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.
Another lottery has opened, this time in a brand new development in the Foxhurst neighborhood of the South Bronx.
The Bryant, located at 1115 Bryant Avenue at E 165th Street is a brand new development constructed on an empty lot owned by NYCHA which has a small development across the street.
The Bryant, located at 1115 Bryant Avenue in Foxhurst
At eight stories in height, the building has 62 residential units of which 24 are available via New York City’s Housing Connect affordable housing lottery which have been set aside for households making 50% of the Area Median Income which varies according to the size of the household.
Available units in this lottery are as follows:
13 studios renting at $682 a month have been set aside for individuals making anywhere from $25,886 – $41,800 or a two-person household with a yearly income of $25,886 – $47,750.
6 one-bedroom units renting at $865 a month have been set aside for individuals making $32,503 – $41,800, a two-person household making $32,503 – $47,750 a year, or a three-person household with a yearly income ranging from $32,503 – $53,700.
5 two-bedroom units renting for $1,049 have been set aside for a two-person household with a yearly income of $39,703 – $47,750, a three-person household with a yearly income of $39,703 – $53,700, a four-person household with a yearly income of $39,703 – $59,650, or a five-person household with a yearly income of $39,703 – $64,450.
A kitchen at The Bryant/Via Housing Connect
Of special note, since the land is owned by NYCHA, there is a preference for 25% of the available units to go to current NYCHA residents. 50% for residents of Bronx Community Board 2, and 5% for New York City employees. 5% of units have been set aside for individuals with mobility issues, and 2% for those with hearing or visual impairments.
Amenities at The Bryant include a doorman, security guard, energy-efficient appliance (not sure if you can call such appliances an amenity at this point in time given that that’s simply just standard), shared laundry room, bike storage room, air-conditioning, media room, community room, children’s playroom, and even a library.
A typical bathroom at The Bryant/Via Housing Connect
The remainder of the units in the development are for supportive housing for the formerly homeless and people with disabilities with on-site support services available to these residents.
As for transportation, there are several buses in the immediate area and the 6 train is available at Whitlock Avenue or the 2 and 5 line at nearby Simpson Street.
Future residents will have access to excellent outdoor areas along the Bronx River at Concrete Plant Park just 3 blocks away and Starlight Park to the north filled with plenty of opportunity for active and passive recreation along New York City’s only fresh-water river.
Another kitchen layout at The Bryant/Via Housing Connect
The deadline to apply is October 29, 2021 and you can do so online by going to Housing Connect or you can apply by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to: 5925 Broadway Bronx, NY 10463 but remember, you can ONLY apply once. Sending in more than one application can result in disqualifying you for this lottery.
And remember, please do not contact us regarding this lottery as we cannot help you. We are not affiliated with this or any real estate development and we are only simply bringing the news of this opportunity to you.
Almost 7 million of New York City’s 8.8 million residents live within The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens accounting for almost 80% of the population of America’s largest city yet there is no direct, and efficient form of transportation connecting these places other than by car.
While Manhattan is the traditional core of the city, since 2014, over half the jobs created in the city have been in the outer boroughs, Staten Island included.
Residents of The Bronx wanting to travel by public transportation to employment opportunities in Brooklyn or Queens (or vice-versa), have to make the trip through Manhattan in order to reach their destinations which only adds hours a day to their commutes.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
As New York City continues to expand the NYC Ferry service including The Bronx getting a second stop later this year in Throggs Neck at Ferry Point, it is a no-brain solution to add routes that altogether skip Manhattan and go straight to Queens and down towards Brooklyn.
A Soundview bound ferry makes its way under the Hell’s Gate Bridge. The bridge will soon carry Bronxites from four new Metro North stations to be constructed in the East Bronx and into Penn Station. The same bridge can also carry the Triboro line
Residents of The Bronx, particularly those in the East Bronx can see a drastic reduction in their commutes to these areas for work and recreational purposes which would only help spur greater economic growth in the outer boroughs.
One can’t think of any reason other than lack of political will or desire to help improve the lives of residents in the outer boroughs as to why such a ferry line doesn’t already exist.
The second and perhaps a bit more complicated and costly solution would be to finally stop talking about the TriboroRx and make it a reality.
A potential Triboro Line could connect the four outer boroughs across 22 stations
Right now about $2.1 billion will be spent on a rail to LaGuardia airport that is completely inefficient its route and would not really be a realistic way to travel to the airport by public transportation for many.
Instead, that money can be utilized to transform the lives of millions of residents in The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn by finally giving them a connection by constructing a Triboro line it would connect to up to 17 subway lines via 22 proposed stations across the three boroughs from Co-op City to Bayridge, Brooklyn.
With an extra push, the line could potentially even connect to Staten Island.
The Regional Plan Authority has estimated the cost of such a line to be between $1 and $2 billion which would utilize existing rail lines that are underutilized to maximize their full potential.
If we push for these two logical solutions to our transit infrastructure within the city, the lives of millions of residents stand to improve quality of life not just in reduction of commute times and increased economic opportunities, especially for lower-income residents, but the quality of health as we get more cars off the road by providing a truly reliable way to get around the entire city and not just into Manhattan.
It’s a win-win for people and the environment and if we’re realistic, a win for the environment is always a win for the people.
Third at Bankside, the Bronx’s most expensive private development in history coming in at just under a billion at $950 million, will begin leasing this November with the first move-ins expected this December at the first phase of the development.
The Arches (two towers on the left) and Bankside
Located at the foot of the Third Avenue Bridge at 2401 Third Avenue, the development, once completed, will have 1,350 luxury units along the South Bronx’s Harlem River waterfront spread across seven high rises with several reaching 25 stories.
Third at Bankside will join nearby luxury development, The Arches, which is just a few feet away and is already filling up with new residents.
Phase two at Bankside
The first phase at Third at Bankside will include 450 luxury residential units across two 25-story buildings and one 17-story building filled with amenities you’d expect at such development like valet parking, round-the-clock door attendant, co-working sky lounge, resident lounges, rooftop pool and barbecue deck, outdoor terraces, game room, playroom, fitness center, and a double-height lobby.
Outdoor pool at Bankside/Via LPC360
As part of the development, 34,000 square feet of public space will be developed to provide waterfront access to all Bronx residents and not just the future tenants of the development.
The site was originally owned by the Chetrit Group and Somerset Partners who sold the development site back in 2018 for $165 million in the most expensive transaction for a development site in the borough’s history.
Rendering of a unit at Bankside/via LCP360
Although plans have been made to set aside 30% of the units for affordable housing, the developer will more than likely select them to be available to those making 130% of the area median income which will make them out of reach for the average South Bronx resident living in the surrounding Port Morris and Mott Haven neighborhoods.
Planned waterfront park at Bankside which will be open to all residents in the area and not just at Bankside/Rendering via LPC360
Once this particular development is completed, it will undoubtedly usher in a new wave of gentrification in the area beyond the trickle that has been happening in the past decade and will bring thousands of residents into an area that was once seen as undesirable by those outside The Bronx.
And this is just one of such developments planned or under construction that will bring in thousands of more units which will undoubtedly change the character of the neighborhood. One just needs to look over at Harlem to see what happened to an area that was once predominantly Black and BIPOC working-class neighborhood which lost 10,085 Black residents and 2,015 Latino residents while gaining 18,754 more affluent white residents.
This is the future of the South Bronx and it’s only a matter of time before it’s no longer the poorest congressional district in the nation nor a haven for the immigrant communities that helped build it.
Bankside (on right) with the two towers at The Arches (on left)
Residents, elected officials, and activists from across The Bronx and New York City are outraged at how a local street vendor was treated by the New York Police Department and Sanitation Department last week when she couldn’t produce a vending permit last week at her produce stand at Pelham Parkway and White Plains Road.
When Diana Hernandez Cruz was unable to provide the permits, the NYPD saw it fit to call Sanitation who in turn confiscated her fresh produce and began to throw it away rather than work with her to help her get the necessary permits as seen in a video which has since gone viral.
In the middle of a pandemic, in the Bronx where 1 in 5 don't have enough to eat@NYPDnews@NYCSanitation trashed a business, destroying produce in a food desert
The incident, which occurred last Thursday, September 23rd, resulted in a loss of over $10,000 in fresh produce.
In a statement on Twitter, The Street Vendor Project, who advocates on behalf of the over the estimated 10,000 street vendors of New York City, said, “The vendor is clearly a beloved member of her community. Neighbors crowded around her, calling for the abuse to stop Thousands of dollars worth of oranges, tomatoes, and other fruits trashed Taken from an immigrant woman entrepreneur, already hard hit by the pandemic”.
“The systemic abuse of our city’s micro-businesses and disregard for hunger is a travesty. Our communities deserve care, support, and training. Thankful to the community members who donated to the vendor yesterday to help her get back on her feet”, they added before asking Mayor de Blasio if he condones this behavior.
According to Sanitation, they had the food discarded because it was “…abandoned material needed to be disposed of for the safety of the community,” however, the food was not abandoned and this practice is not in line with protocol as per the Department of Worker and Consumer Protection.
As you watch the video, you can clearly see Hernandez Cruz at the stand watching as sanitation just throws away the produce.
Ms Hernandez Cruz says she’s been working at that corner selling fresh produce for five years to provide for her family and she’s out there whether the sun is shining or in bad weather in the snow and rain.
At the root of the problem is the permits are currently capped at about 5,100 permits, a number that hasn’t changed since the 80s which has led to many immigrants desperate to work to simply set up shop wherever and however they can along the city’s busy commercial corridors.
A bill written by New York State Senator Jessica Ramos from Queens would change that but it hasn’t had any movement since it was presented in 2019.
These are people who are trying to make a living and shouldn’t be treated as criminals. The city and state need to step up to make it easier for them to do so and be compliant with rules and regulations.
In the meantime, a fundraiser has been set up for Hernandez Cruz to help her recover the over $10,000 lost in produce that was thrown away.
SOUNDVIEW—The lottery for truly affordable residential units at a brand new development is soon drawing to a close.
Back in August, New York City’s Housing Connect launched a lottery for a brand new development with 283 units spread across three buildings in the Soundview area of the borough.
1755 Watson Avenue LLC is truly a rare, affordable housing development with income requirements at 30, 40, 50, and 60 percent of the Area Median Income for the majority of the units, making it accessible to the majority of local residents. The development also has units for middle-income families which is available at 100 percent of the AMI.
Rendering of 1755 Watson Avenue LLC courtesy of NYC Housing Connect
Households making as low as $15,052 can apply for a studio apartment renting for $375 a month or $18,960 for a one bedroom renting for $481 a month which is well below the typical studio in the area which can rent for up to $1,200 and $1,300 for a one bedroom.
The middle-income units available at 100% of the AMI, are renting for $1,225 a month and $1,542.
Rendering of 1755 Watson Avenue LLC courtesy of NYC Housing Connect
Located at 1775 Watson Avenue, 1111 Commonwealth Avenue, and 1115 Commonwealth Avenue, once complete, the development will contain a total of 323 apartments of which a total of 131 will be permanently affordable spread across 312,880 square feet among the three buildings.
Rendering of 1755 Watson Avenue LLC courtesy of NYC Housing Connect
The development is situated just a couple of blocks from the St Lawrence subway stop on the 6 train and is also easily accessible by the BX4A, BX5 and BX36 bus lines.
The development has many of the typical amenities like a community center, bike storage room, laundry room and also features extras like a media room, yoga and dance studio. Kitchens will have high-end countertops and finishings. A plus for residents is the fact that it will be a smoke-free development once it opens.
Typical three bedroom layout
As with many of these affordable housing developments, 5% of units are set aside for people with mobility issues, 2% for vision and hearing impaired, 50% for residents who live within Community Board 9, and 5% for New York City employees.
In order to apply, you can do so online by going here or you can request an application by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to: 1755 Watson Ave LLC, 77 Cuttermill Road Great Neck, NY 11021.
Please remember, do not submit duplicate applications and only send one application per lottery. Do NOT apply both online and by sending in a paper application. Doing so and applying more than once may disqualify you.
But time is running out and you must hurry up if you haven’t applied. Lottery closes in less than two weeks on October 4, 2021!
Good luck to everyone who applies!
Please note: Welcome2TheBronx is NOT affiliated with this listing or any other real estate developments nor do we receive any commissions from these posts. We are simply bringing the news to you.Please do NOT contact us as we cannot help you with these listings.
A popular Dominican restaurant dedicated to the staple dish of deep-fried plantains mashed together and filled with different types of meats known as mofongo throughout the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico is coming to The Bronx.
La Casa del Mofongo will be opening their fifth location and first Bronx location at the former TGI Friday’s at the Gun Hill Commons Mall in the Pelham Gardens, Baychester area.
The former TGI Friday’s will soon be home to La Casa Del Mofongo’s fifth location and first in The Bronx / Image via Google Streets
The chain will be joining other tenants at the mall like Aldi, Chuck E Cheese, Planet Fitness, and Home Depot.
Its location at the 7,500 square foot space near I-95 and Gun Hill Road, as well as ample parking, will provide for easy access to not just borough residents, particularly 45,000 residents of Co-op City just across the highway, but folks in Westchester County looking for some good, Dominican food.
According to Real Estate Weekly, Felix Cabrera, founder and owner of La Casa Del Mofongo said, “We’re thrilled to be opening our first location in The Bronx. We saw an incredible opportunity to expand into a large and well-equipped building that’s convenient and easily accessible. We’re looking to sharing our cuisine and providing entertainment to the greater Bronx community.”
Right now, Bronxites who love La Casa Del Mofongo have to trek over to Washington Heights to get their fix but come Spring of next year, they will be able to stay right here in the borough, especially for residents in the East Bronx.
Once they open, we’ll be happy to keep our money right here in the borough by going there instead of The Heights.
Long before the COVID-19 pandemic rolled through and claimed the lives of over five thousand residents to date and plunged The Bronx into economic chaos that pushed the unemployment rate at one point to over 25%, the borough was already grappling with some of the highest eviction filings in the state.
Now, new data from the Statewide Landlord Tenant Eviction Report shows that, for the third year in a row, The Bronx has the highest rates of eviction filing in not just the city but New York State as per filings between January 1st and September 20th of this year.
According to NBC, over 10,000 households in the borough accounting for 2.17% of Bronx households have been served with eviction filings down from 5.59% in 2020 and 13.23% in 2019.
Rental apartments along the Grand Concourse
This rate is over twice that of the next county which is Kings, aka Brooklyn, with a rate of 0.86%.
These numbers, however, aren’t a surprise given the struggles that many Bronx households have faced throughout the years including extreme rent burden where families are paying well over 30% of their income towards rent.
Last year, a report was released indicating that The Bronx had the greatest threat to affordable housing in New York City with seven out of the top ten community boards facing such a threat located right in the borough.
According to that data, The Bronx leads New York City with the highest rates of eviction, the most rent-burdened residents, tenants making less than the required Area Median Income to qualify for affordable housing, and most residents living in areas with increasing housing prices than any other borough in the city.
Community Board 4, covering areas like Highbridge and Mount Eden, faced the greatest threat to affordable housing in New York City according to that data.
As for the recent eviction filings data, the significant drop in filings is perhaps due to the eviction moratoriums which have been in place since last year when the pandemic began.
The 10457 zip code covering parts of Tremont, Mount Hope, and Crotona, has the most eviction filings so far for 2020 with 889 filed thus far followed by 10467 covering Norwood, Olinville, and Allerton with 846 filings for the year.
Meanwhile, over in the East Bronx, 10464 covering City Island only has 11 filings for the year and 10465 in Throggs neck with 40 making them the lowest in the borough. This, however, is in line with the fact that there are more homeowners in this area of the borough than the West Bronx.
For now, residents are still protected under a new eviction moratorium that bars evictions until January 15, 2022 but a new $250 million Supplemental Emergency Rental Assistance program may not help out everyone given that it is only available to households making 80 to 120% of the Area Median Income and in some of the hardest-hit areas of The Bronx, the majority of residents barely make 50% of the AMI.
One thing is for sure, tenants and landlords, particularly owners of smaller, residential properties, will continue to suffer if funding doesn’t come through to support both.
What’s going to happen come January 15th, 2022 when the moratorium expires? Will it be extended yet again? Chances are slim to none as life returns to somewhat normal.
Residents need to continue to pressure their elected officials if they want true relief of any kind to avert an even bigger crisis once moratoriums expire.
BEDFORD PARK—Fourty one brand new residential units are now available for you to apply in a recently launched affordable housing lottery in this northwest Bronx neighborhood.
Located at 211 East 203rd Street between the Grand Concourse and Valentine Avenue, the brand new development, which is still under construction, has studios, one-bedroom units, and two-bedroom units available.
Rendering of 211 E 203 Street from above
In order to qualify for the units set aside for households making 40 or 50% of the Area Median Income, applicants must have at least one household member who is 62 years or older.
There are two studio units available renting for $592 a month at the 40% range which means you need to make anywhere from $22,800 a year to $38,200 depending on a one or two-person household.
Eleven one-bedroom units are available for $740 a month for those at the 40% AMI which is listed as anyone making $28,218 to $42,960 a year depending on household size.
Outdoor terrace at 211 E 203
One and two-bedroom units have also been set aside for middle-income families making 80% of the AMI with significantly higher rents more closer to the area median for such units.
The development has also set aside eight one-bedroom units at the 50% AMI which is specifically for applicants who qualify for the Section 8 Project Based Voucher program and rents for these units will vary per household and set at 30% of their yearly income. Qualifying income ranges for these units goes anywhere from $0 to $53,700 a year.
Private outdoor space of 211 E 203
The 13 story unit building has a total of 108 residential units of which the remainder are set aside for the formerly homeless and families with special needs, however, those units are not made available via the NYC Affordable Housing Lottery.
Amenities included in the development are pretty standard for such new construction buildings in The Bronx like bike storage lockers, shared laundry room, air-conditioning, community center, private outdoor spaces, and an outdoor terrace.
View of 211 E 203rd Street
The Bedford Park Boulevard station on the B and D line along the Grand Concourse and is an accessible station with an elevator and is located just two blocks away along with several bus lines.
As far as recreational spaces, Mosholu Parkway, Harris Park, Williamsbridge Oval, and Bronx Park, and Van Cortlandt Park are just blocks away as is the New York Botanical Garden.
If you’re interested in applying, you can do so online by going here or you can apply by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to:
Bedford 203 HDFC C/O Sycamore Birch Management 869 Morris Park Ave Bronx, NY 10462
50% of units are set aside for current residents of Bronx Community Board 7 (you can find out which community board district you live in by entering your address here) and 50% are set aside for those 62 and older. 5% of these units are set aside for those with mobility issues and 2% for the vision and hearing impaired.
Rendering of 211 E 203
Good luck to all who apply and remember, please do not contact us as we are NOT affiliated with this or any real estate listing. We’re simply bringing you the news.
