500 Exterior Street will be an 11 story Holiday Inn Express once completed sometime in 2016.
After six years of filings with NYC’s Department of Buildings and construction delays, 500 Exterior Street is rising with the 11 story hotel slated to be completed sometime in 2016 and Holiday Inn Express has leased the building according to owner Harshad Patel. The property sits across from the Special Harlem River Waterfront District where a proposed waterfront park would go along with 4,000 units of housing (2.8 million square feet of housing, 2.3 million square feet of commercial space, 1 million square feet of community space).
Once completed, the Holiday Inn Express at 500 Exterior Street—just two blocks from the Bronx Terminal Market, Mill Pond Park, 149th Street/Grand Concourse Station on the 2/4/5 trains, the Bronx General Post Office adaptive reuse project and a short walk to other cultural attractions such as Yankee Stadium and local galleries—will offer 69 overnight rooms under the company’s signature brand.
Comfort Inn under construction.
Further down the road and pretty much off the beaten path is the Comfort Inn rising on 3rd Avenue and 135th Street which has also seen major delays and is scheduled for completion in 2016 as well.
This brings the total to 3 developments in the Lower Concourse Area which was rezoned in 2009 and includes the Special Harlem River Waterfront District and the 3rd being Morris Court which is now open and families are already moving in.
Morris Court is complete and families are already moving in.
Meanwhile, just a couple of blocks away from the future Holiday Inn Express, the landmark PS 31, aka the Castle on the Concourse, is slowly being demolished in what can only be called one of the biggest disgraces and neglect in recent Bronx and city history. It is DEPLORABLE that the city allowed this landmark structure to be torn down when it could have been salvaged as per independent engineering reports.
The destruction of history and a landmark—PS 31 being torn down.
As for the rest of the Lower Concourse Area, we already know that the market is heating up and the for lease and for sale signs are slowly popping up around—not to mention properties being purchased that aren’t even on the market.
What will the future hold for the South Bronx neighborhoods of Port Morris, Mott Haven, Melrose, and Grand Concourse corridor up to 167th Street or so as prices continue to break records both in sales and rentals?
Welcome2TheBronx just made it even easier to reach us with an easy to remember number: **THEBRONX
Use this number to reach out to us to report breaking news or pitch a story to us! All you have to do is dial **THEBRONX and you’ll be connected to us right away (your standard mobile charges apply; there is NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE TO USE THIS NUMBER!)
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You can always reach us via email at info@welcome2thebronx.com!
This Friday, May 29th, Archie’s Tap & Table will open, where once Sugar & Spice Bake Shop and Eatery once stood on City Island, serving up comfort food with “an American twist” not to mention local Bronx beers.
After Sugar & Spice suffered damage from a fire in the apartment above last November, proprietor Alex Pertsovsky decided to retire the restaurant after a good 12 year run, which was begun with his sister Irina Brandler (who retired 5 years ago), and decided to dedicate himself to his dream of opening up something like Archie’s.
With his new endeavor, his mom will still play, “a critical role to the day-to-day operations,” and his wife, Lee Babcock, “…is the strong woman” next to him.
“My passion has always been for fine dining comfort food and I took the misfortune of having a fire and turning it into something that’s my passion.” Pertsovksy told Welcome2TheBronx.
And judging by the menu alone it is definitely a comfort-food filled paradise with lots of twists. Best of all, the ingredients for the restaurant are locally sourced from Gun Hill Brewery beer, to coffee roasted in Queens, meats from the famous Pat LaFrieda’s in Jersey, and fish from our very own Fulton Fish Market in Hunts Point.
Archie’s Tap & Table will be open for dinner only from Tuesdays-Friday from 4PM-10-PM and some of the menu items truly sound like decadent comfort food.
There’s a Grilled Cajun Pork Chop with forest mushrooms, cream gravy, and wilted baby kale, King Crab Mac & Cheese served with cheddar, goat cheese, parmesan, and gruyére, and a Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffles with Castskills maple syrup and fruit.
If that’s not enough to get your mouth watering, I don’t know what is—unless you’re a vegan or vegetarian—then you’ll have to settle for one of several dishes like Brussel Sprouts and Fried Rice, or a Baby Kale Salad.
For brunch there will be an Eggwich served with Applewood bacon, cheddar on a sesame brioche roll, a Grilled Vegetable Wrap served with seasonal veggies, and herb dusted fries (I seriously can’t wait until they open to try all this delicious food!)
Image Courtesy of Alex Pertsovsky
The restaurant is very tastefully appointed as you can see from the pictures. There’s even a garage door sliding window which opens to the outside where there will be 6 additional tables during the warm weather.
The food is definitely different from your standard City Island fare which Pertsovsky said, “The food will be more of an upscale bar comfort menu, our seafood menu or seafood specials menu will be driven by what’s fresh in the market…”
As for the name of the restaurant, Pertsovsky said, “Archie was my father’s nickname who was a Russian immigrant and taxi cab driver in New York for 30 years. He was my biggest fan and helped me through culinary school and when he passed I wanted to do nothing more than to make my career a tribute to his life”
Let’s all wish Chef Alex Pertsovsky and everyone at Archie’s Tap & Table much success on their opening this Friday and hope to see you there!
Archie’s is located at 536 City Island Avenue on, you guessed it, City Island.
Join BombaYo for their 7th Annual BomBarBecue on the lawn at the Andrew Freedman Home as they celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with a celebration of Puerto Rican culture through the sounds and music of Bomba from 12PM – 6PM.
Bomba celebrates the island’s African culture and this event is a beautiful one where folks from all over gather to listen to the sounds of Africa via Puerto Rico right here in The Bronx.
Tomorrow, Saturday May 23rd, the African textile museum-like store, Holland Textiles, is celebrating the 1 year opening of their first and ONLY store in the country (and fourth in the world after their London, France, and The Netherlands) by showing some major customer appreciation!
From 8AM – 10PM they will be open and offering up to 75% off on select fabrics and as many of you may know (who read our review several months ago) the African prints are of the utmost highest quality and there really is no other fabric store quite like it in The Bronx so this is sure to be a major deal for both new and loyal customers alike.
The event will also have free food along with new fabrics to check out and you can get up to 50% discount on select items and if you bring a friend or family member along with you—and they make a purchase—you get an additional 20% off your purchase!
Make sure to stop by this wonderful shop where the staff greet you warmly as if you were a relative or friend they haven’t seen in a while! If you make a purchase, let us know because we’d love to see what you got!
Tell them Welcome2TheBronx sent ya!
Simply just love this place!
More of the latest styles and fabrics available exclusively at Holland Textiles.
The store is like walking into a museum dedicated to the art of fabrics.
Tomorrow is a busy day at No Longer Empty’s exhibition at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse, ‘When You Cut Into The Present The Future Leaks Out’ with two programs for all ages. Take a look at their descriptions below and make sure you RSVP for the programs you want to attend!
Image Courtesy David Kopstein
You Be The Judge
Thursday, May 21 2015 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm
What better setting than a courthouse to learn about the criminal justice system and how trials are conducted?
One of the many programs produced by the Bronx District Attorney’s Community Affairs Office, You Be The Judge presents a mock trial involving a real-life case, with the audience participating as the jury. After witness and defendant “testimony,” the audience will be given the opportunity to deliberate and hand down a verdict.
And, unlike the real thing, audience members will get to ask questions of the judge, the prosecutor and the defense attorney–all members of the Bronx D.A.’s staff playing the roles.
Cut Into The Past: Reclaiming Our Narratives [Multiple Dates]
Thursday, May 21 2015 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Together with the local New York Public Library’s Branch Community Oral Program, we are collecting oral histories of people who lived and worked in the neighborhood and near the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse. Join us for the kick-off of this exciting partnership with NYPL. Adult Programming Coordinator, Alexandra Kelly, will introduce basic interview methods to the community, and conduct live interviews with luminaries from the neighborhood, which will be archived at the New York Public Library for future generations.
Please visit oralhistory.nypl.org for more information about the New York Public Library’s Community Oral History Project.
Kick-Off Event is May 14 at 6:30pm.
Training Sessions are
Saturday, May 16 10am -12pm.
Thursday, May 21 6:30pm – 8pm.
Personal Stories can be shared on
June 13, 2015 2pm to 5pm
July 2, 2015 4 to 7pm
July 3, 2015 4 to 7pm
July 9, 2015 4 to 7pm
Stories can be as short as 4 minutes or as long as 1.5hrs. Sign up slots will be posted shortly.
Gertrude Schimmel in 1971, when she became a captain. NEAL BOENZI / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Last week Monday, May 10th, just a few months after being honored by the NYPD during women’s history month, a Bronx trailblazer passed away at the ripe old age of 96 years.
Gertrude Schimmell, who was the first NYPD female police chief, was born and raised in The Bronx and attended Morris High School before heading on to Hunter College.
The New York Times wrote:
“Gertrude was a real trendsetter who not only broke a very significant glass ceiling in the department many years ago, but smashed through it,” Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said in a statement.
When Ms. Schimmel joined the department on June 5, 1940, female officers could not be promoted above the entry-level post of policewoman, and they were not allowed to go out on patrol.
In 1943, policewomen were issued a black shoulder bag with space for a holster but also a makeup kit. “Use the gun as you would your lipstick,” Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia said. “Don’t overdo either one.”
Like all female department members, Ms. Schimmel was assigned to the Bureau of Policewomen when she graduated from the Police Academy. In her early years with the department, her son said, she took part in undercover work breaking up gambling operations. She later joined the Youth Aid Division, which found temporary shelter for children whose parents were unable to care for them. It was the type of assignment given to women to keep them from confrontations with criminals.”
Born Gertrude Tannenbaum on Dec. 9, 1918, in the Bronx, she was the youngest of three children of immigrants from Austria. Her father, Asher, worked in a clothing factory, then owned a small egg business. Her mother, Ida, died when she was 16, leaving her with household responsibilities. She was an outstanding student at Morris High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hunter College.”
Gertrude Schimmel being honored earlier this year during Women’s History Month by the NYPD / Image Courtesy of NYPD News.
“Gertrude was a real trend-setter who not only broke a very significant glass ceiling in the department many years ago, but smashed through it,” Police Commissioner Bratton said.
In 1940 Gertrude Schimmel, along with 18 other women, joined 300 men in the NYPD Police Academy. In 1961, Ms. Schimmel and fellow pioneer Felicia Shpritzer sued the NYPD for the right to sit for promotional civil service exams. They won their fight, and in 1965 Ms. Schimmel became the Department’s first female sergeant, lieutenant in 1967 and captain in 1971.
Ms. Schimmel still stayed close to those in the NYPD, always attending the annual Women’s History Month Celebration held in Police Headquarters. This year she was honored by the Department’s Policewomen’s Endowment Association.”
Tis the season for rooftop and outdoor views. We’ve compiled a list of some rooftops and outdoor hangouts, whether it’s with a drink in hand for a date night or popcorn while watching a rooftop film with the kids in tow. Did we forget one of your favorite spots? Please leave a comment to share with others!
Head on over to BronxMama and check out the rest of the listings and be sure to add your favorites to the list if they didn’t make it!: Rooftops and Outdoor Hangouts in the Bronx |
Courtlandt Corners I & II (II is on the left and is now know as ‘The Upton’) on 161st Street between Courtlandt and Melrose Avenues.
Courtlandt Corners in Melrose, the development which comprises of Courtlandt Corners I & II and Courtlandt Crescent, has rebranded the phase II building on the northern side of 161st Street as ‘The Upton’ offering ‘affordable luxury living’ but at rents that are well above the neighborhood average and clearly are not affordable to the general area population.
According to Cecily Almanzar at the management office for Phipps Houses—who developed the 540 unit project—the apartments already have been occupied since it opened in November of 2010 but there are 2 apartments that have since been vacated and are being offered at market rates with income restrictions.
Studios are being rented at $1,263 (well above the neighborhood range of $1,050-$1,100) for an individual making anywhere from $43,152 – $66,220, 1 bedrooms ranging from $1,292-$1,584 (average for a 1 bedroom is $1,200) for 1-2 individuals making $44,288-$75,680 a year, and 2 bedrooms from $1,525-$1,906 (average 2 bedroom apartment in the neighborhood is $1,450) for a family of 1-4 individuals making $52,268-$94,490 a year.
Even though Phipps is marketing them as market rate apartments, they are still income restricted as you can see above and in the screenshot below but clearly they are not affordable rents as per neighborhood standards.
Rents as well well as income requirements for ‘The Upton’
These rents are in stark contrast to the low-income rents at Courtlandt Crescent, the 3rd and final phase of the development which is already occupied. There the rents range from $751 for a studio for an individual making $27,669-$34,860, 1 bedrooms for 1-2 individuals renting for $808 with incomes ranging from $29,692-$39,840, and 2 bedroom units for families of 2-4 individuals renting for $979 with incomes between $35,623 – $49,800.
Sure the property is located half a block from Metro North and a 10 minute walk to 3rd Avenue/149th Street on the 2/5 trains or a 10 minute walk West to the 161st Street/Yankee Stadium on the 4/D line but these rents are completely out of line for neighborhood affordability.
I’m all for having a decent mix of incomes in a neighborhood but these high rents will unfortunately cause a ripple effect on the rental market in the area as landlords will look to this as market acceptance of such rents.
Gentrification is real, folks, even under the guise of “affordable housing” it seems we are no longer protected.
Are you a middle-income family living in Melrose or the surrounding area? Do you think these rents are affordable to you as a middle-income resident?
Home to one of the largest African populations in New York City, The Bronx is replete with many residents hailing from many of the continent’s countries.
One particular individual—of Gambian descent and works in The Bronx—has written a children’s book with a strong lesson to be learned by both children and adults alike.
Meet Victoria Blain author and illustrator of ‘The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon‘, a new African folktale inspired by the ones she grew up with.
‘The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon‘ is about, you guessed it, a chameleon named Zahari who is searching to be extraordinary in what she perceives as leading an ordinary life.
The beautifully illustrated journeys Zahari goes through lead to her accepting herself for who she is and rather than chasing what she thinks is an ideal, to be happy with what she is.
And that’s quite simply, an extraordinary and unique chameleon.
It sounds like common sense but how many times do we, as adults, find ourselves questioning our self-worth and trying to fit into societal expectations of us? The book also reminds me of one of my favorites, ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein, because it too lends itself to that children and adult audience with a timeless message.
We had a lovely opportunity to chat with Mrs Victoria Blain and hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.
Why did you write this book?
I wrote and illustrated a book as a school project in third grade and really enjoyed the process.
I loved reading and drawing pictures as a kid and I think as long as I can remember I wanted to write a children’s book as an adult but it wasn’t until I was 29 and my first niece was born that I had this overwhelming feeling of immortality. The idea of having a story to pass on to her became real.
I knew I was going to write an African folktale about self discovery but I had writer’s block for about a year. Then right around 2009 when the economy crashed, I turned 30 and was laid off from my job and suddenly found myself with alot of time.
I still didn’t have a written story but for some reason the images were really clear to me.
I start off with a sketch and then began cutting up old african prints I had stored away in my closet. Using a chameleon as a muse, made sense because like african prints, they are so colorful. By the end of the year, most of the original artwork was completed. And then those sat around for a few more years…still no story.
What was your first book about?
This is my first children’s book. But I actually illustrated another book call “Down to the Knitty Gritty”. It’s illustrated using only knits and it’s all about woman warriors with quotes from famous woman I admire.
Do you have plans for another book?
Yes definitely. Now that I’m a mother and have read countless book to my son, I feel even more inspired to write a story for him. He currently loves rhythmic books like, “The Pout Pout Fish” and “The Gruffalo”, so creating book for him will be a very tall order!
Order your copy today!
Why a Children’s book?
A children’s book always felt manageable to me. The ability to write something short well, seems within my capabilities. I don’t think I have the attention span for an epic novel.
‘The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon’ has a wonderful message that can be interpreted different ways, what is the key message you are trying to get across?
It’s really interesting, I’ve had people read it and tell me what they think the message is and what’s nice is it’s always a reflection of their own personal experience that lends itself to a new interpretation. Between the ages of 29-32 I really struggled with loving and honoring myself.
I had come out of a 10 year college relationship that left me single and jaded in NYC. I was laid off from my what felt like the only thing I had going for me, which was my amazing textile job at Martha Stewart Living.
It occurred to me around 30 that my life may never shape up to what I had imagined for myself and the burden and fear made me severely depressed.
That time in my life was difficult but of course I view it now as the bravest, most transformative years of my life. Working through my problems with such optimism, forgiveness, and acceptance, I came into myself and then everything changed for the better.
The message of this story was meant for girls who particularly struggle with identity issues from physical to emotional. It is to; Love and Honor yourself from the inside and the universe will reflect this world back to you.
What was your inspiration for this story? Was it a folktale you grew up hearing or an original idea?
My grandmother on my mother’s side, was a great story teller. All the African folktales I remember were told by her. The stories were always very cryptic and dark and had content that would be viewed as too heavy for American children, like death or killings. However, thats exactly why they left such an impression on me.
The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon is an original folktale. Like all folktales, African folktales carry a moral message but what I noticed was that they are often fear driven. I wanted to keep the element of fear in the story without it being the basis of transformation.
In The ExtraOrdinary Chameleon, Zahari’s life transforms when she realizes she’s worth more than she thought.
I purposefully wrote “A New African Folktale” on the cover because in many ways it is different and yet very familiar to folktales you hear in West Africa.
I felt that a fear based mindset is outdated and could use an update. Eastern philosophy is so beautiful to me and it felt like a gift to infuse this philosophy with the old African proverb: “The universe doesn’t change to match the chameleon. The chameleon changes to match the universe”.
Once I had experience this to be true in my own life, the story wrote itself. I was 33. I had it adapted into an actual book on Blurb and Amazon last year.
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in England. But I spent the majority of my childhood in Liberia, Pakistan and New York. My parents worked for the U.N. and I’m 37 now.
Tell me about the Illustration process, the book really grabs your attention not just because of its writings but the illustrations. Even your font seems to have been made just for the book!
In terms of the collage process of making the illustrations I get my biggest inspiration from the riveting African textile, called “Chuibe” in Wolof, my native language.
It is a handmade batik process that is unique to West Africa and most worn in Gambia and Senegal. I tend to tear fabric randomly rather than outline and cut, unless necessary. Imperfect cuts of fabric are the most interesting. The best pages in this book are filled with imperfections!
What’s your target audience? This book, although a children’s book, is a great read for teens and even adults.
The target audience is honestly varied. It’s the kind of book a parent would enjoy reading to an infant.
A toddler would enjoy looking and pointing out objects but lacks the attention span for the length. And a 5-8 year old would enjoy reading and understanding.
What’s your favorite place in The Bronx and why?
Like so many New Yorkers I knew nothing of the Bronx until I had a reason to visit.
One of the best parts of my commute is while the masses are shuffling into Manhattan, I’m quietly treading into the Bronx.
I love many aspects of my job but one of the best parts is working with the African female immigrant community. We help support them in owning there businesses through our wholesale program.
Wecome2TheBronx highly recommends this book children and adults for its positive message as well as beautiful illustrations making it a book you’ll treasure for years to come. You can purchase your copy here at Amazon.com.
Around 8PM, while Mayor Bill de Blasio was visiting La Morada, a local restaurant in Mott Haven in an unannounced visit, a local resident quickly alerted South Bronx Unite members who within 10 minutes had gathered and mobilized with over 25 people including their children to protest against FreshDirect and de Blasio’s promise to end a tale of two cities—something which allowing FreshDirect to move into South Bronx will continue to perpetuate.
With bullhorns, banners and chanting, de Blasio eventually emerged and spoke with Mychal Johnson and other community residents and leaders. In the video, Mayor de Blasio is caught saying, “…we really tried stopping them, we can’t stop them…there’s no more subsidies like this going forward.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio asked, “…but what else can we do?”
Johnson’s wife, Corrine Kohut replied, “We need to meet, we’ve asked for a meeting with you several times, we’ve had hundreds and hundreds of people that have emailed you, that made phone calls to you.”
“We still got to continue to fight even if you feel you can’t do anything about it we know contracts are made to be broken.” added Johnson.
de Blasio asked “How can we get in touch with you,” and had already received contact information from several members of the group.
Mychal Johnson told us that within minutes 2 dozen police officers and several vans from the 40th precinct arrived but immediately backed off as Mayor de Blasio continued to speak with the crowd. “We are here peacefully protesting as guaranteed by the constitution and we’re here with our children,” Johnson told he said to de Blasio.
We’ll keep you posted on this breaking story as a meeting is officially set between the community and Mayor Bill de Blasio after 16 months since coming into office.
This is a battle that has been going on almost 3 1/2 years and will continue until justice is done by the community and the mayor we elected sticks to his promises and does the best fight that he can to squash this deal once and for all.
Mayor de Blasio had made ending FreshDirect deals and deals like it as part of his campaign promises during his 2013 campaign.
“People just don’t get it. I simply say that there are only three places that have a “the” in front of their name: the Vatican, the Hague — and the Bronx…” said Bronxite and world renowned author Mary Higgins Clark in Arlene Alda’s ‘Just Kids From The Bronx‘.
And apparently neither does MillerCoors’ marketing team.
A billboard ad for Coors Light was placed along I87 aka the Major Deegan Expressway across from Yankee Stadium—one of the most visible locations in New York City—proclaiming, “BORN IN THE ROCKIES, LIVES IN BRONX.”
Wait, what? What’s Bronx?
Clearly this was yet another lazy job by the folks at MillerCoors that disrespects the communities they sell their product in.
It’s pretty simple and easy to know that we’re The Bronx and not Bronx. I mean for better or worse, we’re always in the media and the globe pretty much knows it’s THE Bronx whether in Spanish “El Bronx” or even the French, “Le Bronx”!
Welcome2TheBronx reached out to the marketing department at MillerCoors but no comment on their most recent faux pas has been released.
For the 2011 Puerto Rican Day Parade, the company launched a campaign called ‘Emboricuate’ which loosely translated means become Puerto Rican and the campaign used the Puerto Rican flag and Coors beer cans. This campaign caused an outcry from the community rightfully offended by making it seem that to be Puerto Rican was to drink beer and not the rich cultural legacy of the island and its people.
Fast forward to 2013 and MillerCoors fumbles yet again by placing the Puerto Rican flag on Coors Light beer cans for the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
It’s quite clear that MillerCoors just wants to peddle its products without even having the slightest cultural sensitivity to the markets which they serve.
If they can’t take the time to do something right and research their target audiences then those that consume their products should just say NO to Coors Light or any MillerCoors product until they get their act together.
