Amazon has leased yet another property in The Bronx bringing their total to five warehouses in the borough and the first one to be dedicated to Amazon Fresh, the behemoth online retailer’s grocery delivery service.
1080 Leggett Avenue, a 145,000 square foot warehouse, directly next to the bridge over the rail yard at Oakpoint, has been leased by Amazon Fresh/Image via JLL
The latest leased property is located in Hunts Point at 1080 Leggett Avenue recently sold for $117 million and is directly behind another warehouse which Amazon leased earlier this year at 511 Barry Street.
For the past few years, and more so since the pandemic began, Amazon has been snatching up properties across the region as online shopping has continued to increase.
This latest acquisition pushes Amazon’s presence in The Bronx to just under 1 million square feet at 967,700 spread across the five facilities.
Back in 2019, the company leased its first Bronx warehouse at 1300 Viele Avenue which is 117,000 square feet in size. Last year, the company snatched up two significant industrial properties via leases: The former ABC Carpet warehouse along the Bronx River at Bruckner Boulevard and measuring 200,000 square feet in size, and the old Model’s Sporting Goods property in Morris Park at 1500 Basset Avenue totaling 366,000 square feet in size.
These facilities are all part of Amazon’s plans to speed up deliveries by having strategically placed “last mile” facilities to make fulfillment of orders as expedient as possible.
The site at 1080 Leggett Avenue will be the company’s third Amazon Fresh warehouse distribution site in New York City with the others located in Brooklyn and Manhattan according to New York Business Journal which first reported the story.
Amazon Fresh can deliver groceries within as little as two hours to customers and this latest site will only help ensure its dominance within the New York City market.
While many may feel that this is great as it will mean more jobs for The Bronx, we know that these aren’t necessarily quality jobs let alone union given the company’s anti-union stance.
511 Barry Street in Hunts Point will be the site of Amazon’s fourth Bronx warehouse
We also have the issue that such a company will only continue to exacerbate the traffic problems in an around an area that’s already dealing with some of the worst pollution and as a direct result, some of the worst rates of asthma in the nation.
More trucks will also mean the potential for more pedestrian fatalities as these trucks run in and out through the communities twenty four hours a day.
We want to be able to breathe and we can’t do so if we continue to get oversaturated with such last-mile facilities that are springing up across The Bronx like weeds all for the sake of having jobs.
Along with the sounds of Mister Softee, salsa and bachata music through the air, ATVs and dirt bikes running haphazardly through city streets are a sure sign that warmer weather has arrived in The Bronx and New York City.
Sometimes dozens and even hundreds of riders can be seen riding down the streets, running red lights and stop signs thus creating a hazard for drivers and pedestrians alike as these illegal vehicles take over our roadways and neighborhoods.
Oftentimes these reckless drivers will drive down sidewalks and through parks—places where pedestrians should feel the absolute safest from any vehicles.
ATVs confiscated by the NYPD
And as any cyclist like myself can tell you, many also illegally zoom down bike lanes too.
But hope is in sight as the NYPD has announced that they are going after these vehicles and will not only confiscate them but will completely obliterate them at a facility in Long Island where they will be crushed into thousands of pieces of metal and plastic rendering them no more.
8 people have been killed while operating these illegal vehicles and already 367 have been injured this year alone.
Dirt bikes confiscated by the NYPD
According to the NYPD, many drivers are not only not wearing protective gear but many are also unlicensed and unregistered.
The NYPD is also looking towards residents for help and will provide a $100 reward for each illegal vehicle they confiscate via tips provided on their storage or locations.
Those interested in reporting in such locations will remain anonymous and can call the hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Chief of Department Rodney Harrison said, “We do not tolerate these illegal and dangerous vehicles, driving recklessly, ignoring traffic signals, blocking traffic, driving on sidewalks and racing up and down New York City streets, causing danger to New Yorkers,”
Illegal ATVs and dirt bikes confiscated by the NYPD at a junkyard on Long Island waiting to be crushed and turned into scrap metal
The primary reason for destroying the vehicles and not making a profit at an auction is to simply remove them completely from circulation and preventing them from ever returning to the streets.
City streets and parks are no place to ride these illegal vehicles. While you’re having a joy ride around, you’re putting not only your own life in danger but that of others and for what?
We all want to be able to safely enjoy our streets and already have to worry about our safety when it comes to cars and trucks. These illegal, motorized vehicles are just too much for a crowded city like ours.
How this will play out remains to be seen but some activists in communities of color are rightfully concerned on these confiscations going wrong given the track record of the NYPD when it comes to brutality and enforcement in said communities.
We’ve seen time and again how the BIPOC community is treated versus their fellow white residents when it comes to this.
If you’re one of these drivers or know someone who is, be responsible and don’t ride them on city streets. If you do, you’ll not only lose your toy but it will be destroyed with no hopes of ever getting it back.
Last Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the Penn Station Metro North Access was back on track and would give Bronx residents, particularly in the East Bronx, four new Metro North Stations along a new route.
The proposed four new stations would be constructed in Co-op City, Morris Park, Parkchester, and Hunts Point, areas that currently do not have a Metro North line, and would run along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor to Penn Station.
This would be a boon for residents of the East Bronx where public transit options are limited with many neighborhoods considered a transit desert as well as offering direct access by rail to the west side of Manhattan, something that is currently not possible.
And it’s not just access to Penn Station but to points north as well as the future Hell Gate Line will connect to New Rochelle in Westchester straight through Connecticut along the existing New Haven Line providing greater employment opportunities for Bronxites.
The quality of life for many Bronxites will improve greatly with the vast reductions of commute times. On average, current commute times from Co-op City to Penn Station takes approximately 75 minutes but once the new Metro North stations are up and running, it would take commuters who ride the new line only 25 minutes.
Current travel times and travel times with Penn Station Access/MTA
The biggest savings in travel times would be for residents who work in Stamford in Connecticut. Currently, the trip via public transit to that city from Co-op City is 110 minutes, however, on the new Metro North line the same trip would take just over half an hour reducing an almost two hour commute in one direction to a mere 37 minutes.
Hunts Point residents would get to Penn Station in 16 minutes versus 45 minutes saving commuters an hour each day.
But fares on the Metro North are fare greater than the riding the subway for $2.75. Off-peak to Grand Central from Melrose in the South Bronx is $7.25 for 21 minute two-stop ride.
In order for these new transit options to be available to all, the fares must reflect equitable access for local residents otherwise it will benefit a few and leave out those who may need it the most.
It’s hoped that the stations will be up and running by 2025 but we won’t keep holding our breath. When we first reported on these new stations and route, that was back in 2016 and it was hoped to have the stations in operation by 2022 but 5 years and many roadblocks later, including the COVID-19 pandemic which delayed the project even further and yet here we are announcing yet again that they’re coming.
Lottery applications are now being accepted for a brand new affordable housing development on Jerome Avenue in the Mount Eden neighborhood of The Bronx
Located at 1325 Jerome Avenue, the development is a 15 story building with 255 residential units right on top of the 4 train line.
Rendering of 1325 Jerome Avenue
Income requirements for the apartments range from 40 to 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). On the low side, a 1 bedroom a one bedroom unit renting for $724 a month is available to those making $27,669 to $42,960 a year depending on the household size.
Two bedroom units at the 40% AMI are renting for $792 a month and three bedrooms at $1,003.
Onsite amenities include bike storage lockers, laundry room, storage, community center, recreation room, outdoor terrace, and is a smoke-free development.
Once occupied by single-story automotive shops, the site is now home to a 15-story residential development and is the first to be nearing completion since then.
According to plans filed three years ago, the development was to set aside 145 units for the formerly homeless with the remaining 110 units as affordable housing.
No details if this is still the case, but given that only 101 units are being made available during this lottery, it’s quite possible that it still is the plan.
Several automotive businesses once occupied the site and have since been demolished to make way for 1325 Jerome Avenue which was made possible as a result of the Jerome Avenue Rezoning
The development is the first nearing completion in the controversial Jerome Avenue Rezoning Area which was approved in March of 2018 and was one of the largest in the city. From the moment it was announced up through its approval, it was met with fierce local opposition as residents feared such a rezoning would lead to displacement and gentrification.
Residents and local business rallied to push back against the city led effort given that it would also displace the dozens of automotive shops that line Jerome Avenue but in the end, the city approved the rezoning and almost immediately plans began being filed for various developments, including 1325 Jerome Avenue.
This is but one development rising in the rezoned area which is quickly changing as automotive shops are demolished to give way to high-rise developments.
Typical kitchen
Interested applicants need to apply by July 13 ,2021 by going to the Housing Connect website here.
You can also request a traditional paper application by sending self-addressed envelope to Jerome Avenue Residence, PO Box 440, Wading River, NY 11792.
Remember, you can only submit ONE application per development whether it’s online or paper but not BOTH. Submitting more than one application per development and can will disqualify you.
Also please note, we are NOT affiliated with this or any development so we cannot help you out so please do not contact us. We are simply reporting the news.
Besides the great pizza wars of The Bronx, no other issue seems to raise more passions and break out into arguments than when it comes to redesigning streets for pedestrian safety.
Now Bronxites on either side of the equation—whether they’re for or against bus lanes, busways, and bike lanes—will have a chance to kvetch some more.
Bus lanes added to 149th Street last year are plagued with cars and trucks consistently parked in them
As part of ‘Street Week’, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that the city will create a record of new bus lanes, busways, bike lanes, and “Bike Boulevards” by the end of the year.
The city will install 28 miles of new and improved bus lanes and busways across the five boroughs as well as 30 miles of new and or improved bike lanes and “Bike Boulevards”.
Some of the new and improved projects for The Bronx, in terms of buses are:
Bronx Buses Transformed: DOT continues its radical transformation of bus corridors throughout the Bronx. Building on the work done in 2020 along critical streets like 149th Street and E.L. Grant Highway, DOT will build more bus lanes, bus boarding islands, protected bike lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements. Together, these Bronx projects will serve 175,000 bus riders a day. Projects include:
University Avenue Transformation: DOT will install dedicated bus lanes along University Avenue from Washington Bridge to Kingsbridge Road, including six new bus boarding islands. New protected bike lanes will also be installed along University Avenue from at least Washington Bridge to Tremont Avenue.
Re-envisioning Fordham Road Select Bus Service: In 2010, Fordham Road was the site of New York City’s first Select Bus Service route. Now, DOT will reinvigorate the street through an inclusive outreach plan with businesses, community leaders and families. The redesign of the street will follow as DOT listens closely to the needs of this community.
New Bus Lanes along Story Avenue and Gun Hill Road, along with changes to improve bus circulation near the Pelham Bay Park subway station, the terminus of the 6 train that also serves as closest stop to City Island. Changes here will eliminate the current indirect bus routing to the station, saving transferring bus riders up to two minutes per trip.
New pedestrian islands on Webster Ave and 149th Street to ensure safe crossings to and from bus stops.
In terms of cycling infrastructure:
Bronxdale Avenue and White Plains Road: Building protected lanes into the existing neighborhood network, hosting e-scooter pilot starting this summer.
Morrisania Neighborhood Network: Improving access and safety for local community and schools
Besides these improvements and additions to the city’s bike lanes network, a Bike Boulevard will be created along Jackson Avenue in Mott Haven.
Jackson Avenue in Mott Haven will be the location of the borough’s first Bike Boulevard
Such boulevards transforms streets into more pedestrian friendly roads reducing both speed volume of vehicular traffic thus creating what the city calls a low stress bike infrastructure.
But are all of these improvements enough?
We can’t honestly say that the 149th Street bus lane has successfully been implemented given the fact that cars and trucks are consistently parked in the lanes especially between Morris Avenue and Bergen at The Hub.
Without traffic enforcement to help move traffic along and keep would be offenders from parking in these lanes, there’s no point in really having them.
As for the Bike Boulevard on Jackson Avenue, while appreciated and we’ll take it, why isn’t it being installed in a more highly trafficked area?
While the bike lanes are appreciated, the city needs to create a fully protected bike lane on the entire length of the Grand Concourse
Melrose Avenue from 149th up through 161st is a disaster with double parked vehicles on top of bike lanes which forced cyclists into dangerous traffic and not to mention slows down buses along the road.
What about the Grand Concourse? Why aren’t we completing the Grand Concourse bike lanes and honestly, why isn’t the city creating a fully protected bike lane along its length? We know it’s not about space given that there’s more than ample space on the Concourse for such an endeavor.
What about safer and better crossings along our bridges into Manhattan? More than any borough, The Bronx is intimately connected with their Manhattan neighbors across the river given that we have 13 bridges that connect the two boroughs more than four times that of the next most connected borough by bridge which is Brooklyn with only three.
Why do Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens get protected bike lanes but The Bronx gets the least amount in the system despite leading in cycling related fatalities?
While these efforts are an excellent start, we must push for more because we deserve more and a better, healthier quality of life for all.
As part of an effort to continue to vaccinate New Yorkers with vaccination rates slowing down in the area, thousands of Bronxites will soon be able to get their shot starting tomorrow.
The State of New York will be setting up pop-up vaccination sites at various subway and Metro North stations across the MTA’s network in the region from Wednesday May 12 to Sunday May 16th.
Vaccines will be available to straphangers at East 180th Street station on the 2 and 5 line and other location across the subway and rail lines
During those days, from 8AM to 1PM at the East 180th Street station on the 2 and 5 line in The Bronx, you’ll be able to get your Johnson and Johnson vaccine at no cost with no appointments and just for doing so, you’ll be given a free weekly unlimited metrocard.
Locations across the system for COVID-19 vaccine
Other stations across the MTA where you can get your shot are:
Penn Station When: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily Where: LIRR, 34th Street Corridor, closest to entrance at 34th St and 7th Ave.
Hempstead Station LIRR When: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily Where: Mobile unit just outside station
Coney Island-Stillwell When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily Where: Large empty storefront prior to turnstiles
Grand Central Terminal When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily Where: Metro-North Terminal, inside Vanderbilt Hall.
Ossining Station Metro-North When: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily Where: Inside station house
E 180th St When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily Where: In the hallway closest to the side station entrance at E 180th street
179th St (Jamaica) When: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily Where: Open mezzanine above platforms, past the turnstiles
Broadway Junction When: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily Where: Inside station, through turnstiles
Each pop-up site can provide up to 300 vaccines a day and for those who get their vaccines at a Metro North or Long Island Railroad station, they’ll receive round trip tickets to ride those lines.
Meanwhile, The Bronx continues to lag behind the rest of the city in terms of vaccinations. As of today, only 37% of all Bronxites have received at least 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 29% are fully vaccinated. This is a stark difference with Manhattan where 58% have gotten at least 1 dose and 48% are fully vaccinated.
Figures are slightly better when only accounting for those 18 years and older in The Bronx where 48% have gotten at least 1 shot and 38% are fully vaccinated but overall, both segments are below city averages.
In the meantime, if you haven’t gotten your shot yet due to access, now you have yet another way to get it. Help protect your friends and family and get vaccinated!
This past Tuesday, New York City’s Landmark Preservation Committee voted to approve the restoration of one of The Bronx’s most beloved landmarks, the Orchard Beach Pavilion.
While most of the pavilion, including the bathhouse, have been closed off to the public for well over a decade, the beach itself still sees a whopping 1.6 million visitors a year as residents flock to sunbathe in what is affectionately known as the Bronx Riviera.
The $60 million renovation and restoration to its former 1930s glory was first announced several years ago but work couldn’t move forward until Landmarks reviewed the plans to ensure that they remained true to the original structure or as best as it can.
The Bronx’s historic Orchard Beach Pavilion will soon get a $60 million renovation and restoration.
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.
Constructed by the infamous Robert Moses in 1936 with an extension of the beach northward in the 1940s as the old LeRoy Bay was filled in with sand from the Rockaways Sandy Hook, and Northport, Orchard Beach was one of his most ambitious projects. Orchard Beach’s creation of 115 acres of new land was the largest Works Progress Administration project in New York City during this time.
Regardless of its state, millions still flock to this historic gem which is located in Pelham Bay Park, New York City’s largest park each year and the beach has served as a destination for millions of Bronxites for 85 years from its glory days to the present.
During the summertime, the rhythms of salsa fill the air whether through someone’s radio, a DJ booth, or live salsa bands performing at the pavilion as thousands dance the summer away.
Walking along the mile long beach offers a glimpse into the people of The Bronx in one short walk as people from all over the borough flock here all year round.
And with the coming restoration and renovations, including ADA accessibility design elements, it will be a place for all to enjoy for future generations.
No set date for completion as now it goes to procurement.
Nine brand new affordable housing units are now available at Washington Manor in the Tremont section of The Bronx.
Located at 1969 Washington Avenue, the development is an eight-story building with 49 units of which the nine available units are targeted at those making 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
There are currently six 1-bedroom units available renting for $1,141 a month with income requirements of $39,120 to $64,440 depending on size of the applying household.
Only three 2-bedroom units are available renting for $1,381 a month for households with two to five people making anywhere from $47,349 to $77,340 a year.
1969 Washington Avenue in Tremont aka Washington Manor
Washington Manor does not have much in terms of amenities as per the listing at Housing Connect outside of the bare minimum of a shared laundry room although there is underground parking, however, additional fees apply and is subject to availability.
Fifty percent of the units are set aside for residents of Bronx Community Board 6 where the development is located and five percent set aside for New York City employees. Five percent and 2 percent are set aside for those with mobility and vison/hearing impairments, respectively.
The closest subway station is a hike up towards the Grand Concourse for the B and D line at East Tremont but there is the Metro North Tremont Station which would take you into Harlem and Grand Central Station in under 20 minutes or for those reverse commuting to points north, towards Westchester County.
Typical Kitchen layout
Just a few blocks away is St Barnabas Medical Center and directly north of that is Arthur Avenue in Belmont, home to New York City’s real Little Italy.
Residents can enjoy open air dining along Arthur Avenue’s ‘Piazza di Belmont’ which closes to vehicular traffic on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays as part of New York City’s “Open Streets” plan for dining that came as a result of the pandemic.
You have until May 24, 2021 to apply and you can do so online by visiting Housing Connect or you can apply by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to:
Washington Manor c/o Infinity Management, 2806 120th Street, Flushing, NY 11354
As with all New York City Affordable Housing Lotteries, remember to only apply once as multiple entries into the lottery for the same development can and will disqualify you so either apply online or by mail but not both as it will NOT increase your chances of success but in fact work against you.
Also remember, please do not contact us as we are not connected with this or any other development and we cannot assist you. We’re simply bringing you the news.
After over a year of being closed to the public as a result of the pandemic, the New York Public Library system will re-open some of their branches across the system including twelve within The Bronx.
Beginning May 10, you will be able to walk into any of the following libraries for a limited time during each visit:
According to the COVID-19 guidelines set forth by NYPL, you may reserve to use computers where available, however, there is a 45 minute time limit which cannot be extended whatsoever as to limit the time you spend indoors.
The same goes with browsing for books and other materials which is limited to 30 minutes. In order to speed up the process and limit contact with staff and others, you’re encouraged to use express self-checkout or the new NYPL app which provides the fastest and easiest service of all available options.
The High Bridge New York Public Library/Image via Google Streets
Should you need assistance, staff-assisted checkout will also be available.
Also, for the safety of others, once materials are returned, they will be quarantined for 24 hours to ensure that they are safe for use for others.
As more and more people get vaccinated and COVID-19 infection rates continue to drop across the city, more “little” things like these reopenings appear to be returning life to some sort of normalcy or at the very least offer some semblance to that effect.
With the warm summer months coming up ahead, this is yet another activity that people can partake in and get themselves out of the house even if it is for such a limited time.
Although libraries remained physically closed to the public since the onset of the pandemic, they have increased their presence and availability virtually by offering access to e-books, audiobooks as well as other virtual events.
Libraries are one of the most important institutions within our communities where many members congregate, exchange ideas, and is a source of a wealth of information that goes beyond merely the books they house.
They are places where many residents find out what’s going on locally, it’s where residents seeking to become US citizens go to learn more about the exam process and learn what it takes to pass the exam.
For those the vulnerable that are home and alone, particularly seniors, it’s an escape to other worlds offered by books so even if it’s for a very short time, this reopening will be surely welcomed by many.
In 1948 a scar began to appear across the center of The Bronx running west to east and much like a line drawn across wet sand with a finger, it erased everything in its path.
It was the beginning of the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway, one of the many ill-conceived works by Robert Moses, that would leave an indelible mark on our borough.
As construction of what would eventually be one of America’s most congested highways continued, it tore communities in half, leaving one side stranded from the other and while white and communities of color were both impacted during its construction, it was the Black and Latino community that bears the brunt of its legacy years later.
Decades later, with over 200,000 vehicles spewing toxic fumes into the air as they creep along towards their destinations each day, Bronx asthma rates, as a result, are some of the worst in the nation, as particles from the constant traffic like Nitric Oxide and PM 2.5 particles are released into the air.
A study identified 2.5 miles of the Cross Bronx Expressway, like the area above, that can be capped to create new park land.
Is it any wonder that The Bronx has some of the highest such rates in the nation? Is it any wonder why we have some of the worst health outcomes in not just the city or state but also the nation?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, The Bronx became the epicenter with the highest death rate in New York City and one of the highest in the nation as the coronavirus is a respiratory tract infection making people with such pre-existing conditions all that more vulnerable the majority of which are Black and Latino
So when Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that racism is built into our country’s highways, it wasn’t hyperbole as it is these very communities that have been suffering from the negative impacts of environmental racism for more than half a century.
But it doesn’t have to stay this way and New York City’s greenest borough can become even greener.
Slowly across the country, more and more cities are creating new green spaces as well as acres of land for more housing.
Before and after Dallas, TX where a portion of Woodall Rodgers Freeway was capped creating the 5.2 acre Klyde Warren Park in 2012/Image via American City and County
And this is exactly what we need to do in The Bronx and heal the wounds created by Robert Moses when he cut our beloved borough in half with the Cross Bronx Expressway.
By beginning to cap the Cross Bronx, we can begin to help literally clean up the air in these very vulnerable communities with the added benefit of creating new land that can be used for a combination of open green spaces and to create critically needed housing in our borough, and housing that is truly affordable.
Not only would we help restitch The Bronx and its communities that were destroyed by Moses but we would also help alleviate our current housing crisis and abysmal health rankings.
Less toxic fumes from an expressway = cleaner air and less asthma triggers.
And this isn’t getting rid of the expressway, it’s simply covering it up and letting our borough carry on with a greener, cleaner future for all.
Imagine a day in the future when you can walk across a park instead of a highway spewing deadly pollutants.
It’s possible. We just need the political will and muscle to make it happen.
For the past few years momentum has been building from Bronx residents across the borough fighting for environmental justice like Nilka Martell of Loving The Bronx from the Parkchester area of the borough and one of the many neighborhoods greatly impacted by the daily intrusion of the expressway.
Martell has been working with local elected officials on capping a small portion of the expressway in her neighborhood but now with President Biden’s infrastructure plan, many of us are daring to dream big.
According to a study led by Peter Muennig, MD, MPH at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in 2018, 2.4 miles of the expressway were identified as areas that could be capped over and thus creating more greenspace.
“Deck parks can produce multiple health benefits. Most notably, they remove contact between pedestrians and automobiles. In doing so, they not only reduce accidents but they also encourage active, pollution-free transportation such as biking or jogging.” reports the 2018 study.
Reimagining the Cross Bronx Expressway decked over to create green spaces.
It goes on to indicate that, “…deck parks also place vehicles in a tunnel, thereby reducing noise and air pollution in surrounding neighborhoods. Finally, deck parks provide green space in which people can exercise and relax. In doing so, deck parks have the potential to reduce diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, cancer, low birth weight, and death associated with accidents.”
And all it would cost, according to the study, would be approximately $757 million. While it may sound a lot, the potential health benefits outweigh any upfront costs in the long term. Healthier people are less of a financial burden on our precarious health care system.
In a borough where we have the highest rates of diabetes, asthma, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, we have a mandate to do right by our communities and those who not only live in them today but the generations that will continue to call The Bronx home long after we’re all gone.
We deserve to live and breathe.
But the moment to do so is now, while there is political will to spend our hard earned tax dollars on one of the largest infrastructure proposals in our nation’s recent history.
A version of this article was originally published in StreetsblogNYC on Friday, April 23, 2021.
HUNTS POINT—Urban Health Plan and The Point Community Development Corporation have joined forces together with Council Member Rafael Salamanca Jr to bring greater access to COVID-19 vaccines in one of the hardest-hit areas in The Bronx.
Vaccinations began this past Monday at The Point and are being administered by Urban Health Plan health care providers.
Previously, an appointment was required but in order to make it more readily accessible and easier for residents to get inoculated you can now simply walk into one of the two facilities.
Vaccinations are being adminsited at The Point’s location on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays between the hours of 9am and 3pm and over at The Point CDC located at 940 Garrison Avenue (entrance on Manida Street).
Local elected leaders gathered at The Point CDC with Urban Health Plan to launch the vaccination site which will operate until June 2nd
Eligible residents can still pre-register at Urban Health Plan’s Project HOPE location at 854 Hunts Point Avenue if they’d like to and someone from Project HOPE can walk you over to The Point.
You can also text VACCINES or VACUNAS (Spanish speakers) to (833)-240-2830 to register ahead of time.
New Yorkers 18 of age and older are eligible as are people without health insurance. Please note, that even though New York State residents 16 and over are now eligible, only the Pfizer vaccine can be administered to those 16 or 17 years of age.
The vaccine site at The Point will be in operation from now until June 2nd so it’s important to help spread the word to your friends, family, and neighbors to help stop the spread of the coronavirus throughout our communities which has already left a devastating toll.
Many Bronx residents are more susceptible to more severe and life-threatening symptoms of COVID-19 as people suffering from comorbidities are at greater risk for such events.
Particularly vulnerable are individuals suffering from asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and compromised immune systems.
Unfortunately The Bronx has the highest rates of these aforementioned conditions which is one of several reasons it led to our borough to become not just the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic but also have the highest rates of death from the disease.
According to the most recent data from the New York City Department of Health’s website, Hunts Point has the lowest rate of vaccinations in The Bronx.
Despite the devastation the pandemic has left on our borough with many Bronxites witnessing their loved ones dying, there still remains a high hesitancy for the vaccine.
Currently, the 10474 zip code covering Hunts Point has the lowest rate in The Bronx of residents who have received either 1 dose or are fully vaccinated. As of yesterday, only 31% of eligible residents have received one shot and only 21% are fully vaccinated compared to The Bronx’s rate of 40 and 29% respectively.
This is a stark difference from 10471 covering Riverdale and Fieldston where 62% of residents have received one shot with 50% fully vaccinated.
The opening of the site at The Point in partnership with Urban Health Plan can hopefully close the gap so that we can move forward together as a borough and city and get on the road to recovery for all.
Over the past year, rents have been dropping across the city as the economic fallout from the pandemic is felt across all sectors.
A new study indicates that rents for one bedroom apartments near 418 of NYC’s 473 subways dropped between 2020 and 2021.
But three stations in The Bronx are on the top five list that saw the biggest rent increases in the city during this same period.
Rents near the 167th Street Station on the B and D line saw the highest increase in all of New York City for one bedroom apartments according to a study by RentHop
According to data from RentHop’s recent study, rents for one bedroom apartments near the 167th Street Station on the B and D line on the Grand Concourse saw an increase of 5.6% to $1,795 when compared to last year—the biggest increase in the city according to the study.
Located just one stop after Yankee Stadium, the area has easy access to midtown by subway or express bus and is next to the Bronx Museum, Andrew Freedman Home, Yankee Stadium and sits within the Grand Concourse Historic District.
The station itself was renovated in late 2018 and reopened in early 2019 and features mosaics of prominent Bronx public figures (or those with some connection to the borough) from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the nation’s first Latina to sit on the country’s highest bench to activist and poet Audre Lorde.
Next on the list is the 238th Street and Broadway stop on the 1 line which saw a 5.2% increase to $1,890 a month for a one bedroom.
One of several mosaics at 167th Street which honors prominent Bronxites or those with connections to our borough at some point in their lives.
Located in Kingsbridge with Spuyten Duyvil, Riverdale, and Fieldston in close proximity just blocks away, it’s not surprising that this relatively stable area has seen an increase in rents.
Rounding out the top five list is a tie between 183rd Street and Fordham Road Stations on the 4 line with a 4.4% increase to $1,775.
According to RentHop, these are the top 5 stops that saw the largest increase in the city:
167th St. — B/D trains ($1,795; YoY 5.6%)
238th St. — 1 train; $1,890 (YoY 5.2%)
Far Rockaway/Mott Ave. — A train ($1,673; YoY 4.6%)
New Lots Ave. — 3/4 trains ($1,724 YoY 4.5%)
183rd St and Fordham Rd. — 4 train ($1,775; YoY 4.4%)
This is a huge difference when compared to several Manhattan subway stops which saw the largest rent drops like 66th Street Lincoln Center on the 1 line which dropped by 23% to $3,100 and others all of which saw greater than 21% decrease in such rents.
Overall, rents for one bedroom apartments near 88% of subway stations saw drops but the aforementioned three in The Bronx bucked the trend.
A quiet Fordham Road in late March 2020facing the Fordham Road Station on the 4 line
The study, which was conducted by data scientist Shane Lee at RentHop, took a look at rental data for one bedroom apartments between January 1st and March 31st of both 2020 and 2021 and looked at a minimum of 50 rental listings within a half mile from the stop. If less than 50 listings were available, the search was expanded by 1 mile.
The Bronx was and continues to be one of the hardest hit places in America as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and had the highest unemployment rate in history during this time that exceeded 25%—figures unseen since the Great Depression—so it’s baffling that landlords think it’s acceptable to increase rents in what’s still the most economically depressed borough of the city.
