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.
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.
