With the opening of Mill Pond Park, residents in Melrose and the Lower Concourse area finally get a taste of what Manhattanites have taken for granted for years – A waterfront park. Mill Pond Park is the first in what will eventually (hopefully) be a series of parks along the banks of the Harlem River in the South Bronx.
The 10 acre park features 16 DecoTurf tennis courts, picnic and grass areas, beautifully landscaped paths which meander along the shoreline and even a sandy play area. This month, the Parks Department will also unveil the newly restored historic Power House which will be LEED certified and will have a green roof as well as house a future café. The 25,800 square foot building will also house Parks Department operations and tennis court locker rooms.
Mill Pond Park is part of the Yankee Stadium Redevelopment Program and is the first park to be unveiled since the construction of the New Yankee Stadium gobbled up local parkland. The park is a small step in giving back to the community…a tiny one in fact but a step nonetheless. Maybe we can convince them to more than double the size of Mill Pond Park by developing the Harlem River Parking Lots and Major Deegan Parking lot to the North of the park…after all, wasn’t the purpose of building the $92 million Yankee Stadium Metro North Station to have less cars in the areas and more people using mass transit?
So what are you waiting for? Go visit Mill Pond Park located at East 149th Street and the Harlem River, just north of the 145th Street bridge and across from the Gateway Mall.
Seagulls and Canadian Geese enjoying the grassy area which is fenced off for now.
Gateway Mall on the other side of the Major Deegan Expressway (I87)
Sit down and relax a bit
Yes, Virginia, that IS a “beach”!
One of the many inlets
The Old Historic Power House still undergoing restoration.
Last night at Hostos Community College, the Longwood Arts Gallery was abuzz with activity for the launch of a new exhibit, ANTHEM: an all-american dystopia. The exhibit is a 20th anniversary celebration of the Bronx Council on the Arts’ BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) award and according to the Longwood Arts Project, this exhibit, “explores an America within the crux of reforming a national identity; family, health, politics, urban crisis and decay, environmental issues, consumerism and globalization.” The exhibition is curated by Melissa A. Calderón, a local Bronx Latina artist who received her BA in Art History from CUNY Lehman College and works in various forms of media such as sculpture, installations and photography.
Every artists in this program are BRIO award winners from 2008 or 2009 and all have created works that are multidimensional in their scope of message and what you see may not necessarily be what it means. The show is broad in its scope and definitely worth a trip to the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos Community College whether you are from the Bronx or not so take the 2,4 or 5 express train to 149th/Grand Concourse and check out just a small sample of what The Bronx has to offer.
Also of notable importance, last night during the opening of the exhibit right in the gallery space was also host to The International Coquito Federation – Coquito Masters Qualifier Series for 2009. For those of you who do not know what coquito is, it is Puerto Rico’s answer to Christmas Eggnog made of rum, coconut cream, cinnamon to name just a few of its ingredients. The ICF is the project of Debbie Quiñones who says its mission is to promote coquito around the world as a gourmet drink as well as cultural awareness. Oh and did I mention that Coqui Mexicano‘s entry now qualifies for the great coquito showdown on December 19th at El Museo del Barrio? Yes…You heard it here! If their coquito is good enough to qualify for such a prestigious event, can you imagine what their food is like?
So here’s a big Melrose THANK YOU to Longwood Gallery, Bronx Council on the Arts, all participating artists and supporters for bringing the arts to the Bronx and in particularly to the South Bronx and Melrose. Also would like to give out or first big WEPA! to Coqui Mexicano for qualifying to compete at the big coquito showdown on December 19th at El Museo del Barrio…Coquito Mexicano truly are what comunidad (community) is all about! (Wepa is a Puerto Rican exclamation of joy and happiness, similar to the Greek OPA!)
Birds with syringes for beaks
Debbie Quiñones, President of the International Coquito Federation explains the federation’s mission to the gallery attendees.
Today is World AIDS Day and since 1981, over 25 million people worldwide have died of AIDS and an estimated 33.4 million are currently living with HIV/AIDS. At one point the South Bronx was quoted in a 1989 New York Times article as having, “one of the highest AIDS infection rates ”in the country, if not the world…”. HIV infection rates are still higher in the Bronx and even higher is the rate of people who find out only when they have full blown AIDS. Numerous campaigns have been enacted by the government to spread awareness and get people tested. In fact, the Bronx is now leading an ambitious effort to have every resident between the ages of 18 and 64 to get tested and is showing the world how to do it.
Although there are many types of services for individual who are HIV positive up until March of 2009 there was no official support group for people who are affected by HIV whether through infection, family and friends who are positive or are just affected overall by this affliction. Latino Sons of the Red Ribbon fills this need in The Bronx.
Back in January of this year, Maxxavier Santiago, a good friend of mine who is openly HIV+, approached me with the idea of starting such a group because he realized that it seems that in order to get good service or support one always had to travel to Manhattan. The discussion went on for a few weeks and then in March, Latino Sons was born through the generosity of Bronx Community Pride Center and director Lisa Winters who provided the group with a meeting space. Every Friday from 7:00PM – 9:00PM Bronx residents (and anyone for that matter) now have a safe place to go to and meet other like-minded individuals.
Every week there is a different topic for members to explore and discuss such things as as dating as an HIV+ individual, disclosure, family life…the list goes on. Everyone has the option to either participate in the discussion or not. There is never any pressure for anyone to do something that they do not want to do. Latino Sons is not only about weekly meetings but also doing things together as a brotherhood. Throughout the year the group has volunteered at various events including a testing drive during the Puerto Rican Day Parade, pot luck dinners, and Bronx Pride.
Members have provided a lot of positive feedback and many are glad to have a place they feel comfortable sharing their concerns. Friendships have been forged in the midst of it all where members have even said they no longer feel so alone in the battle against HIV/AIDS. No one should ever feel alone in this battle…especially now that they have a place to call home.
If you would like more information on Latino Sons of the Red Ribbon, please feel free to contact the group at LatinoSons@yahoo.com.
All information is held confidentially as anonymity is of highest importance.
Let us not forget those who perished from this scourge who left a huge void in the South Bronx communities.
Today at Coqui Mexicano, the community was treated to amazing fine Puerto Rican and Mexican cuisine with their first ever Parranda Navideña which is Puerto Rican Christmas Caroling. Parrandas are composed of a bunch of locals who dance, sing and play traditional Puerto Rican bomba y plena christmas songs and the likes. The food was absolutely amazing, the chicken mole, ropa vieja (shredded beef in a spicy tomato stew), fresh guacamole and gandules guisa’o (stewed pigeon peas) and on and on.
With Coqui Mexicano’s live music tonight as well as PeaceLove’s live Jazz on Fridays and Saturdays and even live music at local Mexican restaurants such as Xochimilco on the weekends, Melrose has a burgenoing musical scene that is still remains a hidden gem where locals can relax, eat and have some good ol’ fun without having to travel too far.
Here’s a big MelroseTHANK YOU to Coqui Mexicano for all their hard work and believing in our community or as they like to call it…La Comunidad! Thanks for opening your kitchen tonight to the community and sharing the old traditions from Puerto Rico. Coqui Mexicano is not only a place to eat but it is a true cultural pillar in the community for their great efforts to preserve traditions.
Danisha and Diego – The wonderful proprietors of Coqui Mexicano
Today while most of us may be fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving with family and loved ones, there are still many out there who cannot for various reasons, whether economic or simply that they are just alone for the holidays. For the past 33 years, Immaculate Conception Church on East 150th Street at the corner of Melrose Avenue has been filling that void through volunteers from the parish and even youth from the school and the community.
It was a great to watch our community at work – dozens of eager volunteers, cheerfully welcoming the people, engaging them in conversation and basically giving them more than just a plate of food – human companionship. They were even treated to table service and all they had to do was sit down, relax and the food was brought directly to them by their particular server.
Here’s a big Melrose THANK YOU to everyone at Immaculate Conception Church for their years of dedication to the community, one which was abandoned by many but never by Immaculate during the worst of times.
Father Francis Skelly, C.Ss.R., Pastor, Cristina and Marty Rogers
Both Fr. Skelly and Marty Rogers are life-long Melrose residents!
The buzz about the possibility of reviving the Old Bronx Courthouse and the exclusive visit by yours truly to the landmark building this past Monday has caught the attention of 2 of the most important news sources for all that is Real Estate in New York City, Curbed and The Real Deal. Much to my surprise, The Real Deal placed the story on their #1 slot for their 8AM Real Estate roundup links yesterday, November 24, 2009! Guess we’re not the only ones excited about seeing the Old Courthouse get a new life.
A big Melrose THANK YOU goes to the folks at Curbed and The Real Deal for help spreading the word on such a great building!
Yesterday under cloudy skies and with a chill in the air, 5 individuals from all walks of life entered the Old Bronx Courthouse. A little after noon, Henry Weinstein, owner of the landmarked building opened the gates and we all followed him inside eager with anticipation and emotions probably not too dissimilar to an archaeologist entering an old temple for the first time or one of the great pyramids for after all the building has sat much like a sealed tomb for the past 35 years. Immediately upon entering, the amazing architectural details come alive, the daylight dancing upon the intricate iron-worked doors and carefully detailed marble. Mr. Weinstein then proceeded to the basement to switch on the lights and without warning we were transported to a time a little over a 100 years ago.
Among the five of us besides myself and Mr. Weinstein were Fred Connolly, principal of Real Estate Financing, Inc and friend of Henry Weinstein, Dr. Richard Izquierdo, MD, founder and Medical Director Emeritus of Urban Health Plan, Inc. as well as a pillar and legend of our community and Clarisel Gonzalez, the editor and publisher of Puerto Rico Sun Communications, an independent multimedia social entrepreneurship as well as a local resident who is passionate about empowering our residents. Last week, Mr. Connolly reached out to Dr. Izquierdo, Ms. Gonzalez and myself to begin a conversation about the future of the Old Bronx Courthouse along with Mr. Weinstein and himself. During the tour of the landmarked building, which we scoured every inch from rooftop to the basement, Henry Weinstein walked us through some of the history of the building itself, from the old holding cells 3 levels high and the old dumbwaiter system used to feed the inmates on each of those levels to the walk-in safes in the judges’ chambers.
After what seemed like hours (infact was probably almost 2 hours) of walking through the old corridors and massive court rooms with soaring 25 foot ceilings and ironworked window frames which once housed stained glass we headed over to Coqui Mexicano which is located across from the Old Courthouse to continue our conversation. One of the ideas that I am pushing for as well as many local residents is to have the building utilized as a mixed-use building much as the successful Chelsea Market is as well as luring Barnes and Noble to the building as a possible anchor tenant because everyone in The Bronx knows we are in desperate need for a book store as we only have 2 in the entire borough and none below the Cross-Bronx Expressway.
The idea of a mixed-use development works very well with the current changing demographics of Melrose which is becoming more and more solid as each day passes because multiple tenants, retail and a charter school as well as possible office space is more sustainable than having a single tenant in such a massive building. Dr. Richard Izquierdo, or Doc as most people know him, has opened up a dialogue with Mr. Weinstein to discuss the possibility of becoming a tenant of the Old Bronx Courthouse for his Health and Science charter school which he is currently seeking to get approval to open up in The Bronx. The charter school itself will be a legacy of Dr. Izquierdo that will be left to the community and its children and has been designed for grades 6-12 where once its students graduate, they will graduate with certificates as EMTs and even nursing techs to be able to enter the workforce immediately as well as an educational advantage to continue to higher education to pursue degrees in the health care industry. The school will essentially cultivate local, home grown future physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals of tomorrow. It should be noted, however, that Dr. Izquierdo’s charter school is NOT the original school that was in negotiations with Mr. Weinstein. That particular charter school after working with Henry Weinstein for over 2 years, decided to move to another location on River Avenue leaving the the Old Courthouse without a future again. Mr. Weinstein stated yesterday that so much preliminary work has been done that the work needed to bring it back to life would take about 6-9 months in his estimation, and to his credit and 30+ years in the industry, this is a man who knows what he is talking about…it is not his first time around with such developments.
Another idea that I posed to Henry Weinstein as well as Fred Connolly is the possibility of having a small space donated as an art gallery for the local community as well as utilizing the common hallways and areas as art space to display local talent that will be curated by local artists as well. All these ideas blended together will create a place that will unite the past with the present as well as a window on the future through the charter school and will make the building a destination for Bronx residents as well as outsiders.
The Bronx is Building as Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. loves to tell us at every opportunity and it is time for this gem of a landmark building to rise from the ashes and open for business once more.
A big Melrose THANK YOU goes out to Henry Weinstein for believing in The Bronx and truly loving this landmark building…so much that he has waited over 10 years to find the right fit for the building’s future as well as the community, to Dr. Izquierdo, our pillar, legend and inspiration for dedicating so many of his 80 years on this earth to provide a better life for our residents as well as his vision of creating a charter school to produce local home grown future physicians and health care professionals, Fred Connolly for having the vision and believing in our vision for the Old Courthouse and getting us all together and Clarisel Gonzalez for her hard work and dedication to empowering the local community and keeping us abreast of all that’s newsworthy as well as her wonderful insight yesterday to the potential future uses of the Old Courthouse.
Beautiful scalloped window at the main entrance in the main hall
Fred Connolly, Dr. Richard Izquierdo, MD, Henry Weinstein & Clarisel Gonzalez (from left to right) discussion the potential uses of the space. Note the 25+foot ceilings.
Judge’s Chamber
Spiral staircase that goes all the way up to the top floor. The inner open space rose from the lobby to the 4th floor allowing for the flow of warm air during the winter months.
Henry Weinstein
What’s left of the iron-framed stained glass windows on each mezzanine landing throughout the spiral staircases.
Eastern Elevator Door
View of Boricua College from the rooftop
View of Melrose looking south…our beautiful village
A few days ago I received an email from a friend and colleague of Henry Weinstein, who is the owner of the Old Bronx Courthouse, about what my thoughts as well as the community at-large would be on what should be done with the Old Courthouse while keeping in mind that SELLING IS NOT AN OPTION. I capitalize this for emphasis as that is not up for discussion but I am opening this discussion to all of Melrose and The Bronx since we are all in this together. For decades this old structure on 161st and Third Avenue has been a symbol of urban decay and collapse and now the time is right for it to become a new symbol. A symbol of renewal, a phoenix literally rising from the ashes of the neighborhood it once proudly served.
Sometime in the next week or so, I have been asked to take a walking tour with Mr Weinstein and his representative to talk things through and as humbling of a request that is, I cannot do it without YOUR input so this entry is specifically for YOU to sound off on the issues…let us know what you think should be there. Do keep in mind to keep it realistically because it is something that needs to be viable for the individual who will be developling the property as well as the future tenants of the building and the residents they will serve.
One of the ideas that I have for it (and the credit for this goes to Irwin Cohen, the mastermind behind the Chelsea Market) is to create a Bronx version of the Chelsea Market. Now as early as 2005, I read in a Q & A from the Center for an Urban Future where Mr. Cohen would like to develop such a mixed use project that is so successful in Chelsea – but with a Bronx twist and flair where the ethnic vendors displaced by the creation of the Gateway Center Mall would have a home. My idea as well as some locals who I’ve spoken to would be try and convince to have as an anchor in that building a Barnes and Noble open up because
1. We do no not have anything remotely that is a bookstore in the Bronx outside of Barnes and Noble at Bay Plaza in Co-op City yet neighborhoods such as the Upper East Side on 86 and Lexington had TWO Barnes and Nobles within 3 blocks of each other.
2. People are tired of having to go to places as 86th and Lex and go out of their way to buy books. Many residents are clamoring for one…just not to the right people…until now.
3. A bookstore will more than attract business, Boricua Village, once completed, will open up 700 apartment units bringing in at least 1500 new residents to just that ONE block alone where the Old Bronx Courthouse sits and that is not counting the 2,000 students plus 200+ faculty and staff that will be housed in Boricua College.
Just those three points alone should be enough incentive for Barnes and Noble to want to invest in Melrose and the South Bronx as a whole. The 161st Street/3rd Avenue corridor is a transportation rich corridor with a Metro North Station at 162nd and Courtlandt, the 2/5 train at 3rd Ave/149th Street, a plethora of buses, 4, 15, 21, 19, 6, 44 just to name a few! Much better connected for those who rely on public transportation than Barnes and Noble in Co-op City.
And Barnes and Noble or a similar book store would only be the anchor. The rest of the facility could house mom and pop markets, like the Chelsea market and the upper levels can give way to offices who knows? Maybe even Department of Motor Vehicles would like to take shop up there…aren’t we being touted as Downtown Bronx anyway? Maybe the Bronx Chamber of Commerce can also have new digs there…the options are endless and Mr. Weinstein is not opposed whatsoever to even donating space for the arts or maybe even a gym for local community children.
So I leave you with this: Please comment away publicly or privately. You all have my email if you rather would discuss this privately. Just hit me up at themayor@welcome2melrose.com !
As part of the Mayor’s 1,000,000 tree planting program, workers here are diligently planting trees on the small stretch of East 150th street between Third and Melrose Avenues. A block that had no trees will now have about 7-8 beautiful trees.
After formal introductions by Lucinda Zoe, Interim Provost & Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Felix Matos Rodriguez, President, Hostos Community College and Sam Goodman, Urban Planner, Bronx Borough President’s Office, Ms. Rosenblum took us on the journey of both the project of writing such a book as well as the tale of the Grand Concourse from its early years to the present day. According to her when she first wanted to publish the book in the early 1980’s she was rebuffed by publishing houses who essentially said that, “…no one wants to read about The Bronx”. Although she would have wanted the book published then, Ms Rosenblum has embraced the appropriateness that Boulevard of Dreams has been published now during both the 100th anniversary of our Grand Boulevard and Concourse as well as the rebirth of The Bronx.
During her talk, Ms. Rosenblum introduced Hostos students Salonia Cook and Ebony Ross who both beautifully read an excerpt from the introduction of the book which describes what was known as The Bronx Slave Market along The Concourse. Ms. Cook and Ms Ross brought to life in such vivid detail with their readings of that particularly dreary period of the Concourse of African American men and women lining the streets, as modern day-laborers would, waiting for the Jewish women who would look for labor to clean their stately apartments along the Grand Concourse all for meager wages. These conditions were brought to light thanks to, “…Marvel Cooke a black investigative reporter who went undercover to describe its operations for the Crisis, a publication of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People…”, Ms. Rosenblum writes.
The evening ended with a brief Q & A session between the audience and Ms Rosenblum followed by a small reception where she autographed her book for the audience.
Welcome to Melrose highly recommends this book to both the lovers of The Bronx and to those not so fond of our great borough to the North or as we were referred to in yesteryears past – The Great Northside for it beautifully chronicles the history, struggles, dreams, sorrows, hope of The Grand Concourse which resonates throughout generations of families and people who lived on or in its shadow.
A big Melrose THANK YOU is in order for Constance Rosenblum for writing such a wonderful book and showing her love for our great borough and our stories to be told and also for William Casari, MLS, College Archivist and Instruction Librarian at Hostos who tirelessly put together this wonderful presentation as well as getting a thank you from Ms Rosenblum in the book itself.
