As we continue to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Bronx County and the 375th Anniversary of Jonas Broncks arrival as the first European settler, we continue our series of fun facts about our beloved borough.
1. Häagen-Dazs® was born in The Bronx in the early 1920s and was sold out of horse drawn wagons.
The Helmsley Mausoleum features a stained glass window of the New York City skyline, including the Empire State Building which they owned at one point. / Image Credit: Nancy/Flickr
2. Real Estate tycoon Harry Helmsley was born in The Bronx in 1909 and went to Evander Childs HS. At one point in time, his company was one of the biggest property owners in the nation and even owned the Empire State Building. Unfortunately he fell to the dark side and was indicted for tax evasion along with his notoriously famous wife, Leona Helmsley. He is buried at the family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery.
The Stunning Anne Bancroft / Image Credit: The Red List
3. The late Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy, & Tony Winner Anne Bancroftwas also born and raised in The Bronx. Born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano, Bancroft went to Columbus High School and a career that spanned over 50 years. She passed away in 2005.
4. The ‘Queen of Suspense’, author Mary Higgins Clark was also born and raised in the Bronx in 1927. The author has sold over 80 million copies of her books in the United States alone.
15 time Emmy winner Sonia Manzano with Big Bird at the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2009 / Image Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images North America
5. Sonia Manzano can tell you how to get to Sesame Street. Born in New Jersey but raised in the South Bronx, Manzano, known as Maria from Sesame Street to millions of kids has been a part of children’s lives since 1974 teaching us so much.
Kerry Washington / Image Credit: Mashable
6. Known to millions as Olivia Pope from the hit show, ‘Scandal’, Kerry Washington was born in the Bronx in 1977 as well as raised in our borough. Oh and she she is also related to another famous Bronxite: Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell is her cousin.
In her first ever performance in the Bronx, the borough she is forever reminding us she’s from and is still in her heart, JLo gave her fans a night they’ll never forget.
The free concert was part of State Farm’s launch of their Neighborhood Sessions where they provide free concerts in an artist’s hometown and this was their first ever.
Although the gates for concert goers at Orchard Beach wouldn’t open until 5pm, fans were already lined up before noon.
Each time a camera crew or photographer came by the jubilant crowd would shout in excitement, waving their flags and homemade JLo fan signs.
When 5pm came by and the gates opened we rushed in and got to the front of the stage and camped out for another two hours waiting for the show to begin. By that time it was a sea of thousands of fans with flags waving as if we were at the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
As the clock ticked closer to 7PM, the jumbo screens on either side of the stage began displaying photos of everyday life in the Bronx as well as our own Bronx heroes such as Baron Ambrosia, Rosalba Rolon of Pregones Theatre, Michael Max Knobbe, Executive Director of BronxNet, Caridad De La Luz, Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Executive Director of BAAD and so many others (that was one of my favorite highlights from the show: Seeing the faces of everyday Bronxites striving to make a difference in our borough).
All the waiting finally paid off for the fans when JLo came on stage rising up on a platform singing several verses of, “I’m Coming Home” and immediately sank back under the stage and then emerged wearing a stunning rehash of her famous green Versace dress.
The entire 90 minute performance was just one song right after another and I’ll give it to her, she can really put on a show. Much to everyone’s surprise, she performed numbers with special guests like Ja Rule, and the Bronx’s own Fat Joe and French Montana. For a free concert, JLo and State Farm really stopped at nothing.
I have been a harsh critic of Jennifer Lopez and her lack of giving back to the community for some time now. I hold her to a higher standard because she is one of the most successful entrepreneurs and entertainers that have come from our borough. As I mentioned before, it’s her life, it’s her money and she can do what she wants to with it. My main issue was always that she uses the “coming from The Bronx” narrative yet never gave back to the community she constantly was talking about and saying she was from.
Her recent contribution to Montefiore in partnering up with helping children learn to eat better to combat obesity is a major step in the right direction — regardless if it’s being done for PR or truly from the bottom of her heart. The point is that she’s using her star power to bring attention to a major issue affecting our children and adults alike that make us the unhealthiest borough in the entire state of New York.
Last night was a beautiful night for the people of the Bronx regardless of your opinions about Jennifer Lopez are. Seeing the ecstatic faces of her fans throughout the entire experience, from waiting in long lines for hours, through the show and at the end of the performance was a wonderful thing. Fans that have supported her no matter what. Fans who have supported JLo even though it took her so long to come back home to perform for her fans. Fans who otherwise could not afford a show of such caliber.
Whatever her motives are for “coming back home” I thank JLo for coming back to the block and showing some love for her fans.
Enjoy the pictures!
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A big thank you to Katrina Davis of Katrina Davis Photography who came along with us and took all these great photos of the evening. Without her, we wouldn’t be able to share these wonderful images with you. Make sure to also follow her on Facebook!
While I do agree that a lane should be dedicated to go in and out of City Island for residents and emergency vehicles, what I don’t understand is the panic.
The concert is for 25,000 people. July beach attendance at Orchard is roughly 20,000 a day. What the City Island Civic Association is neglecting to tell you is that that’s less than half the typical August weekend crowd of 60,000 people crammed into the beach (not to mention the thousands that actually go to City Island to dine at their many great seafood restaurants) so why the panic?
Oh and before the clamdiggers and musselsuckers of City Island say that I’m not being empathetic, I live in the shadow of Yankee Stadium and these inconveniences are a part of my reality all my life.
Roads are closed to residents, traffic is a nightmare, but we survive and so shall you tomorrow.
Back in October Seattle publicist Patricia Vaccarino trashed The Bronx in an article which upset many Bronx residents including myself.
Now Vaccarino has rectified the situation not by simply apologizing but by dedicating an entire issue to the wonderful people of the Bronx and look into those who are actively engaged in making this a better place.
Welcome2TheBronx wrote about the original article back in October and immediately the news spread. As you already know, we’re dedicated to combating the decades old, negative stereotypes of our borough. News12 the Bronx even called her out and did an on air interview with Vaccarino.
The issue, American Heroes: The Bronx, features Bronxites such as Reverend Carmen Hernandez, Founder of New York City’s first LGBTQS Chamber of Commerce, and Rhynna Santos, a Bronx photographer who focuses on capturing the beauty of the people of the Bronx.
PR For The People focused heavily on Bronx entrepreneurs including Lovie Pignata who’s currently working on opening up her own café, Morris Perk, and Alexandra Maruri, Founder and owner of MCNY Tours who without her help and persistence, this issue wouldn’t be possible.
Join the National Puerto Rican Day Parade as they host the 19th Annual Festival De La Calle 152 in honor of the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade leading up to the larger National Puerto Rican Day Parade in June.
Set in The Bronx, “El Condado de la Salsa,” the National Puerto Rican Day Parade has hosted this annual cultural event since 1995.
This is an outdoor family affair lined with kiosks from Puerto Rican Comida Tipica (typical food) and arts & crafts to promotional sponsors and musical groups for a fun-filled day of entertainment.
The Bronx Cultural Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2014 from 11:00am – 4:00pm on 152nd Street between Jackson and Union Avenue, Bronx, NY 10455.
The festival is easily accessible by the 4 bus and the 2/5 trains to Jackson Avenue which leaves you right at the festival.
“Exploring the World One Day at a Time” is the motto of the Marble Hill School for International Studies, and that is what 8 Bronx students will get the opportunity to experience through the China Exchange Program!
The Marble Hill China Exchange Program selects a few students each year to travel to China as part of a cultural exchange with a Chinese high school. This leadership and study abroad program has blossomed and expanded over the years to become an integral part of our school’s identity as an international school that prepares our students for life in a global community.
This fundraiser event will include raffles and entertainment, we hope you come out Friday, MAY 30, and help us send these Bronx students to China!
“The woman, in the midst of a seizure, moaned from a row of stretchers parked in the hallway of the emergency room at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx.
“Everything’s full,” a doctor called out.
That was when Dr. Fernando Jara stepped in. Ducking into one room after another, he scanned medical charts until he found a patient who had been seen only moments before. “We’re going to move him,” he said. “We’re going to bring that other patient in here.”
Dr. Jara has become an expert at juggling patients while running what may be the single busiest emergency room in New York City. As chairman of the emergency medicine department at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, he and his staff handled a staggering 173,000 visits in 2013, from patients who showed up with everything including gunshot wounds and chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and hypertension. Many of them had no health insurance, no access to regular checkups and nowhere else to turn.”
Umbrella Hotel currently under construction in Melrose is slated to open this Fall.
Melrose and The South Bronx are experiencing a boom in the hotel industry.
First the luxury boutique Opera House Hotel opened on 149th street between Brook and Bergen and now coming this fall is the Umbrella Hotel. Located at 681 Elton Avenue between E 153rd & E 154th Streets right off 3rd Avenue, the 7 story building will house 56 rooms with rates varying from $129 – $159 per night said one of the owners and Bronxite, Manny Chadha of AMG Elton LLC.
“There’s a lot going on in Melrose, with green construction and developments like Via Verde,” said Chadha when asked by us why he chose the Melrose location. “We’re located just 2 stops from Manhattan…we want to keep that money in The Bronx” he added.
According to Chadha, the Umbrella will also be a boutique hotel with luxury accommodations and plans are in the works to also have a rooftop lounge for guests and if all goes as planned, it will eventually be opened to the public.
If you asked me 10 years ago, or anyone for that matter, if people would want to stay in the South Bronx, my answer would have probably been a resounding no. Melrose was still mostly empty lots that once were filled with ruble from burnt out buildings, but so much has changed since.
Other than the decrepit Stadium Lodge on Sedgwick Avenue along the Major Deegan Expressway, there weren’t any lodging destinations in the South Bronx since the Concourse Plaza Hotel closed in 1974 and even then it had seriously declined in stature.
It wasn’t until 2006 that Mi Casa Tu Casa, a bed and breakfast on East 150th Street and the Grand Concourse, opened and offered beautifully appointed rooms in a 19th century home for half the price of similar accommodations in Manhattan. Mi Casa Tu Casa is 1 block from the 149th Street / Grand Concourse subway station on the 2/4/5 trains and 1 stop into Manhattan and 10 minutes to Museum Mile on the Upper East Side.
The Andrew Freedman Home has quickly become a hot bed of cultural activity in the Bronx. Besides the 10 room bed and breakfast, you’ll find various art exhibits and cultural programming going on.
And the construction of new hotels in the South Bronx doesn’t end with the Umbrella Hotel.
Currently under construction is a 12 story hotel in the Lower Concourse Rezoning District at 500 Exterior Street and a lot at 135th Street and 3rd Avenue, currently a brownfield, is being cleaned up for an 80-90 room hotel.
The South Bronx certainly has come a long way as a place people once fled to a place where visitors from all over the world want to stay.
Site of future hotel on 135th and 3rd Avenue in the Lower Concourse Rezoning District500 Exterior Street, site of future 12 story hotel in the Lower Concourse Rezoning District
Edwin Pagán, a New York-based writer, photographer, filmmaker and cultural activist and member of the Seis del Sur collective. He produced the hard-hitting documentary Latinos Beyond Reel, and is currently in production on his signature project BRONX BURNING, a documentary that chronicles the rise, fall and resurrection of the South Bronx. Pagán is the founder-in-chief of LATIN HORROR, a website and online publication geared to the genre of Latin horror in all its forms. He is also writing a book on the subject titled “MIEDO – The History of Latin Horror
Come to the Andrew Freedman Home this Sunday from Noon to 6pm and enjoy a wonderful afternoon with Bombayo. There will be traditional bomba dancing and music and much more!
In the meantime, watch the videos from some of their previous performances including 86 year YOUNG Teresa Fortuna as she dances to her heart’s content!
There’s really no place quite like Wave Hill which is located in the Northwestern Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. Even the surrounding neighborhood it sits in is different from the rest of the city. The list of notable residents that have lived on the estate is equally as impressive.
Ever since my first steps upon the grounds of this magical place, its held a special place in my heart. While attending college in nearby New Rochelle at Iona, I would often drive over during long breaks between classes and relax or catch up on my studies or readings.
Some of its notable residents have been Arturo Toscanini, President Theodore Roosevelt while he was in grade school, and Mark Twain.
The last private owner of Wave Hill was George W. Perkins, a partner of JP Morgan, who purchased it in 1903 and remained in the family until it was deeded to the City of New York.
During a recent tour with Martha Gellens, Assistant Director of Marketing at Wave Hill, she pointed out that Perkins was instrumental in the preservation of the Palisades across the Hudson in New Jersey. We can thank him, as well as others, to be able to enjoy the virtually unspoiled views of this natural wonder.
The tranquility of the grounds of this lush 28 acre estate serves as a means of escape from the hustle and bustle that is New York City. Upon entering the gates of the garden, you can already feel as if you’re stepping back in time into a quiter era.
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The ambient noise is simply that of nature and the occasional airplane flying overhead. Even at its busiest, patrons respect the tranquility of the place almost as if inside a cathedral — except this one is an homage to the splendor of nature in the northeast in all the glory of the four seasons.
Speaking of the Arts, Wave Hill also has a comprehensive arts program via exhibits, the performing, arts, as well as free classes on Saturday mornings for kids and their families.
Regardless of whether you visit this gem during the blooming delights of Spring, the lush greenery of Summer, the resplendent leaves of Autumn, or the starkness of Winter, it is a place that will leave you wanting more.
Wave Hill is open Tuesdays through Sunday from 9:30AM to 5:30PM from March 15th through October 31st. From November 1st through March 14th, the garden is open from 9:30AM to 4:30PM. General admission is $8, $4 for students and seniors 65+ and $2 for children 6+.
Thanks to the support of Target, Wave Hill offers the following free admission days:
Saturdays
Year-round: 9AM–noon
Tuesdays
January, February, March, April: All day
May, June: 9AM–noon
July, August: All day
September, October: 9AM–noon
November, December: All day
After almost a year of construction, work has been completed along the Metro North tracks between Melrose and Tremont stations and service restored at those stations.
The work along 6 miles of tracks between Melrose and Woodlawn has increased the speed which trains can travel between those stations by 15 miles per hour to 75mph.
For months the stations offered shuttle bus service to Fordham, a cumbersome and inconvenient method of getting about for those who ret heavily on the rail lines for reverse commutes into Westchester, Connecticut, and points beyond.
Now that we have our stations restored, we need to increase service at these stations, particularly Melrose which serves the general “downtown” area of the Bronx.
With thousands of new residents that ha e moved into the neighborhood in the dozens of developments, increase in service into and out of the city can only help our overburdened subways during rush hour. The only catch here is that for it to be successful, there needs to be a system of fares comparable if not exactly equal to the subway for those seeking to use the rail into Manhattan or other points within the city.
