After the New York State Assembly and Senate passed the legalization of recreational marijuana yesterday, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the legislation into law today transforming New York into the 15th state to do so.
While we’re still some time away before shops for recreational usage pop up, New York State residents can now toke up in public where smoking is allowed, although not while driving as that would be driving under the influence.
Residents can also have up to 3 ounces of of pot in their possession for recreational purposes without consequences.
This is where New York State can and will lead to help heal our communities that were unfairly targeted and victimized by criminalization of pot.
An estimated $350 million a year in taxes is expected to be generated in what could be a $4.2 billion industry in the state making it one of the largest such in the country. Tax dollars collected from the industry will also divert millions to communities of color that have been impacted by criminalization of the pot that resulted in the arrests of thousands in Bronx neighborhoods alone.
But it doesn’t end there. Licensing for marijuana related businesses will have a substantial set aside for minorities in said communities to ensure that areas like The Bronx that were ravaged by the war on drugs will benefit economically and thwart outsiders from coming into NYS and taking over the industry.
Coming soon to The Bronx? Marijuana grow houses will more than likely flourish across the borough/Photo by Richard T on Unsplash
For decades, Black and Latino residents of The Bronx have been disproportionately targeted by the NYPD and arrested on charges of possession of marijuana at a higher rate than white users of the substance.
In 2020, people of color made up 94% of arrests made with whites accounting for almost 4% of total arrests yet meanwhile in 2019, city health officials found that whites were far more likely to smoke pot that Blacks and Latinos with 24.1% of whites surveyed saying they use the substance versus 14% and 12.3% for Blacks and Latinos respectively.
The consequences of the targeting of communities of color for marijuana use and possession has had a tremendous toll on The Bronx with thousands jailed, families broken apart, jobs lost, and even homelessness through evictions as a result, something which white residents didn’t have to face or at least not at the levels the BIPOC community has in the past.
With the potential of turning into a $4.2 billion industry, it’s only right that The Bronx gets a significantly large portion of this revenue as a form of long overdue reparations and righting a huge wrong.
MELROSE—The world’s most famous pancake and breakfast chain is opening another location in the South Bronx.
IHOP is putting finishing touches on what will be its 6th Bronx location at 247 E 149th Street at Michaelangelo Apartments directly across from Lincoln Hospital.
The opening of a new restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic is despite possible closures of other locations.
Back in the Fall, IHOP identified 100 IHOP restaurants across the country that were no longer financially viable in and were facing possible closures due to the pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis given lockdown restrictions put into place limiting indoor seating or outright prohibiting it.
Workers putting finishing touches at the soon to open IHOP on 149th Street in Melrose
But given the location on 149th Street and directly across the street from Lincoln Hospital, finding willing customers shouldn’t be a problem given the high pedestrian traffic in the area.
Hostos Community College is also located less than two blocks away too not to mention the office buildings in the area.
Back in 2017, the 500 unit mixed residential and commercial Michaelangelo Apartments, built in 1974, sold for $78 million—a record for a residential property in The Bronx.
The new owner, MDG Construction and Design, is a company that specializes in preserving affordable housing in rapidly gentrifying areas.
Shortly after the purchase, MDG pumped $160 million to upgrade the complex from mechanicals to new kitchens and bathrooms for apartments, landscaping, new lobbies, and upgraded security features.
While we always support local businesses and mom and pop shops, for those that like to indulge at IHOP, at least they don’t have to leave their own neighborhood.
But we’ll still get our fix at Perry’s on 161st or Jimbo’s.
MORRISANIA—The latest of several senior housing developments across The Bronx is nearing completion and is now accepting applications.
The development is located at 1074 Washington Avenue at 166th Street where the old Trinity United Methodist Church once stood.
Trinity United Methodist Church shortly before demolition (Image via Google Maps)
The church has since been demolished, suffering the same fate of St Joseph’s and Our Lady of Pity in recent years, to give way to the new 12 story, 154 unit senior housing development in the heart of Morrisania.
Qualifying applicants must be or have at least one household member that’s 62 years of age or older and must qualify for Section 8. As a result, eligible residents will pay 30% of their income towards rent.
Rendering of 1074 Washington Avenue which is still under construction.
There is no minimum income requirement as it starts at $0 but it maxes out at $39,800 a year for a one person household to $51,200 for a household of 3.
Tenants will also be responsible for electricity including an electric stove but all other utilities are included.
There will be on-site security as well as basic amenities like shared laundry room, recreation room, outdoor terrace, outdoor areas, security cameras, air conditioning, and a gymnasium.
Rendering of standard open kitchens at 1074 Washington Avenue
You can apply online here or request an application by mail by sending a self-addressed envelope to: 1074 Washington Avenue Apartments C/o Real estate office, 1605 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Bronx, NY 10453, however, make sure you only apply once and not by both mail and online as this will potentially disqualifiy you.
Application deadline is May 25, 2021 so make sure you apply on time.
THROGGS NECK—The Bronx is scheduled to get a second ferry stop this year which will extend the Soundview NYC Ferry route into Throggs Neck at Ferry Point Park.
NYCEDC provided Welcome2TheBronx with a map marking the route of the new ferry stop at Ferry Point Park in Throggs Neck which is scheduled for launch by year’s end.
With the successful launch of the Soundview Ferry at Clason Point, the New York City Economic Development Corporation announced in 2019 that the service would expand the route in 2021.
According to information told to Welcome2TheBronx by the Office of Public affairs at the NYCEDC, the addition is still on target for the end of the year, however at this time they cannot provide when beyond that.
The agency also stated that despite the fact that construction hasn’t begun on the new dock yet, they are still working to get it done by year’s end.
A ferry docks at the Soundview Ferry dock at Clason Point
Up until the pandemic, ridership along the Soundview ferry route, which stops along the East side of Manhattan along the East River at 90th Street, 34th Street, Stuyvesant Cove (at 20th Street, and Wall Street at Pier 11, was exceeding expectations.
According to the EDC, the route was expected to carry 410,000 riders during the first year but in less than 12 months, it carried over 670,000 riders—63% more than expected.
Before the ferry service began, Soundview residents faced 90 minute commutes to midtown and downtown destinations for work but once service began, many began experiencing reductions of up to 1 hour for their commutes.
Bronx commuters on the Soundview Ferry in August 2018, shortly after launch of the service.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, ridership dropped to 70% of pre-pandemic lockdowns across the entire NYC Ferry system as employees began to work from home, however, in The Bronx, home to the largest population of essential workers, ridership remained at a strong 90% according to data provided to Welcome2TheBronx by the NYCEDC.
In the transit-starved East Bronx area that is still waiting for four new Metro North Stations, this is a much needed alternative form of transportation for area residents heading into Manhattan but another stop in the South Bronx, perhaps along Lincoln Avenue would help alleviate the 4,5, and 6 trains running along the Lexington Avenue line but for this system to truly be successful, we must demand direct access to Queens and Brooklyn from The Bronx and bypassing Manhattan entirely.
Marjorie Velazquez, who is running to represent the 13th District in the New York City Council told Welcome2TheBronx in a statement, “My community has suffered as a transportation desert in need of better options and accessibility.”
The majority of economic growth has occurred in the outer boroughs in recent years and many Bronxites travel to Queens and Brooklyn but cannot take a direct route without getting on a bus and making several switches along the way.
A direct route into Queens will go a long way.
“This expansion is a great first step but far more needs to be done to really fix the issue including more subway access, select and express bus service.” added Velazquez.
PORT MORRIS—While there are many affordable housing developments and apartments promoted via New York City’s Housing Connect that are truly affordable, a recent listing in Port Morris is anything but.
Rendering of 101 Bruckner Boulevard
101 Bruckner, a brand new 7 story, 55 unit residential development, is a luxury rental property with 17 units set aside as ‘affordable’, however upon further inspection, the minimum income requirements are more than twice the district’s median of $25,074 as per Census data.
In order to qualify for the ‘cheapest’ apartment, a studio renting for $1,850, prospective applicants need to make 130% of the inflated Area Median Income which is a minimum of $63,429.
If you want a 1 bedroom apartment, the minimum required income is $78,858 effectively putting it at over three times the true area median income.
How is this affordable and it always comes back to the question, affordable for whom?
101 Bruckner Boulevard is still under construction
We know gentrification is rapidly changing the landscape of the South Bronx, especially in the Port Morris and Mott Haven neighborhoods, as developers continue to erect luxury high rise after high rise with thousands of new high-end apartments unaffordable to the overwhelming majority of residents.
But when the city is fueling this gentrification and eventual displacement, under the guise of affordable housing, it becomes a more nefarious problem.
Why are incomes of 130% of an already artificially inflated AMI being allowed in what is the poorest congressional district of America?
Just half a mile away, we have Park Haven, a new development where the rents and income requirements are truly affordable and more reflective of median incomes.
An equitable affordable housing program should be affordable for all and not just for the few.
Rendering of 101 Bruckner Boulevard
101 Bruckner Boulevard is still under construction.
Bike life is good. I have ridden bikes as my main source of transportation for years. I have ridden bikes in different states, and to date, the best bike paths are in NYC.
I love the Bronx and in the Bronx we ride bikes, however, I am sad to say that my favorite greenway is not in the Bronx, but instead in Manhattan along the west side highway. I often ride the west side greenway to enjoy miles of uninterrupted green space along the river. There really is no better way to achieve mental, physical, and spiritual wellness than to be out on your bike riding along the river.
I am a resident of Morris Heights. The High Bridge and its surrounding streets and greenways are used by family and friends for recreation and transportation. I biked Sedgwick Avenue as my main thoroughfare commuting to and from work for years. It was always a little dangerous, but it was my best option to get from 149th Street back to my home. It is also the only way to access the Harlem River and Bridge Park along the water.
Over the last couple of years my son has gotten big enough to start riding with me. We have ridden across the High Bridge into Manhattan and even across the George Washington Bridge. However, I haven’t taken him down Sedgwick because it’s too dangerous.
Pedestrian access to Bridge Park along the Harlem River in the Highbridge neighborhood of The Bronx is less than stellar
Now with all of the construction that’s occurring in relation to the new on and off ramps with the Deegan Expressway, if a designated bike lane is not constructed that area will be too dangerous for us to ever ride. It’s not fair to people walking and outdoor enthusiasts in the Bronx to not have access to a Greenway so close to the river.
All over New York City and New York State greenways are being expanded and used. We should be increasing access to greenways not taking access away from using them. Additionally, we should be encouraging more people to bike because I guarantee it will lead to a happier and healthier NYC.
For the sake of my son, our family, and the thousands of Bronx families that deserve safe access to the Harlem River Waterfront, Bridge Park and our newly renovated Roberto Clemente State Park, I urge the NYS Department of Transportation to put people before parking and provide safe access to the Harlem River Waterfront Greenway.
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With the passage of time, The Bronx continues to lose parts of its history as buildings are torn down and replaced with something else in the name of progress.
St Joseph’s in 2007 via Google
The case is no different from the old Roman Catholic churches and parrochial schools across the borough that have been shuttered and deconsecrated in recent years as attendance at local houses of worship have dwindled and parishes have merged.
And that fate will fall upon the former St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in the Tremont section of The Bronx on Bathgate Avenue and 178th Street which has been demolished as well.
St Joseph Roman Catholic Church stood on this site since 1898 and after over 120 years it was demolished to make way for a new development
Plans have been filed to construct an 11 story, 267,000 square foot building with 287 residential apartments and is slated to be known as St Joseph Apartments.
Rendering via Magnusson Architecture and Planning of 1949 Bathgate Avenue
According to YIMBY, the apartments will also be permanently affordable, however, before construction can begin, the city has to approve rezoning for the site to accommodate such a development.
If all is approved in a timely fashion, construction is expected to be completed by 2023 and ready for occupancy.
Much like other ethnic groups that have called The Bronx home, the Irish have left an indelible mark on our borough.
While many often jump to stereotypes and often peg the Irish to St Patrick’s Day, they’re more than just a holiday, especially in The Bronx where they have left a living, breathing history of their journey in America.
Sure, legend has it that ‘green beer‘ was invented right here in The Bronx on St Patrick’s Day 1914 by Dr Thomas Hayes Curtis, a physician hailing from Ireland living in our borough who unveiled the green drink at a social club on 3rd Avenue and 163rd Street but there’s so much more to Irish history in The Bronx than that.
For example, did you know that things we take for granted in our borough were constructed by Irish laborers who arrived here in the 19th century?
The High Bridge, connecting Upper Manhattan with The Bronx, was constructed by Irish laborers and is New York City’s oldest standing bridge.
During the 1800s, many left Ireland in search for a better life for them and their families as they escaped the harsh conditions back home. A great number arrived in New York City and in parts of lower Westchester which would eventually become The Bronx.
These Irish laborers constructed the New York and Harlem Railroad as well as the Hudson River Railroad both of which, pre the COVID-19 pandemic, carried hundreds of thousands of daily commuters to and from their jobs.
Irish pride in Woodlawn is 365 days a year.
The landmarked High Bridge, New York City’s oldest standing bridge was also constructed by Irish laborers leaving yet another mark behind that we take for granted.
Long before Woodlawn Heights became the epicenter of Irish life in New York City, with its Irish grocery stores, butcher shops, pharmacies, and restaurants, they called the South Bronx home in neighborhoods like Melrose and Mott Haven.
The Emerald Isle Immigration Center on Katonah Avenue
“Beyond church grounds boys played in the streets — games like stick ball, hand ball, kick the can, pitching pennies, Johnny on the pony, and marbles. Girls played jacks, hopscotch and jump rope. Kids raised pigeons or flew kites on rooftops and raced gleefully through alleys and courtyards. Adults congregated and watched over neighborhoods from stoops and fire escapes. In summer, kids opened fire hydrants or flocked to sprinklers and wading ponds of nearby parks for relief from the sweltering heat. They rented bikes for 25 cents, jumped on a mobile merry-go-round for a few pennies, and sat on blanketed fire escapes after sundown to unwind in the cool night air. Villagers traversed Bronx Irish neighborhoods on trolleys for a nickel and children hitched on the back for a free ride. The downtrodden sang in courtyards and alleys for coins and bottle caps.
“Saturdays were scored by sounds of the Metropolitan Opera streaming from radios and reverberating through windows and alleyways of Bronx Irish neighborhoods. Holidays lured block parties and parades to crowd Bronx thoroughfares. The carnival set up once or twice a year by Jackson Avenue station, casting a nightly glow over the South Bronx. Small shops lined sidewalks and thrived on abundant foot traffic. The South Bronx portion of Westchester Avenue from Wales to 152nd featured Dolan’s Irish Food Store, Olympia Florist, Cushman’s Bakery, an ice cream parlor, a drugstore, a Jewish baker, a candy store and two newsstands.”
Change the names of the stores, prices, and a few other things and you’d still describe the South Bronx of today.
Perhaps the most famous Irish-American Bronxite is the late Mary Higgins Clark, who was born Mary Theresa Eleanor Higgins, and was a prolific author with 51 books who was known as the ‘Queen of Suspense’.
Katonah Avenue, the heart of Woodlawn.
She is but one of many children of Ireland that has made not just the Irish but The Bronx proud.
Today, Woodlawn still remains the Irish capital of not just The Bronx but New York City despite being more mixed than it was even a decade ago.
All things change but history never does.
May you always have walls for the winds, A roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, Laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, And all your heart might desire.
Bronx resident Latanya DeVaughn organizes hundreds of donated books. Since launching Bronx Bound Books, she’s received over 20,000 books.
In just under two years since a Bronx woman announced her dreams to bring a mobile bookstore to our borough, Latanya DeVaughn is working hard to make it a reality as soon as next month.
When she announced her plans for Bronx Bound Books to a standing room only crowd back in May of 2019, the community immediately began supporting that dream not just through words but with actions.
Since then, DeVaughn has received well over 20,000 donations of books of which she’s already given away over 7,000 to local Bronx schools and at events. Bronx Bound Books has even created libraries for homeless shelters and they’ve done this without an official space or even their mobile bus.
DeVaughn enters the shuttle bus she purchased which will be transformed into Bronx Bound Books
They even were able to get 16 laptops to local high school girls through the Hey Girl Collective.
This past September, she also received a $20,000 grant from the Ford Foundation’s LISC Grant to help continue her work. With that, she was able to purchase a shuttle bus that she found on Craigslist that is now being transformed into Bronx Bound Books.
The seats have already been ripped out to make way for the future home of Bronx Bound Books
Working with architectural designer Hira Sabuhi, DeVaughn has been very intentional with her ideas for what the bus will look like which Welcome2TheBronx got an exclusive look at renderings and behind the scenes process.
And for those that know, they will immediately notice that the color scheme of the interior of the bus for Bronx Bound Books will follow the colors of the Bronx flag as DeVaughn is committed to making sure our borough is on full display in every aspect of the store.
Rendering by architectural designer, Hira Sabuhi, who’s working with Bronx Bound Books to transform the old shuttle into the borough’s first mobile bookstore.
Bronx Bound Books is just over halfway through their $10,000 fundraising goal and as of this writing they’re at $5,445. These funds will help to finish the work on the bus and hopefully launch on April 24th of this year which is also Indie Bookstore Day.
But the day also has another, deeper significance for her. It’s what would be her late grandmother’s 86th birthday, Felicita Villodas, who raised her from birth until she passed away when DeVaughn was only 19.
Latanya points out where different elements of Bronx Bound Books will be featured.
“My grandmother was a teacher at PS5x and she used to read to her friends who couldn’t read. She read leases, prescriptions, bills, and letters from loved ones”, DeVaughn said.
Opening on that day will honor her memory in a most special way for her.
Latanya stands outside her shuttle bus, soon to be home to Bronx Bound Books. The exterior will have some artwork going up soon as well.
Growing up, Latanya was also very much influenced by her aunt, Dora Villodas, another avid reader and retired postal worker. “She helped open my eyes to the world of reading” said DeVaughn during an interview with Welcome2TheBronx.
Bronx Bound Books will serve both as a mobile bookstore and a lending library and once up and running will start out operating on weekends at Riverdale Y Sunday Market and the James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center at DeWitt Clinton High School.
Latanya DeVaughn sits in the front of the bus that will soon travel The Bronx as our borough’s first mobile bookstore
DeVaughn is also working with local schools and organizations to determine what the needs are in specific neighborhoods so that she can make sure Bronx Bound Books also reaches those communities.
Decked in Bronx colors, this rendering by architectural designer, Hira Sabuhi, shows what the front of the bus will look like.
“Books are either a window or a mirror. I saw mostly “windows”. There weren’t a lot of “mirrors” growing up. That’s why I was so happy to meet and feature Esmeralda Santiago and her book, When I Was Puerto Rican“, DeVaughn said.
“One of our missions at Bronx Bound Books is to feature books that mirror the people in our diverse borough”, she added.
If you’re interested in helping this dream along, you can donate to the Bronx Bound Books fundraiser here or you can donate books at one of several upcoming days (see schedule below) or you can email them at bronxboundbooks@gmail.com to find out how to donate or how to collaborate for future events.
Despite traffic plummeting in 2020 across the country and major cities, including New York, our hometown was declared America’s most congested city.
A typical night on the Cross Bronx Expressway
Along with that not so lovely recognition, the Cross Bronx Expressway, aka America’s Parking Long, took third place as one of the most congested roads in the nation.
The report, issued by INRIX, a company that specializes in providing data and analytics such as traffic, took a look at traffic data in last year and found that despite traffic plummeting in downtowns across the country by 44% as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdowns, New York City went from 4th in 2019 to the number 1 spot last year.
According to the data, New Yorkers lost 100 hours behind the wheel in 2020 despite a 28% drop in traffic compared to 2019.
And when you hop over to the Cross Bronx, particularly between the Bronx River Parkway and Washington Bridge (which last year was declared the 5th most dangerous spot in the nation), commuters lost 23 hours last year.
Usually bumper to bumper traffic on the Cross Bronx was virtually non-existent for a while during the beginning of the pandemic.
Most Bronxites who can avoid it, DO but some have no choice but to be stuck in the purgatory that is known as the Cross Bronx.
A lot of these traffic issues can be solved by providing BETTER Cross Bronx access like maybe creating a Cross Bronx Light rail which would lead to less traffic and LESS pollution.
Oh and if you really want to reduce pollution, we can also cap the Cross Bronx Expressway and create dozens of acres of new land for truly affordable housing, new open spaces, and re-stitch the neighborhoods that Robert Moses tore apart when he decided to plop down the nightmare roadway.
Now that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 has been passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by President Biden on March 11, Bronx residents will start to be able to get some relief.
And although having been signed on Thursday, many Bronxites are already reporting deposits of the $1,400 stimulus checks into their accounts.
But what does the plan mean for The Bronx as a whole?
According to Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), an estimated 645,696 Bronx households will receive $1.611 billion in direct payments and is based on 2020 population data for the borough.
Individuals making up to $75,000 a year will receive $1,400 and eligible families will also receive $1,400 per child and adult dependent which can add up to $5,600 for an average family of four.
Also wrapped up into the bill is a much needed extension of the $300 weekly enhanced unemployment benefits which was set to expire tomorrow, March 14 but will now instead expire on September 6, 2021. This is far less than the initial $600 weekly unemployment benefit during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic which was cut in half for the second round to $300.
Lines at banks are now commonplace due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions
We wrote last year that any stimulus relief needed to re-enact the $600 original weekly benefit to have any meaningful impact. Progressives in the Congress fought to raise it to $400 but ultimately they caved to pressures from centrist Democrats.
At the very least, unemployed Bronx residents do not have to worry anymore that their enhanced unemployment benefits will expire tomorrow and instead will be extended for another 6 months.
Considering that unemployment in The Bronx reached historic levels of 25% and in some areas even greater, this is some breathing room for many.
Speaking of unemployment, the bill also provides a waiver for the first $10,200 on unemployment benefits so you won’t have to pay taxes on that amount which is another huge relief for residents who at this point wouldn’t be able to pay the full tax bill on benefits received thus far.
Another aspect of the bill that can be transformative for lifting Bronx families and children out of poverty is the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Credit.
Both of these can potentially leave more money in low income families pockets where they belong by increasing the amount of childcare expenses subjected to the credit from 35% to 50%. That means a one child household can claim up to $8,000 in expenses for that child or dependent and up to $16,000 for multiple children or dependents.
The Child Tax Credit has also dramatic implications for Bronx families as the credit per child went from $2,000 to $3,000 for children and $3,600 for children 5 years old and younger. Given that the median income for The Bronx is barely above $22k a year, most families will get the full amounts which begin to phase out above $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers.
All of this together will far exceed the estimated $1.6 billion Schumer reported should be coming into Bronx households which hopefully will begin to ameliorate the precarious financial situation any find themselves in as a result of the economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic.
We still need to pass Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, cancel student debt, provide real aid to renters and landlords as well as homeowners if we truly want to avert a crisis not to mention that the stimulus check should be a full $2,000 a month retroactive to the first on a monthly basis through the pandemic.
A year ago was the day the world changed forever as COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization as it rapidly spread across the globe.
For two months New York City was on edge because we knew it was a matter of when it would hit us and not if given the global nature of our city.
In The Bronx, many folks, myself included, were worried about how disproportionately the newly discovered disease would impact our borough given the fact that it was showing to aggressively attack individuals suffering from respiratory ailments, obesity, and other comorbidities—diseases which The Bronx is all too familiar with.
I took that as my cue to withdraw from my shared office space at The Hub and begin working from home again. Since mid February I had already begun to limit my time at the office and was avoiding physical contact with people including shaking of hands and hugging folks.
An empty Third Avenue at The Hub in March, 2020
I knew the coronavirus must have already been in circulation throughout the city and didn’t want to risk it.
A little over a week later, Governor Andrew Cuomo placed the state on “pause” resulting the closure of all non-essential businesses and urging New Yorkers to stay indoors to help stop the spread.
Walking through the streets of The Bronx and indeed New York City was eerie. It was a scene straight out of a sci-fi dystopian movie.
No traffic on the Major Deegan in late March 2020 during the beginning of the shutdown
Everything was closed, barely a soul on the streets could be found and you could walk in the middle of the street without worrying about a car running you down.
The only sounds you could hear were that of birds that were typically drowned out by the cacophony of city life.
And the sirens.
At first, the ambulances came and went but as the weeks progressed, they kept passing by with greater frequency and were almost ever present by the time we reached our peak in April.
By then, The Bronx had become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, something we knew would happen simply based on the poor health outcomes of our borough and decades of inequalities across all social spectrums.
For decades Bronx residents have had the highest rates of asthma, obesity, heart disease, diabetes in New York City and the state as well as some of the highest rates of compromised immune systems due to HIV. These rates are even amongst the highest in the nation and without a doubt contributed to the devastating toll of 4,954 that perished as a result.
To this day, our borough still has the highest death and hospitalization rates from COVID-19 and and second only to Staten Island in positive cases of the disease.
Usually bumper to bumper traffic on the Cross Bronx was virtually non-existent for a while during the beginning of the pandemic.
The fallout wasn’t just limited to the dead and the families left behind to pick up the pieces from their terrible losses but also an economic disaster.
Having already been the borough with the highest percentage of low income households, the hungriest borough, and the borough with the most residents facing eviction, as well as highest unemployment despite the lowest in decades, was yet another recipe for disaster for our borough.
As a result of the thousands who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic by way of businesses forced close or simply couldn’t survive thanks to the inaction of congress, unemployment reached epic levels above 25%, something unseen since The Great Depression and perhaps even more severe than that era.
An empty 161st Street in the heart of the civic center of The Bronx in the middle of the week when normally thousands of pedestrians and cars travel through per hour
And despite a moratorium on evictions, The Bronx has the highest rate of evictions filed and once the moratorium is lifted, tens of thousands of residents are in peril of losing their homes if something is done to rescue them and landlords.
But even through the loss both economic and that of loved ones, Bronx residents continue to persevere for it’s what we do best.
Mutual aid networks have sprung up across the borough to make sure no one is left without food with every day Bronxites delivering or securing food for their communities.
Food bank lines wrap around blocks almost daily now, something never before seen in our borough since perhaps The Great Depression.
Food pantry lines became a commonplace sight in our borough.
A year later and businesses are still not open to capacity, restaurants have either shuttered or are on the brink of closing their doors as our government in congress has abandoned us without sufficient aid.
But we will survive, it’s what The Bronx does and it’s The Bronx way. We’ve been through the bad times before and got through it thanks to the resourcefulness of our community and its leaders.
A quiet Fordham Road in late March 2020
We have to continue to do for each other what no one else will do for us. It’s the only way to move forward without leaving anyone behind.
All these lives lost could have been prevented had we been given the resources needed to better health care or simply access period.
There’s no reason for our borough to have continued to be not just the poorest but also the unhealthiest for so long. Our elected officials knew what ailed and continues to ail us but they haven’t done much to move the needle along and instead we’re left, as per usual, to do the work ourselves with extremely limited resources and funding.
We need to continue to educate our communities on the importance of the available COVID-19 vaccines as The Bronx continues to lag behind all boroughs except Brooklyn in terms of vaccinations.
As of today only 9% of Bronx residents are fully vaccinated compared to 14% in Manhattan and at least 18% of Bronxites have gotten one dose versus Manhattan where 27% of the population have gotten one shot.
Equitable access remains an issue and it cannot remain so if we’re to make sure no one is left behind.
Let’s hope that a year from today the picture is much brighter.
