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So What’s The Most Common Language Spoken in Your Bronx Neighborhood?

It’s no surprise that Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in The Bronx followed by English but the third most common languages spoken in your neighborhoods might not be so obvious.

Bengali, Italian, French, Russian, Albanian, and African languages from the Kru family are just some of the ones you might be hearing while traveling through The Bronx.

Business Insider put together a cool piece taking a look at New York City as a whole but we took the time to break it down for The Bx for ya.

Third most commonly spoken languages in The Bronx and Manhattan/Via Business Insider

Traveling through Riverdale? Besides English and Spanish you might be hearing folks speaking in Russian.

Morris Park and Pelham Parkway area? You might want to learn how to say “Pershendetje si jeni?” as Albanian is the third most commonly spoken language in that neighborhood.

Over in Community Board 10 you’d be surprised that it’s actually “ciao” that you should be saying…You thought Belmont being home to NYC’s real Little Italy is where Italian would be more common or even Morris Park but no.

That distinction goes to Throggs Neck, Country Club, City Island all the neighborhoods that make up CB 10.

Parkchester and its surrounding areas is where you will hear Bengali and that’s no surprise for most of us nor is the fact that Bengali is also strong in the Northwest Bronx in Bedford Park and Norwood.

As for Melrose, Mott Haven, Port Morris, and Hunts Point? Instead of “what’s up” or “que tal?” you might hear “quoi de neuf” as French is the third most spoken language in these neighborhoods.

In other parts of our borough you’ll hear various languages belonging to the Kru family of languages from the African countries of Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Burkina Faso.

Our diversity is one of the things that makes The Bronx such a wonderful place to live. It is a borough where we live side by side so many different cultures, often peacefully.

Don’t ever let that change or anyone destroy that!

Ciao for now!

17 Georgia O’Keeffe Paintings of Hawai’i at NYBG Together for the First Time Since 1940 Debut

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It’s been 78 years since seventeen of twenty Georgia O’Keeffe paintings were seen together since their debut in 1940 after the artist journeyed to Hawai’i on commission an ad campaign in 1939.

And now you can see them right here in The Bronx starting May 19th at The New York Botanical Garden in this exciting landmark exhibition.

Hawaiian-Chinese sculptor Mark Chai’s works can be seen throughout the garden.

O’Keeffe went on a nine-week journey from New York City to Hawai’i in 1939 for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company as part of a promotional campaign to capture, well, pineapples.

But that journey was considered a transformative moment in her life, which according to NYBG reaveled, “…O’Keeffe’s deeply felt impressions and enduring influence of the Islands’ rugged topography, dramatic landscapes, and exotic plants.”

The landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory displays the richness of the lush Hawaiian flowers that enamored and inspired O’Keeffe during her visit and features over 300 types of plants.

The Heleconia, Crab Claw Ginger by O’Keeffe which actually depicts a Heliconia Lobster Claw

The Heliconia lobster claw which inspired O’Keeffe’s misnamed Heliconia Crab Claw Ginger painting for the Hawaiian Pineapple Company

Gardenias fill parts of the exhibition with their sweet smell as hibiscus and other flowers dazzle the eyes with their brilliant colors.

It is a display that delights both your visual and olfactory senses.

O’Keeffe’s works are housed at the LuEsther T. Mertz Library where you can also watch a 13 minute film which thoughtfully puts together her journey from New York City across the country by rail and then by ship to Hawai’i and is narrated by Academy Award-nominee and NYBG Trustee Sigourney Weaver with excerpts from O’Keeffe’s letters to her husband.

We definitely recommend watching this piece which perfectly ties in together this beautiful exhibition.

The exhibition is also a celebration of Hawai’i and the diverse cultural tradition of its islands. Each weekend will be filled with musical performances and events and you can even get to see how a lei is made.

Oh and make sure you enter to win a fabulous trip to Hawai’i!

Aloha Nights is also not to be missed and a wonderful way to experience this exhibition. On select evenings you can enjoy the garden after-hours at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with specialty cocktails and live music.

Oh and don’t forget to stop by the Poke Truck for some delicious poke food bowls! We tried the salmon and the vegetarian both of which were pretty delicious.

There is also extensive programming during the 5 month exhibition so make sure you check out their website for all the details.

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The show runs from May 19th through October 28th, 2018!

Brenda K Starr & Jiggly Caliente to Perform at The Bronx’s Offical Pride Festival

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Over 15,000 people are expected on Sunday, June 17th for The Bronx’s official LGBTQ pride festival, The 1 Bronx Festival, filled with dozens of performances including big name celebrities like Brenda K Starr and Jiggly Caliente of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame.

The day will start with a Pride March starting at 161st Street and Grand Concourse at 10AM marching east across 161st Street before turning south on Third Avenue and merging with the festival.

Produced by the Third Avenue Business Improvement District in partnership with Destination Tomorrow, Boogie Down Pride, Out Bronx, BAAD (Bronx Academy of Art and Dance), Dancing in The Streets, Bronx LGBTQ Caucus, and the Office of the Bronx Borough President with the goal of uniting our borough’s LGBTQ community.

Casimar Casey Valles, founder of The Haus of Casimar, a local dance studio, led a class at last year’s 1 Bronx Festival

There will be over 150 vendors lining Third Avenue and performances by almost 100 artists to look forward to on that day according to the event organizers.

Last year was the borough’s first 1 Bronx Festival which attracted thousands of Bronxites in a show of unity and solidarity with our borough’s LGBTQ community and this year’s festival looks to expand upon that.

Leading up to the 1 Bronx Festival will be a series of events like film screenings, cocktail reception, and even a Big Gay Bronx Brunch at Charlie’s Bar and Grill.

Make sure to follow the 1 Bronx Festival on Facebook for up-to-minute information on all up coming events.

See you there!

Applications Now Being Accepted for 218 Affordable Units in Belmont, Home of NYC’s Real Little Italy

Applications for 218 apartments at the brand new Cooper Gardens in Belmont, just a couple of blocks away from NYC’s REAL Little Italy, are now being accepted.

And the rents are well below market rate with studios at $865 a month, 1 bedrooms at $929, 2 bedrooms at $1,121, and 3 bedrooms at $1,289.

As per usual, 50% of units are set aside for qualifying residents of Community Board 6 but you have to make a minimum of $32,543 a year for a studio unit and up to $72,600 for a 3 bedroom unit for a family of 6.

The two buildings, located at 4511 Third Avenue and 4439 Third Avenue are across from St Barnabas Hospital and were constructed in partnership with the hospital to provide much needed affordable housing to the area.

There will also be 95 units set aside for formerly homeless families for a total of 314 units in the 450,000 square foot development which will feature a rooftop and deck, outdoor space, and a 57,000 square foot medical facility run by St Barnabas.

Check to see if you qualify below and download the PDF guideline sheet. To apply, click here.

23 Pictures of Spring in The Bronx

Well it finally happened: Spring has sprung!

We took off on our bike and went throughout our beautiful borough to check up and see what signs of Spring we could find and we weren’t disappointed.

Here are just some of the images we wanted to share with you and hope you enjoy them!

Please share with your friends!

Morris Park School to Provide Country’s First Albanian-English Learning Program

The Bronx is home to the largest Albanian population in the country and finally the city is doing more to serve this immigrant community that calls our borough home.

The de Blasio administration has announced that it will be expanding its bilingual education program and PS 105 in Morris Park will be home to the country’s first Albanian-English dual learning program.

Chaklbeat reports:

“Christopher Eustace, the longtime principal of P.S. 105 in the Bronx, was able to build the city’s Albanian program by thinking ahead to solve that problem. He began noticing some years ago that more and more of his students came to school speaking Albanian. So, whenever he could, Eustace hired teachers and office staff who speak the language.

Eventually he had laid the groundwork for a dual language program, pulling from teachers he already had on staff. He said the education department is helping with tuition reimbursement for other Albanian-speaking teachers who are working towards earning certifications to teach English learners. “

This isn’t the first school to offer a “first” in bilingual education in The Bronx. 50 years ago, PS 25 in the South Bronx began offering NYC’s first Spanish-English bilingual program.

 

Apply to Purchase An Affordable Co-op on Longwood’s Fox Street

Applications are now being accepted for three available 3 bedroom cooperative units at 847 Fox Street selling for $91,483 under the city’s Affordable Neighborhood Cooperative Program.

An information session will be held on May 17, 2018 at Maria Isabela Residence at 787 E 149th Street from 6:30PM to 7:30PM for interested first-time home purchasers.

This opportunity is not available to investors and is you MUST occupy the unit if you are selected to purchase it. This lottery is also not open to individuals who already own property or did so in the past.

The units are available for household sizes ranging from 3 to 6 people making anywhere from $69,174 to $145,200 representing 120% of the Area Median Income.

Unfortunately, the average 3 family household in the area makes only $31,924 a year (less than half the minimum required) and even the average 5 person household doesn’t make anywhere near that either with an average yearly income of $42,387 a year.

If you’re interested, you should definitely attend the information session on the 17th of this month and check out the requirements here.

Download the application here and remember, it must be postmarked no later than May 29th, 2018 in order to be considered.

Good luck!

 

First Development Proposed for Jerome Avenue Rezoning Area: Two Massive 17 Story Buildings

It’s been a little over a month since the controversial Jerome Avenue Rezoning was approved by the New York City Council and already one developer has proposed a massive development spanning two 17 story buildings on either side of River Avenue and the 4 train.

Although plans have yet to be filed, The Real Deal reports that Maddd Equities is working on a proposal for 1159 and 1184 River Avenue at 167th Street for a 750 unit development spanning 548,000 square feet.

The article reports that the units would be targeted to low-income “affordable” housing as well as supportive housing.

Two parking lots on River Avenue next at the 167th Street Station along the 4 line will give way to two 17 story buildings providing over 700 units of residential housing.

This will pave the way for the some of the first businesses to be displaced by the rezoning, something which community activists feared would happen.

Developers are hungry to take advantage of the new rezoning and unlike other rezonings which took years for developers to even break ground on new developments, here things are moving at an extremely fast pace.

We knew the neighborhood would change but this is pushing the timeline much faster than expected.

The Gentrification of Highbridge

The Village Voice explores the gentrification of The Bronx neighborhood of Highbridge where folks from local residents to realtors are noticing changes.

Whether it’s craft beer popping up at local bodegas and more and more organic options, the signs are clear to all: Gentrification is here and will only get worse.

Coco McPherson and Neil DeMause explore what’s going on and provide valuable insights to what’s changed during the past few years compared to previous decades.

The Voice reports:

“For the most part, even amid the new construction, Highbridge is still a neighborhood of corner bodegas and mid-rise Art Deco apartment buildings — as of now, it’s unsullied even by a bank branch. (Locals have to walk down the hill past Yankee Stadium to do their banking.) But while the promise of new residents is as yet mostly hypothetical — the number of white Highbridge residents rose between 2010 and 2016 only from 288 to 664 — it also comes with a threat: Both those who live in Highbridge and the stores they’ve come to rely on could be priced out by a flood of new residents with the money to rapidly change the streetscape.

“We know what happened to Loisaida, to Williamsburg and its Latino community,” says Lassi. “Here it’s been taking its sweet time, but now it’s happening very quickly.”

Read the full story: Gentrifying Highbridge Faces a Rocky Future

Live Across Van Cortlandt, One of NYC’s Most Beautiful Parks, Starting at $1,292 A Month

Applications are now being accepted for 15 affordable housing units at a brand new 72 unit development in Riverdale right across from Van Cortlandt Park, one of New York City’s most beautiful parks, and at the end of the 1 line at 242nd Street.

There are 12 1-bedroom units available renting for $1,292 a month for individuals or couples making from $44,298 to $66,800 and three two-bedroom units for families making from $49,989 to $93,870.

The building features a fitness center and on-site laundry room as well as a recreation room but with such an amenity as Van Cortlandt Park right at your doorstep, I don’t think you’ll be spending much time indoors.

To find out if you qualify, make sure you check out their fact sheet and then head on over to NYC Housing Connect and apply.

Applications Now Being Accepted for 7 Brand New Affordable Units in Pelham Bay

Three one-bedroom units renting for $1,600 a month and four two-bedroom units renting for $1,800 a month in Pelham Bay are now accepting applications via NYC’s affordable housing lottery program.

Located at 1701 Parkview Avenue at Roberts Avenue and across from Our Lady of Assumption Church, the 7 units are part of a brand new 22 unit 7 story development with on-site laundry room and a bike storage room as well.

In order to qualify for these units you must make a minimum of $54,858 for a 1 bedroom unit to a max of $135,590 for a two-bedroom unit.

These units are set aside for individuals making 130% of the Area Median Income, however, it is still within reach of the average household in the area.

To apply, head over to NYC Housing Connect and make sure to check out their factsheet.

Good luck!

Apply for New “Affordable” Housing in Tremont

Located at 4215 Park Avenue and sitting right next to the Tremont Metro North Station is a new “affordable” housing development which you can now apply for.

Tremont Renaissance, as the 255 unit development is called, is open to residents making 60-120% of the Area Median Income which ranges from $30,069 for a single-family household to $145,200 for a 6-person household.

It should be noted that the average single-family household in Community Board 6 makes $11,676 which is almost 3x less than the required minimum to even qualify for these units which always leaves one asking, “who is this for really?”

In fact, this development is not affordable to the typical family in the area whether they’re a single family or a 6 person household.

The development features 24 hour security, a “sun promenade” (it’s a friggin roof deck, stop it lol), a computer room, a courtyard, a residents’ lounge, a courtyard, bicycle storage room, children’s play area, on-site laundry, and parking. Some of these amenities like bike storage and residents lounge are available for an extra, undisclosed fee.

To apply, go here and make sure you check out the PDF for full details.