Welcome2TheBronx

A Deal is Close For a New Soccer Stadium 153rd Street and River Avenue

Ed García Conde

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July 11, 2018

A Deal is Close For a New Soccer Stadium 153rd Street and River Avenue

According to the New York Times, a deal is in the works for the purchase of GAL Manufacturing on 153rd and River Avenue the site where New York City FC originally announced they wanted to build a soccer stadium back in 2013.

The site would be purchased by Madd Equities and Joy Construction who in turn would lease the land to the soccer team for the development of the new stadium.

There is a binding agreement to purchase the site by the developers as per the article who would use the rent for the lease of the land to the soccer team to subsidize the construction of affordable housing.

If the sale goes through The Bronx can potentially lose hundreds of blue collar jobs but the developers are exploring to have the company relocated nearby as to prevent the worst case scenario from happening.

The New York Times writes:

A spokeswoman for the team said that New York City Football Club “is actively pursuing a permanent home in N.Y.C. and exploring several options, including working with Maddd Equities in the Bronx. We continue to engage in meaningful dialogue to understand what may be feasible on their site.”

Alicia Glen, deputy mayor for housing and economic development and a soccer fan, said discussions with the team are ongoing. But cautioned that nothing is final. The city has also been talking to the team about another site — next to Citi Field at Willets Point, Queens — that has been a perennial candidate for redevelopment.

“I do believe strongly that it would be a good thing to have a stadium specifically designed for soccer in a global city as incredibly diverse as New York,” Ms. Glen said. “We’re going to have the World Cup in 2026.”

“But,” she added, “it is way too early to say it’s happening in the Bronx as opposed to Queens. All these locations require discretionary approvals.”

Just a few months ago it was reported that there was a proposed soccer stadium for the Harlem River Yards in Port Morris in a partnership with controversial developer Keith Rubenstein of “Piano District” infamy.

5 years ago when the soccer stadium deal was announced the community was in an uproar due to the vulgar subsidies the team was seeking which the New York Independent Budget Office called “fiscally irresponsible”. The Times states they are not pursuing such a sweetheart deal at this juncture.

Another issue back then was that the plan had called for closing the ramp to the Deegan at 153rd permanently which would have already exacerbate horrendous traffic.

We will continue to keep an eye on this development and report back our findings.

WATCH: 3 Brothers Making Chocolate in The Bronx

Ed García Conde

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July 11, 2018

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WATCH: 3 Brothers Making Chocolate in The Bronx

Sol Cacao in the Port Morris neighborhood of The Bronx keeps making chocolate quite simple.

By using only cane sugar and cacao beans, these three brothers born in Trinidad and Tobago produce a healthy version of one of our favorite treats.

Check out the video below:

Not to shabby for our borough, huh?

Massive La Central Development in South Bronx Reaches a Milestone

Ed García Conde

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July 11, 2018

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Massive La Central Development in South Bronx Reaches a Milestone

The first building in the five building, 992 apartment development at La Central in Melrose has topped off reaching its maximum height.

The massive development slated to be completed sometime in 2021 will provide housing to thousands of residents, house a new studio for BronxNet Television and will also include a massive 50,000 square foot YMCA.

626 Bergen Avenue at La Central has topped off.

626 Bergen Avenue, the first building under construction, will be run by Breaking Ground and provide 160 units of supportive housing in the huge development that will provide apartments for very low income families to moderate and middle income households.

This development will change the face of The Hub and the Third Avenue corridor bringing thousands of residents in an area where there were none before.

As always, stay tuned with us to get the latest updates on this and all things Bronx.

SURPRISE! Ocasio-Cortez Wins Election in Another Bronx District She Wasn’t Even Running In

Ed García Conde

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July 11, 2018

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SURPRISE! Ocasio-Cortez Wins Election in Another Bronx District She Wasn’t Even Running In

First Ocasio-Cortez stunned the nation when she beat the powerful Queens Democratic Party boss and incumbent Rep Joseph Crowley of the 14th congressional district last month.

Now last night it was revealed by the Daily News that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also won a primary in a district she wasn’t even running in!

According to the Daily News, she beat out incumbent Jose E Serrano of the 15th congressional district (which covers the South Bronx) under the Reform Party write-in primary.

Neither Serrano nor Ocasio-Cortez were running under that party and let alone Ocasio-Cortez who campaigned in the 14th which straddles The Bronx and Queens.

She tweeted: “Shockingly — and I’m told this is not a joke — we have ALSO won a primary in the neighboring 15th Congressional District via write-in campaign on the Reform line!,” she tweeted. “While I am honored that so many Bronxites are excited about our campaign, I will remain the Dem nominee for NY-14.”

Congratulations once again, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and we can’t wait for you to officially be our congresswoman!

I guess it’s not just Trump who isn’t ready for you!

311 Complaints Rising in Gentrifying Areas of South Bronx

Ed García Conde

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July 10, 2018

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311 Complaints Rising in Gentrifying Areas of South Bronx

A new study has shown that 311 complaints are up in gentrifying parts of the South Bronx according to data gathered by BuzzFeed.

Several of the areas also show that these complaints have risen in areas where the Black and Latino population has decreased as the white population has increased such as Port Morris, Mott Haven, and the Grand Concourse further illustrating the often tense racial divide as gentrification plows through our borough.

As of the 2016 American Community Survey (5-year estimate) from the US Census, the Latino population has dropped 8.28% in Port Morris while the white population has increased by 1.53%.

Darker areas show increase in 311 complaints and green arrows show where white population has increased. **Click to see the full map at BuzzFeed**

Over along the Grand Concourse area (165th street and below) the Black population has decreased by 9.03% within 3 census tracts that covers the majority of the co-ops in the area while the white population has increased by 1.72%.

It might not seem like much but in an area that suffered from White Flight in the 70s and 80s, it is quite a significant increase.

Although the article focuses on Washington Heights, the results are the same across NYC and The Bronx as cops are called on people who are simply minding their own business whether it’s playing dominoes on the street or listening to music, or just having a good time.

BuzzFeed writes:

Ramon Hernandez has been sitting in a fold-up chair on his Harlem block every summer for decades. One recent evening, the 105-year-old had an evening dominoes game going with a couple of his neighbors as music played out of a nearby parked car. It’s a tradition in the historically Latino neighborhood that has been largely undisturbed for decades.

That is until “the cops started coming about two years ago,” said Edward Tineo, 42, one of the guys who plays dominoes with Hernandez.

The increased police presence “makes me feel bad. I’ve been living here for more than 40 years,” said Hernandez through his granddaughter, who translated for him. He likes to sit outside to “get some fresh air.”

What’s changed?

A BuzzFeed News data analysis shows there has been a dramatic increase in 311 quality-of-life complaints on the block starting in 2015, the majority about noise. The uptick coincides with the neighborhood’s gentrification, with more white people moving in, and homes getting more expensive. And while not every 311 call results in a visit from the cops, officers from the local precinct do respond when they’re not handling emergencies.

Oftentimes many people, myself included, do not like to talk about the uncomfortable topic of race when it comes to gentrification but it is one we can’t avoid.

Many neighborhoods of color that are now gentrifying like the South Bronx find themselves at odds with their new neighbors who rather than accepting the existing culture would rather replace it.

This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t aspire to have better neighborhoods but it should come from within the existing culture to chart the destiny they’d like to see for the place they’ve called home for 20, 30, 40 years or more as is the case with most residents who have lived here a lifetime.

This isn’t to say either that we can’t coexist (as long as you don’t raise our rents and erase our culture we’re good).

Our advice to gentrifiers is simple: If you don’t like loud music, people playing dominoes on the street, kids yelling, fire hydrants running in the summer then stay out of the South Bronx. Leave us alone.

16 Old Pictures of The Bronx

Ed García Conde

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July 9, 2018

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We just LOVE going through the New York Public Library’s Digital Collections to see old pictures of The Bronx.

It’s truly fascinating to be able to take a look at The Bronx of yesteryear through the thousands of images available online.

Almost like stepping into a time machine.

Check out these great pics below and let us know what you think!

All images are from the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library and copyright is held or managed by NYPL unless otherwise noted.

East 138th Street and 3rd Avenue/Mott Haven 1915

305 to 319 E 142nd Street between College and Third/ Mott Haven 1935

The old Yankee Stadium date unknown but notice how there is no development in the area.

W 188th Street aka Fr Zieser Pl and Webb Avenue as soon from Devoe Park / 1924

Allerton Avenue and White Plains Road in 1917…crickets literally! This is literally unrecognizable to folks today!

It’s almost hard to imagine Allerton as open farmland like this just over 100 years ago in 1917 but 13 years later, everything changed with the subway extended among White Plains Road.

Allerton Avenue and White Plains Road by 1930…just 13 years later from the above picture was undergoing a construction boom as the White Plains subway line was in full operation.

Burke Avenue at Cruger Ave/Williamsbridge 1917

A tent colony on City Island’s eastern shore in 1930

City Island was one of several bungalow communities

1460-1466 Grand Concourse at E 171st Street/1921

Morris Park Avenue and Victor Street / Van Nest 1916

Soundview Avenue and Story Avenue/ Soundview 1915

Southern Boulevard and 149th Street/Mott Haven 1922

1190-1196 Washington Avenue / Morrisania 1935

Boynton and Westchester Avenues / Soundview 1915

The Mets’ FIRST Female Announcer & MLB’s First Latina is a Puerto Rican Woman From The Bronx

Ed García Conde

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July 6, 2018

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The Mets’ FIRST Female Announcer & MLB’s First Latina is a Puerto Rican Woman From The Bronx

Marysol Castro recently made history by becoming the Mets’ first female announcer as well as Major League Baseball’s Latina announcer.
And of course she’s from The Bronx.
OK so she might work for that other team and not our hometown heroes aka the Yankees but hey, she’s making history and isn’t taking her role lightly.
NBC reports:
The new PA announcer is proud of her job and of being a Latina role model.
“In almost every job I’ve had, I’ve been the only Latino,” said Castro. “We have to reflect the eyeballs that watch us.”Both of Castro’s parents were born and raised in Puerto Rico. Her father, who passed away when she was 10, was a U.S. Navy veteran, a NYC bus driver and was active in the Young Lords, a groundbreaking civil rights group, as well as other community organizations.
Landing her new position “means everything,” said Castro, because she gets to “be a bridge builder for other Latinos” at a time when Hispanic-viewing baseball audiences are at an all-time high in the U.S.
“Castro, who grew up speaking primarily English, went to the Mets Clubhouse on one of her first days on the job and asked each player how they wanted her to pronounce their names. This meant a lot to many of the players, including the 11 Latinos in the 40-member team.
“They looked at me with a smile, which seemed to say, ‘Wow, no one has asked me that before,’” recalled Castro. “That, to me, means a lot…Everyone is entitled to have their name pronounced correctly. It’s a human thing.”
Congratulations Marysol, you make us all proud!

Two Bronx B/D Subway Stations To Close Next Month

Ed García Conde

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July 6, 2018

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Two Bronx B/D Subway Stations To Close Next Month

The 167th Street on the B and D line along the Grand Concourse along with 174th-175th Street will close next month for repairs.

This will allow for major upgrades and modernization to the stations which opened in 1933 with new LED lighting, countdown clocks, new turnstiles, and more.

167th Street will fully close August 27th and 174th-174th Street station will close August 13th and will remain closed for less than 6 months according to the MTA (we’ll believe that when we see it).

Renovations are also scheduled for 145th Street station on the same line and the station will fully close for less than 6 months as well beginning July 21st.

The MTA recommends the following alternatives during this time:

During the station closures, customers can use nearby bus routes for connections to service. For service to and from 145 St, customers can use the Harlem-148 St station, or take the M7 or M102 bus to 135 St for service. Customers can also take the Bx19 bus to the 145 St station.

For service to and from 167 St , take the Bx1 or Bx2 bus to 170 St or 161 St-Yankee Stadium .

For service to and from 174-175 Sts , customers can use the Bx1 or Bx2 bus to 170 St or Tremont Av .

Good luck to all our Bronx straphangers during this time! Hey, at least it’s not as bad as what Brooklyn is getting when the L train shuts down…

“Downtown” Bronx to Get a $10 Million Makeover

Ed García Conde

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July 5, 2018

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“Downtown” Bronx to Get a $10 Million Makeover

After almost a year of going over dozens of projects submitted to be considered for New York State Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative for the South Bronx, the final projects have been revealed.

We were intimately involved with the details and offered insights and recommendations on this initiative and are excited to share them with you.

But first, where exactly is “Downtown” Bronx?

Generally speaking, Melrose is the unofficial downtown area of our borough stretching from The Hub at Third Avenue and 149th Street to the civic heart and courts along 161st Street (Melrose is, after all, where The Bronx was officially born in 1914 as the last county of NYS).

When the initiative was announced last year, the state had a much broader interpretation of the area which stretched down to Mott Haven and 138th Street and a little further north but that didn’t make sense especially when only $10 million is concerned.

Now it’s been narrowed down to roughly the greater Melrose neighborhood from 165th to 144th streets.

Here are the projects that are receive funding:

Expand the Andrew Freedman Home Cultural Art Center: Renovate the Andrew Freedman Home Cultural Art Center to accommodate theater, visual arts, music, dance, and other art productions, and space for workforce development and after-school programming. Refurbish and enhance the outdoor areas to increase public awareness of programming inside the historic center. ($1,720,000)

Convert the 149th Street Bridge into a Public Plaza: Create an expanded, programmable sidewalk plaza on the 149th Street Bridge that will connect the Lower Concourse to the Hub, and provide space for vendors, art, and other activities. ($2,592,000)

Beautify Streetscapes at the Hub and 149th Street: Invest in a series of streetscape improvements on Third Avenue, Melrose Avenue, and 149th Street to foster a stronger local identity, improve safety, and encourage private investment. ($1,040,000)

Create a Business Improvement Fund: Create a Business Improvement Fund available to business owners and property owners to fund façade and storefront improvements, upper-floor renovations, and development of full-service restaurants and cafés along the DRI area’s major commercial corridors. ($1,000,000)

Complete an Upgrade of the BronxWorks Public Swimming Pool Facility: Build on recent investment in a community swimming pool located at BronxWorks’ Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center on the Grand Concourse. Improvements to the pool area would include an air handling system, new ceiling tiles, and refurbished locker rooms. ($429,000)

Support the Opening of the Bronx Kreate Space Artist-Maker Hub: Provide gap funding to build out artist-maker co-working space in Mott Haven at the new Bronx Kreate Space. Planned improvements include gallery space, a café, low-cost workspace, artist studios and communal facilities. ($595,000)

Improve Community Gardens at Melrose Common: Improve three community gardens in Melrose Commons with solar power, enhanced lighting, wi-fi access, and rainwater harvesting to strengthen the area’s open space network, community resilience, and sustainability. ($630,000)

Activate the New Roberto Clemente Plaza with Outdoor Cafes: Install two outdoor cafes in the soon-to-be-completed public space at the Roberto Clemente Plaza to provide additional dining options for local workers and shoppers. One of the cafes will serve as an incubator for local food entrepreneurs. ($520,000)

Enable Construction of a New Pregones Theater Space: Demolish the existing, out-of-code, wood-frame house at 571 Walton Avenue to enable the Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT) to develop a modern facility that will serve as an organizational headquarters and house artist rehearsal, studio, and performance space. ($260,000)

Expand Low-Cost Broadband Access in Melrose Commons: Create a point-to-multi-point, rooftop-based wireless broadband network serving residents, businesses, and visitors in Melrose Commons. The network would offer free wi-fi in and around select public spaces; free access to an internet-enabled local resource portal for residents within networked buildings; and low-cost broadband service for residents within networked buildings. Initial fiber access would be provided by Nos Quedamos at two buildings it owns. ($437,000)

Refresh the Bronx Walk of Fame with Updated Signs and Branding: Refresh the Bronx Walk of Fame by redesigning, replacing, and regrouping signs along the Grand Concourse between 149th Street and 167th Street, and creating a digital directory to draw visitors. ($250,000)

Create a More Welcoming Gateway at the 161st Street Station: Create a modern, attractive gateway to the Bronx outside the East 161st Street – Yankee Stadium subway station by enhancing existing concrete medians with improved plantings. This project will complement other investments in the area. ($227,000)

What do you think about these projects?

Throggs Neck Finally Gets a Farmers Market!

Ed García Conde

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July 2, 2018

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Throggs Neck Finally Gets a Farmers Market!

Finally, after years of planning, Throggs Neck now has a farmers market!

Every Tuesday from 4pm to 7pm through November 13th you can drop by the Northeast Bronx Community Farmers Market Project at Preston High School on Schurz Avenue right for some super fresh and local produce (sorry that means you might not get carrots quite yet but that’s in cuz you get to eat wonderful locally grown produce that’s super fresh and in season!)

But it’s not just produce that you’ll find.

From local cold brew coffee to cool you down from Morris Perk (you can also buy a pound of freshly ground coffee to go) to candles by Waterside Candles made right here in our borough you’ll find something for everyone.

You can even pick up fresh meats and cheeses, fresh food for your cats and dogs and there’s even a local vendor that makes their own body soaps and natural bug repellents!

The produce comes from Deep Roots Farm while the meats and cheeses come from Lewis Waite Farm both in New York.

The farmers market is the culmination of 18 months of planning and organizing by its president, Chrys Cicalo Napolitano, Lourdes Melendez-Gamez, marketing manager, and Sherrill Kratenstein Cropper, market manager.

Repeat customers learning about all natural products from deodorant to bug repellents as well as soaps made here in The Bronx by Eternile. Oh and did we mention all products are vegan?

“The Northeast Bronx Community Farmers Market Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to bring educational programs to our community to raise awareness about eating a local, seasonal and fresh diet” said Cicalo Napolitano.

She added, “Everyone meets at the table. We made sure that Community was in our name because the market is for the community and depends upon the community to succeed.”

So with that said, make sure you come out and support your latest farmers market!

Also, the market is looking for more farmers, especially urban farmers, so if you or anyone you know is interested, please email Bronxfarmersmarket@gmail.com and let them know!

Market manager Sherrill Kratenstein Cropper packs fresh mushrooms by the pound for sale at the market.

Apply Now for 191 Brand New “Affordable” Apartments in Longwood

Ed García Conde

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July 1, 2018

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For just $817 a month you can rent a three bedroom apartments in The Bronx—if you qualify.

Applications are now being accepted for 191 brand new “affordable” housing units spread across two buildings in the Longwood section of The Bronx.

As per usual, you have to make just the right income to qualify for these units (like anywhere from $30,549 to $48,400 for a family of 3 to 6 people for that cheap three bedroom).

The buildings are located at 960 Simpson and 1000 Fox Street just half a block from the Simpson Street subway station on the 2 and 5 line as well as adjacent to the Southern Boulevard Shopping District.

These units are also a couple of blocks the future Hunts Point Metro North Station which is one of four new stations coming to The Bronx which will connect the New Haven line to Penn Station.

The units will have access to a bicycle room, community room and laundry and for an extra fee an on-site gym and parking.

To apply for the units head over to NYC’s Housing Connect and submit your application.

Please note: Welcome2TheBronx is in no way affiliated with these units or the application process or for any real estate for that matter so please do not contact us as we cannot assist you.

Take The Third Avenue BID Needs Assessment Survey!

Ed García Conde

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June 29, 2018

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