The Bronx, yet again, finds itself at the center of another tragic fire that has claimed a record number of lives unseen since the Happy Land Social club arson that killed 87 in 1990.
Nineteen lives perished, including nine children as a result of a fire that broke out at Twin Parks North West located at 333 E 181st Street in the Fordham neighborhood of the borough around 11 AM.
The fire itself was contained to a small area of the 19 story building but black smoke soon overwhelmed the building darkening hallways and stairwells and as a result, it appears many of those who perished was a result of the resulting conditions and not the actual fire itself.
via USA Today
Many are asking how and why could a fire claim so many lives.
The FDNY stated that the fire seems to have begun due to a faulty space heater and the situation got out of control as a result of someone not closing the door to their apartment as they fled but is this really where the blame should go?
Apartment and common doors in apartment buildings must close automatically as per building and fire codes. Clearly, that didn’t happen in this situation if a door was “left open”.
According to NBC News, a statement from the owner of the building indicated that the building has self-closing doors as required. But if that’s the case then why was a door left open cited by the FDNY as the cause of the gravity of this tragedy?
A child was returned with their parent by a firefighter at the scene of a fire in a high-rise building in the Bronx. The devastating fire claimed the lives of at least 19 people, including nine children. https://t.co/bInWnljwDxpic.twitter.com/WWbbyJ9Qp7
Then we have the space heater. Why was a space heater needed in the first place? In The Bronx, we know the answer: Landlords skimp on heating units properly.
Heat complaints had been filed in the past year at 333 E 181st Street and that’s just those who actually took the time to complain. Many wonder why people wouldn’t complain and there can be many reasons from apathy because nothing is ever really done to tenants perhaps fearing being evicted for reporting such conditions.
It’s important to note also that not every unit is heated the same. Some units are warmer and some units are colder, it’s just the nature of not having centralized heating for each unit so while you may get some tenants saying heat wasn’t a problem, there are others that will complain to the contrary.
While all of this is speculation and we admittedly do not have all the details, as Bronxites, we speak from experience when it comes to landlords and lack of sufficient services especially in low-income housing.
And this isn’t the first fire in recent years that claimed a horrific number of lives.
Just a little over 4 years ago, a fire broke out at 2363 Prospect Avenue in Belmont which killed 13 people. It was the city’s deadliest blaze since the Happy Land arson in 1990 until yesterday’s tragic event.
Many of these deaths are preventable with proper building code enforcement but without the political will to actually do something about it, it will be only a matter of time until The Bronx once again sets another grim record as a result of a fire.
For those who would like to help out with donations, check out the needed resources and where you can drop off your donations below:
The Bronx finds itself once again at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic as positivity rates hit 27% in the borough, the highest in New York City as the Omicron variant proves to be highly more contagious than the original and subsequent variants.
And leading the city is the 10468 zip code, which covers parts of Fordham and Kingsbridge, and has a 46.89% positivity rate.
In fact, nine Bronx zip codes are in the top ten for highest positivity rates in New York City including, 10457, 10453, 10452, 10456, 10458, 10474, 10460, and 10467
While the trends are significantly higher during this record-breaking surge, hospitalizations and deaths are relatively low compared to when the pandemic first hit almost two years ago and thousands of Bronxites lost their lives.
This may be due to more people being vaccinated as well as the fact that the Omicron variant appears to be milder compared to the initial wave and the Delta variant which hit last year.
But even with lower hospitalization and death rates, The Bronx still leads in these categories as well, and perhaps it may be the case given that what we do know of COVID, people with comorbidities such as heart disease and diabetes or asthma are at much greater risk for more severe symptoms and even death as a result of the disease.
And while Omicron does appear to be milder, it by any means shouldn’t be a reason to let your guard down. There’s still much not known about possible long-term effects and we should still continue to do our best to not only protect ourselves but the most vulnerable within our communities.
Last week Tuesday, December 28, the Soundview Ferry line was officially extended to Throggs Neck adding a much-needed transportation alternative to a transit-starved area at Ferry Point Park.
For commuters in the area, the trek to Wall Street, where the ferry line ends, can take over 90 minutes by bus and subway as there is no subway line within walking distance but now the commute is just under one hour on the ferry.
And at $2.75 a ride, it is significantly cheaper than riding the express bus (and a much nicer ride) offering financial savings as well as time.
Mayor de Blasio at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Throggs Neck Ferry stop/ Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
Also, for an added bonus, this particular stop in The Bronx is served by a shuttle bus and has parking making it easier for those who want to drive to the ferry and hop on.
According to the president of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation, “NYC Ferry ridership has outpaced expectations since the system first launched and ridership has recovered from the COVID crisis faster than any other mode of transit. We are proud this system is serving all five boroughs with safe, reliable, daily service, as we keep more New Yorkers with limited public transportation options moving.”
These numbers are encouraging but the routes still remain Manhattancentric.
Now that we have two stops within The Bronx, we need a direct connection to Queens and Brooklyn without the inconvenience of having to go through Manhattan.
The fact of the matter is that the majority of the economic growth in New York City continues to be in the outer boroughs so while we wait for a TriboroRx subway line to happen, we can start connecting The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn at a fraction of a cost with a ferry route.
While we’re at it, we can add a few more ferry stops say at City Island and/or the South Bronx and make robust use of our waterfront, and offer alternative ways of connecting our communities across the city.
This is a no-brainer and we must push our elected officials to make it happen.
Oh and by the way, although NYC Ferry is calling the stop “Throgs Neck”, we refuse to acknowledge that and will call it “Throggs Neck” with two “gs”as it should be!
The blight once known as Spofford Juvenile Detention center in the Hunts Point neighborhood of The Bronx is no more and in its place a massive 740 unit, four building mixed-use development is rising.
Located at 720 Tiffany Street, now, the first building at The Peninsula, as the development is called, is accepting applications for 164 truly affordable apartments.
720 Tiffany Street/Via Housing Connect
While we often write about affordable housing units that are available and how they are usually not truly affordable for the immediate local community, this phase of The Peninsula is not one of these.
Apartments are available to households making 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80% of the Area Median Income with rents starting as low as $396 for studios, $503 for 1 bedrooms, $597 for two bedrooms, and $683 for three bedroom units.
Rendering of The Peninsula/Via Housing Connect
Rents gradually increase at the higher income ranges but overall are still well below market rate.
Amenities include a community center, a children’s playroom, a gym, outdoor terraces, and bike storage lockers.
A kitchen at The Peninsula/Via Housing Connect
There will also be a 54,000 square foot plaza open to not just residents but the rest of the Hunts Point Community.
Once the development is complete, it will also include a black-box theater, art studio space for up and coming artists, space for The Point CDC and another location for Urban Health Plan, two institutions that have decades long roots within the Hunts Point community.
Living Room/Via Housing Connect
5% of units are set aside for individuals with mobility issues and 2% for those with vision and hearing impairments. A preference of 50% of units are for area residents living within Bronx Community Board 2 and 5% for NYC employees.
You have until February 21, 2022 to apply and you can do so online or by requesting an application by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to: Peninsula Building 1B C/O MHANY Management Inc. 470 Vanderbilt Ave. 9th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11238 but remember you can ONLY apply once either online or by mail but NOT both. Applying more than once can and will have you disqualified.
Open space plan at The Peninsula/Via Housing Connect
Also, please remember, do NOT contact Welcome2TheBronx regarding this or any other development. We are not connected with this or any real estate development and are simply reporting the news.
A brand new affordable housing development in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx is now accepting applications for sixty of its units.
Called Jerome Avenue Apartments, the development is located at 1769 Jerome Avenue at 176th Street, directly in front of the 176th Street Station on the 4 line, and is yet another development made possible by the massive Jerome Avenue Rezoning which was approved back in 2018.
The brand new 16 story development replaced a one-story building that previously occupied the lot before it was demolished.
Jerome Avenue Apartments has a range of amenities like bike storage rooms, air conditioning, hardwood floors, an in-building gym, recreation room, outdoor terrace, security cameras and security guards, as well as a shared laundry room.
Rendering of 1769 Jerome Avenue/Via Housing Connect
Available units via New York City’s affordable housing program are targeted towards households making either 60 or 80% of the Area Median Income.
At the 60% range, depending on household size, there are 16 studio units available at $947 a month for household incomes ranging from $34,972 to $57,300; 3 one-bedroom units at $1,192 a month for household incomes ranging from $43,715 to $64,440; 15 two-bedroom units at $1,420 a month for household incomes ranging from $52,423 to $77,340; and 1 three-bedroom unit at $1,420 for household incomes ranging from $60,583 to $88,800.
Rendering of a typical kitchen at Jerome Avenue Apartments/Via Housing Connect
The remainder of available units are set aside for households making 80% of the AMI and are as follows: 6 studio units at $1,163 a month for household incomes ranging from $42,378 to $76,400; 2 one-bedroom units at $1,465 a month for household incomes ranging from $53,075 to $85,920; 14 two-bedroom units at $1,770 a month for household incomes ranging from $64,423 to $103,120; and 3 three-bedroom units at $2,037 a month for household incomes ranging from $74,503 to $118,400.
As with the 60% range, the household income ranges at the 80% level depending on household sizes so make sure you carefully check the listing on housing connect to see if you qualify.
Although there’s a preference for 50% of the units to go to residents currently living within Community Board 5 where this development is located within, these income requirements aren’t reflective of the average household in the area.
According to data from New York City, 58.3% of residents within Community Board 5 are rent-burdened with households paying more than 30% of their incomes towards rent and 35.6% are living below NYC’s poverty line. The median household income in the area is $32,025 and the per capita income is $16,174 according to data from Census Reporter which clearly puts these units out of the reach of those who need it the most in the neighborhood.
While there are some developments that are truly affordable for most local residents, this doesn’t appear to be one based on available data.
If you want to apply, make sure you do so either online or by mailing in an application by January 18, 2022. To request an application you can send a self-addressed envelope to Jerome Avenue Apartments c/o Bronx Pro Group, 1605 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Bronx, NY 10453 but remember, you can ONLY apply once either online or by mail. If you apply more than once, you can be disqualified.
Good luck to those who apply and remember that we are NOT affiliated with this or any development or real estate listing and cannot offer you any help so please do not contact us about this development.
Two years ago, ‘Fordham Landing’ was proposed as a massive redevelopment of the Harlem River Waterfront in The Bronx directly south of the University Heights Bridge at Fordham Road that would bring thousands of residential units to the area.
Now, the developer has filed plans for the first building in the development which would rise 17 stories at 320 W Fordham Road at the foot of the University Heights Bridge with 602 residential units spread across 582,122 square feet.
And this is just the beginning for the development.
An initial rendering of Fordham Landing was released in 2019 when the development was first announced
Originally planned as a 2,800 residential unit development that would include a hotel and an upgraded Metro North Station at University Heights, the project has been scaled down to 2,400 units and a price tag of $2 billion rather than the original $3.5 billion original estimate.
The proposed development would spread across 30 acres on the Harlem River Waterfront and include half a million square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of community space according to Crain’s.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2022 with an estimated completion time around 2024-2025 for the first building. 30% of the 602 units will be set aside as “affordable” meaning that this development will be market rate and not targeted at the local, existing population in the surrounding area.
Site of proposed ‘Fordham Landing’ at 320 West Fordham Road
While construction for the initial residential tower at 320 W Fordham Road does not require city approval, the remainder of the development requires zoning changes so plan on this development taking a considerable amount of time to be completed.
With a $2 billion price tag, Fordham Landing will dwarf the South Bronx’s Bankside which is currently the borough’s most expensive development costing just shy of $1 billion. That development, which is almost halfway complete, will bring 1,350 units of luxury housing to the South Bronx Waterfront at the foot of the Third Avenue Bridge.
As proposed, it would also be the largest development in New York City since Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side and it’s this very comparison that brings concerns to what this may do to the area.
Rendering of Fordham Landing
The proposed development is located in Bronx Community Board 7 where 27.4% of residents are below the NYC Poverty Line and only 16.6% have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
As of last year, Community Board 7 was listed second in New York City as the area with the greatest risk to affordable housing where 65.8% of residents are severely rent-burdened paying more than 30% of their income in rent alone.
Of the roughly 2,400 units that are proposed for this development, 30% would be set aside as affordable housing or roughly 720 units.
Luxury housing on the waterfront will not help improve these conditions for existing residents but will only put more pressure on their already precarious situation. We’ve seen how this plays out across other neighborhoods in New York City and it seems that University Heights’ fate will now face the same.
When Nilka Martell, a local Bronx resident and founder of Loving The Bronx, first mentioned to people that the Cross Bronx Expressway should be capped to create more parkland and re-stitch the communities it severed so long ago, people said she was crazy for thinking it could ever happen.
She, like thousands of Bronxites who live near the expressway have witnessed first hand the deadly consequences that the intense pollution from one of America’s busiest highways brings with it.
Residents of The Bronx suffer from some of the highest rates of asthma in the nation and some of the highest hospitalization rates in the city and many such residents live in close proximity to the Cross Bronx.
Nilka Martell, founder of Loving The Bronx, spoke about her dream of capping the Cross Bronx at the press conference held yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
Add to that, when the highway was constructed, it ripped apart and separated communities across the borough leaving a scar that would never quite heal leaving The Bronx susceptible to greater issues.
Despite the fact that capping the expressway and create parkland over it to help remedy these issues, people still thought Nilka was crazy.
But not everyone thought so.
New York State Assemblywoman Karina Reyes, who represents the area, was the first elected official Martell discussed her vision with and Reyes immediately threw her support behind the idea.
Imagine placing a deck over portions of the Cross Bronx and placing parks atop the polluting roadways
Even with support from local elected officials and community leaders and despite a study conducted by Peter Muennig, MD, MPH at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in 2018 that identified 2.4 miles of the expressway that could be capped over and thus creating more greenspace, the idea still remained a pipe dream for many.
However, now with the passage of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill, there is hope that what seemed impossible will indeed become possible.
To that end, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer came to the Bronx and was joined with Congressman Ritchie Torres to announce that they have been in conversations with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to provide funding for the first phase of capping parts of the expressway which would be a study to determine feasibility.
The Cross Bronx Expressway, built by Robert Moses, is both literally and metaphorically a structure of racism, with diesel truck traffic polluting the air black and brown kids breathe everyday. @SecretaryPete: Cap the Cross Bronx! https://t.co/etb4r3qyqj
In the infrastructure bill there is a fund called the “Reconnecting Communities” fund which according to the White House will be the, “…first-ever program to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure. The program will fund planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure through $1 billion of dedicated funding.”
Up to $2 million from the grant will be awarded which is where the feasibility study comes in to determine what can be one in the 2.4 mile stretches of the Cross Bronx that have been identified where a platform can be constructed across the highway and creating open spaces and re-stitching the communities it tore apart.
Assemblywoman Karina Reyes (left), Congressman Ritchie Torres, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Nilka Martell
When the initial study by Columbia University came out several years ago, the estimated price tag of the project was $757 million dollars and according to Congressman Torres could be as high as $1 billion.
There is hope that the project can be funded by the federal government or in combination with state and local funds.
For The Bronx and its residents, this is a moment on the verge of history if funding is indeed provided to push this project forward to rectify the damages that for far too long have impacted the borough.
The study by Columbia University stated in 2018 that creation of such deck parks over a highway would positively impact the lives of over 200,000 Bronx residents and adding up to 2 months to their life expectancy not to mention the improvements of the overall health of area residents which would far outweigh the cost of implementing such a plan in the long run.
Our community deserve to breathe clean air, this isn’t a luxury but a right. It is no surprise why The Bronx became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic as the virus greatly impacts those with upper respiratory conditions such as asthma thus proving what the initial study found.
Still, with all the recent headlines this year surrounding the capping of the Cross Bronx, many residents have voiced their skepticism across social media platforms that the project will get done.
But at the towards the end of the press conference, Nilka Martell had words for the skeptics who told her no and that it was a crazy idea.
She ended her speech by quoting Margaret Mead who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”.
Yesterday’s elections in New York City were historic on many fronts. Democrat Eric Adams easily beat out Curtis Sliwa for major and will become America’s largest city’s second Black mayor in history.
Vanessa Gibson, The Bronx’s next and first Black and female borough president
On a more local level, Democrat Vanessa Gibson sailed to victory and will become the first female and Black borough president in Bronx history.
But that’s not all.
Also for the first time in history, The Bronx will be represented by a female majority in the New York City Council as five of the nine seats were won by women in yesterday’s citywide elections.
Council Member Diana Ayala
Diana Ayala (D) easily won her reelection bid for City Council District 8, which is half in the South Bronx with the rest in East Harlem, as she ran unopposed. Ayala will be joined by a cadre of newly elected women come this January when the new administration takes over.
Marjorie Velasquez
In the East Bronx, Marjorie Velasquez (D) won her bid to represent City Council District 13 which covers Morris Park, Country Club, Pelham Bay, Throggs Neck, City Island in the only race in The Bronx where a Republican candidate, Aleksander Mici, gave a Democratic candidate a run for their money. With almost 96% of precincts reporting as of this writing, Velasquez is at 55.24% vs Mici at 44.55% ensuring her victory to replace outgoing Council Member Mark Gjonaj.
Pierina Sanchez
Over in the West Bronx, Pierina Ana Sanchez (D) sailed to a landslide victory in City Council District 14 to replace outgoing Council Member Fernando Cabrera.
Althea Stevens
Next, we have Althea Stevens (D) also cruising to victory in City Council District 16 to replace Vanessa Gibson who will become our next Borough President.
Amanda Farias
Finally, back in the East Bronx we have Amanda Farias (D) who also easily won her bid to represent City Council District 18 and will replace Ruben Diaz who, like his son the current Borough President, will be retiring after his term is up at the end of the year.
But women won’t just only be the majority in The Bronx but they will now be the majority come January in the New York City Council 30 women will likely be elected to the legislative body by the time all votes are counted.
This is a victory for Melissa Mark-Viverito, the former New York City Council Speaker who represented The Bronx and made it her mission to get more women elected to the council who was concerned at the decline of women in the legislative body after she was term-limited in 2017 and that number dropped to 11.
To that end, Mark-Viverito started an initiative called ’21 in 21′ with a goal of electing 21 women to the city council in this year’s race. Her organization not only met that goal but exceeded it and made history for New York City.
The incoming members are also the most diverse in our city’s history and representative of its residents so perhaps we shall see a more equitable city in the future.
As October quickly comes to a close, so do your chances to catch Kusama’s works at the New York Botanical Garden here in The Bronx.
The exhibition of one of the world’s most popular artists called Kusama: Cosmic Nature has been on display at the storied garden since the beginning of April and will end on Sunday, October 31st so you have less than two weeks to get there if you haven’t seen it or if you want to experience the magic again.
Kusama’s Dancing Pumpkin at NYBG
What’s fascinating about the exhibition is that several of the works are being displayed for the first time ever right here in The Bronx at the garden and many have never been publicly displayed while others are being shown in the United States for the very first time.
Central to a lot of her works are polka dots and pumpkins and many times both collide and can be seen throughout the garden. The 92-year-old artist has had a lifelong love for pumpkins and was once quoted as saying, “It seems pumpkins do not inspire much respect. But I was enchanted by their charming and winsome form. What appealed to me most was the pumpkin’s generous unpretentiousness.”
I Want To Fly to the Universe
And as with all exhibitions at NYBG, the artist’s love of nature is reflected throughout the garden, including the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, with displays inspired by her homeland of Japan.
These can be best experienced at the landmarked Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in the ever-changing kiku, or chrysanthemum displays that change as the seasons go by. It’s also here at the conservatory where you can see Kusama’s painted steel flowers, her Starry Pumpkin, as well as the Dancing Pumpkin which is the largest of the works on display at the exhibition.
The Enid A. Haupt is the perfect setting and backdrop for Kusama’s whimsical works
A trip to a Kusama exhibition is not complete without a visit to the Infinity Mirrored Room where you are immersed in her vision of infinite polka dots which the artist says makes her feel connected to the universe and everything. Time allotted inside the infinity room is short but it’s enough to take your breath away and makes you feel like you’re floating in space.
Kusama lived in New York City for 15 years between 1958 and 1973 and you can get a glimpse into her life and works at the Ross Gallery.
The small cube where the infinity room may seem tiny on the outside but stepping inside transports you into something much larger than the cube and in turn, yourself as you feel as if you’re floating in the infinity of space.
Kids are also able to immerse themselves in Kusama’s love of pumpkins at Everett Children’s Adventure Garden filled with pumpkin scarecrows as well as a sorting station with pumpkins for children to match up different types of the popular gourd.
Inside the Infinity Room
As always, the New York Botanical Garden has outdone itself in bringing art and nature together and showing how both intersect wonderfully in Kusama: Cosmic Nature.
You have until Sunday, October 31st to capture the show before it’s gone so make sure you grab your tickets now!
As Americans across the country continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, many may not realize just how much one New York City borough has helped contribute to Hispanic culture across the nation.
And of course, that borough is none other than The Bronx itself.
Members of The Bronx’s Mexican-American community celebrate Day of The Dead in St Mary’s Park / Ed Garcia Conde, Welcome2TheBronx
While the terms Hispanic and Latino are not quite the same things, New York City’s most Latino-identifying borough has plenty of overlap in these categories illustrating its rich history within the Hispanic world.
When the Great Migration from Puerto Rico to the mainland began in the 1940s, thousands of Puerto Ricans settled in the South Bronx as well as other New York City neighborhoods like East Harlem, aka El Barrio, and parts of Brooklyn.
In less than four years, between 1946 and 1950, over 100,000 Puerto Ricans had arrived in the city paving the way for the city’s first sizeable Hispanic population yet still considerably less than 1% of New York City’s population.
Fast forward to 2021 and Hispanics account for almost a third of New York City’s population and it’s not just Puerto Ricans anymore. New York City is now the epicenter of Dominicans, Mexicans, and many more from other Spanish-speaking countries. And in our borough, The Bronx is now home to one of the largest populations of Dominican and Mexican immigrants and their American-born children on the East Coast.
If current trends continue, Hispanics will be the largest demographic group outpacing the White population for the first time in the city’s history.
And throughout all of this history in Hispanic New York, The Bronx has had a special place in being home and in some cases, the birthplace, of many shakers and movers known throughout the world.
From film and television to music, to government, to science, Bronxites of Hispanic descent have been helping shape our world for decades.
Some of these most notable individuals are:
Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of the world’s best-known astrophysicists, was raised in The Bronx and went to Bronx High School of Science and is currently the director at the world-famous Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space right here in New York City.
Neil deGrasse Tyson / via Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The father of modern-day zombie apocalyptic films is none other than George A. Romero who ushered the iconic Night of the Living Dead series that changed the game in the sub-genre of the horror world.
The father of modern-day zombie apocalypse movies, George A. Romero / Via Nicolas Genin
Before heading to Hollywood and eventually becoming one of the few people to ever win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award, the Puerto Rico-born Rita Moreno called the South Bronx home after arriving from the island at the age of 5 (remember the Great Migration we spoke about earlier?).
Rita Moreno / Via DVSROSS
Many grew up watching Sesame Street and besides Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, we all remember Maria aka Sonia Manzano. Manzano, although not born in The Bronx, she was raised in our borough and has never forgotten her roots. Most recently, she created ‘Alma’s Way’, a new kids’ show on PBS about a Puerto Rican girl from The Bronx.
Sonia Manzano at the reopening of the High Bridge in 2015 with her book on the historic bridge / Ed Garcia Conde, Welcome2TheBronx
Speaking of Puerto Rican ‘girls’ from The Bronx, we have none other than Jennifer Lopez aka JLo who went from being just Jenny from the block to a global entertainment phenomenon in music, film, television, and fashion.
Another famous Sonia from The Bronx is none other than Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the country’s first Latina Supreme Court justice who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009 and has been serving on the nation’s highest bench since then. Sotomayor, a native of Soundview, attended local Catholic schools Blessed Sacrament and Cardinal Spellman High School.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor / Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, Steve Petteway source, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sticking with government, we can’t forget about another Bronx native, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic Socialist who represents part of The Bronx and Queens in Congress and who has become pretty much a household name not just in The Bronx but across the nation as one of government’s most vocal members against issues of inequalities and the destruction of our environment the latter of which is the subject of her Green New Deal plan.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) with Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark at Bronx Pride 2019/Ed Garcia Conde, Welcome2TheBronx
Another individual that lived in The Bronx and helped shape the world we live in today is another one that is often overlooked and that is Sylvia Rivera, a Transwoman and who, along with Marsha P. Johnson, another Transwoman, is considered to be the mother of the gay liberation movement and revolution that began with the Stonewall Riots in Greenwhich Village of which Rivera was at the forefront with other trailblazers.
If it weren’t for the bravery of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, the LGBTQ community would probably not have made all the strides they have in the past 50 years since those fateful nights of rioting against police brutality and targeting of the queer community.
The Bronx is Musical
Sometimes it’s not just one individual but a group of people that make an impact in the music world and that is certainly the case with The Bronx’s Hispanic contribution to music that has changed the world forever.
Salsa
When it comes to music, The Bronx’s role in the creation of one of the world’s most popular Latin music genres, Salsa, is undisputed even if it isn’t always acknowledged.
In 2004, Roberta L. Singer and Elena Martinez, who is the co-artistic director of the Bronx Music Heritage Center, wrote, “When the story of Latin popular music (salsa) is told in popular and scholarly writings, the South Bronx is consistently overlooked despite the critical role it played in the development of that music. From the late 1940s through the early 1970s Hunts Point, Longwood, and Mott Haven were thriving Puerto Rican communities where an explosion of musical activity and creativity was taking place.”
From A South Bronx Latin Music Tale by Roberta L. Singer and Elena Martinez
Old ballrooms like the Hunts Point Palace and the Caravana Club in the South Bronx saw some of the greatest names in Salsa like Eddie Palmieri, a Bronx native, and the legendary Tito Puente who would eventually call the borough home, play to the masses in these storied places.
But after years of neglecting The Bronx’s clear importance in the creation of Salsa, a group now wants to put the borough on the map by making it the home for the International Museum of Salsa.
No dance halls? No problem. People just take their Salsa dancing to the streets of The Bronx/Ed Garcia Conde, Welcome2TheBronx
While the music halls that once played live Salsa music to thousands of Bronx residents may be gone, the beat and rhythm of the music is still alive and well in The Bronx whether at weekly Salsa festivals at Orchard Beach or on the streets of ‘El Condado de la Salsa.
Hip Hop’s Hispanic influence
And it wasn’t just Salsa that Bronx Hispanics were central to in the creation of the genre but also Hip Hop which was born in The Bronx. The Hispanic contributions to Hip Hop have been consistently overlooked despite being front and center of the movement.
Most particularly, the Puerto Rican community which was intimately involved in those early days in the 70s especially in the B-Boy breakdancing scene graffiti culture, two of the five pillars of Hip Hop.
The above individuals and examples are just a small example of the wide contributions that Bronx Hispanics have made not just to the city and country but to the world.
And to think, this is just one of the many groups that came from The Bronx or called our borough home.
Donald Trump speaks alongside then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg at the opening of the Trump Golf Links in The Bronx, Oct. 16, 2013. | Spencer T Tucker/NYC Mayor’s Office
by Claudia Irizarry Aponte and Katie Honan, THE CITY
Business at The Bronx golf course run by former President Donald Trump’s company has “thrived” since the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to his lawyers, who say the links have reaped a record $8 million so far this year.
The claim came in court papers filed on Wednesday as The Trump Organization fights Mayor Bill de Blasio’s bid to oust the firm as the operator of the Trump Links at Ferry Point.
De Blasio moved in the days after the revolt at the U.S. Capitol to void all of Trump’s contracts with the city, charging the then-president incited the unprecedented attack on U.S. democracy.
But lawyers for the only president to be impeached twice called for a judge to issue a stay in the selection of a new operator for the public golf course — arguing that contrary to the city’s contentions, the Jan. 6 insurrection didn’t keep customers away.
“The city has taken the position that the events of Jan. 6 were fatal to our golf business,” Trump lawyer Ken Caruso told THE CITY. “This shows that that’s not so, because the events of Jan. 6, as I state in my court papers, have nothing to do with golf.”
The Trump Organization laid out its case as it was reported that the ex-president urged four former aides to ignore a midnight deadline on a subpoena from the House committee probing the attacks on the Capitol.
The legal maneuver also came a week after a controversial homeless operator tapped by de Blasio’s Parks Department to help take over operations at the golf course dropped out of the deal.
Above Par
Trump Ferry Point “currently enjoys its strongest season ever, with substantial increases in rounds of golf played and revenue,” lawyers for the former president said in court documents, citing depositions from the golf course’s general manager.
Between Jan. 1, 2018, and Oct. 4, 2018, 18,738 rounds of golf were played at Trump Ferry Point, bringing in more than $5.7 million, according to court papers.
During the same period the following year, some 22,270 rounds of golf played generated more than $7.2 million, the court papers say.
In 2020, rounds dipped to 15,213, due to the pandemic — but between Jan. 1 and Oct. 4 of this year, the course brought in $8,225,462 based on 25,220 rounds played, according to court papers.
The former president’s legal team declared that the course’s “business reputation, in short, has thrived, ‘untarnished’ and unabated, after January 6.”
Mayor de Blasio wants to removed the Trump name from the public golf course.
Spokespeople for de Blasio and for the Parks Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump’s lawyers, who contend he’s the victim of a political vendetta by de Blasio, are suing to retain control of the Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole course near the Whitestone Bridge past the city’s Nov. 14 eviction date.
Last week, de Blasio said the city is “in a strong legal position — the Trump Organization is not. We believe we’re going to win that one straightforward.”
Trump’s team has said the only thing that will get it to drop its legal bid to keep control of the public course is a $30 million payout from New York City taxpayers.
‘Doesn’t Make Sense’
THE CITY last week revealed that the Parks Department had tapped CORE Services Group, which has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of homeless shelter contracts, to take over operations with Atlanta-based Bobby Jones Links.
CORE dropped out soon after. A New York Times investigation published over the weekend found that CORE’s CEO had steered at least $32 million in government funds to related security, food and maintenance firms — and rented property to CORE, while he earned more than $1 million a year.
The New York Post subsequently reported that CORE was plagued by nepotism.
On Monday, de Blasio conceded “it doesn’t make sense” that his administration picked CORE for the job out of the 14 firms that expressed interest.
City lawyers charged that Caruso tried to intimidate one would-be operator, writing, “You proceed at your own peril.”
A Parks Department spokesperson said earlier this week that the agency “will not be intimidated by anyone during this or any other potential operator solicitation process.”
While The Bronx may not have created it, the borough can now lay claim to being the home of the country’s first-ever basketball high school.
Opened on August 30th of this year, the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School held its ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday attended by local elected officials and even NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Via Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School
Currently, the school has 110 students enrolled but once it’s fully operational, it will have a student body of 440 students.
The ceremony was held at the charter school’s temporary location in Pelham Bay at the former Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School where they will remain until their school is completed in Mott Haven some time in 2024. Our Lady of Assumption was one of six Catholic schools closed by the New York Archdiocese last year.
Once that building is complete, the school will occupy a brand-new state-of-the-art facility spanning 60,000 square feet across five stories.
Our Lady of Assumption, the former catholic school which is the temporary home of the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School
Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School offers traditional courses you’d expect in a New York City high school but there are specialized classes students can take that tap into pretty much every single facet of basketball and not just on the court.
From journalism and marketing to nutrition and uniform design and a host of other specialities, students will be able to study and learn all the different aspects and disciplines that can lead to a career in the sport even if they don’t necessarily play the sport itself.
According to the school’s mission, “At the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School, we’ve set out to ensure that our students’ futures are filled with possibility—whether they play the game or not. We are committed to the belief that the magic and excitement of basketball extends beyond the court into professions that are accessible to our graduates.”
The school is named after Earl Monroe, a former New York Knick and one of the NBA’s top players in history. Monroe is also the Legacy Trustee for the school according to its website.
Dr Kern Mojica, who has degrees in mathematics teaching, and a Doctor of Professional Studies in Computing from Pace is the school’s first and current principal.
Best of luck to these kids and may they achieve their dreams and full potential in their chosen academic tracks and future careers.
