The late Elaine Feder, who passed away earlier this week proudly wearing her Pelham Parkway South Neighborhood Association t-shirt and you can even see the building she lived in behind her according to Louis Lutnick.
The Bronx has one less activist and proud community member.
Elaine Feder (née Serkes), a lifetime resident of the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of our borough and a founding member of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association passed away earlier this week.
“She was passionate and fierce when it came to the quality of life of this neighborhood. She help us to start the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association and was part of our board since the very beginning.” said friend PPNA member, Louis Lutnick.
Lutnick added that she, “…was a great resource for her knowledge of accounting and her political ties, she has had a history (positive) with all our current elected officials.”
Passionate and fierce were common words used to describe her when it came to advocacy for her home neighborhood of Pelham Parkway.
Kenny Agosto, Democratic District Leader of the 80th Assembly District, friend of Feder for 20 years and who served with her on the 49th Precinct community council echoed those sentiments.
“She was a pillar of the community, a good woman, a special woman. She was very frank with people and said what needed to be said. She’s going to be sorely missed.” said Agosto.
Another friend and neighbor, Rosanna Delgado had nothing but praises for Elaine Feder who was the epitome of a concerned Bronx resident just trying to make her corner of our borough, our world better than we inherited it.
Delgado told us that they met at Columbus High School (where which Elaine herself attended) during a mayoral debate and Feder introduced herself to her.
“She was very welcoming and kind. She shared several old political stories about past candidates. Further on she was always gracious and made me feel welcome to attend Pelham Parkway meetings.” Delgado shared.
Rosanna added that, “Elaine had such an open heart…her demeanour and attitude lifted up my aspirations for our block. God bless her and may she rest in peace”
In a Facebook post regarding Elaine’s passing, Louis Lutnick said, “I can still remember sitting in the old Synagogue on Lydig and Barnes and all of us sitting at the table discussing what we wanted the PPNA to be and what we wanted the PPNA to represent, it was clear from the beginning that no one was more passionate about these things than Elaine. Losing Elaine is a huge loss to all of us but not continuing the work we began all those years ago by her and others would be a bigger loss to the community we love. Thank you Elaine for all you have done, we will continue the work that you started in your memory. RIP.”
Another Facebook post by Jacqueline Lutnick said, “My great friend and mentor has passed from this earth. She will be dearly missed by myself and my son. Words can not express our sadness at the passing of Elaine Feder. She was a dear friend to my family and a pillar of her community. We are all diminished by her passing …RIP on the arms of Hashem…. Until we meet again.”
It was clear that Elaine was a special woman. I never had the privilege of meeting her beyond some brief comments on Facebook some years ago but she seems like my kind of human being: Someone who wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and make things happen.
Alice and Trixie are in need of a forever home now that Elaine has passed. If you have it in your heart to adopt these two beautiful felines, please do so.
Currently her family is looking for a home for her two beloved cats, Alice and Trixie who are between 3 and 4 years of age and have been spayed and neutered. If you’re interested in adopting these two beautiful felines, please call or email her cousin Ira Serkes at 510-526-6668 or ira@berkeleyhomes.com to give her furry family a forever home. Anyone who is interested, kindly consider keeping the pair together as it would be another loss for them on top of losing Elaine if they were to be separated.
Here’s looking at you, Elaine, and may many follow in your footsteps. Thank you for all you did so selflessly.
New York City has contacted Welcome2TheBronx to help spread the news of a Town Hall on the recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in The South Bronx. The meeting will be held on Monday, August 3rd at The Bronx Museum from 6PM – 8PM where community leaders, health department medical professionals and city officials will come together so we can learn more about this disease and how NYC is making sure our communities are safe.
It is IMPORTANT to attend this meeting so that you may make your voices heard about any concerns regarding this recent outbreak, the second such this year in The Bronx.
This event will provide you to learn more about this very highly treatable disease that is not contagious from person to person as we have discussed in our previous postings.
Melrose appears to be the epicenter of the Legionnaires’ outbreak as it has been found at Lincoln Hospital, Concourse Plaza Multiplex, and now the luxury boutique Opera House Hotel.
The hotel’s management stated that none of the cases of individuals infected with the disease stayed at the hotel.
Welcome2TheBronx has also received word from National Amusements that due to Legionella—the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ Disease—being found in the theater’s cooling system, will be shut down until further notice.
The city has also reported a 3rd death as the number of cases has risen to 57.
According to National Amusements:
“Statement from National Amusements regarding concourse multiplex, Bronx, NY
Norwood, MA- National Amusements was notified by the NYC Department of Health yesterday that Legionella organisms were detected in the cooling tower that lowers the temperature for the theater’s air-conditioning system. We immediately brought in HVAC and remediation companies and closed the theater early. It will remain closed until tests show that the remediation is complete in the tower which is isolated from the theatres air conditioning system and all other theater systems. To our knowledge, no theater patrons or employees have been affected.”
Two air conditioning units—one at Lincoln Hospital and the other at Concourse Plaza Mall—both have been found to have traces of Legionnaire’s which has sickened 46 individuals in the South Bronx and killed two however none of the individuals were patients at the hospital.
It is important to know that this is not a communicable disease transferred from person to person contact and equally important to know the symptoms and get treatment immediately as this is a very curable infection.
Symptoms include: fever, cough, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea, loss of appetite, confusion, fatigue, and headaches.
“The New York City Health Department is working to track down the source of the outbreak, which has been called “unusual.” Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the bacteria Legionella.
“In terms of Lincoln Hospital, it does not come through the water,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It can only come through the air that is dispersed out of the cooling towers, the mist that is dispersed out of them. So we know we have a localized problem.”
“No employees, no patients in the hospital have acquired Legionnaires’ there,” said city Health Commissioner Mary Bassett. “They have acquired it in the neighborhood and we don’t fully understand how.”
Health officials are testing water from cooling towers and other potential sources in the area to determine the source of the outbreak. The city has identified 20 cooling towers in the Bronx that need to be tested.
New Yorkers with respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, chills and muscle aches, are advised to promptly seek medical attention.”
For more information on Legionella, the bacteria which causes Legionnaire’s, visit the CDC’s websiteor read below from their site:
Legionnaires’ disease (LEE-juh-nares) is caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella. The Legionellabacteria are found naturally in the environment, usually in water. The bacteria grow best in warm water, like the kind found in
They do not seem to grow in car or window air-conditioners.
Spread of Disease
People get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe in a mist or vapor (small droplets of water in the air) containing the bacteria. One example might be from breathing in droplets sprayed from a hot tub that has not been properly cleaned and disinfected. The bacteria are not spread from one person to another person.
The bacteria are NOT spread from one person to another person.
Exposure
Most people exposed to the bacteria do not become ill. If you have reason to believe you were exposed to the bacteria, talk to your doctor or local health department. Be sure to mention if you have traveled in the last two weeks.
A person diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in the workplace is not a threat to others who share office space or other areas with him or her. However, if you believe that your workplace was the source of the person’s illness, contact your local health department. – Via CDC website
We LOVE Bronx trivia, so in continuing our tradition of Bronx Facts, here’s a list of additional trivia you probably didn’t know about!
In this map 7 years prior to annexation, you can see that Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Village, Woodlawn and surrounding areas were still part of Yonkers. “Bronx1867” by F. W. Beers – Westchester County Archives. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronx1867.jpg#/media/File:Bronx1867.jpg
1. The Bronx was the first area annexed to New York City—long before Staten Island, Queens, and yeah…Brooklyn. The Bronx used to be Westchester County and in fact, the county seat was right in Westchester Square in the old town of Westchester. In 1874 the Annexed District was created when the present West Bronx was incorporated into New York County. By 1895 the East Bronx was annexed as well and for 3 years New York City was comprised of Manhattan and The Bronx until in 1898 the remaining 3 boroughs were incorporated into today’s modern-day New York City. It wasn’t until 1914 that The Bronx officially became a separate county from New York and the last county created in New York State.
Morris High School date unknown/ Image credit unknown from the archives of the New York Public Library.
2. Morris High School was the first public high school in The Bronx and opened its doors to students in 1897 and moved into the current landmark building we all know in 1904. The school produced such notable Bronxites and world-renowned individuals such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, comedian Milton Berle, Gabe Pressman, senior correspondent for WNBC and is considered one of the pioneers of American TV news, and modern-day bachata sensation Romeo Santos.
3rd Avenue/149th Street 2/5 station in 1910 at 149th Street and Melrose Avenue with the Third Ave El above./Image Copyright Old NYC Photos
3. With the expansion of subway into The Bronx, our borough became so popular that in a span of 30 years the population increased by over 1 million residents to 1,265,258 in 1930!
4. Co-op City, completed in 1973 atop the short-lived amusement park, Freedom Land, is the largest Cooperative Housing development in the world with over 50,000 residents. It truly is a city within a city!
Hupfel Brewery in Melrose in 1869 / Image Credit Unknown
5. Melrose and Morrisania were once the brewing capital of The Bronx with 7 breweries stretching across 18 blocks! One of the breweries, Haffen’s located on 152nd and Melrose Avenue belonged to the family of The Bronx’s FIRST Borough President, Louis F. Haffen. Only Hupfel Brewery still stands (barely).
Hope you enjoyed these tidbits of Bronx History and don’t forget to check out our entire series on Bronx Facts!
La Bruja earlier today belting out a tune underground The Bronx.
Today on one of our many excursions with The Bronx’s culinary ambassador, Baron Ambrosia, we were joined with La Bruja, aka Caridad De La Luz, The Bronx born and raised spoken word artist, actress and multifaceted performance artist, as we explored our borough—from beneath.
The New York City Department of Health has just released a statement that there is an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in The South Bronx. So far, 31 people have been diagnosed with it and investigations are underway as to whether or not two recent deaths may be related to this outbreak since July 10th.
According to WABC, the following South Bronx neighborhoods have had reported cases:
Hunts Point
Longwood
Morrisania
Crotona Park
Claremont Village
Concourse Village
Woodstock
Highbridge
Concourse
Mount Eden
Symptoms of legionnaires usually are headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, confusion, and diarrhea and symptoms typically show up 2 to 10 days after exposure to the bacteria.
Legionnaires is a bacteria that is predominantly traced back to plumbing, cooling towers, and anywhere there is water present with the right conditions for the bacteria’s growth.
It is important to note that this is not transmitted person to person.
If you have any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should seek medical attention.
Currently, NYCDOH is working on pinpointing the source of these outbreaks and once more information is released, we will keep you posted.
Sonia Manzano aka Maria on the set of Sesame Street/Courtesy of Sesame Workshop
I remember my first memories of watching television as a young child in the late 70s and early 80s. Each day I would sit down and watch Sesame Street which my mother diligently always made sure was on for me.
For me, it was an extension of school since I was already in Head Start at the age of 4 and Sesame Street, with Oscar, The Count, Big Bird, Burt and Ernie, and of course Maria (played by Bronxite and Emmy award-winning actress and writer, Sonia Manzano), were my after school teachers.
Maria.
It wasn’t until much later in life that I realized the importance of seeing someone on TV that I could relate to and that came from not just the same borough as myself but was also Puerto Rican and a Latina. Sure our lives weren’t carbon copies but there it was on TV, a young Puerto Rican woman from The South Bronx on major show watched by children all across America.
Now after 44 years of teaching our children as an actor on the show as well as a writer, Sonia Manzano is leaving Sesame Street as she enters her next chapter in her life.
“I really debated for several years, ‘Maybe it’s time to move on’ I thought,” said Manzano to Welcome2TheBronx in an interview.
“I don’t regret it at all and I’m happy to pursue my writing career,” continued Manzano who’s authored several children’s books including most recently, ‘The Lowdown on The High Bridge‘ to coincide with the iconic landmark bridge’s reopening.
Over 3,000 copies of the book were distributed to school children throughout the Highbridge area of The Bronx.
Local Highbridge school children hold up “The Lowdown on The High Bridge”, by Sonia Manzano, during last month’s grand reopening of the landmark bridge.
We asked Sonia Manzano (it’s so hard to call her Sonia when you’ve known her all your life as Maria!) a few questions on her life, experiences, and what’s next and here’s what she had to say:
Welcome2TheBronx: What is the most singular important moment of your life and career?
Sonia Manzano:“The most important moment in my life came to me when I was in the 4th grade and a teacher took me to see the West Side Story. I was a depressed little kid and in those days there were no people of color on TV in the 50’s when I was growing up. ‘Father Knows Best’ is what we all knew through TV and Puerto Ricans were like some kind of secret society where we lived in our own world where everyone was Puerto Rican and there the show like ‘Leave it To Beaver’ in suburban environments along with all the cowboy shows and I wondered, ‘Where do we fit in? How was I going to grow up and contribute to this society?’
“When the teacher took me to see West Side Story and I saw the school yard looking so beautiful, the graffiti was beautiful, the interior of the apartments were beautiful, the French doors with the painted windows painted over and over again were beautiful and everything that I saw as ugly in my neighborhood, was beautiful in that movie.
“I think on some level I got an understanding of what art by watching ‘West Side Story’. I got into reading and separated myself from the turmoil of my family life; I couldn’t articulate it at the time, but I think that was the watershed moment of my life.
“As far as my career on Sesame Street, I would have to say that it was rather recent when I was able to bring in Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor [another Puerto Rican from The South Bronx] and write the bit she was in. From my start on the show being the only Latina, having two, Nuyoricans on the show was something I would not have imagined.”
W2TB: Who were your role models and/or influences? Did you ever think you’d end up becoming not just a role model yourself but one of the top Latino role models?
Manzano: “No real role models, the only role models in media that I could relate to were Mexican movie stars like and Sarita Montiel. I was fascinated by Maria Felix but once again their stories were about revolutionaries and out west as they fought for independence and it wasn’t like the urban environments I grew up in. Even with teachers I had none that were Latino and let alone women doctors.
“When I started working on Sesame Street, I remember quite clearly Matt Robinson, who was the first Gordon on Sesame Street, telling me, ‘You know that you have to make sure the Latino content on the show is right? You’re not just an actor.’ and I said, ‘Me? What? Since when did I become a spokesperson for Latinos?’
“But I took it to heart: What should Maria be like? They wanted a real person that children could relate to and I remember one of the early suggestions I made was with the fruit cart. I said there should be some platanos and ‘Ok you got it!’ Others would have writers’ meetings and ask me about what was culturally appropriate for Latinos and then was asked, ‘Why don’t you try writing some of this stuff?’ That’s when I realized it was a tough job but I took it on anyway.
“Introducing Spanglish was a way reaching out to our target audience which at first wasn’t understood by the research department but I said we would stick to Cervantes Spanish as to make it a bit more universal across for all Latinos.”
W2TB: Where did you grow up in The Bronx? What are your favorite places?
Manzano:“I grew up at 3858 Third Avenue in a Crotona tenement building when the Third Avenue El still roared by our 4th floor apartment windows. I could see the people getting on and off the trains from my window. The El provided movement in our neighborhoods and when it was torn down all of a sudden you were stuck in the middle of nowhere and not being able to get to places. A lot of the buildings from my childhood were eventually torn down.”
“I remember going to the pool at Crotona Park. I attended PS 4, then John Dwyer Junior High School 133, and then on to The High School of Performing Arts which wasn’t combined with the art school at the time and eventually became Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts.”
“Crotona Park and Indian lake in particular tugs at my heart. I loved City Island even if it was a trip for us to get there and of course Orchard Beach.”
W2TB:Is there anything you’d like to add, perhaps some words of wisdom for our youth? Maybe a future ‘Maria’ out there that’s reading this?
Manzano: “I would tell young people to go with what you like to do. If you like to shop, become a buyer in a store. If you find what you really enjoy doing, there’s more of a chance of finding a way of paying your bills.”
“Be flexible. I didn’t know that I would end up in children’s entertainment. I thought I was going to be in children’s theater. I ended up here, on Sesame Street instead. You have to be flexible with your dream. In entertainment there are lots of jobs behind the camera and there’s lots of power there behind the scenes. There are so many jobs, opportunities, and disciplines behind the scenes that many people aren’t aware of.
“I suggest people expose themselves to new things. I would have become a writer sooner had I been exposed to it. It wasn’t even in my realm as a matter of fact while I was growing up—there weren’t even pencils or pens in my household, not even any kind of literature.”
“Expose yourself to things, you never know when something’s gonna be appealing to you that you didn’t know before.
As for what’s next for Sonia Manzano, she is going to continue to focus on her writing. She’s written several children’s books and next month her personal memoir, ‘Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx‘ (you can order your copy in advanced by clicking the link) will be released and according to publishers Amazon:
“Set in the 1950s in the Bronx, this is the story of a girl with a dream. Emmy award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano plunges us into the daily lives of a Latino family that is loving–and troubled. This is Sonia’s own story rendered with an unforgettable narrative power. When readers meet young Sonia, she is a child living amidst the squalor of a boisterous home that is filled with noisy relatives and nosy neighbors. Each day she is glued to the TV screen that blots out the painful realities of her existence and also illuminates the possibilities that lie ahead. But–click!–when the TV goes off, Sonia is taken back to real-life–the cramped, colorful world of her neighborhood and an alcoholic father. But it is Sonia’s dream of becoming an actress that keeps her afloat among the turbulence of her life and times. Spiced with culture, heartache, and humor, this memoir paints a lasting portrait of a girl’s resilience as she grows up to become an inspiration to millions.”
Thank you, Sonia, aka Maria, for all the wonderful memories you provided me with and for millions of others during these past 44 years and here’s looking at your next phase in life as you continue to inspire.
This is not a goodbye by any means but more like an ‘Hasta luego’ or until next time!
This Monday at The Bronx Museum, The Historic District Council will hold an important summer mixer to gather Bronx preservationists and lovers of our beautiful borough under one roof (make sure to RSVP)!
This is a chance to mingle and meet other Bronxites concerned about the future of our borough and the issues we face. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Riverdale, The South Bronx, Morris Park, Soundview, Throggs Neck, Kingsbridge or anywhere in The Bronx—this is an event for ALL of our residents.
We are at a critical juncture in our borough’s history.
101 years ago, when The Bronx was born as the 62nd and last county of New York State in Melrose at The Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, there began a frenzy and expansion into our borough that forever changed our landscape.
Open land and farms gave way to tenements and apartment buildings. The Old villages and towns that dotted what was once then Westchester County until annexation with New York City ceased to exist except as neighborhoods of a newly merged NYC in the late 19th century.
Today we are facing a second gold rush so to speak as we are considered the last frontier in real estate development in New York City—a city that is no longer recognizable to us with the loss of many neighborhoods that have succumbed to the white washing of gentrification and “progress” littered with the same chain store after chain store.
Irresponsibly, this study area was named Cromwell-Jerome Study Area originally which prompted legitimate fears that the neighborhood was being rebranded creating a new one over the 5 neighborhoods which the study covers.
Can you blame The Bronx to be so on guard? We’ve had the luck of being that forgotten borough while Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens have had their neighborhoods transformed with rezonings that led to gentrification and displacement of thousands of families, many low and moderate working class families. The very people that keep this giant metropolis running.
After the shuttering of hospitals across the South Bronx along with all the disinvestment, Dr Izquierdo, or Doc as he’s affectionately known, once was arrested for civil disobedience when protesting the closing of one such hospital in his Hunts Point community.
Subsequently, he founded what would become Urban Health Plan—a network of high quality clinics scattered throughout the South Bronx to address the needs of the local community who now had to rely on little to no service in their immediate areas.
More recently, he founded a health sciences charter school where all students, upon graduating from high school, will do so with a certificate allowing them to become EMTs enabling them to make living wages and continue their studies in the industry and thus creating more homegrown medical professionals.
Then we had the Dr Evelina Lopez Antonetty, known as ‘The Hell Lady of The Bronx” who Elena Martinez of The Bronx Musical Heritage Center once wrote and saidabout Antonetty’s many accomplishments:
“United Bronx Parents (UBP) is another such group. It was founded in 1965 (under the name United Friends and Neighbors of the Bronx) and incorporated the following year. The founders were Dr. Evelina Lopez Antonetty, who migrated from Puerto Rico in 1933, and her daughter Lorraine Montenegro, a Bronx native. The new organization’s first address was 645 Union Ave. An activist, Lopez Antonetty founded the group to fight for better education for Latino and African-American students. The city’s public schools were failing miserably to educate students of color. UBP and a number of other groups around the city mounted an extensive campaign to secure educational reform and train parents to take leadership roles in local education. People called Lopez Antonetty the “Hell Lady of the Bronx” because she was so outspoken, particularly when it came to letting politicians know what issues were important to her fellow community members. She did not restrict her efforts to the Bronx, and like-minded groups throughout the city respected her work.
UBP sought a comprehensive approach to reform in the Bronx. In addition to its educational work, it started a bilingual day care center, adult education program, youth leadership program, summer lunch program, and an AIDS outreach and education program. In 1990, UBP opened La Casita–a residential treatment program for homeless substance-abusing women. What made La Casita unique was that the patients could bring their children with them, helping families to stay intact while the mothers sought treatment. Other centers in New York and elsewhere have looked to La Casita as a model.”
Mott Haven, Port Morris, Melrose, The Lower Concourse and many parts of the South Bronx are being flooded by speculative purchases thus inflating values to levels that are neither accurate nor within reach of the average Bronx resident or entrepreneur.
NYCHA developments are being targeted for development by taking away open spaces that belong to these people who live there in order to create affordable housing that is not affordable to the vast majority of people in those districts.
Will we then be truly creating a Tale of Two Cities within our communities?
For these and many reasons, Welcome2TheBronx, invites you to join us at this important event.
Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of HDC sent out this invitation calling on Bronxites to attend:
Dear Bronx Friends, On Monday, July 27th at 6pm at The Bronx Museum of the Arts: 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, the Historic Districts Council is hosting a Public Meeting and Mixer to talk about preservation concerns in the Bronx.
This is an opportunity for the people of the Bronx community to speak out and meet other community activists who care about the borough. People say that Staten Island is the forgotten borough but The Bronx is equally ignored by the city in its planning and preservation efforts – as evidenced by the recent demolition of the landmark PS 31 on the Grand Concourse. We need to be more vocal and involved in decisions happening in our neighborhoods.
Please come to the meeting at 6pm on Monday, July 27 at the Bronx Museum. Food and refreshment will be provided! Bring your friends!!!!
Still from South Paw with Jake Gyllenhaal on the left and Bronxite Dominic second to the right from Jake.
Tomorrow, when ‘Southpaw’ is released in theaters nationwide, a Bronx man will be gracing the silver screen in this sports flick that partially takes place in The Bronx (it’s mostly filmed Pittsburgh but some scenes were filmed in our borough).
Dominic Colón, a Bronx native still living in The Bronx, plays Billy Hope’s childhood chum, Mikey, who meet while growing up in a foster home. The role of Billy Hope is portrayed by Oscar nominated Jake Gyllenhaal alongside the likes of Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams who also star in the movie.
Southpaw follows the fictional character of Billy Hope who suffers tragic losses and after hitting rock bottom, he seeks to redeem himself in the ring.
Colón reached out to Welcome2TheBronx not only excited about being in major motion picture but he also told us about the impact Jake Gyllenhaal had on him.
For Southpaw, Jake Gyllenhaal transformed himself into a hulking, muscular boxer through intense training for his role as Billy Hope and it was seeing this transformation that moved Dominic Colón.
Colón, who’s had guest roles in the hit Netflix series, Orange is The New Black, Showtime’s Nurse Jackie, and even CSI: NY said, “…since wrapping production on Southpaw I’ve lost over 185lbs. The movie was a huge inspiration for me.”
“Essentially what the movie is about is taking control over the pieces of your life event when it seems like it can be falling a part. That really resonated with me, and I saw the intensity that Jake and some of the other boxers in the movie trained and I was like if they can do it for a movie, I can do it in real life, so much so that I actually started taking boxing classes a few months ago. My right cross is no JOKE!!!” said Colón in an interview with Welcome2TheBronx
Dominic after losing a whopping 185lbs!
He landed the role after the part of Mikey wasn’t filled in. “The film was cast out of LA but they didn’t find anyone to play Mikey , so was brought in to meet and audition for Antoine Fuqua in NYC, I had a really good audition and I made him laugh.” said Colón.
“I felt like I booked the role however I didn’t get a call for another two weeks, I was bummed, I kept calling my agent asking “You sure they haven’t called?” Eventually, I got a call that I booked the role on a Thursday and I had to leave NYC for 2 months on that Sunday. Those are the types of phone calls actors LOVE!” he added.
Dominic, a graduate of Cardinal Spellman High School in our borough, is an actor, screenwriter, and producer born and raised in Castle Hill (just like Jennifer Lopez aka JLo) and has appeared in over 45 movies and television shows.
And just like Jennifer Lopez, this Bronxite was also a product of Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club—a place he still considers his favorite spot in The Bronx.
“It is the place where I started acting, (yes the place where J-Lo started) I actually went back there in 2012 to direct their production of the musical IN THE HEIGHTS where it was sold out for all six shows.” Colón said.
On top of all his appearances and acting accomplishments, ‘CRUSH’ is his HBO award-winning short film about a Bronx teenage boy who comes out to his high school crush during prom.
Besides tomorrow’s movie release of Southpaw, you can expect to see Colon in ‘Time Out of Mind‘ starring Richard Gere and scheduled for release on September 9th of this year followed by ‘Money Monster‘ starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts directed by Jodie Foster and scheduled for release March 2016.
You can follow Dominic on Instagram and Twitter at @dominiccolon.
Our friends over at Curbed NY spotted these three Bronx castles—of course all located in Riverdale. Where else would you find such homes in The Bronx and the rest of New York City for that matter?
This isn’t the first time that a Bronx castle has caught the attention of the folks at curbed and I’m sure it won’t be the last considering the beauties located in Fieldston and Riverdale.
Castles: a perfectly respectable form of architecture in Europe, but in the United States, not so much. In the Bronx, especially. Bronx castles sound like a rare breed, but they’re more common than one would think, especially in the ritzy enclaves of Fieldston and Riverdale. Take for instance this massive nine-bedroom castle that has been on the market for all of a week. If it is to suffer the same fate as so many other Bronx castles, a week might become years. The property’s brokers are getting creative with marketing this bad boy, which basically just means its listing reads like a transcribed house tour gushing with personal anecdotes (“I built this house to last forever… And I put my heart and soul into it. See those cobblestones, I laid those all myself, and built this back entrance. No, I don’t use it, but someone can.”) It’s truly bizarre, but if it works, it works.
No Longer Empty asked visitors what they would like to see happen to the Old Bronx Courthouse after their residency was over.
After No Longer Empty’s residency and exhibition at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, ‘When You Cut Into The Preset The Future Leaks Out’, and over 6,000 visitors—over 75% from the area and not counting youth programs who graced the halls of this hallowed landmark—many have asked what now?
Well one possibility is that The Universal Hip Hop Museum—the only and official Hip-Hop museum chartered by the State of New York—may in fact call the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse Home. A fitting tribute given the fact that The Bronx is the birthplace of the global phenomenon that is Hip-Hop.
The Universal Hip Hop Museum was founded by such legends like Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Grand Wizzard Theodore, and Grandmaster Melle Mel.
The national landmark edifice has stood vacant for almost 40 years through government neglect and disinvestment in The Bronx but in recent years, new life has been creeping into the building slowly.
New elevators have been installed. Mezzanines added to create over 30,000 additional square footage in the building bumping it from 82,000 square feet to 115,000 square feet. The facade is slowly being restored and cleaned too not to mention new windows scheduled to arrive within a month.
Hundreds of visitors to the exhibition left behind notes on what they would like to see happen to the building after No Longer Empty decided to set up a table at the entrance asking visitors simply, “What would you like to see this building become?”
There were many answers such as haunted house, community center or community space but the one that kept coming up was a museum of some sort—33% of respondents to be exact with 11% calling for one for Hip Hop.
Rocky Bucano, President of The Universal Hip Hop Museum said, “After getting a tour of the building this past weekend, I was very impressed with the building’s history, architectural structure and space.”
“The courthouse is a beautiful space that would be perfect for a project with the scope and cultural importance like that of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. I would say that we’d seek to obtain a minimum amount of 40,000 sq ft and maximum of 55,000 sq ft.” added Bucano.
UHHM also sees the potential to attract as many as 1.2 million people per year through their doors.
And it’s not just simply a museum that would be housed in the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse if it were to happen.
The museum would feature exhibit halls with interactive rooms representing the 5 elements of Hip-Hop, art and gallery space for photography, paintings, sculptures and artifacts, archive and collection storage space and even a performance theater with a seating capacity of 300, Bucano told us.
The Universal Hip Hop Museum at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse would also house a production studio for audio recording of original programming, dance studio for instructional classes, community space, research library and even a restaurant.
All of this would create jobs—jobs that are much needed in our borough—from audio engineers, video editors, software and application developers, to curators, historians, and dance instructors.
Joe Conzo Jr, who is not only a founding member of UHHM but also named by David Gonzalez of the New York Times and The Seis del Sur collective (which Conzo is also a member) as, “The man who took Hip-Hop’s baby pictures” said that the prospect of UHHM being located at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, “is a phenomenal opportunity for the residents of The Bronx to have it there. We’ve been trying for many years but Rocky and company, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, and myself have worked to make this come into fruition but it’s long over due and given the opportunity it would be amazing to have it located at the Old Courthouse.”
Joe Conzo, Jr documented the early days of Hip-Hop and is considered to be the “Man Who Took Hip-Hop’s Baby Pictures” by New York Times reporter David Gonzalez
Even the owner of the building thinks so.
“I think it’s a great idea because it will bring a lot of tourism and more people to the area with all the revitalization that has happened. I think there will be a trickle down effect in form of jobs and stores in the neighborhood doing more business as a result of more people coming to area.” said Henry Weinstein, developer and owner of the courthouse.
Weinstein added, “I think it would make a wonderful cultural center and certainly enhance the existing cultural history of the community and spaces in the area.”
During the closing events at the Old Bronx Courthouse by No Longer Empty, Hip-Hop was already being celebrated within its walls:
A video posted by Ed García Conde (@welcome2thebronx) on
Bronx resident April De Simone and co-founder of Designing The We sees the benefit of the the museum but also is prudent about how to make sure something of this nature doesn’t end up negatively impacting the neighborhood and how we, as a community, can work towards mitigating any such negative effects. “UHHM would be a tremendous anchor asset to the area, complimenting many existing and upcoming projects.”
De Simone said. “However, it is important to ensure, unlike so many other examples (Atlantic Yards, Harlem, etc…), this project does not generate a speculative real estate frenzy that expedites the already massive commercial and residential displacement occurring; particularly to indigenous economies and stakeholders.”
April De Simone is a life long resident of The Bronx and according to her bio, she is, a Dean Merit Scholar, and recently completed her Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies from Parsons the New School for Design. She continues to be recognized for her leadership and dedication in supporting frameworks that promote a just and equitable society.”
In the meantime, The Universal Hip Hop Museum is getting ready to launch a virtual museum in the Fall with a partnership with Google using their virtual reality technology called Google Cardboard. According to the website:
“Designed for desktops, notebooks, tablets, smartphones, and other devices, The Virtual Museum will give access to groundbreaking virtual reality exhibits powered by Google Cardboard. And, because it will operate in the cloud, you’ll be able to kick back and enjoy seamless multi-media experiences all day, and all night.”
Legendary rapper and also a founding member of UHHM, Kurtis Blow also expressed excitement in the possibility of The Old Bronx Courthouse housing the Museum. Of UHHM, Kurtis Blow told us that “UHHM is imperative in securing our legacy and preparing for the future of hip hop.”
Regarding having the museum located in The Bronx and in that particular building he said that, “In documentaries when you talk about history, history is best told by the people who lived it and so in the place where it was created you get the best atmosphere, reliving the moments and feel it when you’re in the actual place where it happened it’s like a site-seeing tour where it happened more or less; you feel more nostalgia.”
He added with laughter that, “The Bronx is known for two things, the birthplace of Hip-Hop and 26 world championships, those two (Yankee Stadium) would be within walking distance.” Many residents have also expressed interest in the possibility of a Salsa museum to be housed at the Old Courthouse, another major music genre born in The Bronx.
Hip-Hop and Salsa were already combined this weekend at The Old Bronx Courthouse thanks to No Longer Empty’s closing ceremonies but more importantly by the residents who came and attended the shows.
A video posted by Ed García Conde (@welcome2thebronx) on
When we asked Kurtis Blow what he thought about that he simply said, ” It’s a no brainer, I think it’s the greatest idea, we’re like distant cousins and it happened around the same time so why not. That would be an incredible idea.”
