said there had been times in the past year when they did not have the money to buy enough food for their family; only one in five said they and their neighbors had good or excellent access to suitable jobs.

But if the city appears divided into broad camps of haves and have-nots, it was, perhaps surprisingly, the less privileged segments of New York that shared the most positive outlook on the future.

Four in 10 Brooklyn residents said their neighborhood was getting better, and 36 percent of Bronx residents said the same. Manhattanites and Staten Islanders were most likely to say things were getting worse in their area.”

These findings shouldn’t come as a surprise to our borough.

When it comes to employment, our Borough President has been more focused on not only bringing in low paying retail jobs (and supporting sweetheart deals such as FreshDirect which uses our tax dollars and doesn’t provide living wages for most of its employees) but there has been no real effort to create a more skilled workforce amongst our residents to get the jobs they need to get ahead in life.

The housing situation where residents feel insecure and are unable to provide for their families will only get worse by speeding gentrification with supporting market rate luxury housing in the poorest of our neighborhoods.

Do I have all the answers and solutions? Nope.

But what this article and poll tells me is that we are doing some things right and other things we could be doing so much better. We need to create training opportunities for our residents to create a workforce that can be secure enough in their households. We need to create truly affordable housing for residents not to be so overburdened and have to decide whether or not to pay the rent this month and eat or not eat and pay the rent.

There’s a growing movement to bring in tech jobs into our borough but those jobs won’t do our residents much good if they do not possess the required skills to compete for those jobs. Models such as that with Per Scholas and Doran Jones on 138th Street in Mott Haven is a perfect example on how we can collaborate with those who want to do business in our borough in a responsible manner that is mutually beneficial and takes the community into account first.

As for development, we need to look at developers such as WHEDco who provide a more holistic approach to development and actively engage the community and assess its needs before plopping a building down such as their Bronx Commons development in Melrose slated for groundbreaking before year’s end.

This article is an eye opener and is something we can all look at the data and come together as a think tank that can put solutions out there to these issues. We already know what works and doesn’t work so let’s look at things from different angles and continue to improve the outcomes for all The Bronx so no resident is left behind.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Councilmember Torres & NYCHA Infill, and South Bronx Pride

Ed García Conde
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Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Councilmember Torres & NYCHA Infill, and South Bronx Pride
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor / Image via (Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press)
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor / Image via (Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press)

On Bronx AM Links we have stories on standing proud of being from the South Bronx, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and how she almost pulled away from the confirmation process, and Councilmember Ritchie Torres on controversial plans for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) plans for infill at public housing to create market rate and “affordable” housing on its properties. (Click the links for full stories)

I Am Proudly From the South Bronx

“I have been bragging about the Bronx for as long as I can remember. Those of us who have been living in the South Bronx have known, what many are now, finding out. The South Bronx is one of the best places to live in N.Y.C.!

That’s right… My parents came straight from Puerto Rico in 1956, I have been a resident of the area since. I have never moved further than two-square miles from 156th St. and Cauldwell Avenue, my childhood residence.

Growing up, we did move often, mostly due to poverty and landlords burning buildings. With many whites fleeing to the suburbs, there was very little demand for the apartments in the South Bronx. Robert Moses destroyed vibrant neighborhoods with his highway projects and the Bronx faced the brunt of it. Landlords only able to rent to poor people realized they were better off burning their buildings and collecting insurance. So the reality was then, that one-day afterschool, you might come home and your building is burning.” Via The Huffington Post

Bronx Progressive Sees Pragmatism in Controversial NYCHA Moves

“For Torres supports some controversial measures. He has come out in support of Infill—the plan to develop public-housing land in order to generate revenue for the cash-strapped authority. He also supports Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), a federal program that converts public housing into Section 8, another kind of subsidized housing in which the resident receives a voucher to live in private housing. Many public-housing residents, resident advocates, and even elected officials oppose these measures on the grounds that they represent the end of public housing, or at least, the first steps towards its privatization. Not Torres.

He casts his position as pragmatism. “In some sense, market-rate development on public land creates a visual tale of two cities,” he allowed. “It reminds us of what is wrong with our society. But no one is promoting infill as a public good,” he insisted more than once. “It is a tragic necessity in a world of federal disinvestment from public housing. If the federal government is no longer going to remain in the business of supporting and investing in public housing, we need to generate revenue by other means, and one of those means is building on public land.”

Coping with tragic necessities—surviving, despite the challenges posed by life, is not only a professional ideology that Torres espouses and that distinguishes him from his colleagues. It is part and parcel of his personal journey. Ritchie Torres is a survivor, and it is this personal narrative that fuels not just his deep commitment to the survival of public housing, but a certain lack of sentimentality when it comes to qualms about the choices NYCHA is making.” Via City Limits

Sotomayor had to be convinced to become first Hispanic justice: ‘This isn’t about you’

“Sonia Sotomayor said she almost pulled out of the confirmation process to become the country’s first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Justice because critics said she wasn’t smart enough.

But a friend reminded her that she could make history. And the friend told Sotomayor, who grew up in a housing project in the Bronx, to think of thousands of minorities dreaming of making it big.

“She said ‘This isn’t about you,'” Sotomayor said during a speech at the Richmond School of Law. “This is about my daughter. She’s 8 years old, and there’s no Hispanic in a high position of power in the United States of America. Your presence there will give her, and many other children, the possibility of hope.’”

But the jurist said there were times when she had doubts. She said the stinging criticism she received after President Barack Obama nominated her to the Court in 2009 was hurtful.

“During the nomination process, there were many who said I wasn’t intelligent or smart enough to be on the court,” she said. “It was very, very painful.” Via Fox News Latino

Bronx Boro Board and Prez Votes No on Changes to Zoning Text

Ed García Conde
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Bronx Boro Board and Prez Votes No on Changes to Zoning Text
Bronx Boro Board Meeting earlier this morning/Image via The Office of The Bronx Borough President
Bronx Boro Board Meeting earlier this morning/Image via The Office of The Bronx Borough President

Update: 11/19/2015 1:20PM EST to reflect comments from The Bronx Borough President on the vote.

Last week we reported that 9 of 12 Bronx Community Boards had voted down any changes to the zoning text for Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Affordability and Quality—a cornerstone for Mayor de Blasio’s housing plan to preserve and create 200,000 units of “affordable” housing.

Now, this morning, The Bronx Borough Board and the BP has voted no on MIH and ZAQ which seems to align that with the wishes of the residents of The Bronx as well as with many similar increasing sentiments around New York City. And it’s not just The Bronx but Queens has voted no as well.

Let’s face it. As designed, MIH and ZAQ just doesn’t go far enough to offer real solutions to the affordability crisis we’re facing. It’s simply a band-aid on a broken water main and it is too little but not too late to correct the course of this ship. There needs to be real affordability built into these zoning changes. The area median income is still a huge problem and dictates the “affordability” of the housing built with or without these changes and either way it leaves out the majority of those living in the areas planned for rezonings. The required income is simply too high to be truly affordable. Now just because Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr voted no, don’t let your guard down just yet.


Sadly his speech was a clear indication that he was pandering and not truly siding with the community. After all, this was the same Bronx Borough President who attended the Macabre Suite gentrification party and has been attempting to rebrand our borough as The New Bronx.

His speech this morning sounded much like a campaign speech and it’s no secret that he has a strong desire for higher office considering the number of articles written about his ambitions and his office’s constant retweeting of said articles.

If The Bronx Borough President truly stood by the side of the people of our borough, he would have attended last week’s public hearing but instead chose to dodge the heavily attended and protested meeting.

Instead, he would oppose the construction of high end luxury in the poorest of neighborhoods that would eventually result in displacement of small businesses and residents as has happened in other neighborhoods.

He could have stood by the community’s side from the beginning when the housing advocates like CASA who were at the forefront of organizing residents and educating them on exactly what all these changes truly meant.

But no.

He stood patiently by the sidelines watching to see which way the wind blows to appear as a winner and siding with the community.

Let’s not forget the majority of the community is against the FreshDirect sweetheart deal with over 50 community based organizations representing thousands of people—a borough-wide coalition—so this is, sadly, not a man who sides with the community.

He wasn’t given much of a choice other than to vote no today. The pressure was on as community board after community board voted no and after we made it known publicly so that it was on the record that The Bronx was speaking.

Is it a victory for the people of The Bronx? Yes, but for the Bronx Borough President it was a Pyrrhic victory.

Piano District Billboard Ad GONE; Replaced With Ad for Ice Cream

Ed García Conde
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Piano District Billboard Ad GONE; Replaced With Ad for Ice Cream
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Piano District Billboard Ad GONE as shown in this image from local resident Carmen Santiago.

It was up for barely a month yet it made headlines around the world and now it’s gone—the Piano District billboard has been replaced with an innocuous ice cream ad.

The billboard display heralding the coming of luxury waterfront living and a rebranding of a neighborhood while promising to bring in “world class dining, fashion, and art” for many was a sign that gentrification was coming in and fast.

Shortly thereafter was the Macabre Suite gentrification Halloween party which opened up wounds with its tasteless theme. Although the artist and developers claim there was no intention of insulting the community, the damage was done.

For decades we’ve watched from afar (and nearby across the river in Harlem) as communities were whitewashed in waves of gentrification labeled by many as progress.

Longtime mom and pop shops and residents alike were pushed out of these vibrant neighborhoods snuffing out the essence of the working class neighborhoods.

Since the rise of the billboard and the passing of the party, the collective anger and resistance of the people of The Bronx, a resilient people, many groups have coalesced, many protests have been had, ideas have been organized and maybe, just maybe the end result was the taking down of an offensive ad.

An ad promoting luxury in the face of extreme poverty, environmental, health, and educational concerns.

The billboard is located on the development site and such ads generally stay up to promote the developments as long as they don’t impede with construction.

Maybe, just maybe, the anger heard and felt around the world brought down this sign.

NLE Labs Presents: ‘Intersecting Imaginaries’ At The Old Concourse Plaza Hotel

Ed García Conde
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NLE Labs Presents: ‘Intersecting Imaginaries’ At The Old Concourse Plaza Hotel
The Concourse Plaza Hotel/ Image via No Longer Empty
The Concourse Plaza Hotel/ Image via No Longer Empty

From No Longer Empty:

NLE LAB:
Intersecting Imaginaries
900 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 19, 7-10pm
Viewing Hours: Wednesday-Friday, 2-8pm; Saturday & Sunday, 12-6pm

No Longer Empty Curatorial Lab (NLE Lab) is pleased to present Intersecting Imaginaries at 900 Grand Concourse, a site-responsive exhibition curated by Natasha Bunzl, Dalaeja Foreman, Paola Gallio, Mary Kay Judy, Eva Mayhabal Davis, Lindsey O’Connor, Walter Puryear, and Emilia Shaffer-Del Valle. Including sculpture, photography, installation, video, works on paper and commissioned works by Bronx-based and tri-state area artists, Intersecting Imaginaries considers mapping as a method for understanding place, time, and identity.

The title of the exhibition is borrowed from the philosophical concept of the social imaginary, which considers community to be composed of human interaction and perceived connection. Intersecting Imaginaries melds this abstract understanding with an acknowledgement of external circumstance, presenting a constellation of works that speak to memory and lived experience as composite parts of a map, and as the binding fibers of community.

Facing the Bronx Supreme Courthouse, and mere blocks from Yankee Stadium, the storefront sits in a highly frequented intersection of the South Bronx. These landmarks, each controversial in their own right, arouse singular stories within a diverse borough that inform the cultural and sociopolitical discussion at the heart of the exhibition. The site has served many functions: it was once a ballroom as part of the Concourse Plaza Hotel, a diner, a thrift store, and now stands empty, sharing walls with housing provided by the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizen Council. Remnants of its former lives are evident in the raw space, serving as inspiration and context for works that navigate body politics, racial identity, communities in flux, and the natural environment as both separate and intersecting realities.

In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of public programs will explore a complex vision of the culture and the current environment of the South Bronx, while drawing parallels across all five boroughs, and to cities around the world. Check back for updates.

Artists:  Elia Alba / Arthur Avilés and Nicolás Dumit Estévez / Bronx Photo League / Linda Cunningham/ Josué Guarionex / Giorgio Guidi / Ariel Jackson / So Yoon Lim / Laura Napier / Anne Percoco and Ellie Irons / Amy Pryor / David Shrobe / Manuela Viera-Gallo

The 2015 NLE Curatorial Lab is supported by the Dedalus Foundation, Puffin Foundation, and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Special thanks: Andrew Freedman Home / Bronx Council on the Arts / Bronx Museum / Ed García Conde / Sara Guerrero / Rachel Gugelberger / Naomi Hersson-Ringskog / Patra Jongjitirat / Jennie K. Lamensdorf / Shaun Leonardo / Larisa Leventon / Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council / Residency Unlimited / Manon Slome / Lindsay Smilow  / Jeffrey Walkowiak.

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