MELROSE—A law firm on 161st was vandalized yesterday with a swastika and the words “white power”.
But several local residents were not having it and got together and painted over it and drew a flower over the racist garbage.
Before
“We didn’t want that in our community,” said a local resident who wishes to remain anonymous and took part in the cleaning up of the offending graffiti outside the law firm of Getz and Braverman at 172 E 161st Street.
After
“Members of the community who have lived here near the 161st area for decades were appalled that a person or persons showed complete disregard of what this community is inherently about. ” the three individuals who cleaned up the racist graffiti added.
The individual claimed they were gonna write flower power instead but decided to just paint over it and leave the flower.
As of now, we have yet to hear back from the law firm regarding this incident.
This act of cowardice will not be tolerated in The Bronx. It is a appalling that in a community that is overwhelming Latino and Black that they would write something like this.
Amazon appears to be betting big on The Bronx as the company has reportedly leased a third warehouse in the borough and the second one this year.
New York Business Journal reports that it was also the top lease transaction for industrial space during the second quarter of the year.
Located at 1500 Basset Avenue in Morris Park, the 366,000 square foot property sits on 17 acres and up until last year was owned by Model’s Sporting Goods which sold the property for $115 million to current owner Realterm Logistics.
Amazon has been aggressively leasing warehouses not just in The Bronx but across the region over the past few years as they continue to expand their last mile footprint in the area in order to provide even faster deliveries.
Earlier this year, the companyleased the former ABC Carpet 200,000 square foot warehouse at 1055 Bronx River Avenue now owned by Prologis and last year Amazon signed a lease for The 117,000 warehouse in Hunts Pointat 1300 Viele Avenue.
The latest least brings the total Amazon footprint in our borough at over half a million square feet.
When we last reported on these leases, many residents were worried about increased traffic and pollution in their respective areas and we can only expect traffic to get worse in Morris Park as a result of Amazon’s presence.
Do you live in Morris Park? Tell us what you think.
New data reveals that Bronx residents have the highest rate of positive test for coronavirus antibodies in New York City.
The Bronx had a positive rate of 33% almost a full 5 percentage points above the next borough which is Queens at 28.2% and 6 points above the city average of 27%.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise given that The Bronx was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year when it all began in New York City.
Via NYC Department of Health
The borough also lead New York City in a another grim statistic with the highest rates of death due to COVID-19 which appeared link to the fact that residents suffer from multiple comorbidities that put you at greater risk for serious complications like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and compromised immune systems.
The Bronx is also home tomore essential workers than most of the city who had to keep working during the worst of the first wave of this pandemic thus risking being exposed more than the majority of Manhattan residents below 96th street who had jobs where they could work remotely.
As with The Bronx, the other areas in New York City which show the highest rates of antibodies are neighborhoods that are predominantly of color which is in line with how this pandemic has played out across racial lines with Black and people of color having greater risk of not only contracting the virus but at twice the rate of mortality than white counterparts.
While the science of coronavirus antibodies is still being researched, new data suggests that they may provide protection against reinfection for a longer period than previously thought.
This doesn’t mean that we’re out of the clear. A second wave will more than likely come and that still leaves 67% of the population in The Bronx and 73% across NYC without the possible protection of antibodies.
We must continue with best safe practices for the foreseeable future until this scourge is but a painful memory.
Earlier this summer we wrote about the launch of luxury rental units at The Arches along the South Bronx’s Harlem River Waterfront in Port Morris where two bedroom units are listed as high as $3,758 in the over 450 unit development spread across two 25-story towers.
This development is the first luxury development of its scale in the South Bronx and now, through the city’s affordable housing program, 129 of those units are available for individuals making the required income.
A unit at The Arches
And this is where we know this development is not for local residents in the area.
This is also where the entire affordable housing program loses its credibility and is simply a scam for developers to call something affordable and get tax credits and the likes to construct their market-rate luxury apartments in the country’s poorest congressional district.
At minimum, a prospective tenant must make $73,715 to qualify for a studio unit renting at $2,150. This is almost 3x the median income of $25,729 in Community Board 1 where the development is located.
The building has a slew of high end amenities like yoga and dance studios, doorman, children’s room, media room and much more but on Housing Connect’s website there’s a disclaimer that not all amenities may be available to all residents, setting the stage for a tale of two cities within a development for “lower” income residents.
While there are many affordable housing developments that are truly affordable for those in need, with an income requirement of 130% of the Area Median Income, this is not one of them.
This is a perfect example of the loopholes that exist to enrich developers at the expense of taxpayers who foot such developments whether through direct financial assistance to developers or by way of tax credits.
The Arches
It should be further noted that this development isn’t subject to Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirements and these units will not be permanently affordable.
We need to close these loopholes that allow such trojan horse developments into vulnerable communities like the South Bronx. it’s truly disgraceful that this is being touted as “affordable” when it is anything but.
Anyway, if you want to apply or learn more, you can do so here just remember to do it by October 14, 2020.
Despite many New York City boroughs and zip codes experiencing a drop in median sales price, the top four most expensive in The Bronx all showed an increase year over year for the first half of 2020 and it seemed the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t impacted Bronx real estate at least for now.
Pretty much as expected, 10471 which covers most of Riverdale, including Fieldston, was the most expensive zip code in the borough with a median sales price of just shy of $1 million at $999,000 and placing 39th of the top 100 zip codes in New York City up 16 places from last yea
With the rapid gentrification with thousands of luxury residential units under construction, and close proximity to Manhattan it’s only a matter of time that this zip code reaches the top spot in The Bronx.
Meanwhile, up in the Northeast Bronx is 10475 which covers all of Co-op City and a few parts of Eastchester and Edenwald at third place in The Bronx. Median sales price during the first half the year here hit $735,000 propelling it by 65 places to number 88 on this list—the biggest jump on the list.
Finally, coming in at fourth place in The Bronx on the top 100 most expensive zip codes list is 10461 covering Morris Park, Indian Village, Pelham Parkway South, Westchester Square, Pelham Bay, and Schuylerville with a median sales price of $690,000. This places the zip code at 99th place, up 24 places from last year.
Property values in 10461 may continue to rise after the Morris Park Metro North Station is completed and same with 10475 which will be getting one in Co-op City too.
According to Amast who ran the study, only residential properties like condos, co-ops, single, and two family home sales that closed between January 2020 and June 2020 were considered for this report.
You can check out the entire list and report here.
The following is an open letter by City Island resident Steve Swieciki.
Editor’s Note: We are publishing this letter in the hopes to shed a light on a problem that has been plaguing several communities in The Bronx, particularly in the East Bronx and that is of racism and bigotry. The majority of residents by far aren’t bigoted nor racist, however, there are a very vocal few (some with community leadership roles) that have caused strife for those looking to end the toxicity that permeates the air, especially on social media including several Facebook Groups dedicated to East Bronx communities being breeding grounds for hateful commentary which targets Blacks and People of Color.
This isn’t fake news this is fact. There have been several off shoots of groups on Facebook that have splintered from the original groups because the BIPOC residents of those areas simply did not feel welcome and in fact felt threatened by the constant barrage of racist and bigoted comments they witness on an almost daily basis.
It is for these reasons that we are publishing the below letter without hesitation.The Bronx is the last place any of this should be happening in what is the country’s most diverse county.
Dear Mr. Maniotis, Ms. Nova, and Mr. Sorell,
Please let me first thank you for stepping up in the name of bringing unity to City Island. I know there’s been some confusion as to the nature of your group, with the City Island Civic Association erroneously claiming you are one of their new committees while some of you have disputed that, but regardless of whether you’re an independent initiative or not, I sincerely appreciate anyone that decides to get involved in making a positive contribution to the neighborhood.
Much like our nation, City Island is deeply divided, and while I think prioritizing unity above all else is problematic for a number of reasons, I certainly understand the desire for a return to normalcy and neighbors being able to just get along.
Much has been made of the divide on City Island, which has been widely characterized as left-leaning Millennials vs. more conservative older folks. In these kinds of arguments, to a semi-disinterested outsider looking in, it often appears both sides may have some valid points and so the “truth” must therefore be found somewhere in the middle. This is known as an argumentum ad temperantiam, or false equivalence.
One side says red, the other says blue, and people assume the truth is purple. This, however, is a classic example of a logical fallacy. And with regard to the instant matter of division on City Island, while no one may claim to be without fault, the behavior of these respective factions is not equally objectionable.
Screenshot of a tweet by City Island Civic Association President Bill Stanton who has posted numerous problematic comments throughout social media.
I’d like to direct your attention to the attached screenshots, which document a number of actions and statements from current Civic leaders like President Bill Stanton, Treasurer Tom Smith, Municipal Services committee chair Cathy Cebek, and Membership committee chair Candy Mancuso. And please bear in mind this is merely a small sample of abhorrent behavior that has spanned years.
As you can see, the leaders in question have variously espoused or alluded to derogatory sentiments and stereotypes about ethnic/racial minorities (including our Congress Member, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), women, LGBT people, and the poor.
The question I would like to formally submit to your committee for consideration is: How do you propose we unify with people in positions of leadership within our community that not only hold exclusionary and hateful views like this, but are comfortable sharing them in public and on social media?
While you reflect on that, I’d like to propose what I believe is the most obvious and straightforward solution to achieving unity: the individuals in question simply stepping down.
If what Stanton et al. claim is true and unity for City Island is what they desire, they should realize that achieving unity is impossible with them continuing in their roles. When service becomes more about holding onto your perch — when it becomes more about you — than the good of the community, that’s when it’s time to go.
Particularly at a time when confronting bigotry in all its forms has been elevated to the very top of the national discourse, particularly for Stanton and Smith, who have collectively been entrenched as Civic officers for close to forty years, and particularly for Cebek and Mancuso, who have sown division for the last six years including threats of violence and count among their group a man who referred to a neighbor with a homophobic slur and a woman believed to have used the n-word in the May 2018 Civic meeting, now more than ever is the appropriate time to just step aside and let a new generation of inclusively-minded island residents serve, without the cloud of bigotry hanging overhead.
And if these leaders cannot bring themselves to do so, they cannot sincerely claim to desire unity.
What they would appear to desire is the continuation of their perceived dominance in local affairs and the stifling of any dissent criticizing their performance. It is my genuine hope they’re willing to prioritize what’s best for their community before what’s best for their egos.
Thank you for your attention to and consideration of both my question and the proposed solution. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and I stand ready to work with you in moving City Island forward.
Sincerely,
Steve Swieciki
Screenshots below provided as evidence.
Bill Stanton Screenshots
Bill Stanton Screenshots
Bill Stanton Screenshots
Bill Stanton Screenshots
Bill Stanton Screenshots
Tom Smith Screenshots
Tom Smith Screenshots
Tom Smith Screenshots
Tom Smith Screenshots
Candy Mancuso Screenshots
Candy Mancuso Screenshots
Candy Mancuso Screenshots
Candy Mancuso Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Cathy Cebek Screenshots
Screenshots provided by Steve Swieciki
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 only edits articles submitted by readers for grammar and spelling leaving fact checking up to the author.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 broadcast to a wider audience.To submit an article, email us at submissions@welcome2thebronx.com
About the Author: Steve Swieciki is a public high school teacher, union organizer, and activist. When he’s not working, he enjoys reading, biking, swimming, and traveling. He is a lifelong resident of City Island.
After rapidly expanding several times this year throughout Manhattan and in The Bronx, Revel has decided to suspend its moped sharing service in New York City after two deaths within the past 10 days.
While none of the deaths occurred in The Bronx, Revel is shutting down the entire New York City system indefinitely.
When we first reported their expansion into our borough, we were excited about having an alternative method of transportation in New York City but we also cautioned that folks needed to adhere to the rules and familiarize themselves first before running around them.
Since arriving in April in The Bronx, we’ve sadly seen nothing but reckless driving. Most users weren’t wearing the provided helmets which are required by law. Many were driving down one way streets or through parks not to mention bike lanes and sidewalks—all of which are either prohibited or flat out illegal.
Now, because of all the bad actors and behaviors, we all have to suffer and lose out on this additional method of transportation that made this city a bit more bearable during the pandemic.
As of today, you can no longer use Revel in NYC until further notice and Revel has so far only issued this small statement: “Starting on Tuesday, July 28th, we’re shutting our NYC service down until further notice while we review and strengthen our rider accountability and safety measures. We look forward to serving our New York riders again in the near future.”
This came after Revel permanently suspended over 1,000 accounts for violations of driving through red lights or going down one way streets several weeks ago. In that email Revel stated that they can’t believe they have to tell their users this, but that it’s illegal to go through red traffic lights.
The mopeds themselves aren’t the problem. It’s the idiots who think they can ride them however they see fit.
It has been a community led battle that has gone on for decades as local residents and users of the 149th Street and Grand Concourse Station on the 2, 4, and 5 line fought for elevator access at multi-level station and the fourth busiest in The Bronx with almost 4 million riders a year.
And now, after over 40 years without an elevator, the station will finally be upgraded to meet ADA compliance.
Due to the complexity of the layout of the station with the 4 line on the upper platforms and the 2 and 5 lines on the lower level, there will be multiple elevators to connect all of these levels from the street down to the lowest level.
Anyone who uses the station on the 2 and 5 line knows that it’s four flights of stairs to and from the street making it impossible for anyone with mobility issues to utilize this station.
149th Street and Grand Concourse Station looking down from the mezzanine to the 2 and 5 platforms located four flights of stairs below street level.
“This contract reflects our commitment to ADA and to making our system more accessible as quickly as possible,” said MTA Construction and Development President Janno Lieber. “We’re taking advantage of synergies between the two projects, and the current lower ridership, to deliver these projects faster and cheaper – a win-win for the MTA and our customers.”
“Making this station complex and station accessible brings us closer to our immediate goal of ensuring that no one is ever more than two stops away from an accessible subway station,” said Alex Elegudin, NYC Transit senior advisor for Systemwide Accessibility. “The 149 St-Grand Concourse project will be particularly helpful for the many students of nearby Hostos Community College. The MTA is working hard to expand accessibility and these projects are a huge step in that direction.”
Construction is expected to begin within 3 months and expected to take approximately 3 years to complete. Besides the elevators, stairs will also be reconstructed to meet current ADA standards.
Also on the list for an elevator for this year will be the Tremont Avenue station on the B and D line running along the Grand Concourse and with construction also beginning within 3 months,, however, it will only take approximately 2 years to complete as the layout is pretty standard and not as complex as 149th Street and Grand Concourse.
One of American television’s most prolific talk show hosts, Regis Philbin, is dead at 88.
Born in The Bronx and raised in Van Nest, Philbin attended Our Lady of Solace Catholic grammar school before graduating from Cardinal Hayes High School on the Grand Concourse in 1949.
After high school, he went on to Notre Dame where he graduated with a degree in sociology in 1953.
By 1955 he was already working in television as a page for the Today Show and with various stints in TV, it wasn’t until 33 years later in 1988 that he became a national name with the hit show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.
In 2004, Philbin broke the Guinness World Record for Most Hours on Camera with 15,188 hours under his belt. By 2009 he had reached 16,343 hours.
Rest iin Peace, Regis, you will be missed. You are now yet another star in that great constellation of amazing Bronxites in the sky.
Not since the Great Depression of 1929, which lasted for four years, has The Bronx seen unemployment so high.
According to newly released labor statistics, The Bronx has the highest unemployment rate in New York City at a whopping 24.7% leaving 1 in 4 residents out of a job as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
Two months later, after being the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis where not only did the borough have the highest rates of infection for COVID-19 but also the highest death rate from the disease, The Bronx is in a full blown economic crisis and it’s not something we are prepared for.
Hundreds of people line up at food pantries in the South Bronx.
We already face the highest rates of eviction and families overwhelmed by rent burden. We are also the hungriest borough. If we don’t get the city, state, and federal aid that we need, all the progress we’ve made these past few decades will be erased.
“A May report from the Center for an Urban Future warned that the city’s outer boroughs would face steeper job losses from the pandemic because of the fields residents commonly work in.
Fewer than 10% of residents on the Upper East Side work in industries where layoffs have been most prevalent—restaurants, hotels, retail and personal-care services—while 27% of residents in Elmhurst, Queens, and 24% in the Bronx neighborhood of Norwood work in those fields, the report found.
“Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the think tank, said Tuesday’s data provides “further proof that the economic effects from this crisis—just like the health impacts—have not been felt equally across the city.” “It’s incredibly alarming that roughly one in every four Bronx residents are unable to find work right now,” Bowles said. “We’re going to see a massive uptick in poverty there unless unemployment benefits are extended.”
Now, more than ever, we’re going to have to look out for each other.
Effective immediately, qualifying New York State residents can apply for a one shot deal to cover your rent for up to four months if you have suffered lost wages and income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qualifying applicants must make no more than 80% of the Area Median Income and must be able to show proof that they suffered wage losses since March 1st, 2020 and are paying more than 30% of their income towards rent.
For Bronx residents, that means if you make less than the following, you may qualify for the COVID19 Rent Relief Program:
Under $63,700 for a 1 person household
Under $72,800 for a 2 person household
Under $81,900 for a 3 person household
Under $90,950 for a 4 person household
Under $98,250 for a 5 person household
Under $105,550 for a 6 person household
Under $112,800 for a 7 person household
Under $120,100 for a 8+ person household
According to the program details, tenants receiving Section 8 vouchers do not qualify since their rental payments are capped at 30% of their income. Should there be a loss in household income and you are paying above the 30% income towards your rent then you’ll need to adjust your Section 8 rental payment.
As per the website:
Eligible households must meet the following criteria:
Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income must have been below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for household size. You can find your county’s area median income, based on your household size: www.hcr.ny.gov/eligible-income-limits-80-ami-county
Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been paying more than 30% of gross monthly income towards rent. Gross income includes wages as well as any cash grants, child support, social security, unemployment benefits, etc.)
Applicants must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.
You can also learn about the program as well as browse the frequently asked questions section here.
Applications will be accepted until July 30th,2020 so you MUST act quickly. This is not a first come first serve basis but you have to meet the criteria. Given that most Bronx household incomes are well below the above thresholds, we expect this to be a huge help to Bronx residents that are hurting during the pandemic.
As per their website, HCR has created a dedicated call center to provide residents with help Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call the COVID Rent Relief Program Call Center at 1-833-499-0318 or email at covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov
Since late last year the MTA has been rolling out the OMNY tap and go contactless payment system in The Bronx and New York City.
Now, the MTA has completed installation and activation of the new payment system in The Bronx and will eventually replace metro cards across the system.
Utilizing your NFC enabled smartphone, credit or debit card, you no longer have tu use a metro card or stand in line to refill your card.
You simply tap your phone or card at the turnstile and walk right through.
The system currently only works for pay per rides and you cannot use your weekly or monthly unlimited cards since it’s still not available at every subway station in New York City nor is it an all buses.
Once the system is in place at all stations and buses by the end of the year, then you’ll be able to use your weekly and monthly unlimited “cards” via your smartphone or OMNY card as well as senior and other discounts currently available.
Cash will still be accepted to refill your cards so this is not getting rid of cash as payment given that many residents in The Bronx do not have a bank account or credit cards.
We’ve used this system for a year now and continue to be amazed at how much more efficient and faster it is than metro cards.
