Applications are still being accepted for Mosholu Grand in the Bedford Park area of The Bronx.

The 13 story building located at 150 Van Cortlandt Park East features amenities like a recreation room, fitness center and is a few short blocks from the Mosholu Parkway station on the 4 line.

Income requirements for units ranges from 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) to 60%, 90%, and 110% making it a mix of affordable and market-rate units.

Rents go as low as $667 a month for those qualifying at the 50% AMI to as high as $2,346 for a three bedroom for a family making 110% of the AMI.

If you’re interested, you have to act know and apply as the deadline is May 15, 2020 and you can do so by going here.

Good luck to you and remember, Welcome2TheBronx is NOT affiliated with this or any other real estate development so do not contact us for more information.

With little fanfare, Revel, a popular moped ride sharing service that has been available in Brooklyn and Queens since 2018, arrived in The Bronx.

Hundreds of these electric mopeds were deployed and parked across the South Bronx south of the Cross Bronx expressway and west of The Bronx River covering neighborhoods like Highbridge, Morrisania, Port Morris, Melrose, Mott Haven, Hunts Point, Longwood, and Charlotte Gardens.

And they couldn’t have arrived at a better time given the current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and its impact on public transportation in New York City.

I was surprised at how quickly Revel had expanded into The Bronx after having only been in NYC for less than two years.

To that, Frank Reig, CEO and Co-founder of Revel told Welcome2TheBronx, “The Bronx has always been part of the plan for Revel, and when we saw the spread of the coronavirus devastate Bronx communities, we knew we had to start offering service now.”

“That’s why we opened this new service area including major hospital centers, to further support essential workers in New York City so they can get to and from work during this difficult time…This expansion will give residents a new way to commute within the South Bronx and to Upper Manhattan while maintaining social distance” added Reig.

Currently, there are no plans to expand further into The Bronx but according to Reig, Revel is, “…constantly assessing the situation to see if any adjustments to our service may be needed in the future…and hope to serve The Bronx for a long time.”

In order to use them, though, you must have a valid driver’s license which will be verified when you sign up for membership.

There’s a one-time $5 fee to verify your driver’s license but other than that, there are no monthly or yearly fees.

Cost per ride is $1 unlocking fee and $0.31 per minute of usage.

Helmets, which are mandatory, are included and just in case you’re riding with someone else, there’s an extra helmet as the mopeds are built for up to 2 people.

The day they arrived, I decided to take them for a test drive so after I signed up and downloaded the app, I looked for the nearest Revel scooter and walked four blocks to get it.

The app tells you how much charge is left on the battery and how far it will take you and you can even reserve it for up to 15 minutes so you don’t waste time walking over only to find that it’s gone.

Now I’ve never driven a moped let alone ridden on one but I was surprised at how easy they were to use.

It did take me a few minutes to get used to it but once I got the hang of it, I was able to cruise down the streets safely.

That is, of course, after I realized just how sensitive the throttle is when starting it so a warning: BE CAREFUL ON YOUR FIRST TRY.

I honestly wanted to just take it for a quick spin to see how it rode but I ended up on a 20 mile, two hour trip that took me up to Tremont and then down the Grand Concourse and straight into Manhattan.

I ended up at Lincoln Center.

They’re that easy (an addicting) to use.

Although I’m an avid cyclist and bike everywhere across New York City, I welcome yet another option to get around our borough and city especially for the days you don’t want to pedal and just enjoy the day getting from point A to B.

Although they’re available in Queens and Brooklyn as well, you cannot ride them from The Bronx to Queens or Brooklyn and vice-versa due to laws regulating driving mopeds on highways and major bridge crossings.

The Bronx lucked out because we’re the only borough that can go to and from Manhattan on Revel or the other way around.

Parking them is easy too and they don’t require docking stations like Citi Bike. Instead, you park them just like a motorcycle in any legal parking space that’s available but you must do so in a spot that it can sit for at least 24 hours without having to move it so pay attention to street parking regulations wherever you end your trip.

Speaking of ending your trip, you can only do so within the boundaries on the map but you can pause your ride in the darker gray “forbidden” areas.

Because of ridiculous parking regulations in Manhattan, there are very few areas you can end your ride in Manhattan below 59th Street so it’s best to check with the map to see if your destination meets those requirements.

Revel is also committed to making sure that their ride sharing program is available to low income communities, which is a must for The Bronx, and offer 40% discounts to individuals meeting one of the following requirements:

Revel also offers a 20% discount on to, “…individuals who are active duty members, Reservists, National Guard members, Veterans and Retirees of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.”

• Active EBT CardsPublic Housing Program
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)
• Safety Net Assistance (SNA)

As for essential workers, Reig said that the company had begun offering free rides for health care workers and first responders and can apply here.

In terms of safety, what I can say is that you’re only as safe as you drive and obey all traffic laws and that vehicles around you are doing the same since you are driving in traffic.

That being said, I never felt unsafe and Revel had done a good job of providing clear and concise instructions on proper usage and they even offer in person training for those who want that extra level of safety on how to operate them.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t any safety concerns, however, as pointed out by Streetsblog not only due to the sensitive throttle but the fact that it is a different type of vehicle; Not a bike nor a car.

And in terms of safety given that we’re in the current coronavirus crisis, Revel has enhanced their disinfection process on top of what they were already doing and making sure that high touch areas like handlebars and breaks, seat, helmet case, and helmets are thoroughly disinfected using cleaning agents proven effective against covid-19.

As for their popularity in The Bronx? Personally, I’ve seen at least a dozen riders since they launched in the borough last week and according to Revel, “…in terms of trips either starting or ending in The Bronx, 10,000 miles have been driven on those rides. “

That’s a lot of mileage in a week.

Local Bronx resident, Alejandro Brown of Mott Haven, said he welcomes yet another alternative form of transportation to The Bronx. Although he hasn’t used the mopeds yet he plans on doing so soon.

“Given the current circumstances, I would use the service to get to areas of the city open for business that normally requires train travel, which I don’t feel comfortable getting on right now.” 31 year old Brown told Welcome2TheBronx.

Brown said that it’s, “…a chance to change the scenery safely. It’s another way to connect with the rest of our city.”

Have you used Revel yet? We’d like to hear from you.

And don’t forget: Easy on the throttle!

Dear reader: If you enjoyed this or any of our stories and photography throughout the past 10 years, kindly consider donating to support local Bronx journalism for decades to come:

PLEASE NOTE, THIS LOTTERY IS NOW CLOSED

Applications are now being accepted for 280 brand new affordable apartments in the West Farms area of The Bronx.

Located at 1932 Bryant Avenue, the units at the brand new 15 story Second Farms Apartments range from studios starting at $354 a month to $1,184 a month and three bedroom apartments starting at $637 a month to $2,075 depending on household income.

There are also one and two bedroom units available and are priced according to income.

In order to qualify for these units, applicants must have a yearly household income anywhere from $14,640 a year to as high as $141,000 depending on number of people per household and apartment size.

50% of units are set aside for Bronx residents living in Community Board 6, 5% for people with mobility disabilities and 2% for the visually impaired.

5% are also set aside for municipal employees.

Unlike many other new affordable housing apartments in The Bronx, this particular one offers deep affordability with incomes guidelines that reflect the local median for some of the units.

Second Farms Apartments include basic amenities such as card operated laundry, live in super, outdoor yard, and bike storage.

It’s also located within walking distance to the Bronx Zoo.

As far as transportation goes, the building is just a short walk to the 2 and 5 line at West Farms Square / E Tremont Avenue at the crossroads of several bus lines as well.

You have until June 30, 2020 to apply and you can do so by going to NYC Housing Connect here.

Good luck!

PLEASE NOTE: Welcome2TheBronx is NOT affiliated with this or any real estate venture so please do not contact as as we cannot help you. We are simply reporting the news.

Dear reader: If you enjoyed this or any of our stories and photography throughout the past 10 years, kindly consider donating to support local Bronx journalism for decades to come:

If you’re from The Bronx then you know about Metro Optics, a local home-grown small business that is still operated by the same owners for over 40 years.

Like many businesses, they were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and out of an abundance of caution, they decided to close their doors of all but one store on March 19 in order to protect their employees and clients alike.

The remaining store at Westchester Square remained open but on a very limited basis.

Despite shutting down, John Bonizio, decided to continue paying all of his 56 employees.

According to PIX11 News, that meant that he had to utilize not only $350,000 of his own money but he also borrowed $250,000 against his life insurance policy.

But to myself and others in The Bronx who know him, we know that this is who he is and what Metro Optics embodies.

Metro Optics isn’t just a place to get your eyes checked up and get your glasses or contacts but they are a true and generous community partner throughout the over 40 years they have been in business.

Judith Greifer-Braunstein, a retired school nurse told Welcome2TheBronx her fond memories of Metro Optics, “I was a school nurse at CS 102 in Parkchester for 30 years”, she said.

“I had many children who really needed glasses, but couldnt afford them. I approached Michael Ungaro, one of the owners of Metro Optics, and explained the situation. He was so wonderful, as long as he had a letter of consent from the parent, he would examine their eyes. If glasses were needed he let the child pick any ones he wanted. He said if they didn’t like them, they wouldn’t wear them. I retired in 2008 with respect and gratitude for Michael and his help for the needy children.” Greifer-Braunstein added.

The spirit of Metro Optics as embodied by Bonizio and Ungaro is the spirit of The Bronx. We know first hand that life isn’t easy and that together as a community, we can survive easier than if we are left alone.

Dear reader: If you enjoyed this or any of our stories and photography throughout the past 10 years, kindly consider donating to support local Bronx journalism for decades to come:

We couldn’t be prouder to not only be a client of Metro Optics but friends of this noble Bronx business.

All their Bronx locations are now open, Parkchester, Westchester Square, Hunts Point, and Throggs Neck, and should you need to make an appointment just head over to their website.

Watch the video below:

This is perhaps the most difficult post we’ve ever written because we have never asked for donations for Welcome2TheBronx but the current COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything.

Like many of you, we have also been impacted financially due to the coronavirus crisis and shutdown.

To that end we are asking anyone who can and is able to, to kindly donate to our fundraiser.

For over ten years, Welcome2TheBronx has been telling the stories about our beautiful Bronx. We started back in 2009 because we were tired of the negative coverage that was being done about our borough in the mainstream media.

So much beauty and they always chose to focus on the negative.

This isn’t to say that we should ignore our issues but we are so much more than just those aspects.

And change we did.

Since then, Welcome2TheBronx has been quoted and or featured in the mainstream media well over 500 times including The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and appeared on NY1, PIX11 News, and News12 The Bronx just to name a few.

And because of your support, along with the help of other Bronx-based brands, we’ve been able to change that narrative around and create a platform that has ushered in a pride in The Bronx like no other.

And we have done it all without selling out and will continue to do so with the same integrity.

If you’ve ever enjoyed our stories and they have moved you or our photographs have made you happy, then kindly please consider donating or sharing out campaign.

We really appreciate it and even if you can’t and we don’t make our goal, we’ll still continue to provide the content you’ve come to enjoy and care about and we’ll still continue to make you proud that you’re from The Bronx and this is your home.

Our home.

Click below to make a donation or to share our fundraiser:

This past Saturday, May 2nd the weather was finally nice enough for one of my long bike rides which is one of the things I love doing with such gorgeous weather: See our city and document my journey.

Little did I know that on what would be a 30 mile, four borough ride through Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and The Bronx, that one photo I took would blow up and become viral across not just the city but the nation.

From The Bronx, to Astoria and Long Island City in Queens, Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Chinatown, and Battery Park City, the streets and parks were pretty full but with mostly everyone in masks and practicing social distancing as best as you can in a crowded city of almost 9 million.

But the scene was shockingly different when I arrived at the Christopher Street Pier in the West Village along the Hudson River.

During normal times, the pier is packed with sunbathers in speedos and bikinis.

But these aren’t normal times and it was PACKED.

If this image above and the discussion around it impacted you in anyway, kindly consider making a donation to help support local journalism:

Small and large groups of people sitting together mostly with barely 2 to 3 feet apart. Out of clearly over a 100 people only perhaps 6 or 7 wearing masks.

Besides the utter disregard and disconnect from the crisis we are still living in with over 13,000 confirmed deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic and another probable 5,500 deaths yet to be determined, the glaring difference was that there was zero NYPD enforcement of social distancing.

Meanwhile just a few miles over in the East Village, cops brutalized three Black men for not obeying social distancing.

I went back yesterday to see if the crowds would return and arrived around 2PM and sure enough it was already starting to fill up.

But this time, because of the outcry that my photo sparked, there were about a dozen NYPD cops patrolling the scene. Eventually most left but about 3 or 4 and instead of encouraging social distancing they just handed out masks to the sunbathers. Not summonses, not dragging them across the street like the NYPD did to the Black men in the East Village.

Not that we want that to happen to them but it just goes to show how differently, how literally BLACK AND WHITE it is to live in NYC.

But to Blacks and people of color across the city especially in low income communities, we are not surprised about what happened because that is what life is like in New York City.

The mostly white crowd on the pier hanging out, many are often drinking alcohol in open containers which is a punishable offense but rarely do you see any enforcement.

Come to The Bronx and not only is there a greater chance of you being ticketed for the offense but you’re also at greater risk of being brutalized by the cops or worse.

So you see, this isn’t shocking to us in The Bronx because we’re used to this tale of two cities. It doesn’t make it right, but we’re used to it.

In The Bronx, we have an infection rate for COVID-19 that is twice that of Manhattan with a mortality rate that is also double that of Manhattan.

Elected officials allow polluting industries to dirty our air in our communities but they would never allow such a thing to happen in the West Village or anywhere in Manhattan for the most part.

This contributes to some of the worst air quality in the city and in turns one of the reasons in the South Bronx the asthma rate is 9x the national average.

In the South Bronx neighborhood of Mott Haven with a median income of just above $21,000 a year and is located in the nation’s poorest congressional district, you have thousands of units of luxury market-rate housing rising across the highway from severely housing projects of NYCHA, New York City’s public housing.

All you have to do is take a trip to our borough to see how pervasive the signs of a tale of two cities are readily apparent in The Bronx and we live it every, single day.

And it’s exhausting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every segment of our lives as shutdowns due to the rapid infection rate of the coronavirus gripped our city, state, and nation.

Not even farmers have escaped the economic toll.

Thanks to Caribbean Produce Exchange Inc, 16,000 pounds of fresh fruit and produce from Puerto Rican farmers arrived in The Bronx this past Sunday.

The Puerto Rican company has been helping farmers sell their products via nontraditional avenues as others have shrunk or disappeared altogether due to the pandemic which is how the shipment arrived at Baldor Specialty Foods in Hunts Point.

The shipment, consisting of fresh produce including pineapples from Manatí, papayas from Santa Isabel, and plantains from Guánica, will be donated to senior citizens, low income families in the South Bronx as well as community centers that work with such at risk and vulnerable communities.

According to a press release, Baldor employees working as frontline responders and others will receive fresh produce from this shipment as well.

News Is My Business reports:

“Given the spread COVID-19 has had in New York City and its health and socio-economic impact on low-income families, we wanted to extend our support and solidarity by integrating Puerto Rican tropical fruits, with all its flavors and freshness as part of our social commitment efforts,” said Ángel Santiago, president of CPE.

“This initiative has been possible thanks to several companies that immediately agreed to be a part of the mission and share hope with our brothers in New York who are facing the ravages of this pandemic as well as support from the New York State Office of Trade and the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.,” he said.

This is one of the many stories we’ve heard of how communities have come together to help the most vulnerable where our government has utterly failed.

Thanks to Caribbean Produce Exchange, these families will have access to more healthy food.

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has taken another toll, this time New York City’s iconic round the clock subway service in a city that never sleeps.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has just announced that beginning next Wednesday, May 6th, all NYC subway lines will be shut down so that trains can be properly disinfected.

This will happen on a daily basis versus the initial plan set in motion last month of cleaning all subway cars every 72 hours.

This is historic in NYC which is one of a handful of cities in the world where the subway runs 24 hours a day.

But there is no choice.

Now if the MTA could increase service so that essential workers can practice social distancing while commuting to work rather than being packed in like sardines, that would be even more beneficial.

Governor Cuomo said that shuttle buses, dollar vans and for hire vehicles like taxis and possibly ride share services will provide commuters with the necessary transportation during those hours.

But what about the buses? Will they run more buses so they’re not overcrowded?

Donut lovers rejoice: After much anticipation, The Bronx’s FIRST Krispy Kreme is now open!

Ever since we first reported back in January that the famous donut shop was coming to The Bronx, readers have been inquiring as to when the iconic brand would open.

But the wait is over and despite the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Bronxites were flocking to the store to get their hands on fresh Krispy Kreme donuts that are made right here in our borough at their Zerega warehouse.

In fact, that very warehouse in The Bronx provides all NYC Krispy Kreme locations with their donuts.

Located at 371 E Fordham Road, between Marion and Decatur Avenues, the store is open Thursdays through Monday from 7:30AM to 9:15PM, Tuesdays from 6:30AM to 9:15PM and Wednesdays from 6:30AM to 8:15PM.

As a reminder, they are only open for pick up and carry out as coronavirus shut down regulations are still in effect.

Thanks to Ozzy for the tip!

After waiting for so many years, Citi Bike is finally arriving in The Bronx within the next couple of weeks as docking stations will be installed across the Melrose, Mott Haven, and Port Morris neighborhoods of the borough.

The first expansion into the South Bronx will begin in Community Board 1 followed by 3 and 4.

The arrival of the ride share program in The Bronx couldn’t have come at a better time as social distancing continues to rule our lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shut down.

In order to help essential workers commute safely, Citi Bike is offering free membership to such employees via their Critical Workforce Membership Program.

As a reminder, SNAP recipients and NYCHA residents can get a deeply discounted membership for just $5 a month.

We look forward to seeing Bronxites taking advantage of this alternate form of transportation!

Installation of docking stations should begin on May 4.

Tucked away near one of the southernmost points in The Bronx is Port Morris Distillery which has been making Puerto Rican pitorro, the island’s version of moonshine, for almost a decade.

Over the years, as business grew and they expanded, the distillery became a must visit spot in the borough as well as a cultural hub for the Puerto Rican community and a meeting hub for area residents.

Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced states to shutdown businesses, owners Rafael Barbosa and William Valentin, faced with plummeting sales as a direct result of the crisis, had to think fast in order to survive.

So they researched and quickly figured out how to repurpose their equipment to produce another type of product: Pitorro Puro.

Pitorro Puro is a hand sanitizer that’s 80% alcohol which is above the minimum 70% that is recommended to kill most bacteria as well as coronavirus aka COVID-19.

Currently, Port Morris Distillery is selling them in 16oz bottles at $10 bucks each or by the gallon $40 a pop.

And with hand sanitizers and alcohol in short supply in The Bronx and across the country, demand for their product is high. So high, in fact, that their online store crashed today.

“Sales are good and the support has been amazing. This has been a lifeline for us.” Rafael Barbosa told Welcome2TheBronx in an interview.

“Without this, not sure where we’d be,” he added.

To order, head over to their online store.

Update: They’re now offering refills of their product at a discount if you bring in the containers you purchased!