SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
Try "researchers"
Home Blog Page 7

Upcoming South Bronx housing lottery claims $3,400 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment is affordable

Ed García Conde
-
0
Upcoming South Bronx housing lottery claims $3,400 a month for a 2 bedroom apartment is affordable

As another phase of construction is nearing completion at a controversial and gentrifying development along the Harlem River Waterfront in the Port Morris neighborhood of the South Bronx is nearing completion, a wave of online ads have been released touting the number of units that have been set aside as “rent-stabilized.”

Bankside development in Port Morris/Via Welcome2TheBronx

Known as Bankside, the 1,500 units of luxury living across seven buildings buildings at the foot of the Bronx side of the Third Avenue Bridge, has been under construction for several years with the first buildings becoming available to renters just over a year ago.

With market-rate rents as high as $5,300 a month for a two-bedroom apartment with a terrace, almost 100 apartments remain vacant since leasing began 14 months ago at the first phase of the development known as Third at Bankside.

Rendering of the co-working space at Lincoln at Bankside/Via Lincoln at Bankside website

Now, a second wave of units in another phase of construction at Bankside will soon be available this year, with 145 of those units set aside as “affordable” under New York City’s Housing Connect lottery system but those units are anything but affordable, especially to area residents.

According to the marketing website for Lincoln at Bankside, as this part of the development is known, monthly rents for the “affordable” units will be as follows:

Rendering of a lounge at Lincoln at Bankside/Via Lincoln at Bankside website
  • Studios at $2,525 a month
  • One-bedrooms at $2,825 a month
  • One-bedrooms with an extra closet and a kitchen island at $3,075 a month
  • Two-bedroom units at $3,400 a month
  • Three-bedroom units at $4,373 a month

Income requirements for these units range anywhere from $86,572 to $138,840 a year for studio apartments up to $149,932 to $215,150 a year.

List of the “affordable units” and income requirement breakdown at Lincoln at Bankside/Via Lincoln at Bankside website

For comparison, the median household income within Community Board 1, where the development is located, is just $27,158 per year.

While the official housing lottery has yet to be launched via Housing Connect, the marketing website for Lincoln at Bankside is anticipating a Spring/Summer 2023 move-in date which means that the lottery should be launching any day now as it generally launches 60 days before residents can begin to move in although this isn’t necessarily written in stone. [update: lottery was launched February 23, 2023]

And what about the remainder of the units at Lincoln at Bankside that are market-rate and won’t be offered as “affordable”?

Rendering of the roof deck at Lincoln at Bankside/via Lincoln at Bankside website

With almost a hundred market-rate units already sitting vacant within the development at Third at Bankside for over a year now and now hundreds more coming online and with asking market-rate rents upwards of $4,000 for two-bedrooms, will hundreds more units be sitting vacant for years to come in an area that has one of the highest rates of homeless students in the city?

At what point do developers end their greed and instead focus on truly solving the housing crisis faced by our city? At what point do elected officials end the farce of the affordable housing program, which allows such luxury units to be rented under the program, especially in one of the most economically disadvantaged districts?

SEE IT: Dolphins spotted this week in The Bronx River!

Ed García Conde
-
0
SEE IT: Dolphins spotted this week in The Bronx River!

First the beavers arrived and made the Bronx River their home—the first time the critters called New York City home in over 200 years.

Now, this week not one but two dolphins were spotted in the Bronx River at Starlight Park near Bronx River House, home of the Bronx River Alliance.

According to NYC Parks Twitter account, they confirmed the sightings of the dolphins and provided a video by a local named Nick Banko who first reported their presence in the Bronx River on his Instagram account.

The Bronx River Alliance posted about the dolphins saying, “Did you know dolphins were spotted at Starlight Park this past Monday? There seems to be more dolphin pods swimming near NY Harbor! We are not sure why but authorities are further investigating their presence and we will keep you updated as we get more info.”

Meanwhile, State Assemblyman Kenny Burgos who’s district covers the area where the dolphins were spotted said he was going to cancel his entire schedule to go dolphin sighting in the district.

The fact that dolphins are in the Bronx River is a testament to the hard work of local residents and organizations like the Bronx River Alliance that have helped revive what was once one of the most polluted waterways in the city. At one point, it was filled with abandoned cars, car tires, and tons of garbage until local residents organized and said enough was enough.

Through their hard work and sweat equity, the river is the cleanest it’s been in over a century and wildlife, as evidenced by the beavers, and now,, dolphins, have returned and are flourishing in the once polluted waters.

The Bronx River is also periodically restocked with alewife fish that use a fish ladder system within the river to return to their spawning grounds much like salmon hence why the dolphins are here since there is a food source for them thriving in the river’s ecology.

While we all may be excited that we have dolphins in our own backyard, NYC Parks reminds us to please make them feel welcome by not disturbing them and giving them space. It’s ok to go see them but please keep that advice in mind for their sake!

We would love to continue hosting dolphins for generations to come so please keep them safe!

$20 million Mega Millions ticket sold in The Bronx

Ed García Conde
-
0
$20 million Mega Millions ticket sold in The Bronx

The Bronx may have a new mega-millionaire!

A ticket worth $20 million bucks for this past Tuesday’s mega-million drawing was sold in The Bronx at 170th Street Grocery in the Mount Eden neighborhood of The Bronx.

This isn’t the first time a winning ticket has been sold in The Bronx but it does appear to be the largest winning in recent memory.

170th Street Grocery in Mount Eden where Tuesday’s million-dollar Mega Millions ticket was sold/Image via Google Streets

The last large sum won in The Bronx was in 2019 when a single ticket worth $10 million was sold at TS Stationary in Norwood.

Last summer, a $1 million ticket was sold in Kingsbridge Heights, also for the Mega Million drawing, and in 2021, another $1 million ticket was sold in the borough.

As of this morning, a winner hasn’t been identified but according to information provided to The New York Post by the New York State Gaming Commission, they’re currently verifying someone who came forward claiming to have been the winner but we’re hoping it’s a lucky Bronxite in the area that woke up $20 million richer.

To the new winner, if they need help spending the money by donating to non-profit organizations, we know a few here and there that they can make contributions to like the Bronx Documentary Center, or, perhaps the Bronx Children’s Museum which recently opened to the public.

There are also places like The Point CDC, Rocking the Boat, and The Bronx River Alliance, which do so much work to help our residents as well as the environment within our borough and we’re pretty sure that any donation will go a long way but, however you choose to use your new found wealth, may you use it wisely and it lasts you a lifetime.

The Bronx is freezing: Borough leads NYC in heat & hot water complaints for sixth year in a row

Ed García Conde
-
0
The Bronx is freezing: Borough leads NYC in heat & hot water complaints for sixth year in a row

A new report by RentHop, a real estate listing website that also provides various annual reports in the markets they serve, compiles heat and hot water complaints across the five boroughs of New York City and shows that, once again, The Bronx has by far, the most such complaints.

According to the report, which pulls data from complaints filed to 311, Bronxites filed 42,050 individual complaints out of the 117,315 complaints filed in New York City between October 1, 2022, through January 10, 2023, accounting for 35.84% of the city’s total.

957 Woodycrest in the Highbridge neighborhood of The Bronx, had the most heat-related complaints filed in New York City during the current heat season/Image via Google Street

Brooklyn, the borough with the second-highest rate of such heat-related complaints, accounts for 27.9% of the city’s total, with 32,733 complaints filed during the same period.

But the disparities don’t end there. The report also looks at the top twenty neighborhoods in New York City with heat-related complaints, and 16 Bronx neighborhoods made the top twenty list accounting for a whopping 80% of the list.

The Bronx leads the city in heat related complaints for the past six years/Courtesy of RentHop

And among those neighborhoods, the Pelham Parkway area of the borough is the coldest neighborhood in the city, with 1,293 unique complaints filed during the same period. According to RentHop, Pelham Parkway also saw an increase of 10.7% of such complaints from last year.

Of the top twenty, the first seven neighborhoods are all in The Bronx and are as follows:

  1. Pelham Parkway
  2. Highbridge
  3. Parkchester
  4. Fordham Heights
  5. University Heights
  6. Norwood
  7. Concourse Village

    Meanwhile, in Highbridge, 957 Woodycrest Avenue, a 53-unit apartment building, has the distinction of the building with the most registered heat and hot water-related complaints during the study period. The building was the site of a fire in March of 2021 that started in an apartment on the fifth floor that quickly spread up to the sixth floor.

    Luckily, despite nine injured in that 3-alarm fire, there were no reported casualties.

    According to public records, 957 Woodycrest was purchased for $9,300,000 on July 12, 2019 which was more than twice what it sold for in 2012 when it sold for $4.3 million.

    Complaints per 10,000/occupied units per borough/Via RentHop

    Speaking of fires, this report comes almost exactly a year after the deadly Twin Parks Towers fire in The Bronx, which claimed the lives of seventeen residents, including eight children, and was the deadliest blaze in New York City since the 1990 Happy Land Fire, also in The Bronx.

    The tragic Twin Parks blaze was also the third-worst in the country in 40 years, and it was traced to an electric space heater as the cause of the deadly fire.

    Such space heaters are used due to insufficient heat, and although there were no active heat complaints at the time of the fire, many residents stated that the constant cold was an issue.

    During the New York City “Heat Season,” landlords must maintain an indoor temperature of at least 68 degrees between the hours of 6 AM and 10 PM if the outside temperature drops below 55 degrees and between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM, the indoor temperature must be maintained at no less than 62 degrees regardless of the outside temperature. These requirements for the city’s heat season are in effect between October 1st and May 31st of the “winter” season.

    But there is a loophole that is exploited by landlords who place any heat sensors in common areas such as hallways versus monitoring actual temperatures within individual units since there are no regulations that the units themselves actually be monitored unless mandated by New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development for buildings that have had multiple violations and heat complaints in the previous years.

    So without actual monitoring within apartments, the current heat laws as they are, can lead to tragedies such as the Twin Park blaze which leaves desperate tenants without sufficient heat to utilize such dangerous methods like space heaters to provide needed heat within their apartments.

    It’s 2023, and with all the modern technology at our disposal, there’s no reason that individual units can’t have heat sensors to monitor the heating within living spaces to gauge better what’s happening.

    This will not only hold landlords accountable, but it may also prevent future tragedies such as the Twin Parks Towers fire that claimed the lives of almost two-dozen innocent victims.

    The most expensive single family home for 2022 in The Bronx sold for $4.4 million

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    The most expensive single family home for 2022 in The Bronx sold for $4.4 million

    When it comes to single-family home sales prices, the landmarked Fieldston neighborhood in Riverdale in The Bronx continues to be the setting for the most expensive single family home of the year in the borough.

    4731 Fieldston Road / Via Google Street

    After an extensive search of public records for sales of such properties within The Bronx between January 1st, 2022 through December 31st, 2022, 4731 Fieldston Road was found to have been the highest such sale and sold in July of 2022 for $4,400,000.

    According to public records and an old listing, the landmarked-tudor home is a 5 bedroom, 4+ bathroom property spread across 2,374 square feet set on generous lot that’s a massive (by New York City standards for single-family homes) 0.4 acre site.

    The area, which has some of the largest estates and lot sizes for single-family homes in New York City, is actually home to the top five highest sales of such properties in The Bronx for 2022.

    The other properties topping the list are located in the Estate Area of Riverdale and are as follows:

    5250 Independence Ave/Via Brown Harris Stevens

    2. 5250 Independence Avenue / $3,625,000

    This 7 bedroom, 7.5 bathroom massive 3,516 square foot home sits on .45 acre and is right around the corner from the beautiful Wave Hill.

    5445 Palisade Avenue / Via Halstead

    3. 5445 Palisade Avenue / $3,300,000

    With stunning views of the Hudson River and the Palisades, this 6 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home is one of the largest at just over 4,000 square feet and sits a massive .48 acre lot.

    4911 Arlington Avenue/Via Re Max in The City

    4. 4911 Arlington Avenue / $3,200,000

    This property is the largest of the list and is a 5 bedroom 5.5 bathroom home coming in at 4,776 square feet set on a private cul-de-sac lot but it also has the smallest lot at just 0.2 acre.

    7 Sigma Place/ Via Sotheby’s International

    5. 7 Sigma Place / $2,630,000

    The fifth most expensive home sold in 2022 in The Bronx sits on the largest lot of the top five coming in at over half an acre and is a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home spread across 3,836 square feet.

    While the condo and rental market in the South Bronx may be hot, the general Fieldston and Riverdale area of The Bronx continues to be the home of the most expensive single family homes in the borough.

    With increasing interest rates, sales may cool down a bit but it’s our prediction that this particular area will continue to lead the borough in terms of highest sales in The Bronx for single family homes.

    Hochul’s planned Interborough Express is a step in the right direction but leaves Bronx residents in the cold

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    Hochul’s planned Interborough Express is a step in the right direction but leaves Bronx residents in the cold
    Rendering of a potential Interborough Light Rail station/via the MTA

    For almost a decade now, Welcome2TheBronx has joined activists calling for the creation of the TriboroRx line that would stretch from Co-op City, The Bronx to Bayridge, Brooklyn connecting its over 6 million residents—roughly 75% of New York City’s population—without having to go through Manhattan as public transit commuters must do so now.

    Now, a year after New York State Governor Kathy Hochul directed the Metropolitan Transit Authority to begin the environmental review of the project by only looking at connecting only Queens and Brooklyn, Hochul has announced that the plan will move forward using light rail has been to create a new light rail line to make transit between the two boroughs easier.

    The original 24-mile, Triboro Rx line as proposed by the Regional Plan Association/Via RPA

    When the announcement was made last year, Welcome2TheBronx decried that The Bronx was left out of this transformative transportation project with the hopes that state officials would come to their senses to include the borough to make the most significant impact.

    But unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case, nor have officials indicated that The Bronx will be included in any future expansion plans or if there are any intentions of perhaps expanding on the proposed light rail project.

    The proposed Interborough Light Rail/Via Governor’s office

    While, yes, residents of The Bronx will significantly benefit from the Penn Station Access Project, which will extend the New Haven line into Penn Station and is bringing four new Metro North stations to the East Bronx (which broke ground last month), it’s still a heavily Manhattan-centric transit project.

    We know that Manhattan is the traditional “heart” of New York City, but since 2014, more than 50% of jobs created have been in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Hence, with reason, it stands that there should be some direct connectivity by way of public transportation outside of buses between these areas.

    As for a timeline for construction and cost, no figures or dates have been firmed up or mentioned, but the original proposal by the RPA estimated the entire TriboroRx line could be constructed for between $1 and 2 billion dollars.

    In the meantime, Bronx elected officials need to step up and demand that the project live up to its original full potential by linking the three boroughs and not to leave The Bronx out of something that will make life easier for the residents of the borough.

    Two condos in the South Bronx sell for over $1.1 million each shattering real estate records

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    Two condos in the South Bronx sell for over $1.1 million each shattering real estate records

    For the first time in South Bronx real estate history, condominium apartments have cracked the $1 million price tag.

    The two units are located in the Bronx Bricks condominium at 305 E 140th Street, the first condo loft conversion in the South Bronx back in 2008.

    Unit 5A, a 1,981 square foot, three-bedroom loft sold for $1,135,000 last year in March. The unit was originally purchased in 2008, when the building was converted to condominiums from a former paint shop, for $789,144.

    305 E 140th Street, aka Bronx Bricks, in Mott Haven/Image copyright Welcome2TheBronx

    And just two months ago, on November 10th, unit 5B, a 2,045 square foot 3 bedroom unit, sold for $1,190,000, becoming the most expensive condo in South Bronx real estate history. It was originally purchased during the conversion in 2008 for $712,775.

    Condo sales prices in the South Bronx have been slowly creeping towards the $1 million mark since 2019 when a brand new construction condo development opened in 2019 on E 138th Street just a couple of blocks from Bronx Bricks.

    Unit 5A at 305 E 140th Street, sold last March for $1,135,000/Courtesy Compass Realty

    In that year, the two penthouse condos at the Joinery, as the condo development is known, sold for $911,334 and for $926,608.

    The Joinery was the first new construction condominium development in the South Bronx since Melrose Commons in the 1990s (as mentioned before, Bronx Bricks at 305 East 140th Street is a condo conversion and not new construction).

    Unit 5A at 305 E 140th Street sold in November of last year for $1,190,000/Image courtesy of Compass Realty

    These rising and record sales prices are all happening as thousands of luxury rental units are being constructed just a few blocks south along the Harlem River Waterfront in Port Morris, where two-bedroom units are renting for well above $4,000 a month at developments like Bankside.

    Many records are breaking in the South Bronx real estate market, but it is an area that is still mired in poverty for decades.

    The median household income in the immediate area is just $27,158 a year, and these sales and developments within one of the poorest districts within the city and state continue to perpetuate a tale of two cities within the same neighborhood.

    As the neighborhood continues to rapidly change in terms of real estate offerings, residents are faced with fewer and fewer options to stay within the very neighborhoods they’ve called home for decades.

    With life slowly returning to a post-pandemic reality, will these trends in the real estate market continue to rise and push more long-time residents out?

    Only time will tell but unfortunately, many old-time residents do not have the luxury of time.

    The Bronx is getting a new, green and futuristic library

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    The Bronx is getting a new, green and futuristic library

    The Bronx will soon be home to one of the most beautiful libraries in New York City.

    Renderings have been revealed for the new Westchester Square Library Branch of the New York Public Library which, once complete, will replace the current branch located a few blocks away over on Glebe Avenue.

    The new, 12,000 square foot building will be a tribute to not just the obvious knowledge and learning but to The Bronx’s place in New York City as the greenest of the five boroughs.

    Rendering of the new Westchester Square Library/Image courtesy of Snøhetta and LMNB

    According to the Snøhetta, the architects for the new library, the building, “…will come wrapped in a pastoral print fritted glass façade in reference to the Bronx’s status as NYC’s greenest borough“.

    Besides its façade, the building will actually be constructed utilizing “green” practices and will include solar panels, rainwater recycling, and numerous energy conservation systems.

    The two-story building will also be flooded with natural light bringing the outdoors in with its huge, wraparound glass façade celebrating the borough’s open spaces.

    According to Snøhetta, “At night, the Library will shine as a glowing beacon for the neighborhood and the city.” Image ourtesy of Snøhetta and LMNB

    It will be constructed adjacent to the landmarked Huntington Free Library and Reading Room—which houses an impressive collection of historical Bronx documents and accounts long before the borough was annexed to New York City—and will replace a building that was being utilized as storage.

    The new library is almost 20 years in the making and the plan to work with the Huntington Free Library to acquire part of its land and property for the endeavor came from former New York City Councilman James Vacca who represented the district then.

    “For years, the Westchester Square Library has been dedicated to providing critical resources and programs for community members of all ages. Through this new construction, the New York Public Library will have the opportunity to enhance library operations, including programming and services, bringing the Westchester Square branch to a new level,” said Council Member Marjorie Velázquez who currently represents the district.

    The new library will be constructed on the site of the old storage building (left) adjacent to the red-bricked landmarked Hunting Free Library (right)/Image via Google Streets

    Construction is expected to begin at some point this year, however, no official date has been set for its completion.

    “I am excited to see what is in store for the newly designed space, and I look forward to our community benefiting from this investment,” added Velázquez.

    125 years ago, the five boroughs are joined to create today’s New York City

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    125 years ago, the five boroughs are joined to create today’s New York City

    On January 1st, 1898, after years of planning and razor-thin election results, the five boroughs we know today as The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, were consolidated into one city to create the New York City we know today 125 years later.

    The great consolidation united two of the largest cities in the country—Brooklyn and New York City—thus making it the largest city in the country as well as, at the time of consolidation, the second largest city in the world.

    An 1839 map of the areas and towns that would eventually become the five boroughs of New York City

    Dozens of once independent towns and villages that made up those areas were now united as one mega-city and linking together many people from all walks of life in the new metropolis truly making it the melting pot we know today.

    But it’s a little-known fact that our beautiful borough of The Bronx was already a part of New York City.

    In 1874, the lands west of the Bronx River were annexed to New York County aka NYC.

    Prior to this annexation, these lands were part of Westchester County and included the towns of Morrisania, Kingsbridge, and West Farms. Within these towns were the villages of Mott Haven, Port Morris, Melrose, Fordham, and many others.

    A map of Westchester County before The Bronx was annexed by New York City, first with the West Bronx in 1874 and then the East Bronx in 1895.

    Then in 1895, a full three years before Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island were annexed to create New York City as we know it today, the lands to the east of the Bronx River were annexed.

    The town of Westchester had voted against being annexed but was dragged along to create The Bronx as we know it today, along with parts of the towns of Eastchester and Pelham.

    But still The Bronx, which was known as the annexed district, was tied to Manhattan and was part of New York County until it became the 62nd county of New York State and the 5th and official county of New York City in 1914.

    Many firsts came from our Bronx as well as many great historical figures from all walks of life and professions but this one comes with major bragging rights: The Bronx—NYC’s FIRST borough.

    Want to learn more? Take a listen to the Bowery Boys podcast below:

    Bronx woman is New York City’s one billionth subway rider

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    Bronx woman is New York City’s one billionth subway rider

    On Tuesday morning, at the 161st Street and River Avenue Station on the 4, B, and D line in The Bronx, Bronxite Sasha Salazar became the 1 billionth subway rider for 2022.

    Salazar said of the historic moment, “Every New Yorker uses the subway every day and I know that we appreciate the MTA, all the workers that work for the MTA especially.”

    The last time the Metropolitan Transit Authority registered over 1 billion subway riders in a calendar year was right before the pandemic in 2019 when 1,697,787,002 straphangers braved the country’s largest subway system.

    But in 2020 with New York City under the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns with the majority of the workforce working from home, ridership plummeted to just 639,541,029 rides.

    And the following year in 2021, subway ridership numbers were not much better with only a modest increase to 759,976,721 rides.

    While yesterday’s milestone was momentous and indicates a somewhat return to normalcy in a COVID-19 world, it’s still a far cry from a full recovery as daily subway ridership continues to average about 60 percent.

    Workers are returning back to their offices in Manhattan but with hybrid working schedules now more the norm than not, it’s still a long way until we get to those pre-pandemic levels if ever.

    Speaking of milestones, another major milestone reached this year is the number of OMNY taps, the replacement to the metrocard, that were made this year which reached 425 million across the system.

    Metrocards will be phased out by 2024 and the OMNY fare-payment tap system will be the only way to be able to access NYC’s buses and subways.

    MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “In 2022, customers have voted with their MetroCard swipes and OMNY taps, and hundreds of millions have returned to the subway. Hitting this milestone, one billion subway riders in 2022, demonstrates again how essential mass transit is to New York City’s economy and continued recovery from the pandemic.”

    Now if only the MTA could get its act together and clean up the subway system and make it safer for everyone to ride. Despite claims of crime dropping across NYC, including the subway system, commuters still feel a bit leery from riding the subways.

    The Bronx “Christmas House” lives on in Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ music video

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    The Bronx “Christmas House” lives on in Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ music video
    Mariah Carey in front of the Bronx Garabedian Christmas House in the ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ music video/screen shot via VEVO

    Every year, as soon as Halloween is over and the calendar changes from October 31st to November 1st, Mariah Carey comes out of hibernation and haunts the airwaves with her iconic and ever-present holiday hit, ‘All I want for Christmas is You’.

    No matter where you go, what store you enter, what channel you switch you, you’ll inevitably hear the song.

    The Garabedian Bronx Christmas House has been an iconic if not legendary stop during the holidays

    In fact, the song is SO iconic that Mariah Carey reportedly rakes in $2.5 million, including from royalties, and, according to Forbes, has probably raked in $72 million as of last year since the song was first released in 1994.

    But did you know that part of the music video for the hit song was recorded outside the famous Bronx Garabedian Christmas House?

    Even Marilyn Monroe makes an appearance at The Bronx Christmas House

    Yup, you read that correctly!

    For almost 50 years, the Bronx Christmas House was a must see during the Christmas season tour of holiday lights but in recent years, the lights have gone out at the beloved home which was adorned with hundreds of mannequins

    However, due to recent health issues as a result of a car accident and the COVID-19 pandemic, the house has not been lit but in a recent phone call with Mr Garabedian, he assured Welcome2TheBronx that the lights will return next year but that, “…we still have to get through some surgeries first as a result of the car accident.”

    Breakfast at Tiffany’s anyone? Visiting a house is a total experience with its campy vibe.

    At least, for now, we can still see the glory that is the Bronx Garabedian Christmas House in Mariah’s video as well as in our hearts and memories.

    In the meantime, as we told Mr Garabedian, have a speedy recovery and although we all LOVE the holiday lights at his house, his health and that of his family are far more important to us.

    Watch the video below:

    Construction begins on $87 million renovation of landmarked Orchard Beach Pavilion

    Ed García Conde
    -
    0
    Construction begins on $87 million renovation of landmarked Orchard Beach Pavilion
    Millions of Bronxites will soon be able to enjoy a restored Orchard Beach Pavilion/Via Marvel Architects

    After decades of neglect, the landmarked Orchard Beach Pavilion will be restored to its former glory with an $87 million renovation which was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday.

    While the majority of the pavilion, including the bathhouse, has been off-limits to the public for over a decade, the beach still receives an impressive 1.6 million visitors annually as locals flock to sunbathe on what is affectionately known as the Bronx Riviera.

    Rendering of what the restored Orchard Beach Pavilion will look like once complete/via Marvel Architects.

    Plans for the restoration have been in the making for decades, however, it wasn’t until last year when New York City Landmark Preservation Committee voted to approve the project.

    The planned renovations and restorations to the site, led by Marvel Architects, will focus on repairing its unique bright blue tiles and terrazzo floor sand the reconstruction of the bathhouse and its upper and lower floors loggias and cafeteria. The project will also include the restoration of the site’s original clocks and lighting, and the historic compass on the upper floor of the pavilion will be restored. These efforts will aim to return the space to its former grandeur when it first opened to the public in 1937.

    Part of the restoration will be to focus on activating concession stands/Via Marvel Architects

    One of the goals for the renovation is to create spaces for both commercial and community use, including the restoration of the cafeteria and spaces to be operated by concessionaires.

    The former cafeteria space will also be restored/via Marvel Architects
    The former cafeteria as it exists today which was divided into various storefronts/via Marvel Architects

    Orchard Beach was one of Robert Moses’ most ambitious projects, built in 1936 and expanded in the 1940s with an extension of the beach northward as the old LeRoy Bay was filled in with sand from the Rockaways, Sandy Hook, and Northport. This creation of 115 acres of new land was the largest Works Progress Administration project in New York City during this time.

    The cafeteria during its glory years/via NYC Dept of Records
    A rendering of the cafeteria restored to its prime/Via Marvel Architects

    Since then, the beach has become an integral part of the lives of those who call The Bronx home and is a special place that residents flock to, no matter the season.

    Now, with the restoration of the 140,000 square foot pavilion finally in progress and making it fully ADA compliant, it will indeed be a treasure accessible to all Bronxites for decades to come that residents deserve.

    1...678...222Page 7 of 222

    Since 2009, Welcome2TheBronx has been a popular online platform dedicated to highlighting the vibrant culture, history, and ongoing developments within New York City’s northernmost borough. Founded by life-long resident and community advocate Ed García Conde, the site features local news, personal stories, and in-depth coverage of issues such as gentrification, community empowerment, art, and real estate. Through its engaging content and active social media presence, Welcome2TheBronx has become a trusted resource for residents and visitors alike, shining a spotlight on the unique identity and rich heritage of the Bronx.

    More from W2TBX

    Contact Us

    Email: info@welcome2thebronx.com
    / month
    placeholder text

    © Newspaper WordPress Theme by TagDiv