Whether you’re for or against the possibility of a new soccer stadium, please make every effort to attend tonight’s Town Hall Meeting at 7:30PM at 900 Grand Concourse at the corner of 161st Street.
For more coverage on the soccer stadium check out our past stories.
Do we really need to publicly subsidize yet another corporation which can fully build such a Stadium? Why should tax payers be asked to pay for The $300+ million Stadium which New York City Football Club’s owners can easily build with their own money.
Let’s not forget that we’re also being asked to let them to use public land rent free for 38 years.
The conversation that needs to happen is what does the community want done in this area.
26 year old Bronx born and raised music artist, actor and Cardinal Hayes graduate, Christopher Estrada, is definitely starting off the year right and hit the ground running. Today he released his first single and music video and in early February will begin production on ‘Heartland’, an independent film written by Bronxite Orlando Reyes.
‘Music is My Only Love’, is written by Christopher Estrada with original music by Xavier Johnson/Iah Cranks. Vocal production was done by JR Abdelhamid, Founder and CEO of ATOF Studios.
JR Abdelhamid remembers watching Estrada performing at clubs in the NYC area and, “wanted to work with Christopher…I was looking for a talented artist prominent in the gay community to work with. We both value each other’s opinion and understand how important it is to be honest and comfortable with each other’s ideas and criticism.” Carlos Arias Photography
Abdelhamid went on to say, “The music industry is a tough business. Not everyone can do it! Its not just about having talent. I always tell Estrada from when we first started working together that I admired his work ethic and as an independent artist you must have the drive, work ethic, and talent to succeed and in my eyes, Estrada has what it takes.”
After the video below, make sure you read our interview with Christopher Estrada where he gets to the nitty-gritty of his journey, growing up in the Bronx, praises for Lehman College’s theatre program, and tough choices and sacrifices he had to make to get to this day. He also tells us about his role in the upcoming independent film, ‘Heartland’, by Bronxite Orlando Reyes, about a young girl who is bullied at school due to her life at home – so she takes matters into her own hands and the resulting action leaves her parents wondering what they can do to help their little girl.
Director: Todd Rocheford
Executive Producer: Christopher Estrada
Creative Director/Producer: JR Abdelhamid
Choreography: Harold David
Styling: Omar Alexander
Hair: Ray Negron
Make Up: James Carrera
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I’m the type of artist that is constantly evolving. I never want to stick to just one genre of music, or one type of performance. I’m always changing in some way.
Who are your biggest influences?
Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Stevie Nicks, Seal, Garbage, Sade, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez are some of my biggest musical influences. I’m also really into newer artists like Janelle Monae and Lana Del Rey.
When did you know that you wanted to pursue singing professionally?
I was 13 years old when Kylie Minogue came out with “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head.” I remember recording it off of the radio on a cassette, and playing it over and over until I wore out the tape. That song literally got stuck in my head, and after that, I was never able to shake that feeling of wanting to get stuck in people’s heads. Eddie Soto Photography
Tell us about Music is My Only Love.
Music Is My Only Love is my very first single, off of my upcoming album by the same name. It’s really an introduction to the album, and to my audience. It’s the very first thing anyone should know about me, that Music Is My Only Love. Out of all the distractions I’ve faced throughout my life, music has always been this driving force for me, it’s kept me sane and focused, so the single is really about me professing my devotion to my art.
Describe your album.
My album has a little bit of everything, it tells my story up until where I am in my life right now. It’s about this really interesting journey I’ve been on, going from darkness to light, finding myself and figuring out who I am as a person, as an artist and as a man. Each song flows into the next, and I think people are going to be really surprised with the material on this album. I’m exploring so many different genres and pushing myself vocally and lyrically. I feel more aware of myself and my thoughts, and I think this album reflects that. It’s really personal, and my audience is going to know so much more about who I am.
Who is your target audience?
Anyone and everyone who will listen. Anyone who wants to follow me can. Anyone can come to my shows, anyone can relate to my music. I’ll sing for anyone who wants to hear it. Some people might argue that’s too broad of a spectrum, but I’ve always been one to think on a grand-scale.
When can we expect another song to be released?
I already selected a second single, we shot the video just a few weeks ago so it’ll be out very, very soon!
How did you become involved in acting?
I started acting before I even knew what acting was. As a child I was always putting on shows for my family, and as a kid in school I was in every school play. The older I got, the more I wanted to study acting, and the more I fell in love with the craft.
What are some of the plays you were in, including role, and venue?
I did some great work while studying theatre at Lehman College, I played Palomo in Anna In The Tropics by Nilo Cruz, Rooftop in Our Lady of 121st Street by Stephen Adly Guirgis, and Peter Evans in BUG by Tracy Letts. After college I was accepted into the Glass Beads Theatre Ensemble in NYC, during my time with them I did my first Off-Broadway play Lily of the Conservative Ladies, at the June Havoc Theatre and written by Michael Locasio and directed by Mari Gorman, and we also debuted a play called Browsing at the NYC Fringe Festival in 2011 where I played about 5 completely different characters in one show.
What year did you graduate from Lehman College?
I never actually graduated from Lehman College. College is expensive. And after a few semesters studying theater I began to get increasingly restless in my courses. I was anxious about plunging myself further into debt all for a degree that could not guarantee my future. I went to Lehman because of their fantastic Theater program, I learned so much there, but I wanted to be out in the real world, so I broke away from school and I started performing my music in clubs in NYC. I was recommended to theater director Mari Gorman by Marilyn Sokol, who I studied acting with at Lehman, and after a 3-month audition/workshop with Glass Beads I was invited to become a member of the company. It wasn’t an easy decision to leave school, but it was the choice I knew I needed to make. I wanted real-life experience in my field, and I vowed that I would return to school as soon as I could afford to do so.
Tell us about Heartland and how you became involved in it and what role will be.
I did a photo-shoot a few months ago with photographer Christian Reyes, and he introduced me to his brother, Heartland director Orlando Reyes, whose work I had already seen. He told me about Heartland and I loved the concept, I asked him if I could audition for the film but it was already cast.
Then a few months later he reached out to me and said there was a part he thought I’d be great for and sent me the script. I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. I’ll be playing the role of Jonathan, he’s a father and a gay man, he’s navigating the complexities of parenthood and raising his 13 year old daughter who is at such a difficult time in her own life. His main concern is that his daughter is safe and loved, and he’s devoted to bringing his family together. I think it’s a great part, it’s a powerful story with a beautiful message, and it’s also a completely different character than I’ve ever played before.
What was it like to grow up gay in the Bronx?
I can’t lie, growing up was tough. Kids were cruel. I never felt like I fit in, Middle School was absolute torture. Didn’t have much friends, didn’t hang out with neighborhood kids. I was bullied ferociously, and I spent most of my time feeling like an outcast. I spent a lot of time alone, so I had nothing better to do than invent characters, write songs, and fantasize about a future where I would be loved by the world. I’ve been jumped a few times, I was followed home from school by bullies.
I didn’t know it then, but it was all preparation for my future. I’ve already been ridiculed, I’ve already been rejected, I’ve already been overlooked, I grew-up being the underdog. Now I’m hard as steel and tough as shit. I learned the hard way that I had to stand up for myself and what I believe in. Growing up in gay in The Bronx was a blessing. I have the cojones to go for what I want in life, and I’ll stop at nothing until I get it. I fear no one but myself. Eddie Soto Photography
Does your experience as an openly gay Latino from the Bronx influence your music?
My experience as a human influences my music. My music is about wanting love and wanting to be a better version of myself. It’s about learning to believe in myself and the power of my dreams, and that’s something that I think everyone wants. Yes, I am an openly gay Latino from The Bronx, so culturally there are many influences that pour into my music, but I would caution anyone from marginalizing me as an artist because of labels like “gay,” “latino,” or “from The Bronx.”
I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of, I’m very proud of who I am and where I come from, I cannot stress that pride enough, but there are so many more interesting things that make up who I am. My education, my talents, where I’ve traveled, relationships, family, heartbreaks, dead-end jobs, disappointments, loss and failure. I have a lifetime of experiences that influence my music, and I sing and write about things that everybody goes through. We’re all on this one planet together. All humans are 99.9% percent the same, genetically speaking, I’m influenced by all of humanity. It’s the spirit of unity that influences my music.
How has the Bronx influenced you?
The Bronx is tough, there’s no doubt about it. It can be gritty and dark, but pressure makes diamonds in the rough. Nothing is handed to us here in The Bronx, we have to work for it.
People here have to work hard for what they have, we’re self starters. We build ourselves up, that’s what we do. That’s what the bronx has taught me for sure.
What’s your favorite place in the Bronx and why?
Co-op City – I grew up here, it’s my home. It’s a little sanctuary from the rest of the city, plenty of green space, I live high up in the clouds, my home is an endless source of inspiration.
What have been the most difficult obstacles in getting to where you are today?
Myself. My own self-doubts. My biggest obstacle has been, very honestly, to get over myself. Get over all the fears and doubts, the voices in my head that tell me I’m not good enough. It’s all stupid. It’s all bullshit. It’s a lie. And once I finally got that through my head, things started to fall into place.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Traveling the world, performing my music on stage for everyone and anyone who will listen. More music, more film, more stage. More everything. I want more.
——
Support local Bronx artists!
You can do so by purchasing ‘Music is My Only Love’ if you like it on iTunes, Amazon and many more.
In a meeting held last week at Bronx Legal Services by concerned community members about the proposed Major League Soccer stadium sweetheart deal, it was revealed by several individuals that Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr was proceeding cautiously with this deal as to not make the same mistake he made with the FreshDirect deal. Site of proposed soccer stadium.
These comments were allegedly made by Ruben Diaz Jr at the December 30th stakeholders meeting he held with local community members.
The FreshDirect sweetheart deal was made behind our backs almost 2 years ago and announced as a done deal without ever having any community input.
With overwhelming support againstFreshDirect moving to the Bronx (well over 40 community based organizations have signed on a platform to block the deal whereas only 6 or 7 organizations support the move) and the fact that the company didn’t even bother coming to Community Board 1 until 16 months after the announced deal it is no wonder that the BP would be moving cautiously.
When we contacted his office, we were given the following statement from Ruben Diaz Jr’s Communications Director, John DeSio:
“
Our office has not yet made any decisions as to whether or not we would support this project. Our office is hosting a series of meetings with community stakeholders to measure interest in this project, and our eventual decision on this matter will be informed by those meetings.
As for FreshDirect, our office has and continues to support the company’s relocation to the Bronx—100 percent. However, our office has heard some concerns from legitimate community leaders that that project was not vetted to the community prior to its approval, and these meetings help ensure that the soccer stadium—should it move forward—would not be subject to similar criticisms.
The borough president also held up the FreshDirect MOU, as well as the Kingsbridge Armory CBA, as models of what could be done in and for the community should the project move forward.
“The Bronx would be the perfect home for a new professional soccer franchise. I am ready to work with Major League Soccer to make this a reality, and I look forward to beginning this conversation,”
This was in a letter Diaz Jr wrote to MLS Commissioner Don Garber on June 12th urging him to, “…consider the Bronx, and not Queens, as the home of its newest franchise, the New York City Football Club.”
Completely different tone from what was just released by the Borough President’s office but it is it because they truly are attempting to listen to the community or is it because New York City Football Club president Ferran Soriano looking at other sites outside of the Bronx?
On Friday it was announced by mlssoccer.com that the club is actively looking at locations outside of the Bronx so can it be that Diaz Jr is now on the fence because the Bronx deal may not actually happen?
But is this really the case or are our politicians being pushed against the wall with the same threat made by greedy corporations: If you don’t want this deal, we know other communities ready to take it.
Bettina Damiani, Project Director at Good Jobs New York and who has been instrumental in helping educate the community on how deals like FreshDirect negatively impact our communities rather than benefit them as promised, was at the meeting last Wednesday at Bronx Legal Services.
“We shouldn’t be having conversations about Memoranda of Understanding or Community Benefits Agreements at this point,” said Damiani in response to what the BP’s office had to say about the Kingsbridge Armory CBA and FreshDirect MOU. “The conversations that need to be happening right now is with the community and what they want done with the land.” Damiani added.
It is important to note that contrary to popular belief, sport stadiums and arenas do not add promised economic benefits to the neighborhoods they are built in.
Regardless of what’s happening behind the scenes, please attend a townhall meeting this coming Wednesday, January 15th at 7:30PM hosted by the 161st Street BID at 900 Grand Concourse. Email your thoughts on the soccer stadium deal to cary@161bid.org and please attend this meeting! It is important, as a community, to voice your thoughts and concerns!
ALSO: The possibility of a new soccer stadium is the subject for BronxTalk tonight. 9pm. BronxNet’s channel 67 and Fios 33. streamed on bronxnet.org
This ride was part of his whirlwind self-congratulatory tour across the five boroughs to celebrate supposed accomplishments of his term.
Unfortunately, when he arrived at the new station, there was very little fanfare. There were no crowds of local residents to cheer him on due to the fact that very few people actually live out there.
Journalist Max Rivlin-Nadler wrote “Building subways is great, but Bloomberg built a train stop that serves a now-imaginary neighborhood instead of a real one with real people who are already underserved by New York City’s transit infrastructure.”
According to NYC City Planning, there will eventually be 12,600 housing units and 440,000 new workers traveling to the Far West Side. Whether or not these numbers hold true is to be determined.
Throughout the history of New York City the mantra has been: If you build it, they will come. However, as Max Rivlin-Nadler questioned, what about those New Yorker’s that are already here?
Prior to Bloomberg taking office, the neighborhoods of Highbridge, Morris Heights and University Heights were already transit starved.
Due to it’s steep topography, the West Bronx remains as topographically isolated today as it was in the late 1800’s when Cromwell’s Creek ran north up up the valley beyond 167th Street.
With an estimated population of over 100,000 Western Bronx residents in the aforementioned neighborhoods, the closest subway line is the 4 train situated at the base of the valley.
Many have argued that when the 4 train was constructed, it should have been located further west so as to not become redundant with the Grand Concourse line. Given its level of ridership these days, redundancy does not appear to be an issue.
In fact, the intense volume of traffic on the 4 train was in part what spurred the renewed effort to construct of the Second Avenue Line in Manhattan.
In contrast to Riverdale which has used topographic isolation to its advantage in order to create a luxury enclave, the West Bronx has stagnated economically. In the early 1900’s transportation to this area was better or at the very least more appealing.
Most notable were the former streetcar lines that ran down Ogden Avenue, Edward L Grant Highway and University Avenue.
Unfortunately, those streetcars were phased out and replaced by buses. What was once considered a pleasurable ride to the top of the bluff now seems more like a burden.
Even with it’s poor transit access, the city continues to build new high-density low-income residential units in the Western Bronx.
Completed in 2012, Highbridge Terrace added 220 affordable housing units at the far west end of 167th Street. While the building has panoramic views of the Harlem River, residents literally need to travel up and down a small mountain in order to get to the nearest subway.
This is one of many new affordable developments in the Bronx erected during the Bloomberg administration.
What happens when a city concentrates poverty in topographically undesirable locations? Eventually, those areas could end up like Providência in Rio de Janeiro.
Providência was the first of a network of hillside favelas that dot the landscape of Rio.
The favelas have historically been plagued by poverty, crime, drugs, etc. In contrast to New York City, the politicians and general population of Rio have actually come to the realization that topographic isolation of poverty is a problem. In response, the City of Rio de Janeiro is now making concerted efforts to improve transportation access to those areas.
Admittedly, the existing transportation in West Bronx is better than most favelas in Rio, but the problems it faces are similar. Lack of transit-oriented development when it comes to low-income housing has put that part of the Bronx at an economic disadvantage.
The neighborhoods of Highbridge, Morris Heights and University Heights would have been in far better shape today had the city adopted a policy of converting open lots into parkland.
Instead, the city appears to be on a mission to infill every remaining piece of green space with either high-density apartment buildings or NYC’s cousin to the South American favela home i.e. the masonry two & three families with rusty A/C sleeves and exposed wiring that are becoming increasingly ubiquitous throughout the outer boroughs.
These physical manifestations of the lowest common denominator in building code usually start to deteriorate before they are even occupied.
In the case of the West Bronx, the new housing has already been built and new residents have already come.
The question is how do Bronxites convince a city government that has historically neglected the borough to invest in some of its most impoverished neighborhoods.
The answer could very well lie with the recently proposed soccer stadium. When the new Yankee Stadium was constructed, one of the community benefits was the construction of a Metro North station.
The proposed soccer stadium could be an excellent opportunity to request the MTA extend the 3 train into the Bronx to the approximate location of the old 9th Avenue Jerome/Anderson stop.
In a perfect world, the train would be extended up Ogden Avenue and University Avenue terminating in Kingsbridge Heights. However, we all know that the city prefers to work in phases as seen with the Second Avenue line or the proposed extension of the 7 line to New Jersey.
While the government seems adverse to improving subway access in low and middle income neighborhoods, the argument can be made that there is a tangible benefit of providing a another mass transit option to Manhattan’s well-heeled soccer and baseball fans.
In addition, the new subway could serve as a catalyst to develop mixed income housing along the Harlem River waterfront.
Bronxites will realize the benefit of the return of direct subway access to the southern end of Highbridge. In the future, perhaps a more civic oriented governance will decide to extend the 3 train further.
Alternatively, affluent New Yorkers may eventually decide to flee to higher elevations away from the flood zones and decide to extend the 3 train further.
Whatever the future may bring, it is important that we develop the infrastructure to prepare for it. Now may be the best opportunity that we have in the foreseeable future to get a new subway line into the Bronx. I suggest we take advantage of this opportunity.
RICHARD GAREY is an alumni of Columbia University School of Architecture, Preservation and Planning. In addition to his professional practice as an architect, he has been involved with the Harlem River Working Group, the Bronx Metro North Study and the restoration of Aqueduct Walk Park. Richard is resident of the Concourse section of the Bronx.
Disclaimer: Comments, views, and opinions are that solely of the author and should never be misconstrued as that of Welcome2TheBronx or any other authors of this site.
Welcome2TheBronx encourages reader submissions for consideration for publication on our site. It is our mission to be able to provide a platform where Bronx residents can have their voices broadcasted to a wider audience.
To submit an article, email us at submissions@welcome2thebronx.com
Watch the entire process as New York City Council members vote for Melissa Mark-Viverito and electing her as next Speaker and the first person of color to hold that post.
Many Council members took a moment to comment on why they were voting for her.
Last night, representatives from the development team of La Central, BRP Development Corporation, Hudson Companies Inc., Common Ground, Comunilife, The Kretchmer Companies, and the YMCA, made their first presentation to Community Board 1 who’s very offices are behind the proposed development site.
The 985 unit mixed income, mixed use development will be constructed in 2 phases with the first phase hopefully beginning in the summer of 2015 and the second phase the following summer in 2016.
Hudson Companies said that this project will bring significant economic impact during construction and after the 1,169,000 square foot La Central is built.
An estimated 2,158 construction jobs will be needed to complete this project and projected 452 permanent jobs are estimated to be created once the retail spaces are occupied including 70 jobs which the YMCA will need. Area of detail
As Melrose already knows through the dozens of New developments built here in the last 5 years, these construction jobs are a boon to the local mom and pop shops who feed these workers or provide other services.
Phase I
The first phase, which will include the construction of the southernmost lot abutting the 2 and 5 subway line will consist of 650 units of mixed income housing, the 48,000 YMCA, as well as the 9,000 foot rooftop farm which will be operated by GrowNYC.
The rooftop farm will have its separate elevator so that it’s accessible to the public and GrowNYC will not only grow produce for use at a farmer’s market right at the HUB but will also use it as an educational space for all ages.
The YMCA, which the developers identified as the most important component to construct so that the development will attract the necessary foot traffic and retailers, will be a massive 48,000 Square foot facility. It will contain two swimming pools, basketball courts and a host of other services for the neighborhood. Membership to the Y will be income-based. Aerial view of the proposed development, La Central
In the northern lot, 2 other buildings will be constructed during this initial phase bringing a total of 784,000 square feet of residential and retail space.
Hudson Companies stressed the importance of phase 1 as it will turn the stretch of Westchester Avenue between Brook and Bergen into a retail corridor that is now just empty land and a parking lot.
Phase II
The second phase (consisting of 385,000 square feet) will include the last two buildings in the 5 building development including the 25 story northern tower along with the Astronomy lab and telescope, the northern triangle Park which they envision as a skate park, and all the landscaping that will go along with it.
Amenities and Sustainable Components
50% of each rooftop will be dedicated green space for residents which and the other half will be solar panels. Along with generators, La Central will be producing approximately 50% of its own energy.
Unit Breakdown
The 985 units are currently configured as follows:
82 studios
306 1 bed
305 2 bed
102 3 bed
30 4 bedroom units.
As you can see, there is a considerable number of 3 bedroom units and 30 4 bedroom apartments. Hudson Companies has studied the area and has found a need for large apartments to accommodate larger families which are found in our district.
None of the above is set in stone as developments often change due to these ongoing meetings with the community board and residents.
Community Board Concerns
Several CB1 members, including Ms Goodwin, expressed dismay at the 63 units set aside for senior citizens. As a senior citizen herself, she said that she is tired of developers coming to our district and building senior developments or units that are strictly studio apartments.
Goodwin, as well as another member, expressed that many seniors in the district have home attendants many of which are 24 hours so studio units are not desirable in these circumstances.
Another CB1 member was concerned of Comunilife having a 10,000 foot Mental Wellness Clinic in the development adding yet another such facility in our district.
Many board members and residents agreed and echoed this concern citing that we have been a dumping ground for such facilities.
No one is against the work that they provide but more so just against of having another one in our backyard.
Home Ownership Concerns
Many residents, while accepting of the project and expressing joy at the prospect of having this built in the neighborhood expressed concern that unlike Via Verde, La Central will have no opportunities for home ownership such as Co-ops or Condos.
Many residents point to the success of Via Verde in mixing rental units with cooperative apartments and the fact that the project sold out.
Arturo V. Bárcenas, recently commented on Welcome2TheBronx saying,” The lack of ownership option does not serve the neighborhood well. There needs to be a mix of affordable rental apartments, and co-op units, which are badly needed in the area”
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
After reviewing this and many developments in our neighborhood, affordable coops and condos are definitely something that should be considered for at least 10% of the units.
What do you think? Take the survey above or comment below.
As more and more aspects of the development become available, we will continue to keep you posted.
Last week when Mayor Bill de Blasio was inaugurated I published an open letter to him on several items that the Bronx was in need of.
One of the major items I mentioned that instead of hundreds of millions of dollars going to corporate subsidies that hurt communities rather than benefit them was to use said monies for fast tracking four new Metro North stations in the East Bronx.
While the monies may not necessarily fast track the process what it would do is at least guarantee that the budget would be met for such a major project.
Well yesterday Governor Cuomo, in his state of the State address gave a major push for this expansion of has been studied for years.
The four proposed stations would be located in Co-op City, Morris Park, Parkchester, and Hunts Point along the New Haven Line and link directly with Penn Station offering Eastern Bronx residents direct access to the west side in 25 minutes: a trip that can now take well over an hour.
If these stations are built in 5 years, they will be a tremendous boon to the borough but easing the commutes for thousands of Bronxites and opening up access to employment centers in Westchester and Connecticut which were impossible to get to without a car.
Let’s make sure that we keep the pressure on and demand that this doesn’t just become a pipe dream or a plan that is shelved but that it becomes a reality. The Bronx already has these railroad tracks intersecting the borough so might as well put our infrastructure to good use.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito gives her first speech.
Today history has been made as New York City Council members gathered to vote for the next City Council Speaker and elected Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Puerto Rican born latina who’s district spans East Harlem with a greater portion in the Bronx.
Councilman Torres of the Bronx moved to nominate Melissa Mark-Viverito As speaker with a speech laced with all her accomplishments, particularly being a person of the people.
He urged other Council members to stand behind her, sadly as expected the Bronx Council members did not applause.
Other Council members who seconded the motion called her the most progressive elected official and what our city needs to move the city forward and help all New Yorkers particularly the underdog.
Dan Garodnick, her contender was recognized and officially conceded to Melissa Mark-Viverito. After hugging her he pledged to work to heal the rifts that came up during this tough selection process.
Once again, the chamber erupted in applause.
As of last night, Mark-Viverito, in an interview on NY1 had said she had the support of 30 Council members — enough to secure the position as the next Speaker, a position often considered to be the most powerful after the mayor.
But the road to her victory today was not an easy one.
As it became increasingly clear that she was the leading contender in the race Speaker, many criticized the need for a balance of power between the Council and the Mayor due to the fact that the both Mark-Viverito and Mayor de Blasio are progressive Democrats with similar agendas. The New York Post and Daily News went on a campaign of yellow journalism as well.
Mayor de Blasio actively campaigned for her which added fuel to the fire but what is interesting to point out is that if this was really about balance of power then why aren’t people making a big deal when, on a national level, the White House and Congress are politically aligned and a Speaker is being chosen?
The fact of the matter is that many of the attacks against Mark-Viverito were because not only were we going to have another woman serving as Speaker, but this time it was to be a woman of color, a Latina — severely upsetting the status quo in the power structure of New York City.
Melissa Mark-Viverito, born and raised in Puerto Rico, is now the most powerful individual in New York City after Mayor Bill de Blasio.
She is representative of the changing face of the city as we increasingly become more diverse and it is important to have a diverse governing body reflective of the people but more importantly, someone who is QUALIFIED.
Mark-Viverito is that qualified elected official who through her leadership has shown that she works for all people regardless of your religious, ethnic, racial backgrounds or socio-economic level.
The level which she engages the public in participatory budgeting is unprecedented, allowing citizens the power to choose where funds will be spent.
The big losers of today are, as usual, the Bronx Political Machine who refused to support Melissa Mark-Viverito in her quest for becoming City Speaker. She is not one to pander to party bosses and step in line with the party bit rather one with the people.
This very quality that scares the Bronx Democratic Party and machine is because she doesn’t make backroom deals as is the norm in our borough; a quality which makes her perfect as the Speaker for she will not always agree with the mayor due to her fierce independence.
Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer arrives at City Hall. Ferrer, along with Congressman Serrano and Senator Serrano broke away from the Bronx Democratic Party machine and endorsed Mark-Viverito.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito gives her first speech.
Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez came by to show support for Mark-Viverito.
Final huddle between Melissa Mark-Viverito and her supporters in City Council.
Mark-Viverito’s contender for Speaker, Dan Garodnick, hugs Melissa as he entered the Council Chambers shortly before officially pulling from the race and supporting her candidacy.
Council members, new and old, are sworn in for their new term.
While Bronxites and countless New Yorkers know that if they want the best Italian experience in the city you avoid Manhattan’s Little Italy, many do not know to come to Arthur Avenue in Belmont the Bronx.
The BBC has published an interesting video report (link to video at the bottom of the story) on the changing faces of Belmont, something which many readers and Bronxites have commented on.
Thanks to former Bronxite, Steven Springer, Senior Executive Producer of Voice of America for the heads up on this wonderful story. (Check out the beautiful aerial photograph of the Bronx on Springer’s page! Talk about a proud Bronxite!)
While tourists in New York may get a tiny taste of Italian-American life by visiting the official Little Italy in Manhattan, for the full feast they must visit a neighbourhood in the Bronx.
For generations Arthur Avenue has been home to thousands of immigrants who crossed the Atlantic but never forgot their homeland. The sounds and smells in the traditional butchers, bakers and pasta makers are all reminiscent of the old country.
But there is also a new wave of Italian immigrants in New York coming to America in search of a better life.
The new arrivals tend to be fluent in English and better-educated. However, unlike their predecessors, fewer emigrate with whole families and choose to settle in the same communities as other Italians.
Produced by the BBC’s Anna Bressanin
Altered States is a series of video features published every Wednesday on the BBC News website which examine how shifting demographics and economic conditions affect America on a local level.
Last year you may remember that we wrote about Bronxite and Hunts Point resident Tanya Fields and her quest to bring access to healthy food to folks in the South Bronx.
Well now after necessary fundraising and support, the South Bronx Mobile Market Is a reality!
Starting this month on Tuesday, January 28th, the mobile market will be delivering its first boxes of mostly locally grown produce, herbs, and much more!
You can pick up your produce from this wonderful converted school bus that runs on, you guessed it, vegetable oil!
A bulk of the produce and herbs are being grown right here in the South Bronx by Sky Vegetables, a rooftop farm enclosed in a greenhouse atop Arbor House —a new eco friendly and green development.
This type of sustainable operation is what we should be funding instead of giving out hundreds of millions of dollars to corporations, like FreshDirect, who don’t need the money to fund their projects which would pollute our roadways and destroy our waterfront. Sky Vegetables sits atop Arbor House / Images from Sky Vegetables Facebook page
Fields also recently won the right to use a city owned lot in Hunts Point which will be used as Libertad Urban Farm so pretty soon we’ll also be able to enjoy even more locally grown food! Fresh kale grown right in the South Bronx at Sky Vegetables!
Below is all the information on the South Bronx Mobile Market, straight from BLK Projek, and how you can join:
The South Bronx Mobile Market is now registering members for our buying club. For $30 a week you will receive:
4-6 mostly local items of produce (ex. kale, squash, potatoes, lettuce and some non-local items such as plantains and avocado)
Two locally grown herbs (ex. cilantro, basil, parsley, mint)
One pound of beans each week (type of beans will vary weekly, according to Tanya)
One pound of rice each week Milk and Eggs (alternating each week between the two)
One or two value added products based on pricing and availability (ex. sauces, crackers, bread, various oils)
WHAT IS A BUYING CLUB AND WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN?
A food buying club is one way people can buy food as a group and save money. By pooling our money together we can buy food in bulk/wholesale at lower prices but generally fresher and better quality. It often doesn’t include pretty packaging but gives community a chance to realize its buying power, get food not readily available elsewhere in the community and to bring members together to build community.
LOGISTICS: WHEN, WHERE & TIME
Currently we have one confirmed site in the South Bronx. We hope to add an additional site in Mott Haven in the coming weeks and will actively work with other groups in the Bronx to create pickup sites.
Pickup Location: The Point – 940 Garrison Ave ( conveniently located on the 6 line at the Hunts Point Ave stop. A mere 10 minutes from 125th street)
Pickup Day: Tuesdays
Pickup Time: 12-7pm
Note: Our first pickup day is Tuesday, January 28th, 2013
REGISTER & FORMS OF PAYMENT snap.png The South Bronx Mobile Market takes debit/credit cards, SNAP/EBT, cash and PayPal
You can register using your debit or credit card using our online portal. If you want to register using cash or your SNAP/EBT card please give us a call at 718.635.0951
Please note: Payments must be made by the Wednesday before the scheduled pick up date in order to be included in the next delivery date. For example in order to be included in the Tuesday, January 28th date you must register with payment by Wednesday, January 22nd.
Site of Proposed Major League Soccer Stadium just south of Yankee Stadium.
If you’ve been following coverage on the backroom deals being made to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars for a proposed Major League Soccer Stadium in the Bronx then commentary from the Independent Budget Office should come as no surprise.
is a publicly funded agency that provides nonpartisan information about New York City’s budget to the public and their elected officials.
IBO presents its budgetary reviews, economic forecasts, and policy analyses in the form of reports, testimony, memos, letters, and presentations. IBO also produces guides to understanding the budget and provides online access to key revenue and spending data from past years.
While a Soccer Stadium may be a good idea for the South Bronx and Bronx in general, it shouldn’t come at a cost of hundreds of millions of tax dollars and loss of revenue to the city on a 38 year rent free lease.
by Doug Turetsky, ibo.nyc.ny.us
January 6th 2014
The deal now taking shape to score a new soccer stadium in the Bronx would bail out the bondholders of the failed Bronx Parking Development Company. But it would shut out the city from receiving any of the rent or other payments it is owed for the parking sites until 2056.
The Bronx Parking Development Company runs the system of 9,300 parking spaces in a number of lots and garages built at the behest of the Yankees as part of the deal for the new Yankee Stadium. To pave the way for the lots and garages scattered near the stadium, the city leased about 20 acres of land—including 3 acres of parkland—to the parking company, provided a $39 million direct subsidy (the state kicked in an additional $70 million), and issued $238 million in tax-exempt bonds.
The parking spots have been underutilized because of good mass transit options for getting to the ballpark and overpriced compared with nearby parking alternatives. As a result, the Bronx parking company has effectively defaulted on its bonds and failed to make any of the $3.2 million in annual rent as well as payments in lieu of taxes it owes the city since leasing the land in 2008. In need of new revenue, the company issued a request for proposals last spring to sublease and redevelop two of the sites near Yankee Stadium. Now a deal for a new soccer stadium has emerged, with a portion of the proposed 10-acre stadium site incorporating a third site leased to Bronx parking.
The New York City Football Club, a partnership of the Yankees and the Manchester City Football Club (a British Premiere League team), would pay the Bronx Parking Development Company $25 million for its part of the proposed stadium site. Under the terms of the so-called forbearance agreement between bondholders and the Bronx parking company, three new series of bonds would be issued to replace the originals as part of the restructuring of the company’s debt. No provisions are made for money owed to the city.
The lease the city signed with the Bronx parking company anticipated that revenue could fall short of needs and made debts to the city secondary to those of bondholders. The terms of the new bonds presume the city will get nothing for more than 40 years. All revenue received by Bronx parking, from the proposed soccer site as well as the parking company’s other sites, would go to bondholders. Two of the three series of new bonds would not reach maturity until 2056, meaning the city would not begin receiving lease or other payments from Bronx parking until then—foregoing about $150 million in lease revenue alone.
Even as the city would be giving up this revenue, published reports indicate taxpayers are being asked for more to support the construction of the proposed $350 million, 28,000-seat soccer stadium: tax breaks, additional public land, and more tax-exempt financing issued by the city’s Industrial Development Agency.
Whether or not the soccer stadium gets built as currently proposed, it may be decades before the city’s initial subsidy of the parking system delivers any of the expected returns to New Yorkers.
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More on the Soccer Stadium Sweetheart Deal:
About 3 years6 years ago 7 years ago I posted a rant on Welcome2Melrose on the use of the name SoBro by realtors in their never-ending re-branding quest of “forgotten” neighborhoods.
Realtors (and developers too)…we love and hate you in New York City oh so much however, nothing pisses me off more than your inane, fabricated names for our neighborhoods.
We have beautiful, historic names such as Port Morris, Melrose, and Mott Haven. Why would you want to erase these names and lump us under the SoBro moniker?
It was cute for SoHo and TriBeCa in Manhattan but not so much for our neighborhoods in the Bronx. Hunts Point, Longwood and Morrisania —all names which were once attached to the old towns, villages and hamlets that made up the Bronx —that’s where we’re from.
Even affluent Riverdale, who never suffered a negative image problem, was the victim of this foolish attempt at name changing when Sotheby’s Realty began a campaign to call it NoMa. You guessed it; North of Manhattan.
You can change our names but you will never change the past. Where were the realtors when the Bronx “was burning”? Oh yeah… along with the rest of the government officials, business owners and landlords who chickened out and gave up on us.
Do us a favor and stop with your stupid acronyms, as they are an affront to we the people who stayed here when we were abandoned, and do your JOB. Research the rich history and tapestry that is the cultural fabric of each neighborhood, good and bad. Tell the story of the neighborhoods coming out of the ashes and how resilient we are but don’t sell us out by changing our names.
Tell the stories of those who rebuilt these neighborhoods: The very people who never left but were left behind.
Collectively, our neighborhoods are called the South Bronx and anyone who lives here will proudly exclaim it as the South BRONX but SoBro? That vile name will never roll off the tongues of any self-respecting native.
That being said, go back to the drawing board, erase SoBro from your mind and come back to us with the RESPECT we have EARNED. That baloney may work in Manhattan but I’ll be damned if it will stick in our borough. Tell your clients, our prospective neighbors, that they will be living in the SOUTH BRONX. The changing of the name does not change the past or present.
