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.”
THE CITY is an independent, nonprofit news outlet dedicated to hard-hitting reporting that serves the people of New York.
MOTT HAVEN-Yet another new development has entered the New York City Housing Connect affordable housing lottery but the latest entry is anything but affordable to the local, existing community.
276 Grand Concourse at East 140th Street is a 12 story luxury development constructed in the Lower Concourse Area of Mott Haven that was rezoned in 2009 which prompted the subsequent rush by developers to the Manhattan-adjacent neighborhood at the southern tip of the Bronx.
Rendering of 276 Grand Concourse
It’s just one block from the newly renovated E 138th Street and Grand Concourse 4 and 5 putting it just one stop away from Manhattan and less than 20 minutes to midtown and is nestled next to many developments that are rising like the nearby 425 Grand Concourse which is now the tallest building on the Concourse or in the planning stages like the 40 story building planned along the waterfront just a few blocks away.
276 Grand Concourse seen from 138th and Park
According to the listing on Housing Connect, 276 Grand Concourse Apartments, as the development is known, has amenities like a 24 hour, seven day a week doorman, a yoga and dance studio, rooftop terrace, a private gym, children’s playroom, recreation room, business center, outdoor terrace and the apartments come with washer and dryers in each unit as well as dishwashers.
Some units even have balconies and patios.
Rendering of typical unit at 276 Grand Concourse
But if you’re the typical resident living in Community Board 1 in the South Bronx, then chances are this development is not for you given that these units have been set aside for individuals making 130% of the Area Median Income which means at the very least, a person seeking a $1,900 a month studio needs to make $65,143 a year in order to qualify.
That’s more than three times the median income of $21,737 and in fact, more than what almost 80% of the median income of all households in the district according to New York City Department of Planning data.
Rooftop terrace
Depending on household and apartment size, minimum income requirements can be as high as $99,429 for a family of at least 3 individuals seeking a three bedroom apartment renting for $2,500 a month at 276 Grand Concourse.
Rents range from $1,900 and $2,000 for studios, $2,200 for one bedroom units, $2,400 and $2,500 for two bedrooms, and $2,500 (not a typo as rents are the same for some two and three bedroom units) and $2,900 for three bedrooms.
With such income requirements and monthly rents, these units are anything but affordable to the average Mott Haven resident and calling it affordable is misleading.
If you’re interested in applying, you can do so online or by mail by requesting an application by sending an self-addressed envelope to:
Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building 77, Suite 1315 141 Flushing Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205
Applications must be submitted by September 13, 2021 and remember to only submit one application. If you submit more than one, you risk being disqualified from the lottery.
MOTT HAVEN-Brand new affordable apartments are now available via New York City’s Housing Connect Lottery.
Located at 880 East 147th Street just off Austin Place in the Mott Haven area of the South Bronx, the 11 story brand new building has studios, one, and two bedroom units available with rents as low as $622 a month for a studio, $731 for a one bedroom, and $888 for a two bedroom apartment.
Income requirements range from $23,520 to $103,120 depending on household size and size of apartment you’re applying for. You can view the requirements here.
The development, known as Austin 147, features a slew of amenities like air conditioning, WiFi in the common areas, a gym, community center, playground, and a rooftop terrace and is located just a couple of blocks away from the 149th Street stop on the 6 line.
It’s also a few blocks away from Saint Mary’s Park, a full service park with indoor fitness center and swimming pool and it’s also in a neighborhood with great restaurants like Seis Vecinos to the north.
Residents can also hop on their bikes or a Citi Bike and enjoy a ride through Randall’s Island which is also nearby.
In order to apply you must do so online by July 21 or you can request an application by mail, by sending a self-addressed envelope to: Austin 147 c/o P.O. Box 541543, Bronx, NY 10454 but remember, you can only apply ONCE either online or by mail. If you apply more than once you may be disqualified.
While many globally know that The Bronx is the birthplace of hip hop, another music genre was nurtured on the streets and inside the many dancehalls that once dotted the South Bronx: Salsa
Now a group wants to firmly cement the roots of salsa in The Bronx with an International Museum of Salsa (ISM) that would celebrate the international music genre right here in our borough.
Members of the International Salsa Museum at a press conference announcing their plans to bring a Salsa museum to The Bronx/Image via ISM Instagram
The non-profit group is looking to gather support to open up at the massive Kingsbridge Armory which after many years of broken promises, continues to sit unused and underutlilized.
Plans for turning it into a massive ice skating center have fallen flat and have gone nowhere with years of false starts and many criticized ice skating as not being something reflective of what the community wanted.
Now a salsa museum makes a bit more sense given The Bronx’s center seat in the world of Salsa and as the city’s most Latin borough and as the International Salsa Museum’s website says, “All roads of Salsa lead to The Bronx”.
Meanwhile the Norwood News reports that the developers behind the Kingsbridge National Ice Center are still working to convert the historic armory into one of the world’s biggest ice skating centers and if negotiations continue on track with the city and state, they will have shovel to the ground by the end of year.
It’s unclear if the ISM is seeking to use the 50,000 square foot space set aside at the armory for community use or is seeking another space within the massive building for their proposed museum but they hope to break ground in 2024 with an opening some time in 2025.
The Bronx Music Heritage Center writesof the genre:
“At the same time that the Bronx was changing, so was the music scene. The Palladium closed in 1966, signaling the end of an era: in the Bronx, boxer Carlos Ortiz’s Club Tropicoro closed, along with the borough’s famed Tropicana. While mambo was losing its venues, the late 1960s saw the rise of Latin bugalú, which was popular with young Latinos. Bugalú, a playful fusion of Latin, jazz and R&B musical genres with English and Spanish lyrics, was an interplay between Black and Latino cultures, as they lived side by side in neighborhoods throughout the City. Some of its major contributors came from the Bronx, including Pete Rodríguez (“I Like It Like That”) and Hector Rivera (“At the Party”).
“The borough’s social ills only worsened. In 1976, the worst year for the fires, the South Bronx reported over 35,000 fires of all kinds. Engine 82, Ladder 21 on Intervale Avenue became the busiest firehouse in the nation. Outside of war, there is very little precedent for the kind of destruction that took place in the neighborhoods that became known as the South Bronx. Latin music once again went through a transition. What became known as “salsa”– the same Afro-Cuban based music as mambo but with urban, grittier instrumentation and arrangements–reflected the tensions and problems of living in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods. The leaders in this genre were the Fania record label, which was founded by a former lawyer and cop from Brooklyn, Jerry Masucchi, and a Dominican musician who grew up in Mott Haven, Johnny Pacheco.“
It would be befitting that El Condado de la Salsa also becomes home to a museum honoring this genre that was birthed here.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City and the country last year, The Bronx became the epicenter with the highest rates of infection and deaths from the deadly disease leaving a devastating toll across the borough.
But as the city and state are now reopened with the state of emergency lifted as of yesterday, The Bronx still remains far behind in vaccination rates coming in last among the five boroughs.
Only 46% of Bronx residents of all ages have received at least one dose with only 40% fully vaccinated against COVID-19 which is far below the state’s rates of 59.2% and 52.5% respectively.
This means that many residents are still vulnerable to the COVID-19 particularly now with the worrisome Delta variant that is starting to take hold in the city and now accounts for 10% of cases. While cases remain at historic lows, the Delta variant appears to be the most easily transmissible variant to date.
And according to Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US , the Delta variant is currently the biggest threat in the country’s progress towards eradicating COVID-19.
Although a lot of unknowns still remain about this variant, there are some studies indicating that it may be deadlier causing more severe illness to those infected.
The good news is that individuals that are fully vaccinated appear to be adequately protected from this variant as well indicating that now more than ever it is critical to get vaccinated if you haven’t done so already.
Bronxites have been through so much during these past 15 months and we can’t afford to lose the progress we’ve been making.
If you haven’t been vaccinated and are hesitant about it or know someone who is, ask questions and get educated about COVID-19 and available vaccines.
We owe it to the 5,348 lives lost to date to this disease and to all the friends, families, and loved ones impacted by those losses.
Writer and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has just donated $2.7 billion to 286 organizations with $15 million going to Hostos Community College.
Since becoming the third richest women in the world as a result of her divorce from Amazon founder and tycoon, Jeff Bezos, Scott has made it her mission to give away billions to organizations in need so that they can continue to do their critical work within communities and last year alone she gave a combined $6 billion on two separate occasions.
Hostos Community College
In her announcement on Tuesday, she wrote, “Higher education is a proven pathway to opportunity, so we looked for 2- and 4-year institutions successfully educating students who come from communities that have been chronically underserved.”
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, located in the heart of the South Bronx at 149th Street and the Grand Concourse, has been doing just that for over half a century and the $15 million gift is the largest ever in its history.
“On behalf of the Hostos Community family,” said Interim President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, “I’d like to express our sincere gratitude to Ms. Scott for her generous support of our students and our mission. This gift will have a transformative impact on the College. For over fifty years, Hostos has been a beacon of hope, a life-transforming institution which lives up to the highest ideals of the democratic values of equity, inclusion and diversity. Hostos is a home for all who come through our doors in need of the life-changing opportunities presented by quality education delivered with care, hope and understanding.”
Hostos Community College has been serving The Bronx since 1968.
“We are humbled once again by Ms. Scott’s incredible generosity as well as the enlightened principles governing her philanthropy,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, who served as Hostos president from 2009-2014. “The belief system she outlined in her powerful and incisive essay — that the march toward social equality can only be driven by individuals and institutions working from within communities — aligns with CUNY’s core values and the transformational work of our 25 colleges across the five boroughs. We are deeply grateful once again for this affirmation of the University as an engine for social mobility, academic excellence, affordability and social justice.”
Scott says, “People struggling against inequities deserve center stage in stories about change they are creating. This is equally — perhaps especially — true when their work is funded by wealth. Any wealth is a product of a collective effort that included them. The social structures that inflate wealth present obstacles to them. And despite those obstacles, they are providing solutions that benefit us all.”
Last year, The Bronx’s Lehman College received $30 million from the philanthropist.
This is a momentous time for Hostos and the lasting impact they can have on all the students who walk through its doors.
For many years, decades even, many Bronxites saw Orchard Beach as a place to go and hang out, catch some sun, dance some salsa but never to go into the water because of poor water quality.
Now, the “Riviera” of The Bronx has earned top marks from an environmental group called ‘Save the Sound’ that tests water quality at over 200 beaches along the Long Island Sound.
According to the group, Orchard Beach scored an A- rating and this year and is in the top ten beaches on the Sound which covers not just Long Island and The Bronx but also Westchester County and Southern Connecticut.
Orchard Beach aka The Bronx Riviera
And it’s not just this year that it’s gotten such a favorable rating but it’s been getting an high marks for water quality consistently for the past eight years.
“Considering where the beach is in, such a populated area and how heavily it’s used, we thought that was very noteworthy that it keeps getting an A. This year, we wanted to really celebrate Orchard Beach and just encourage people to get out here and come out on the Sound,” said Tracy Brown, regional director of Water Protection for Save the Sound.
“So Orchard Beach is one of the beaches that, regardless of the weather, it’s got good water quality and low levels of that pollutant. So it’s safe to come in and swim in on a sunny day or even after rain, which we can’t say for all the beaches on the Sound,” Brown said.
Also of note is the fact that Orchard is the only public beach on the sound and given that almost 2 million people visit the man-made beach each year, it still managed to beat out almost 200 private beaches for water quality.
This is much welcomed news especially now that the $60 million renovation of the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion is moving along.
While many don’t associate the waters of Orchard Beach with cleanliness, science says otherwise and a new report lists it in the top 10 on the Long Island Sound beating over 200 other beacher.
Renovations and restorations to the site will include repairing its distinct bright blue tiles, terrazzo floors, a reconstruction of the bathhouse along with the upper and lower loggias, cafeteria.
Even the clocks and lighting will make a return to ensure that the space is restored to its former grandeur as well as the historic compass on the upper level floor of the pavilion.
Designated a New York City Landmark in 2006 designated the pavilion a landmark and stated that it was “…among the most remarkable public recreational facilities ever constructed in the United States.” according to Urbanize.
So while Orchard may not be a piece of the Florida tropics in New York City, as an ad hilariously boasted several years ago, we can definitely brag that our beach beat out the wealthy communities that rim the sound across two states.
It’s been almost half a century since elevators were in operation at the 149th Street and Grand Concourse Station on the 2, 4, and 5 lines but that will soon finally change.
After decades of calls by activists for making one of the busiest subway stations in The Bronx fully accessible to all and ADA compliant, construction has begun on adding new elevators to the station.
One of several staircases that will make way for an elevator at 149th St and Grand Concourse
The station, which on average sees almost 4 million passengers each year before the pandemic, has long been overdue for accessibility given the number of institutions located around the station like Lincoln Hospital, Hostos Community College, the Bronx General Post Office, Pregones Theater as well as The Bronx Terminal Market and soon the Bronx Children’s Museum and The Universal Hip Hop Museum.
Due to the complexity of the station’s layout, construction is expected to take 35 months as the station has multiple levels to connect from the street to the several mezzanines and the actual subway platforms.
149th Street and Grand Concourse Station looking down from the mezzanine to the 2 and 5 platforms located four flights of stairs below street level.
Once the work is complete, individuals with mobility issues will no longer have to navigate the multiple staircases to transfer between the 4 and the 2 and 5 lines or going up the four flights stairs it takes to exit if you’re coming off a 2 or 5 train.
“Making this station complex and station accessible brings us closer to our immediate goal of ensuring that no one is ever more than two stops away from an accessible subway station,” said Alex Elegudin, NYC Transit Senior Advisor for Systemwide Accessibility. “The 149 St-Grand Concourse project will be particularly helpful for the many students of nearby Hostos Community College. The MTA is working hard to expand accessibility and these projects are a huge step in that direction.”
Typical pre-pandemic scene at 149th Street and Grand Concourse on the northbound 4 platform.
Construction will be done by Tully Construction Company Inc. which was awarded a $93.2 million contract for the work at this station and to also bring the Tremont Avenue Station on the B and D line along the Grand Concourse into compliance by also adding elevators.
According to the MTA, the awarded contract also includes an early completion incentive to help reduce the timeline.
Construction underway at 149th Street and Grand Concourse
Besides the addition of elevators, stairs will also be reconstructed to meet current ADA standards.
During construction, the station will remain open taking advantage of reduced ridership as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
THE HUB—A Starbucks location that opened in The Bronx’s oldest shopping district has closed after less than two years in business.
For years, local residents and area employees clamored for the coffee giant to open in the area.
In the summer of 2019, after several months of negotiations, the coffee giant had signed a lease at 383 E 149th Street just steps from the 3rd Avenue and 149th Street station on the 2 and 5 line as well as The Bronx’s busiest intersection.
The store opened a few months later but many complained about the lack of indoor seating which apparently was set up that way in order to keep out the homeless in the area that are suffering from addiction.
Then, less than a year later, the coronavirus pandemic hit and by March of last year, pedestrian traffic came to a virtual standstill as non-essential businesses closed with the shutdown orders issued by the governor to help slow the tide of COVID-19 Infections.
The Starbucks at The Hub on 149th Street and 3rd Avenue was open for less than 2 years.
At some point during the early months of the pandemic, Starbucks re-opened for pick up orders only but then closed down again never to reopen its doors.
The store was the second to open in the Melrose neighborhood with the first being at 161st Street next to the Concourse Plaza Shopping Center which still remains open.
Many feared that a Starbucks opening at The Hub (including Welcome2TheBronx) would serve to only hasten the gentrification of the area but it seems under the current economy and conditions, as a result of the pandemic, not even the renowned coffee house could survive the neighborhood.
So where will area residents get their café now?
Where they always have like the many small businesses such as bodegas and delis and bakeries like Capri where you can get freshly baked goods.
But coffee lovers and those who like cafés need not despair.
The popular subscription box and pop-up market celebrating the best of the borough is getting a brick and mortar cafe at La Central, the new massive affordable housing development in The Hub.
The physical space, located on Westchester Avenue and Brook, will be a collaboration between Bronx brothers Anthony Ramirez II and Paul Ramirez of From The Bronx and the Bronx Beer Hall, who together have been running Bronx-based businesses for the past 15 years, and Rebecca Scott, founder of Bronx-based Sustainable Snacks which promotes public health through better snacking and makes their products available and a lower price point for The Bronx.
We won’t personally cry over a Starbucks closing. Better them than one of our local mom and pop shops.
