A Bronx woman and local artist has created a colorful children’s book celebrating the history of Poe Cottage in the Fordham section of the borough with a squirrel named Eggie as the hero of the story.
‘Eggie’s Adventures at Poe Cottage’ is a fictional tale that follows a squirrel who’s interested in the history of the cottage and learns that his great grandfather was the famed American writer’s best friend.
Cover art courtesy of Laura Álvarez
The artist, Laura Álvarez, was inspired to writing and illustrating this tale after having been inspired by working at the Poe Park Visitor’s Center where she would have a full view of Poe’s Cottage and squirrels going about their daily lives and business.
In her own words, she writes of the book:
“The story is about a little squirrel named Eggie who is quite interested in the history of the cottage. He learns that his great grandfather was actually Edgar Allan Poe’s best friend, which makes him want to be a helper to Neil, who is the caretaker of the house. Instead of helping, he keeps getting into trouble; until the day when Neil goes to the city and completely forgets he had a group of children coming to visit the cottage. Eggie steps up, and of course, saves the day! Thus the story is about not only the history of the cottage but persistence as well; because if we don’t get it right the first time, that doesn’t mean it won’t end up well, especially if we try something different…“
Laura Álvarez at the Poe Park Visitor Center with Poe Cottage in the background/Via Laura Álvarez
“Between classes, the center was pretty quiet and I would look through the window. I really enjoyed seeing how the squirrels hid their food in the fall, and how they would jump into the snow like it was a pool to retrieve it during the winter. “
Edgar Allan Poe lived in the cottage from the Spring of 1846 with his wife Virginia who died in the house the following year. Although Poe died in Baltimore in 1849, the cottage remained his final place of residence.
The idea for the book itself started six years ago and took her about a month to both write and illustrate it but it took her this time to feel ready to go ahead with production.
When asked why Poe Cottage of all places for a children’s book, Álvarez said the fact that many people pass by it each day without knowing its history.
“In my opinion, we need to focus more on the amazing things we have in The Bronx looking inwards, instead of always thinking that what other people have is better,” said Álvarez
She added, “…the Bronx is a place of culture and creativity that many times is overlooked because of everything the borough has gone through.”
Laura, a native of Valencia, Spain, moved to our borough in January 2009 and has lived here ever since living in various parts from Castle Hill, to Valentine Ave almost across from Poe Cottage and more recently Concourse Village.
During her time here, she has fallen in love with The Bronx where she says, “… I have always felt loved and appreciated.”
Her favorite place in our borough is just being next to the Bronx River or canoeing in it.
Laura with her parents at Poe Cottage
In order to help with printing and production costs, Álvarez launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $5,000 which has already been met. 60% of the campaign goes towards printing and shipping, 15% to receiving and storage, with the remainder split up with Kickstarter fees, taxes, and getting an ISBN number.
Although the campaign is funded at $5,000, Álvarez has even greater goals. Should she reach $6,000 by August 27th, she will have the digital copy of the book translated into Spanish and for $7,000 it would also be translated into Catalan.
For $10,000, or double the original campaign goal, the Spanish translation of the book will be available in print.
As for how you can order the book, you can do so now by making a donation of $10 for a digital copy of the book and a downloadable coloring book to go along with it. For $15 you’ll get a hard copy of the book and the digital coloring book and for $20 you get the book, the coloring book as well as a digital download.
Printing is expected to begin as early as next month and books should be received by October. Álvarez is hoping to begin shipping the books by November so that they arrive in time for the holidays in December.
And this won’t be the only adventure for Eggie. ” I see Eggie as a little kid from The Bronx, like the ones I used to teach, that gets excited about everything he doesn’t know, so I have many plans for him,” said Álvarez enthusiastically.
While she’s extremely grateful and excited to have the project funded thanks to the warm response to the Kickstarter campaign, she’s hoping to be able to stretch the goals to publish it in Spanish.
She said, “I believe in spreading love, and when you get to share stories that are close to your heart with other people in their own language is always a plus.”
MOTT HAVEN—For almost a decade after the Lower Concourse area of the South Bronx was rezoned back in 2009, not many developers rushed in to take advantage of the new zoning.
But in the past four years, there has been a flurry of construction, and now another set of plans have been for a new building at the foot of the Grand Concourse at 138th Street.
Rendering of 261 Grand Concourse at the corner of E 138th Street/Rendering by S. Wieder Architect
261 Grand Concourse, which is currently occupied by a two-story commercial building housing several contracting companies, will be demolished to give way to a 12-story residential building with 96 residences.
Rendering via S. Wieder Architect
Once complete, the building will be 89,672 square feet and will have a host of amenities, including roof decks, balconies, and a fitness center, to name a few.
Currently, there is no indication of whether or not this will be “affordable” or just straight-up luxury. Still, given the trend in the immediate area, it will most likely be “affordable” housing but not for the majority of the local community, much like 276 Grand Concourse, which bills itself as affordable housing, yet studios in the luxury building are renting for $2,000 for residents making $65,143 a year.
Fitness center at 261 Grand Concourse / Rendering via S. Wieder Architect
In 2009, the Lower Concourse Area, roughly defined as everything south of 149th Street and west of Morris Avenue, was rezoned from mostly manufacturing to residential as many buildings were being underutilized, and the city was moving to help solve the housing crisis.
There was little to no activity for almost ten years, but in recent years, entire blocks have been demolished, as was the case at 149th Street and Exterior Street, where several residential buildings, a hotel, and an office building occupy what used to be an industrial block.
Aerial rendering of 261 Grand Concourse / Rendering via S. Wieder Architect
The same thing happened across the street from 261 Grand Concourse, where 276 Grand Concourse is almost complete. That site was once home to several automotive shops.
The area’s first new construction condominiums were built just two blocks over from 261 Grand Concourse, where two penthouse units shattered South Bronx records for the highest-selling condominiums ever in the area, reaching almost $1 million.
Rendering via S. Wieder Architect
But now, things are different in Mott Haven as developers are in a construction frenzy with literally over 2,000 units under construction within the rezoned area alone, including the Harlem River waterfront development, Bankside, which is 1,500 units of luxury living going up and almost half complete as of this writing.
Although census tract level data has yet to be released for the 2020 Census of the area, one can already see the rapid changes in the neighborhood, and one can only imagine what the area will look like by the time the next census rolls out if we only look to the fate of other low-income neighborhoods across the city.
Today The Bronx made history as New York City’s first e-scooter share began its pilot program in our borough before any other place in New York City.
Starting today, up to 3,000 e-scooters are being deployed across parts of the East Bronx in the first phase of the pilot, covering all neighborhoods north of East Tremont Avenue and East of the Bronx River and, up until the Hutchinson River Parkway.
The selected companies for the pilot program, Lime, Bird, and Veo, will each drop 1,000 across the pilot area and will be available to unlock for use via each company’s app for $1. There are per minute costs which vary by company. Lime charges only 30 cents per minute of usage, while Bird and Veo both charge 39 cents per minute.
Locals try out a Lime Scooter at a recent event/Image courtesy Shawn Garcia of Transportation Alternatives
All companies are also offering discounted pricing to increase accessibility and equity across the system, including discounts for NYCHA residents and those on public assistance.
“This is an exciting announcement as we officially bring shared micromobility to the East Bronx community. With safety as our top priority, we look forward to a continued collaboration with Bird, Lime and Veo, elected officials and local Bronx communities to make e-scooter share an effective, convenient, and equitable way to get around.” said DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman.
Shawn Garcia, the Bronx Organizer for Transporation Alternatives, said, “We’re thrilled about the launch of e-scooters in the East Bronx. The majority of residents in the Bronx don’t drive — instead walking, biking, or taking transit. With e-scooters, our neighbors living in transit deserts will have affordable and accessible connections to local businesses, workplaces, our transit system, and beyond.”
Lime scooters ready to go/Image via Shawn Garcia
While excited for the launch, Garcia also added the need for safety and better infrastructure.
“But we must push for safer conditions on our streets. With almost no protected bike lanes in the East Bronx, we’ll continue to advocate for safety upgrades on our streets and counteract decades of environmental racism in the Bronx because of the unacceptable car and truck traffic in residential neighborhoods,” he added.
While many advocates for the program are excited for the East Bronx having been selected as New York City’s area for the pilot program, an area that is often overlooked and is a relative transit desert when it comes to public transportation options, many residents are sounding off on public forums across social media that they are not happy with scooters coming to their neighborhoods.
Many in local Community Board Facebook groups such as Community Board 10 and 11 complain that this will be a disaster with people riding around in the scooters running red lights zooming in and out of traffic-causing accidents. Yet, according to a report by Streetsblog, they found that a small fraction of “injury-causing crashes” were caused by e-scooters and other micro-mobility devices.
Map of East Bronx pilot area
Other concerns that have been addressed by the New York City Department of Transportation are the cluttering and parking of the e-scooters. DOT has installed over 90 corrals in heavily trafficked areas where the e-scooters must be parked within these mandatory corral zones. In other areas where there are none, you can park them on sidewalks away from the flow of pedestrian traffic or up against the curb.
The specific neighborhoods in the phase one pilot program are Van Nest, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Gardens, Indian Village, Allerton, Williamsbridge, Co-op City, Edenwald, Baychester, Eastchester, and Woodlawn (the only West Bronx neighborhood in the program).
Next year, the pilot will expand to the rest of the East Bronx (except for City Island), covering Throggs Neck, Westchester Square, Soundview, Parkchester, Castle Hill, Country Club, Clason Point, Schuylerville, and Pelham Bay.
During the pilot, DOT will assess various data points, including usage, clutter management, and safety. After the pilot program, the agency will issue recommendations before a wider implementation across New York City. Under current law, Manhattan will be the only borough where e-scooters will be unavailable.
We’re hoping for the best for this pilot program. Residents of the East Bronx deserve access to such ride sharing programs given that Citibike will not be coming to the area any time soon.
And drivers, be careful out there. Remember, your vehicle has exponentially more of a chance to kill someone on the road than a bicycle or e-scooter. As drivers of vehicles, you need to remember that pedestrians always have the right of way.
According to the latest data released on the 2020 Census, The Bronx continues to grow and has achieved a population record set in 1970 when 1,471,701 were recorded living in the borough.
Today, according to the 2020 Census, The Bronx has a record-high population of 1,472,654 who call our diverse borough home.
This represents a 6.3 percent increase from the 2010 Census when the population was 1,385,108 (an increase by 87,546 residents.
Back then, if The Bronx were a city of its own, it would have been the 9th largest city but with the population growth since 2010, the borough and birthplace of Hip Hop and Salsa would now be the 7th largest city in the United States after Philadelphia.
Neighborhoods Fueling The Growth
The population growth over the past decade was seen across the entire borough but in terms of numbers, the Port Morris-Mott Haven area along with Morrisania, and Williamsbridge-Olinville each saw an increase of about 5,000.
The Crotona Park East neighborhood was one of the fastest growing in The Bronx, fueled by new affordable housing construction in the past decade
In the Port Morris-Mott Haven area, this increase was helped by real estate developers turning their eyes on the area and the influx of hundreds of units of luxury housing with thousands currently under construction. During the same period, Morrisania saw a significant increase of affordable housing helping drive the increase in that area.
In terms of percent change, Morrisania was the fastest growing neighborhood in The Bronx with an increase of 22 percent, followed by Crotona Park East with an increase of 15 percent. Both of these neighborhoods have seen an explosion of new affordable housing developments in the past decade.
Decreasing White Population While Hispanics Solidify Majority
As for key racial demographic statistics, The Bronx continues to be a predominantly Hispanic borough with 54.8 percent of the population identifying as such, an increase of 8.8 percent from 2010. While the number of people identifying as Black increased in The Bronx by 2,698, the share of the borough’s population dropped from 30.1 percent in 2010 to 28.5 percent in 2020.
The largest increase of the Hispanic population in the borough, which increased by 65,050 individuals, was felt the most in the northwest Bronx neighborhoods of Riverdale-Spuyten Duyvil with a 59% increase followed by Pelham Bay-Country Club-City Island with a 50 percent increase, and Morris Park with a 38 percent increase. Hunts point actually saw a 5 percent decline.
The largest decline of the Black population in The Bronx was felt in many West Bronx neighborhoods like Norwood and University Heights-Fordham each with an 11 percent decline, Concourse-Concourse Village with a 7 percent decline. Meanwhile, the Black population saw a marked increase in Morrisania and West Farms with an increase of 22 and 20 percent respectively.
Across the city, the Black population saw a decline of 4.5 percent with Brooklyn having the most dramatic drop with a decrease of 8.7 percent.
City Island (together with Pelham Bay and Country Club) saw a decline of 20% of its White population from 2010 to 2020 while experiencing a 50% increase in its Hispanic population during the same period
The White population in The Bronx continues to decline and it was the largest such decline of the 5 boroughs with a drop of 20,413 individuals identifying as White, or a 13.5 percent decline. The White population now only accounts for 8.9 percent of the overall population of the borough and is the lowest in New York City. Queens, which has the second-lowest percentage of White people, now has 22 percent of the population identifying as such making The Bronx, by far, the home to the most BIPOC community in the city.
Pelham Gardens saw the largest drop of the White population with a decline of 23 percent followed by Throggs Neck-Schuylerville with a 21 percent loss, and Pelham Bay-Country Club-City Island with a 20 percent drop.
Asians See a Marked Increase in The Bronx
Parkchester saw a 130% increase in its Asian population, the largest such increase in the borough.
Asians had the highest increase in The Bronx out of the four main groups with a 43.2 percent increase fueled by a 130 percent increase in Parkchester and 99 percent increase in Castle Hill-Unionport although these significant jumps were due to the borough’s relatively lower-than-average Asian population.
In our borough, Asians account for only 4.6 percent of the overall population as of 2020 which increased from 3.4 percent in 2010 from 47,335 to 67,766 identifying as such.
Other Key Indicators
The Bronx’s increase of 6.3 percent was below the city’s increase of 7.7 percent. Brooklyn saw the largest increase at 9.2 percent, followed by Queens at 7.8 percent, Manhattan at 6.8 percent, and Staten Island at 5.8 percent.
According to the New York City Department of City Planning, one in six New York City residents live in The Bronx.
The number of residents under the age of 18 saw the largest decline in The Bronx of all the five boroughs dropping from 26.6 percent of the population to 23.7 percent representing an overall decrease of 5.1 percent. This downward trend in this category was in line with the rest of the city.
The population of residents under the age of 18 dropped in The Bronx by 5.1%, the largest such decline in New York City between 2010 and 2020
From 2010 to 2020, The Bronx saw an increase of 35,134 units of housing, a 6.9 percent increase with the vast majority in the South Bronx. As for vacancy, The Bronx had the lowest such rate at 4.5 percent well below the city average of 6.9 percent and by far lower than Manhattan’s 10.5 percent vacancy rate.
The Road Ahead
With the construction of thousands of luxury units of housing along the Harlem River in the South Bronx over the course of the next years with thousands more planned, it will be interesting to see if the White decline will continue or will it reverse.
In parts of the city that are experiencing high gentrification, there has been a significant drop in the local Black population like Bushwich and Bedford-Stuyvesant which saw a decline of 26 and 26 percent respectively between 2010 and 2020 while the White population increased by 351 percent and 445 percent respectively in those same neighborhoods. The Hispanic population also dropped by 19 percent in Bushwick during this same period and was Brooklyn’s largest decline of Hispanics.
2401 Third Avenue, the end (or the beginning) of the avenue in The Bronx where 1,500 units of luxury housing are being constructed in Port Morris.
These scenarios are playing out across historically Black and Brown neighborhoods across the city that are now deemed as desirable by developers who are changing the historic working-class fabric of these enclaves with luxury housing.
One thing remains for sure, however, is that we are still a pretty diverse borough made up from peoples across the globe who decided to call The Bronx home.
You can view the full data from New York City’s Department of Planning here.
Many kids growing up in The Bronx playing baseball dream of playing for the Yankees right here in their own borough but competing with thousands across the country, for many, it’s just that—a dream.
But for one Bronx kid from Morris Park, his dreams have come true.
Andrew Velazquez, 27, made his debut with the Bronx Bombers as an infielder on Monday night in Kansas City against the Kansas City Royals in an 8-6 winning game with extra innings.
The 27-year-old baseball player grew up in the Morris Park section of the borough and went to St Francis Xavier and then onto Fordham Prep, where he played in the school’s ball team.
At Fordham, Velasquez started as a center fielder until becoming the team’s shortstop in his senior year.
A 10-year-old Velasquez at the old Yankee Stadium (left) and Velasquez fulling his childhood dream (right)
Then in 2012, he was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks until being traded in 2014 to the Tampa Bay Rays, where he played for five years.
It wasn’t until December of 2020 that he finally arrived at the Yankees in a minor league contract, but on Monday, through a fluke of fate due to a thumb injury to shortstop Gleyber Torres, Velasquez was finally promoted to the Major Leagues by the Yankees.
Velazquez said his dream of playing for the Yankees crystallized around age 10, when his parents booked a birthday party at the original Yankee Stadium. He was able to take photos on the field and toured Monument Park, vowing that he’d dedicate himself to getting back to that stage.
“This is something I’ve thought about since I was a child, so it’s amazing to me,” Velazquez said. “I used to have Yankee uniforms when I was a kid. I used to go to the Stadium all the time. I mean, this is where my love for baseball began.”
It’s beautiful when your dreams as a kid growing up in The Bronx become a reality against all odds. Much through our lives living in The Bronx, we’re facing and battling against many negative stereotypes.
But in many ways, that’s what makes us stronger and gives us that spirit of determination and perseverance to fight against all odds to be the best and leave a positive mark in this world.
Velasquez is that hometown dream come true of making it to the big leagues (literally). Living in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, home to some of the most storied ballplayers in history and the franchise with the most World Series wins, having taken home a whopping 27 victories, makes it a daunting and formidable task.
A new Batgirl is coming to your television screens but watch out, and she’s from The Bronx.
Leslie Grace, the Grammy nominee singer and actress, born in The Bronx to Dominican parents, has landed the role of the iconic superhero in an upcoming HBO Max movie which will bring the character to life for the first time in decades and making her the first Latina to portray the crime-fighting hero.
Bronx-Born singer and actress Leslie Grace will star as Batgirl aka Barbara Gordon in an upcoming HBO Max movie
Recently this year, Grace has enjoyed success in Lin Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, the hit Tony award-winning Broadway show turned movie produced by Jon M. Chu, starring as Nina Rosario.
Now, she will return to the screens once again, this time, as the iconic Barbara Gordon from the DC Comics universe who’s Gotham City’s police commissioner James Gordon’s daughter who fights alongside Batman as Batgirl unbeknownst to the world.
The character first appeared in January 1967 in Detective Comics’ “The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl” and later that year on the Batman television series played by actress Yvonne Craig.
Leslie Grace as Nina in ‘In The Heights’ (center)
And now we will get to see her portrayed by a Latina from The Bronx, which will debut and stream exclusively on HBO Max.
But Grace isn’t the only one who’s “from The Bronx.”
Two Bronxites created the iconic character of Batman: Bill Finger, a writer, and Bob Kane, a cartoonist, both of who would go to Poe Park on the Grand Concourse to hash out the details of what would eventually become one of the most popular superheroes in the world.
Without the genesis of Batman we more than likely would not have Batgirl and we can thank two Bronxites who created the character over 80 years ago right here in our beloved borough of The Bronx.
The borough’s contribution to superheroes doesn’t end there as the father of Marvel Comics, the late Stan Lee was raised in The Bronx and attended DeWitt Clinton High School. Lee created characters like The Hulk, Iron Man, Black Panther, the X-Men, Thor, and Spider-Man just to name a few of the most popular and well-known pantheon of characters.
We’re looking forward to watching Leslie Grace kick ass on the screen keeping the streets of Gotham safe from crime.
Release date for Batgirl has yet to be announced but we’ll be sure to keep you posted.
New York City’s Housing Connect has launched a lottery for 283 brand new apartments in a three building development in the Soundview neighborhood of The Bronx.
With income requirements at 30, 40, 50, and 60 percent of the Area Median Income for the majority of the units, this development is truly affordable to most local and Bronx residents. Units for middle income families are also available at 100 percent of the AMI.
Rendering of 1755 Watson Avenue LLC courtesy of NYC Housing Connect
This means that households with incomes 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.
For households making 100 percent of the AMI those same units are renting for $1,225 a month and $1,542 a month respectively illustrating the need to make units available at the lower end to make it accessible to more households.
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.
Residents will have access to such amenities like a media room, yoga and dance studio, a community center, bike storage room and apartments will feature high end countertops and finishes. The development is also smoke-free.
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.
Lottery closes 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.
As the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread at a rapid pace across the city, state, and country, New York City will require vaccinations for several indoor activities beginning August 16th according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
For those customers who want to participate in indoor dining, go to the gym, attend indoor entertainment and performances, proof of vaccination or proof of at least one shot will be required making it the first place in the country to do so.
This mandate will also extend to employees of those establishments.
In order to accommodate impacted businesses by the new mandate, it will not be fully enforced by the city until September 13th giving these establishments time to prepare and ensure compliance.
Earlier this year, Yankee Stadium became a mass vaccination site exclusively for Bronx residents
Over the past month the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased from a daily low in the 100s to thousands of cases a day and along with that increase, hospitalizations and deaths have also increased slightly as a result.
Places like The Bronx, which was ground zero at the onset of the pandemic in America, remain extremely vulnerable to the ravages of the deadly disease as the borough has the lowest vaccination rate in the city.
Currently, only 46% of all Bronx residents are fully vaccinated and only 51% are partially vaccinated compared to the citywide average of 55% and 60% respectively.
As of today, the Delta variant accounts for 72% of all tested cases.
And while data shows that vaccinated people can still get COVID and transmit it, it’s important to note that the vaccine drastically reduces your chances of getting severe infection.
Recent data indicates that the unvaccinated account for 97% of people hospitalized and fatalities.
Bottom line, you still have a choice to not get the vaccine but if you do not, you will not be able to fully participate in society.
Last year we reported when an “affordable” housing lottery was launched at the luxury Port Morris development, The Arches where units were priced at $2,150 for a studio for individuals making $73k a year.
Now, the same 25 story development has unveiled another 60 units under New York City’s Housing Connect affordable housing program and just like the previous units, they are anything but affordable to local residents.
The Arches
This time around, there is only one studio apartment available and is priced at $2,100 a month for an individual or two person household making anywhere from $72,000 to $124,150 a year.
The lower end of the income requirement is over three times the median income of the area which is $21,737 a year making it out of reach of almost 80% of residents living in Community Board 1 where the development is located just like 276 Grand Concourse just a few blocks north from The Arches.
A unit at The Arches
One bedroom units, of which there are twenty five units available, are priced at $2,221 a month and thirty four two bedroom units that are available are priced at $2,705 a month.
All units have central AC and access to 40,000 square feet of amenities like assigned parking spaces, yoga and dance studio, media room, business center, children’s playroom, and doorman.
A bedroom at The Arches
The Arches is located at 228 East 135th Street directly in front of the Major Deegan Expressway (like right on top of it) and the street itself is packed with speeding trucks and cars making it a dangerous stretch of roadway.
It’s also part of a several developments that are transforming the South Bronx Waterfront along the Harlem River which is seeing thousands of units of luxury housing currently under construction that will change the area forever.
Bankside, which is under construction behind The Arches, will bring with it 1,500 units across seven buildings and there are plans for another 25 story development next to The Arches as well.
Typical kitchen at The Arches
Located right on the waterfront, it’s walking distance to Manhattan across the Madison Avenue or Third Avenue Bridges.
Those interested in applying for these units have until August 19, 2021 to do so and you can do so online here or you can request a paper application by sending a self-addressed envelope to: Tax Solute Consulting C/O The Arches, 185 Marcy Suite 33-A Brooklyn NY 11211. CB # 201.
Preferences go to New York City residents so this lottery is open to not just residents of Community Board 1 in The Bronx but any qualifying applicant living in the five boroughs.
Good luck to those who apply.
Check out the photo gallery below:
A bedroom at The Arches
Typical kitchen at The Arches
Rendering of a unit at The Arches
Luxury living in front of one of the most congested highways in the region. Good luck with that.
The Arches on 135th Street just west of Third Avenue
HUNTS POINT—Krasdale, a 113 year old family owned and operated business is making The Bronx a little greener.
The grocery distribution company, which has been operating out of Hunts Point in the South Bronx for nearly half a century, announced yesterday that it will be installing a 2.7 megawatt solar rooftop system atop its warehouse.
The company will be working with PowerFlex, a national provider of clean and sustainable energy infrastructure which will install over 6,500 solar panels at the Hunts Point warehouse which, once operational, will be capable of generating clean energy equivalent to removing 524 automobiles off the road or offsetting 5.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide.
Rendering of the upcoming solar panel installation at Krasdale’s warehouse in Hunts Point
“After nearly a half century in Hunts Point, we’re thrilled to be able to support our community by creating a greener New York,” said Krasdale President Gus Lebiak. “Our focus has always been on giving back to the communities we serve, and this project represents our continuing commitment to the Bronx. We want to thank the City of New York and PowerFlex for partnering with us on this initiative.”
Beyond the obvious environmental benefits of utilizing underutilized rooftop spaces to provide clean, renewable energy, the system will also be able to help reduce energy costs to about 300 local residents by up to 10% through its designation as a community solar project according to a press release from Krasdale.
In an area long plagued by some of the highest rates not just in the city but in the nation, sustainable solutions are a welcome relief.
Hunts Point is an area that is plagued with truck traffic due to it being home to the largest food distribution industrial park in the world where diesel trucks are coming in and out of the neighborhood twenty four hours a day.
While initiatives like these such as the Krasdale installation are important, we need to provide even greater solutions such as requiring more electric trucks to so that we can drastically reduce the emissions that plague this and most communities of the South Bronx.
“New York City is closer to achieving its energy goals with Krasdale’s new solar installation at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “This project will improve air quality for New Yorkers and contribute to a cleaner, more resilient electricity grid. We look forward to advancing additional sustainability projects at the Food Distribution Center and delivering much-needed benefits to the Hunts Point community.”
We can only hope that more businesses operating in The Bronx follow Krasdale’s example in making The Bronx a little cleaner and healthier.
Installation is expected to take nine months with completion slated for some time next year.
This article was originally published on Jul 12 at 8:57pm EDT by THE CITYBronx Democratic leader Jamaal Bailey says it’s “a new day” for the borough. | Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has a penchant for speaking in the third person. But when he took the stage at his primary night watch party, the first name out of his mouth was not his own.
“I think about Rubén Díaz Jr. and about how we talked about as little boys, one in The Bronx, one in Brooklyn, we hopped on those little dirty mattresses because we didn’t have anywhere else to go in the burnt-out lots,” Adams said, as the Bronx borough president stood behind him. “And we just wanted to do something someday for our city.”
Díaz, he added, kept his promise to “bring [him] The Bronx.”
The Bronx Democratic Party-backed mayoral candidate’s tough-on-crime rhetoric contrasts with the progressive wave in the Council elections in the borough. Several self-styled progressives, buoyed by party support, took open seats previously occupied by stalwarts of the borough’s evangelical Latino base, like City Council members Fernando Cabrera and Rubén Díaz Sr., the Bronx borough president’s father.
But it’s not that the establishment is fractured: Some observers say the shift simply represents a pragmatic rebranding, part of a concerted effort by the party to embrace its progressive flank at a time when the Democratic establishments in Brooklyn and Queens have struggled amid a leftward turn.
And the Bronx machine, once bruised and leaderless, is roaring back: Every Council candidate endorsed by the Bronx County Democratic Party won his or her primary — including progressives Amanda Farías, Althea Stevens, Marjorie Velázquez and Pierina Sánchez, who handily beat Democratic Socialists of America-backed Adolfo Abreu.
Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. speaks at Eric Adams’ primary night party, June 22, 2021.| Hiram Alejandro Durán/THE CITY
Many of those borough party-backed candidates support some progressive goals — such as increased tenants protections and shifting public funds towards community programs in a bid to curb crime — but not canceling rent or taking funding away from the NYPD, the calling cards for the left.
In an interview with THE CITY, State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, who stepped in last year as the borough’s party chair, didn’t shy away from embracing a progressive label, citing such issues as climate justice and health care reform, even while backing a moderate like Adams.
“I think it’s a new day in The Bronx,” said Bailey, a protégé of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-The Bronx) who chaired the Bronx Democratic Party until becoming speaker in 2015. “I think that we want candidates who are going to support that.”
‘The Shift Is Happening’
It’s a remarkable position compared to party leaders in Brooklyn and Queens who have tried with modest success to shake off the party’s progressive wing since the upset victory of now-Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a Queens and Bronx seat in 2018.
But some political players say the Bronx Democratic pivot is less of a result of soul-searching and more a strategy to win elections — especially after now-Rep. Jamaal Bowman won a Bronx and Westchester seat last year, beating party-backed 16-term incumbent Eliot Engel.
“Their goal is power preservation — so they had to innovate, that’s just the political climate that exists,” said Gabe Tobias, executive director of the Our City PAC, which boosts progressive grassroots candidates. “There’s pressure underneath from grassroots groups and organizations, and from voters that are moving in a more progressive direction.”
The wave of progressives who won in The Bronx notched the backing of traditional players such as unions, political clubs and the county Democratic operation, but also gained support from some grassroots advocacy organizations, such as VOCAL-NY and Make The Road.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens, The Bronx) | Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
Political observers note that Bailey’s efforts to move the party towards its progressive wing may be a result of more recent threats to its power, starting with Ocasio-Cortez’s victory over Queens party leader Joe Crowley which came the same year now-state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi trounced incumbent Jeff Klein.
“Perhaps internally, they’re looking at ways to be supportive of the progressive cause for political survival,” said Eli Valentin, a political analyst and lecturer at Union Theological Seminary. “But also because of just the reality of the situation: The shift is happening, and the party has to be part of it.”
Bailey bristled at the idea the party is seizing on grassroot movements. “I think these are just Bronx values,” he said. “I have two daughters — I want a cleaner planet. I think that these are values that Bronxites hold near and dear. People want their jobs, they want better schools, want better education, and most importantly, they want a path for success.”
‘Back to Fundamentals’
Our City, Tobias’ group, spent $1,000 on behalf of Abreu, the DSA-backed candidate who ran in the competitive primary to succeed Fernando Cabrera in the 14th District, which includes Morris Heights.
That race was ultimately won by Sánchez, an urban planner and Obama and de Blasio administration alum who countered with traditional institutional support, includingmaking campaign trail appearances alongside Adams and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), long-time foils of the left.
But the grassroots rhetoric came in her campaign video, where she introduced herself as “an activist” and spoke of the post-COVID recovery for the district’s essential workers. In an interview with THE CITY, Sánchez pledged to boost homeownership and youth employment.
“It goes back to the fundamentals of a safe community: a safe community is where people are employed, a community where people are living in stable housing and have enough money and are able to put food on the table,” she said.
Tobias, a former senior advisor with Justice Democrats, the group that helped elevate AOC and Bowman, said that the party’s rebrand signals a victory of sorts for the left: “This is us changing the terms of the debate. Candidates with plenty of establishment support like Pierina Sánchez or [Councilmember] Kevin Riley are hard to distinguish in terms of policy from DSA candidates.”
For its part, the electoral wing of the DSA’s Bronx/Upper Manhattan chapter — which boosted Abreu in the 14th district, the only candidate the group backed in the borough — was not surprised by the Bronx party’s pivot.
“We’ve seen the Democratic Party shifting its rhetoric and endorsements to the left to be a response to pressure from below from insurgent candidates that have had the backing of DSA, to the George Floyd uprisings last summer, to increased labor militancy throughout the pandemic — and none of that is new,” said Gayle Kelemen Snible, who represents the chapter’s electoral efforts.
‘Something Very Different’
On the borough’s east side, another election emerged at the crossroads of the party apparatus’ turn to progressive causes.
Amanda Farías, a progressive who campaigned on issues of environmental justice and transit equity, nabbed the majority of the institutional and grassroots support, including from the Bronx Democratic Party, in the race to replace Rev. Rubén Díaz Sr. in the 18th Council District, which includes Parkchester, Soundview and Castle Hill.
The first time she ran for office was in 2017, against the machine and Díaz Sr. himself — gaining about 20% of the vote to Díaz Sr.’s 40%. This year, the party endorsed her over the candidate hand-picked by Díaz, William Rivera, the controversial district manager of the local community board.
The race was close: Up until the absentee votes were certified, Farías led Rivera by less than one percentage point after five rounds of ranked-choice voting. The mail-in ballots put her over the top, and on July 5 she declared victory, with 52.3% of the vote.
Unlike Sánchez, Farías earned the endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez and Our Revolution, the PAC that spun off of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ first presidential run. Kelemen Snible, on behalf of DSA’s Bronx and Upper Manhattan chapter, spoke admiringly of Farías push for a municipal jobs guarantee. (The group did not endorse Farías).
Amanda Farías | Ben Fractenberg/THE CITY
Farías described the party’s hands-off approach: Whereas traditionally local machines may take over top-bottom decision-making for campaigns, the message from the party was “‘how can we come in and help,’ versus ‘this is how we operate,’” she said, a sentiment echoed by Sánchez.
For example, Farías said she insisted on having her own campaign legal team instead of the party’s counsel, Stanley Schlein, and the party leadership obliged. Her campaign handled the petitioning process on its own.
“This was a ground game — we won this campaign at the grassroots. But the county, they’re trying to do something very different, and they’re clearly not keeping the same type of status quo decisions,” she said.
The senior Díaz will retire from politics when his term ends in January, and Díaz Jr., who briefly flirted with a mayoral run, has kept his post-borough presidency aspirations to himself. But his involvement in the Adams campaign have led some to question that he may be vying for a leadership role in City Hall.
But wherever he — and the borough party — goes next, the left is skeptical on whether the Bronx Democrats will deliver on their new progressive values.
“Since at least 2013, we’ve seen democratic politicians be ushered into office on progressive rhetoric and promises of change for their constituents, and ultimately fail to deliver when it’s time for difficult votes,” Kelemen Snible said. “I think we simply won’t know until we see how they act in the Council.”
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