If there ever was a super fan of Jennifer Lopez, it’s Edgardo Luis Rivera. Edgardo is desperately trying to get the city to name a street near JLo’s Castle Hill home to ‘Jennifer Lopez Way’. He’s even started a petition to the city to do so.
The odds, however, seem against him due to regulations stating that guidelines for street renamings state that the person must be deceased or terminally-ill.
Governor Cuomo announced today in a press conference that a total of eight hospitals across the state of New York as medical centers designated to treat ebola cases — Montefiore in The Bronx being one of them.
According to the press release, “Montefiore Health System president and CEO Steven M. Safyer, MD said, “We applaud Governor Cuomo for his leadership on this potential public health issue. New Yorkers will be well-served by having specialty centers located in their communities with the expertise to respond quickly and efficiently if the need arises. Montefiore, with its academic partner, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has nationally-recognized expertise in Ebola research and treating infectious diseases, and has a robust infection control program. We have been training our frontline care providers in best practices for many months to identify, isolate, and care for patients who may be infected with Ebola.”
Of other 7 institutions, 4 are located in the New York City with 3 in Manhattan (Mount Sinai, New York Presbyterian, and Bellevue), 2 on Long Island at North Shore/LIJ Health System in Nassau County and Stony Brook University Hospital in Suffolk. The other two are located upstate in Syracuse and Rochester.
Unannounced Training Drills in Health Facilities Expanded to Occur in Mass Transit Centers and on College Campuses Statewide
Education Session for Healthcare Workers Scheduled for October 21
Albany, NY (October 16, 2014)
Governor Designates Eight Hospitals Statewide to Care for Potential Patients and Outlines Updated Department of Health Hospital Protocols
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today convened New York State agency leadership along with regional hospital and healthcare representatives to outline the State’s plans for Ebola preparedness and to assure New Yorkers that the State is taking every precaution to protect their health and safety. The Governor has designated eight hospitals statewide to treat potential patients with Ebola. Additionally, the State Department of Health has issued a Commissioner’s Order to all hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers, and ambulance services in New York State, requiring that they follow protocols for identification, isolation and medical evaluation of patients requiring care. In order to ensure that New York is continuously prepared to safely treat anyone who is exposed to or contracts Ebola, an education session for healthcare workers will be held in New York City on October 21.
Governor Cuomo also announced that the Port Authority will coordinate procedure and practice between all State airports to ensure proper training is in place for airport personnel, and the Port Authority Police Department will be deploying two ambulances per shift at each of its airports to ensure the timely and safe transport of potential patients with Ebola. Additionally, the MTA will work to ensure that its employees have necessary equipment and training to protect themselves as well as subway, bus and commuter railroad customers. As part of the State’s preparedness plan, unannounced drills currently occurring at hospitals and health care facilities will be expanded to college campuses as well as subway and mass transit areas. State agencies will continue to work together and make adjustments as necessary in the weeks and months to come in order to best protect New Yorkers.
“Protecting the people of this state is one of our top priorities in government, and I want all New Yorkers to know that we are doing everything necessary to safeguard against the risks of ebola,” Governor Cuomo said. “Today I’m announcing a thorough effort involving multiple state agencies and authorities that will ensure we are prepared to address even the slightest possibility of this disease. On top of these measures, we are working in close coordination with federal and local agencies and health care professionals, and I want to thank all of them for their cooperation and support. This administration has always erred on the side of caution, and this issue is no different. New Yorkers should rest assured that we are taking the steps to be fully prepared for whatever the future brings.”
New York State’s Ebola plan calls for eight hospitals statewide to handle all patients diagnosed with Ebola, with plans to designate additional hospitals going forward. The following eight hospitals have agreed to the designation and are creating isolation units to accept patients:
Mt. Sinai in Manhattan
New York Presbyterian in Manhattan
Bellevue in Manhattan
Montefiore in the Bronx
North Shore/LIJ Health System in Nassau County
Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse
University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester
Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island
Various State agencies and authorities are already addressing the threat of Ebola, including:
Department of Health: In addition to updating protocols and hosting training exercises, the Department of Health will plan webinars for all hospital epidemiology, infection control and emergency room staff on Ebola. DOH will also draft another alert reiterating guidance about emergency department triage and infection control and take steps to be sure this guidance reaches all parts of the healthcare system, including clinics, urgent care centers, and primary care. DOH will also conduct an electronic survey of all hospitals to query Ebola readiness activities, training, and the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). DOH regional staff – including personnel from the Office of Public Health’s Epidemiology, Infection Control, and Primary Care and Health Systems Management Offices – will do joint visits to hospitals and other health care settings using a standard check for things like emergency department triage, care plan, PPE, and training.
Port Authority: At JFK, in coordination with personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Customs and Border Protection and US Coast Guard, advanced screenings commenced on Saturday using detailed questionnaires for passengers originating in three West African nations. In addition, personnel from the CDC, Customs and Border Protection and the US Public Health Service had a practice drill with the Port Authority Police Department and other Federal, State and local partners on Friday afternoon at JFK for scenarios in which passengers who may have been infected with the virus are handled at JFK. Advanced screening began Saturday at JFK and at this time no passengers at JFK arriving from the three West African nations have been identified as having the Ebola virus.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority: The MTA has developed a protocol to keep its employees and customers safe during this time of heightened awareness. This protocol includes ensuring that at-risk employees have appropriate personal protective equipment to guard against infection and are trained in its use, as well as following best practices and recommended standards when cleaning MTA facilities. This protocol was developed in close consultation with the State Department of Health regarding symptoms and likelihood of potential exposure. The MTA has been meeting with its labor unions this week to discuss this protocol and to make sure it is consistent and thorough in its implementation. The MTA will outline this Ebola virus protocol to customers through messaging throughout the MTA system in the coming days.
Public Safety: The Governor’s Office of Public Safety is working with New York State Police, the New York State Chiefs and Sheriff’s Associations and SUNY Chiefs to coordinate field advise for police officers regarding recommended equipment and procedures to reduce chance of contamination.
Commissioner’s Order: Acting State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker has issued a Commissioner’s Order to all hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers, and ambulance services in New York State, requiring that they follow protocols for identification, isolation and medical evaluation of patients requiring care, and also mandating that all staff be trained in person in the practice of donning and removing personal protective equipment. The protocols are in place to ensure that New York’s hospitals can safely care for and treat patients with Ebola. The Department of Health is also providing guidance to other healthcare professionals and facilities on the proper management of people with potential exposure to Ebola. The Commissioner’s Order can be viewed HERE.
More information about Ebola – including answers to common questions and links to other resources on the disease – is available HERE.
State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said, “Every hospital and health care provider in New York State must be prepared for a patient with Ebola to come to them. New York State is sharing guidance and working on training and practice drills and helping health care providers assess their readiness to ensure that all health care professionals know the guidelines and protocols so that we can provide the best possible care for patients while protecting the people who provide that care.”
Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye said, “Ensuring the health and safety of everyone who uses or works at our facilities is our number one priority. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership we are working with the State Department of Health, the CDC, the CBP and the rest of our federal, state and local partners to ensure the personnel at our airports are fully prepared to handle potential patients with Ebola or any other infectious disease.”
State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico said, “Law enforcement are often the first responders to medical emergencies. The State Police is working with the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, the New York Sheriffs Association and SUNY Police to share best practices, protocols and messaging to better prepare the law enforcement community in the event of a medical emergency.”
Training for Health Care Workers: Next week, the State Department of Health will join representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Greater New York Hospital Association, 1199 SEIU and the Partnership for Quality Care for an Ebola education session for health care workers. The event will include national and New York City-area infection control experts, and a hands-on demonstration of wearing and removing equipment. The training will take place on Tuesday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Javits Center in New York City.
Healthcare Association of New York State President Dennis Whalen said, “Ebola is a serious concern for every hospital in New York State. The care of patients and the health and safety of our staff and workers are critical priorities. Each institution is training staff and workers in proper procedures; ensuring appropriate protocols and plans for patient assessment and care are developed, in place, and drilled; and making certain that adequate supplies of recommended Personal Protective Equipment are available for staff. We are working closely with the State Department of Health and these efforts will continue as new information becomes available from CDC and DOH. We will work with our hospitals to ensure compliance with the Commissioner’s Order that reinforces the actions hospitals already have underway. Hospitals in New York State are institutions that are always ready to respond to threats of disease, disaster, and illness—and they are making every preparation to safely care for patients with Ebola, should the need arise.”
Greater New York Hospital Association President Ken Raske said, “As the Texas Ebola cases have shown, a patient with Ebola can show up anywhere, so New York State needs to be at the highest level of preparedness. The State’s plan—anchored by the outstanding leadership of the hospitals that will care for all Ebola patients—is a critically important development in ensuring that our patients receive the highest level of care while our invaluable health care workforce receives the highest level of protection. GNYHA will work with the State, local health departments and our hospitals to ensure that communication and coordination are the hallmarks of every element of the State’s plan.”
New York State Nurses Association Executive Director Jill Furillo, RN, said, “The New York State Nurses Association supports the State’s decision to require each hospital to have written protocols for immediately identifying, isolating, and medically evaluating any person who could potentially be infected with Ebola. Additionally, we commend the State for requiring in-person training on donning and removing personal protective equipment, further ensuring the safety of all patients and the frontline workers who care for them. NYSNA looks forward to working with the Department of Health as we implement optimal statewide requirements for high-quality, safe care for all New Yorkers.”
CEO and President of the Mount Sinai Health System Kenneth L. Davis, MD said, “As frontline health care workers, we are committed to protecting the health and well-being of our communities. We have established protocols to identify, treat and monitor patients who possibly have Ebola, and we are confident our efforts will successfully allow us to employ all necessary infection control measures to keep all patients and staff safe.”
New York-Presbyterian Hospital CEO Steven J. Corwin, M.D. said, “We exist for the public good and we are committed to providing superlative care to all those who need our help, especially during times of crisis. As a designated Ebola Center, through specialized resources and a highly trained, core team of providers, New York-Presbyterian will be prepared to manage the complete course of care for an afflicted patient.”
Montefiore Health System president and CEO Steven M. Safyer, MD said, “We applaud Governor Cuomo for his leadership on this potential public health issue. New Yorkers will be well-served by having specialty centers located in their communities with the expertise to respond quickly and efficiently if the need arises. Montefiore, with its academic partner, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has nationally-recognized expertise in Ebola research and treating infectious diseases, and has a robust infection control program. We have been training our frontline care providers in best practices for many months to identify, isolate, and care for patients who may be infected with Ebola.”
North Shore/LIJ President and CEO Michael Dowling said, “As New York’s largest healthcare provider with 16 hospitals across the metropolitan area, the North Shore-LIJ Health System embraces its role as a regional resource in preparing for and responding to the Ebola emergency, including offering assistance to other healthcare providers. While all of our hospitals have been on high alert for patients who may have been exposed to the virus, we recognize the wisdom of designating a single location to serve as a receiving site for potential Ebola patients. We will work cooperatively with state and local health officials to maximize the protection of patients, staff, visitors and the community-at-large during this public health emergency.”
On Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014, a memorial service will be held for the late Kristopher Morgan Powell at the historic Andrew Freedman Home located at 1125 Grand Concourse. Due to limited capacity, kindly RSVP via the EventBrite link provided.
If you cannot make it to next week’s celebration of Morgan’s life, stay tuned as there will be others in the coming weeks.
The Bronx Zoo may be getting a few Yellowstone National Park bison as a result of a 10 year program to create genetically pure herds.
The Bronx-based Wild Life Conservation Society at The Bronx Zoo is leading the consortium deciding where the 145 bisons, currently on media maven and philanthropist Ted Turner’s Ranch, will end up.
According to the Associated Press, The animals that would be sent to the zoos would be to create nucleus herds in order to provide for future conservation efforts.
The 145 Yellowstone bison would be distributed as follows:
-75 would go to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana
-35 to the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma
-30 would go to Utah’s Division of Wildlife
The remaining 10 would go to The Bronx Zoo, Queens Zoo and a zoo in Ohio.
Now, NYC Department of Health has issued more comprehensive educational material on Ebola and we would like to share that information with you so please refer to the information below:
Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal disease that affects humans and some animals (like monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). It is caused by the Ebola virus.
Currently, there is an Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The first-ever U.S. case of Ebola was diagnosed in late September, when a patient who had traveled from West Africa to Texas became sick.
HOW DOES EBOLA SPREAD?
Ebola is spread by directly touching an infected person’s skin, blood or body fluids. It is not spread through the air or simply by being near someone who is infected. People only become contagious after they begin to have symptoms, such as fever.
Since the virus can survive on surfaces for a short time, people can be infected by touching objects (like needles or bed sheets) that contain infected blood or body fluids.
During outbreaks, the disease can spread within health care settings if workers do not wear protective gear and take proper precautions.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE CURRENT OUTBREAK?
The current outbreak is largely taking place in three West African countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
On September 30, 2014, the first travel-related U.S. case of Ebola was diagnosed in Dallas, Texas. The patient did not have symptoms when leaving Liberia in West Africa, but started to feel sick days after arriving in Dallas.
If you traveled to one of the affected West African countries in the past three weeks, you are not at risk unless you had direct contact with a person infected with Ebola.
The CDC issued a travel advisory urging all U.S. residents to avoid non-essential travel to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
NOW THAT SOMEONE IN THE U.S. HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH EBOLA, AM I AT A HIGHER RISK?
No. The only way to get infected with Ebola is to directly come into contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluid. The nation’s top health experts are continuing to monitor the outbreak, including the recent situation in Dallas, and are working with health care providers, hospitals and others to make sure that everyone is prepared to handle another case of Ebola if it were to occur in the U.S.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF EBOLA?
The disease usually starts with an abrupt fever, possibly with headache and joint and muscle aches. Other symptoms may include:
Nausea
Weakness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Lack of appetite
Some patients may also experience:
Rash
Red eyes
Hiccups
Cough
Sore throat
Chest pain
Problems breathing
Problems swallowing
Bleeding inside and outside the body
WHEN DO SYMPTOMS FIRST APPEAR?
Symptoms usually appear eight to 10 days after exposure but may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure.
HOW SERIOUS IS EBOLA?
The severity of the disease varies, but over 50% of patients with Ebola have died during past outbreaks. Researchers do not fully understand why some people who become sick with Ebola recover while others do not.
HOW IS EBOLA TREATED?
There is no known effective medication for Ebola infection. Treatment focuses on supportive care and may require intensive care unit support. There is no vaccine for Ebola.
CAN EBOLA INFECTION BE PREVENTED?
Measures to stop the disease from spreading include
Quickly identifying people who might be infected with Ebola virus
Following infection control guidelines in health care facilities (i.e. sterilizing medical equipment and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment )
Isolating Ebola patients from contact with uninfected people.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK I HAVE EBOLA?
The only people at risk in the current outbreak are those who might have had direct contact with a person with known or possible Ebola.
If you visited one of the affected countries and develop fever within three weeks after leaving that country, seek medical care right away. Make sure to tell your doctor if you had direct contact with a person who might have had Ebola. Be sure to alert the doctor’s office or emergency room about your symptoms before going so that arrangements can be made, if needed, to prevent others from becoming sick. For more information, call 311.
Updated 08/12/2014 Reducing your risk of Ebola
Ebola is a severe, often fatal disease that affects humans and some animals (like monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees). It is caused by the Ebola virus. A large outbreak of Ebola is now occurring in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Lagos, Nigeria.
Ebola is spread by directly touching an infected person or animal’s skin, blood or body fluids. You cannot get Ebola through the air or water, or by touching someone who is not sick.
Reduce your risk by following the below steps.
DO NOT:
-Touch people who may be sick from Ebola
-Touch patients in hospitals where there have been cases of Ebola
-Touch any body fluids (blood, vomit, urine, feces) of people who are sick
-Touch people who may have died from Ebola, especially when washing and preparing a body for burial
-Touch bats, monkeys, chimpanzees or other animals in the affected countries
-Eat bush meat in the affected countries
ALWAYS:
-Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
-Wear waterproof gloves and a mask if you are in contact with people who are sick or if you clean a spill that includes body fluids. Be sure to clean your hands with soap and water afterwards.
You may hear rumors that Ebola can be prevented in other ways, such as by drinking or bathing in salt
water or using disinfectants or detergents. These rumors are false and dangerous. The best way to
reduce your risk of getting Ebola is by avoiding direct contact with people or animals sick with Ebola.
If you have loved ones in the affected areas, help protect them by sharing this information with them.
If you visited one of the affected countries, check your temperature daily for 21 days after leaving that
country. If you develop fever within those 21 days, seek medical care right away. Tell your doctor about
your recent travel, and be sure to notify the doctor’s office or emergency room about your symptoms
before going so that arrangements can be made, if needed, to prevent others from becoming sick. For
more information, call 347-396-7989.
This Week Only: Pregones/PRTT Gets Ready for Los Angeles with 4 Bronx Performances of
DANCING IN MY COCKROACH KILLERS
NYC – October 14, 2014 – Uproarious ensemble musical Dancing In My Cockroach Killers, a production of Pregones Theater and Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, gets ready for its West Coast premiere with evening and matinee performances this Thursday to Sunday, October 16 to 19, in The Bronx. The company invites local community members to get on the cheering squad, and will be rolling out new benefits and incentives for members and patrons in attendance, including the chance to win a round-trip ticket to the destination of your choice on Southwest Airlines, the Official Airline of Pregones/PRTT!
Dancing In My Cockroach Killers is an explosive mix of texts, visuals, and music based on the writings of award-winning poet and playwright Magdalena Gómez. Pregones/PRTT’s stellar ensemble delivers the full range of Gómez’s rhythmic realism, boundless hope, and laugh out loud humor. Her characters face real life challenges with courage and flair, and are openly inspired by friends, family, and Latin cultural icons as varied as Lolita Lebrón, Joe Cuba, and Iris Chacón. Following its enormously successful Off-Broadway run last year, the show is now a featured selection in Los Angeles Theatre Center’s historic Encuentro Latino Theater Festival, a national gathering and showcase presented in the City of Angels this October-November by LATC and the Latina/o Theatre Commons.
Each story in Dancing In My Cockroach Killers will have you nodding and finger-snapping in self recognition! An extraordinary evening of live theater and music! Directed by Rosalba Rolón with musical director Desmar Guevara. In English and Spanish with supertitles. 65 minutes.
Magdalena Gómez will be signing copies of her latest book, Shameless Woman, following the show on Friday, October 17th. Dancing In My Cockroach Killers is part of Pregones/PRTT’s Bronx-Manhattan Theater Express — learn more at www.pregonesprtt.org!
DATES: October 16-19, 2014 Nights — Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8:00 PM Matinee – Sunday at 3:00 PM Book Signing by Magdalena Gómez on Friday, October 17
LOCATION: Pregones Theater, 575 Walton Avenue, The Bronx, NY 10451
TICKETS: Starting at $12 — Group Discounts Available
Online at WWW.PREGONESPRTT.ORG By phone at 718-585-1202
For more information contact Priscilla Aguilar: 718-585-1202, paguilar@pregones.org
THANK YOUS: This program is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York State
Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature; and
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the NYC Council.
Imagine my surprise two weeks ago, when I walked into 1 Bruckner Boulevard, and immediately noticed it was no longer called Bruckner Bar and Grill.
Panic ensued. Was there some type of hostile takeover? Where was the loving staff we’ve come to know for so many years? Was the menu even the same?
Luckily other than the name change to Mott Haven Bar and Grill, everything else seemed to be the same with the exception of various menu items but the overall experience was still that same home feeling you get when you walk into that beloved place.
When I spoke with staff, the name change was a result of an ongoing lawsuit by former partner, Alex Abeles the details which remained unknown but it doesn’t matter at the end of the day because it’s still the same place we’ve grown to love.
Patrons I spoke with at the time agreed.
“It’s still Bruckner Bar to me”, said local resident and regular patron Alejandro Brown. ” As long as the service and food hasn’t change, I know I’ve arrived home”, he added.
Indeed it is the same great place. It’s a shame that they were forced to change their name but at least we still have Rosa, Javi, Joseph and the rest of the wonderful staff as well as the cast of characters and patrons that make this a wonderful joint to come and hang out and have a good time.
What do you think of the name change? Are you looking forward to trying the new menu? If you have, tell us what you think!
Beautiful lettuce being grown at Arbor House’s Sky Farm in Morrisania
The South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (SoBro) has just announced that it is the recipient of a $25,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture, “to determine the economic feasibility of a Bronx-based cooperative leveraging its combined purchasing power to use locally-sourced fruits, vegetables, and other products in the restaurants’ menu items.”
The Bronx is severely underserved when it comes to healthy eating options whether its restaurants or supermarkets, one factor being the high cost of purchasing such goods as an individual business. This model which SoBro established, called the United Business Cooperative (UBC) combines the collective purchasing powers of these small businesses into one block in the hopes that they can then in turn purchase locally farmed produce as well as other items in order to create healthier menus.
As per the press release issued by SoBro, the organization launched the UBC with 40 local based immigrant-owned mom and pop eateries earlier this year during the Spring.
Now that SoBro has received the grant, they have one year in which to accomplish the following:
Perform feasibility study
Develop healthier menus
Devise a business plan and community impact strategies for the most viable business scenarios
Create a Local Food Integration Resource Guide to influence food strategies among similar low-income restaurant communities throughout New York City and the nation
SoBro also went on to say, “Because so many restaurants that purchase local ingredients tend to serve an elite customer base and use well-known farmers, it will be a game-changer to show stakeholders in the rest of the country that communities with fewer resources and smaller farms can come together and make local food operations affordable to consumers and economically viable for restaurants and farms.”
Pooling resources together has been an unofficial business model of many immigrant communities when they arrive in America and collectively they are able to start up their own business but usually that type of collaboration ends there. Using this strategy which combines the purchasing power of these 40 businesses can result in lower costs for purchasing such goods as food and produce wholesalers offer discounts to those who purchase large quantities in bulk — something which small mom and pop shops cannot afford to do on their own.
If successful this has the potential to be a game changer in the accessibility of healthy food options to the 1.4 million Bronxites (and growing) who call our borough home.
Early last month, the late Morgan Powell invited me along with several other of my friends to help him document a run through of a tour on Hunts Point he had been working on for 5 years. Unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts I couldn’t make it but I was told it was quite the informative tour and really well done.
Shortly after the tour, Morgan asked that I publish the tour on Welcome2TheBronx for all to enjoy so below, in its entirety, is Morgan Powell’s Hunts Point Walk, the culmination of 5 years of work and research. Bookmark this page and take the walk that Morgan so lovingly designed with you all in mind. Take a journey into the real Hunts Point; learn about the rich history of an oft maligned and misunderstood neighborhood that has been the brunt of exploitation, environmental injustice and environmental racism for far too long. The history which Morgan wanted everyone to make sure they knew.
There is currently no additional information on Morgan’s passing other than what has already been posted here and in various mainstream media outlets. As before, if you have any information on any relatives, kindly let us know at info@welcome2thebronx.com as any information leading to his family is greatly appreciated. In the meantime, we ask all to kindly celebrate his life during this time of great loss for The Bronx and respect his memory.
A Hunts Point Walk: Part 1
Welcome to our first on-line Hunts Point walking tour!
In two parts, you’ll see this New York City neighborhood including the westerly streets that were divided from it by the Bruckner Expressway and now called “Longwood.” Tour no. 2 is a shorter (1 hour) walk including parks, historic structures, and shout-outs to local civic boosters. Click here to enjoy that alternate Hunts Point journey.
The picture you see above comes from Bronx River Sankofa’s first Hunts Point tour. It was given in March 2013. The final on-street guided tours were conducted in summer 2014. While most Sankofa tours were attended primarily by those over 25 years in age, it was fun to have a young adult audience for these neighborhood explorations. Now it’s your turn to make the trip!
Please note that all text in colors other than black are hyperlinks you may click on to explore a site further. All photos may be seen larger and in greater detail by clicking on them.
WALK 1 (two hour tour) points of Interest:
A. The Point: where community and creativity connect
B. 889 Hunts Point Avenue (incubator of big ideas)
C. The South Bronx Greenway
D. Yes She Can Mural
E (5). Hunts Point’s Post Office reflects citizens’ ambitions for their neighborhood
F. Corpus Christi Monastery
G. Hunts Point Recreation Center
H. P.S. 48 where students and teachers have revived interest in the Joseph Rodman Drake Park Cemetery and Enslaved African Burial Ground
I. Barretto Community Garden
J (10). American Bank Note Company printing complex
K. SEBCO (South East Bronx Community Organization)
L. Hunts Point Library
M. St. Athanasius Roman Catholic Church
N. Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education
O (15). Banana Kelly, an iconic Bronx Street made famous in biographies and hip hop lore
P. Mothers on the Move, a center of local activism
Q. Rainey Park, almost one whole block of green space where housing stood 60 years ago
R. PS 39 building once housed Longwood Arts Gallery, Pregones Theater, and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Bronx office. It is now the Holcolm L. Rucker School of Community Research, a high school
S. Police Athletic League (Longwood Center)
T (20). Longwood Historic District
U. Prospect Hospital (where Bronx Frontier was born; See Gardening and Garvey article)
V. Dra. Evelina Antonetty Way
W. Casa Amadeo, where Afro-Caribbean music lives!
START: The Point Community Development Corporation is headquartered at 940 Garrison Avenue (3 blocks from the Hunts Point station of the no. 6 train line). This indoor/outdoor youth-focused community center was built a century ago as part of the sprawling American Bank Note Company’s printing complex anchored across the street. It later became a bagel factory before falling into cliche illicit uses by the 1980s. This industrial gem was re-purposed as a youth-centered community center in the early 1990s largely by staff from Seneca Center– formerly on Hunts Point Avenue– where they did similar work. As the type of funding Seneca sought began to seem unreliable support for non-traditional youth work like theater, key Seneca staff established The Point two blocks away.
Please walk north along Garrison Avenue in the direction of the nearest visibly busy street with shops just one block away. That’s Hunts Point Avenue. Once at the intersection, turn right and walk a few stores deeper into the Hunts Point neighborhood. Stop at 889 Hunts Point Avenue where the Hunts Point Alliance for Children is located.
STOP 2. Many social entrepreneurial projects have been based here beginning with an annex to The Point. The Point leased this storefront for community arts programming here around 2000 before sub-leasing the space to the then new Sustainable South Bronx (SSB) in 2001 founded by Majora Carter. SSB moved to the American Bank Note Co. building we will see later. Then, for two years–still under lease from The Point–the Bronx Museum of the Arts operated an artists-in-residence program there while administering the Hunts Point Fish Parade.
The following five years were guided by local artistAlejandra Delphin (already on-site as a BMA artist in residence) who remade the space into a print-making studio (Studio 889), sharing the space through 2008 with Michael Wiggins’ theater groupMud/Bone Collective who have relocated. The current tenant succeeded Delphin who does print and on-line graphic work and programming at The Point.
The sidewalk, street and view farther into Hunts Point Avenue from the place where you stand show most of the key elements in our next attraction.
STOP 3.The South Bronx Greenway is a long-planned and recently expanded linear park and system of park-connectors between Hunts Point and Randall’s Island. Click on the hyperlink that begins this section for a comprehensive impression of how much greener it’s made and may make these places. The South Bronx Greenway won about $60,000,000.00 from the 2009 federal stimulus bill. What you see here is a small part of what that money paid for–far beyond this street are new bike paths at the extreme other end of the greenway and more! The cobble-stone walkways surrounding the street trees, uniform tree guards, younger trees planted off the curb, metal benches, sleek new light posts, and generously planted medians that calm traffic are just part of this new amenity. Omar Freilla of Green Worker Cooperatives, just over a decade ago, developed a survey for locals to express their hopes and wishes for its design once the original Sustainable South Bronx team won a million dollar grant to study and propose designs for this relatively new expansion of the local tree canopy!
Continue to walk in the same direction–southwest–along Hunts Point Avenue on the same block until you approach the last apartment building before the US Post Office. Stop just beyond 823 Hunts Point Avenue and look up at the mural covering the stucco-faced south wall.
STOP 4. Yes She Can mural by Majora Carter Group, LLC
!Si Ella Puede!/ Yes She Can was painted c. 2009 (fence panels added later). Majora Carter Group, LLC hired Goundswell to execute the design concept, which they jointly solicited from community members. Don’t move, improve has been a Bronx rallying cry since the 1970s and this woman-focused image is a great update to that concept. Read more about it by clicking here. Tanya Fields worked on this mural for the Majora Carter Group. Tanya(b.1980-) is CEO/ Founder/ Executive Director of The Blk Projek. She holds a bachelors degree from Baruch College/CUNY in Political Science with a minor in Black and Hispanic Studies. Fields moved to the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx from her native Harlem in late 2001 in search of affordability. She has had a long history of local civic participation as a member of Mothers on the Move (MoMs), Sustainable South Bronx and other groups. Tanya sees unity between culture and ecology. She promotes this vision with events centered on healthful food, yoga and more. She means to empower and link progressive African-American women and Latinas in concrete community building that improves housing, diet, social and career experience in sustainable ways that are self generated.
Tanya’s a powerful public speaker and writer. She is featured in the book The Next Eco Warriors: 22 Young Men and Women Who are Saving the Planet, edited by Emily Hunter with a forward by Farley Mowat, published 2011.
You’ll want to see the front of the post office next door so continue a few more steps to the end of the block and turn right onto Lafayette Avenue. Now walk to the middle of the block so you can see the entrance to this low-rise building where it forms the corner of Lafayette and Manida Street.
STOP 5.Hunts Point’s Post Office mirrors citizens’ ambitions for the neighborhood. Cybeale Ross has lived on this block since 1958 and long been involved in preserving it. Manida’s Street’s 800 block has long been among the best preserved in the whole district.
Before this relatively new branch was constructed, earlier generations knew their closest USPS station as the one that remains on Westchester Avenue between Freeman and Simpson–quite a walk! Mrs. Ross made a point of attending meetings surrounding the establishment of this branch. The building reflects that wisdom. Note that vehicular traffic is oriented onto the commercial streets and away from Manida’s tree-lined calm. The low-rise scale and planted courtyard were her ideas too.
Across the street on Lafayette Avenue and just beyond Manida Street towers a stone-clad religious cloister you couldn’t miss if you tried.
STOP 6. Corpus Christi Monastery is located at 1230 Lafayette Avenue. It was constructed in 1890. According to the American Institute of Architects Guide to New York City, “The best time to visit this cloistered community of Dominican nuns is on Sunday afternoon, when they sing their office.” This black and white image was taken around 2005 for Bronx River Sankofa’s founder by the late great photographer and musician Ibrahim Gonzalez.
Locals call the field at the intersection of Lafayette and Manida Street Manida Park—not it’s official name—and have come to enjoy it’s modern recreation center visible from our last two sites. Walk along the broad field of this park until you reach 765 Manida Street.
STOP 7.Hunts Point Recreation Center (not shown) is operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City of New York. It is very active with all kinds of activities for all ages 12 months of the year. It’s also one of the newest recreation centers anywhere in the city.
Our next destination is the corner ahead of us. We won’t be visiting but simply looking over to it where Manida Street and Spofford Avenue cross. Do you see the imposing red brick schoolhouse one block away to your left?
Take Spofford Avenue one block farther away from P.S. 48 walking down-hill to Barretto Street–which you’ll walk half-of-one-block into for the first green space you see to your left. You’ll know you’re approaching it because of its distinctive foundation planting outside the fence in the public right-of-way bordering the sidewalk.
Double back up Barretto Street to Spofford Avenue, turn left so you are continuing down the gentle hill —passing Casanova Street—and join Tiffany Street. Now turn right. Be mindful that you’re on a heavily trafficked commercial route as you head north. The Bruckner Expressway will be visible in the distance. Where Tiffany reconnects you with Lafayette Avenue, a massive twentieth century red brick industrial building will command your attention on your right (across from Corpus Christi Monastery).
STOP 10.American Bank Note Company printing complex (built 1911) is an official NYC Landmark. Read all about it in its official designation report by clicking here. This highly productive facility once employed hundreds who worked in three consecutive shifts. Among it’s many products were South American currencies and American Express Traveler’s Checks.
Tiffany Street unfolds with great sites as we continue toward, below, and immediately on the other side of the Bruckner Expressway above head. Now, at the intersection of the Bruckner Boulevard (at street level) and Tiffany, a powerful community development group presents buildings visible on both north and south sides of the street.
STOP 11. SEBCO (South East Bronx Community Organization) was founded in 1968 and has done a great deal to improve the lives of many in the Hunts Point-Longwood neighborhoods. Much has been written about this group over the years. To your left is a low-rise health center they initiated over a decade ago. The tall senior housing facility on the right (although it faces the next block: Southern Boulevard) has the name “Sister Thomas Apartments” facing you. Housing and health are just two of their areas of action. Father Louis Gigante of St. Athanasius Church and other locals formed the South East Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO) as a community development non-profit. Many came to know SEBCO for having painted on some of the buildings they rehabilitated the words “Father Louis Gigante Rebuilding the South Bronx.” This large declaration was seen for decades from the Bruckner Expressway. Learn more by visiting their website here.
Looking just one block ahead on Tiffany Street, let’s head to the Renaissance-inspired building at 877 Southern Boulevard.
STOP 12.Hunts Point Library. This site indicates a rich man’s literacy revolution. The Andrew Carnegie endowment built libraries throughout North American and Britain. The Hunts Point Branch was the final NYC branch built under this endowment; it opened in 1928. At one time, the New York Public Library houses a substantial Latino literature department here. Today, you would find a similar specialty collection at the Bronx Library Center a few miles to the north.
This important public building is situated on Father Gigante Plaza, a pedestrian-oriented public open space framed by a gated park and fountain to the south (maintained by SEBCO), Fox Street on the west and our next attraction.
Skirt the church building, leaving the plaza, and examine its beautiful westerly windows on Fox Street. Then continue along Fox 1.5 blocks (passing Barretto St.) to 928 Fox Street.
The Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education has developed their own South Bronx Culture Trail. Their mission is to empower youth and their families by creating a culture of learning through high quality social, cultural, and educational opportunities.
They welcome kids at the age of six and stay with them until college while providing family learning through the arts. They distinguish themselves in the plurality of ways in which they attract community members to utilize their services. Their students introduce their parents to their cultural programs, while their public programs guide parents to wide ranging education programs. Founded in 1934, they have served many who have gone on to enrich the world through culture, public service, education, and business. Alumni and program providers have been many. Some highlights include:
Double back along Fox street to Father Gigante Plaza where the church we visited stands. Now walk away from the plaza along Tiffany Street so that you are seeing low-rise private homes to your left. Join E. 163rd Street two blocks away, then walk along that street to where E. 163rd and Kelly streets cross. Looking into Kelly Street, take a moment to appreciate the crescent shape of this block as well as it’s early 20th century feel.
STOP 15.Kelly Street (aka Banana Kelly) is an iconic Bronx Street.
It’s been made famous around the world by memoirs of locals including General Colin Powell who recall living and playing here.
Walk slowly down this crescent-shaped street toward the park one block ahead. Next, turn right and find 928 Intervale Avenue.
STOP 16.Mothers on the Move (MoMs) is a community organizing group. There has been good power sharing between Latinos and African-Americans here. Joyce Culler, a long-standing Bronx Community Board 2 member, is a MOMs board member. MoMs works on education, transportation and other issues. It has been led for over a decade by Wanda Salaman, a modest and highly effective Latina of African descent.
Next door is a convenience shop where you may want to grab a drink and a snack so you can enjoy a break in the park across the street.
STOP 17 (SHADE/REST/BATHROOM BREAK).Rainey Parkhas athletic fields rimmed with shaded strolling paths and benches and a comfort station. It symbolizes the Bronx rebuilt. Similar to most community gardens, it occupies land where housing stood 60 years ago. Today, it’s a park named for a major local African-American civic leader–William F. Rainey (1920-1985)–who once ran the local Police Athletic League. Once you’ve enjoyed the charms of this relatively recently renovated park, proceed to the school anchored at its southern end.
Across the street at 991 Longwood Avenue (at Beck Street) is the most recent incarnation of a longstanding children’s play/learning/health institution.
STOP 19.Police Athletic League (Longwood Center). The building you see here dates to 1996. Since 1914 PAL has been serving New York City’s youth with safe, structured programming designed to engage boys and girls in positive activities that improve their quality of life, present developmental opportunities, and offer the prospect of a brighter future. What started out as the closing of streets by the New York City Police Department to enable the city’s unsupervised youth to play became a city-wide Cops & Kids movement and later national model that brought communities and police together in ways that prevail to this day.
Cross Longwood Avenue into Beck Street. Explore the length of this block until Beck Street meets E. 156th Street.
STOP 20.Longwood Historic DistrictAccording to the Lehman College Art Gallery website, “Built at the turn of the 20th century, the Longwood Historic District is an enclave of primarily two and three story row houses constructed in anticipation of the population surge expected into the area. Real estate developer George B. Johnson purchased the old S. B. White estate on speculation and hired architect Warren C. Dickerson (also known for his work on Mott Haven Historic District structures) to design and construct houses. By the time that the IRT subway line (today’s no. 6 train) from Manhattan reached the neighborhood in 1904, Dickerson’s houses were completed and clustered nearby.” Read the complete entry by clicking here. See a simulation of the old White mansion on the SE corner of Beck Street and E. 156th Street.
Make a right on E. 156th Street. One block away is a white glazed brick building at the corner of Kelly Street.
STOP 21.Prospect Hospital (not shown) is where Irma Fleck hatched a late 1970s green business with help from a veteran of the federal War on Poverty scene. Bronx Frontier was born here. See the earlier Gardening and Garvey article to learn more about that Bronx success story. Continue along E. 156th Street for three blocks until you arrive at Prospect Avenue. Please look up at the street signs on this corner by Public School 130.
STOP 22.Dra. Evelina Antonetty Waywas unveiled in 2011. The street sign is located at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and E. 156th Street.
Take time to reflect and be empowered by thelegacy of Dr. Evelina Lopez Antonetty (1922-1984). “Titi” or “Auntie,” as she was often called, createdUnited Bronx Parents and was a force for establishing bi-lingual education locally and nationally. Among her hundreds of accomplishments, she protested, periodically shut down filming for, and got twenty jobs for local people-of-color in the filming of Fort Apache, a fictional film set in the Bronx. Her mural across the street (below) reads her words from 1980: “We will never stop struggling here in the Bronx, even though they’ve destroyed it around us. We would pitch tents if we have to rather than move from here. We would fight back, there is nothing we would not do. They will never take us away from here. I feel very much a part of this and I’m never going to leave. And, after me, my children will be here to carry on…I have very strong children…and very strong grandchildren.”
Titi’s daughter Anita Antonetty once provided career counseling services to the youths of Rocking the Boat in Hunts Point. Many were pleasantly surprised to encounter a mature Latina deeply aware of Bronx ecology issues and trends. Anita continues to make her mark on the Bronx sustainability front through community boards and beyond.
Our final destination for today’s tour is across from the nearest train station. Please make a right on Prospect Avenue and walk toward the very visible train tracks above Westchester Avenue in the near distance. Just before you reach this refurbished and remodeled Victorian Revival-styled train station, you’ll see 786 Prospect Avenue. You have arrived!
CONCLUSION: Casa Amadeo is regarded as a national landmark. It’s a music store specializing in Afro-caribbean sounds. You can even buy musical instruments there. If you’re lucky, you may visit when a spontaneous jam session is happening live in the back room. The owner, Mike Amadeo, is a musician and composer who is well known in traditional Latin music circles. The elegant Old Bronx building they occupy once houses both Tito Puente and Celia Cruz.
Thank you for walking with us! Bronx River Sankofa invites you to always move forward strengthened by the wisdom of reflecting periodically!
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A Hunts Point Walk: Part 2
You are invited to trace the steps of a few dozen young Americans (ages 16-38) who have walked their neighborhood. American history expresses itself in stone and paint, plants and asphalt as you will see. Enjoy these points of interest:
1. Hunts Point Riverside Park
2. Bright Temple A.M.E. Church
3. Engine 94, a beautiful fire house
4. Bryant Hill Community Garden & Old NY Townhouses
5. Garrison Park (once envisioned as a sculpture park for the Bronx River)
6. South Bronx Greenway
7. Ruby Bridges Mural by Sharon De La Cruz
This article is dedicated to two active citizens in the Hunts Point community: Cybeale Ross has been a Hunts Point home owner since 1957. She has marched with Mothers on the Move for improved schools, traffic-calming street enhancements, and more over the last several decades. Paul Lipson helped establish The Point community center in the early 1990s after earlier success with Bronx Frontier, a local and popular green business.
Cybeale Ross and Paul LipsonHunts Point Riverside Park
Begin at Hunts Point Riverside Park now enjoyed in its second and most recent phase. This waterfront park at the base of Lafayette Avenue was established in the 1990s through many hands after an executive at The Point (a younger Majora Carter) was forced to spend a moment at this former dead end street following her dog’s independent spirit. The original park had several magical weeping willows and a simple boat launch. The professionally designed green patch you see today opened around 2006. It has garnered national attention and won the Rudy Bruner Award for excellence in the urban environment. Next door is The Point’s Campus for Arts and the Environment as well asRocking the Boat.
Walk up the hill along Lafayette Avenue to its intersection with Faile Street, named for a wealthy nineteenth century resident according to John McNamara’s History in Asphalt: the origin of Bronx Street and Place Names. You’ll notice as you go many younger trees planted in the public right-of-way along curbs, on side streets and even with relatively new traffic medians. Hunts Point has had several waves of urban forestry enhancement since the 1980s, especially since the late 1990s. This short walk takes you past the successful product of three distinct tree planting campaigns!
On your right is Bright Temple AME Church. This stone neo-Gothic former single-family mansion was built circa 1860 by a family that manufactured printing presses–including for the New York Times in the 1800s. This building is a great place to consider ethnic succession within Hunts Point. An English-descended family, whose land extended down to the nearby Bronx River, was the first to occupy it. Some time after the contents of the house were auctioned off following the death of that family’s patriarch, a Jewish Synagogue was established (1919). In the post-World War II period, Bright Temple AME Church assumed ownership to serve the expanding African-American population. Skirt Faile Street to see each side of this richly ornamented building. The church photo you see above was taken around 2005 for Bronx River Sankofa’s founder by the late great photographer and musician Ibrahim Gonzalez.
Without crossing the street, continue along Faile Street until you reach Seneca Avenue. As you approach this corner, look at the Renaissance-inspired fire department building from the “roaring twenties” on your left.Engine 94‘s open-air third floor facing Seneca Ave. combined with light-colored terra-cotta decorations contract handsomely with red brick to evoke Old Italy.
Now turn toward the industrial border of Hunts Point and walk one block along Seneca Avenue to Bryant Avenue. John McNamara’s book reports that, “Its proximity to streets dedicated to American poets Longfellow, Whittier, and Drake would seem to be reason enough to honor William Cullen Bryant.” Once at the corner of Seneca and Bryant, turn left and walk half-way into the block passing the first open lot inhabited by rabbits and chickens. Several steps ahead, you will see a community garden on your left unusual in its abundance of trees. You’ve arrived at Bryant Hill Community Garden. Taino Indian traditions live here under the guidance of local gardener Lucia Hernandez whose circle have succeeded the first generation of gardeners who preserved this oasis at least one generation ago. Hunts Point was largely a walk-to-work district 100 years ago when it was sometimes called “Little Pittsburgh” owing to its abundance of light and heavy industry. Notice the brightly colored and richly ornamented townhouses across the street from the garden where earlier generations lived. At that time, German was the Bronx’s second most common language.
Next we’ll see what may yet become Garrison Sculpture Park. Continue along Bryant Avenue to the corner where it meets Garrison Avenue, then cross the street–while walking in the same direction–and look down-hill along Garrison. Standing at this intersection of Garrison and Bryant avenues, you’ll notice a shabby patch of green with moderately tall trees just a few blocks away where land meets water. Don’t be fooled by the residential tower in the visible distance; that’s the neighborhood of Soundview across the Bronx River. While this park-in-progress has long since been declared official city land, no effort to improve it has been completed. Many times, this waterfront site has been cleaned, composted, planted and re-designed. Of the formal designs, including one by Pratt for a riverside amphitheater, none have substantially transformed the site and made it a destination for recreation seekers. Over thirty years of planning and false starts have passed in the process. Bronx River Restoration Project Incorporated (founded in 1974), predecessor of the Bronx River Alliance (founded in 2001), first envisioned a park here at the end of the 1970s.
In 2003, Alcoa Corp. proposed partial financing for a sculpture park here following on schematic drawings complete with an amphitheater developed by an out of state college.
Turn and walk in the opposite direction along Garrison Avenue to the busy commercial street with shops in the near distance. That’s Hunts Point Avenue. Find 889 Hunts Point Avenue across the street. It’s a great location from which to appreciate the emerging South Bronx Greenway. Check it out! You are surrounded by the following relatively new amenities funded by your federal tax dollars (2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act): uniform tree guards, public benches, many new trees (the ones with small trunk diameters planted off the sidewalk), permeable pavements via Belgian blocked walkways curbside, new stylized lighting fixtures, and richly planted in-street medians.
Sharon De La Cruz and the Urban Art Program of NYC’s Department of Transportationprovide us with our final stop, Ruby Walks (Walking Series). Please turn toward the busy Bruckner Expressway whizzing above street level one block away and walk toward it along Hunts Point Avenue. If you’re walking this tour in 2014 or 2015, you’ll see Sharon’s group of paintings depicting a girl in multiples clasped to the wall of the bridge over the train tracks (between Garrison Avenue and Bruckner) here. Read all about it in DNAinfo, theHunts Point Express and/ or Nilka Martell’s piece in the Bronx Free Press.
And this concludes Morgan Powell’s final tour which he published.
Baron Ambrosia enjoys a nice home brewed beer after swimming the entire length of Camden’s Cooper River. / Photo Credit: Christopher Beauchamp Photography
Baron Ambrosia has swum yet another river against all odds.
With a Forbidden Swim, Shining a Light on a City’s Verdant Waterways – NYTimes.com
CAMDEN, N.J. — At 5:48 a.m. on Wednesday, under the half-light of an eclipsed moon, a Bronx man known as Baron Ambrosia slipped into the Cooper River here. Wearing a short wetsuit and goggles, he began doing a freestyle stroke in the murky water. “Ooh, just touched something really gooey,” he said, coming to a sudden halt.
So began one man’s quest to paddle through Camden, known more for its high crime rate than its verdant waterways. With his five-mile swim along the Cooper, a tributary of the Delaware River, Baron Ambrosia aimed to change that.
“I’m trying to do something good for the city,” he said, highlighting urban exploration and environmental renewal. Born Justin Fornal, he has made a career of celebrating the gritty, most prominently as his alter-ego Baron, a fancifully attired Bronx foodhound with his own eccentric cable series (recently spotlighted by Anthony Bourdain on his CNN show). Last year, Mr. Fornal, 36, swam the Bronx River to promote his home borough, the first person recorded to do so. This year, asked by friends where he might take another dip, he settled on Camden as a similarly unsung landscape.
WalkNYC Pedestrian sign at 149th Street and Grand Concourse.
WalkNYC street signs have finally landed in The Bronx providing residents, employees and visitors of the Melrose and Mott Haven area with a map to the immediate area. The signs, which debuted last year in Chinatown, Herald Square/34th Street, Long Island City and Prospect Heights and Crown Heights, provide pedestrians with a wealth of information, including average walking distance to various landmarks and subway stations.
New York City is known for its walkability and this is DOT’s way of making it even easier to get around and encourage folks to do more walking or using mass transit by way of these signs.
“WalkNYC is New York City’s standard for pedestrian wayfinding. WalkNYC provides a clear visual language and graphic standards that can be universally understood, encourages walking and transit usage by providing quality multi-modal information, and provides consistent information across a broad range of environments in the city.
WalkNYC signs provide valuable information, from basic cardinal directions and street names to mapped details like subway entrances and Wi-Fi hotspots. The maps are rotated “heads-up” or forward-facing to show the street network as it appears in front of you. Research and user testing demonstrate that this method is more accessible for people who are unfamiliar with their surroundings or have trouble reading maps.”
Also installed is a sign at the 149th Street Grand Concourse 2/4/5 station announcing the Grand Concourse Historic District which beckons riders, as they exit the station, to “Explore New York State’s Path Through History.”
Sign in Melrose in front of Lincoln Hospital at 149th Street and Morris Avenue. The signs provide all sorts of information, a clear map of the area as well as walking times to key destinations.One of the maps at the 149th Street/Grand Concourse WalkNYC Sign. Each sign displays 4 maps. Two showing a radius of 15 minutes walking distance and two showing 5-7 minute radius walking distance.How long will it take to walk to Yankee Stadium?Can you tell me how to get to Melrose?
What do you think about the signs? Would you like to see more of these throughout the neighborhood and the rest of The Bronx? Do you think you’d be encouraged to walk more using these guideposts and knowing how long it would take you to get to your destination? Let us know what you think!
Site F of the Mott Haven-Port Morris Waterfront Plan: Historic Port Morris Gantries -stands as a reminder of NYC’s rich nautical heritage; in 1902, the gantries fostered the development of a market, hotels and restaurants; recognized by the Historic Districts Council during its “Six to Celebrate” program on the basis of architectural and historic merit of the area; full reviatlization renderings have already been completed
Tanya Fields
