We usually don’t go there but we have to talk about the racist Bronx principal at Intermediate School 224 in Mott Haven.
First of all, hate has no place in The Bronx nor does racism. We are a diverse borough from all walks of life and every corner of the globe. That’s one of the many things that makes The Bronx so amazing.
Throughout my years writing and running Welcome2TheBronx, I have witnessed the ugly side of our borough and cowardly individuals who hide behind their keyboards to spew hatred about anyone different from them.
Whether it’s the skin color or country of origin or the god they choose to worship or not, it’s no excuse.
Happily, the overwhelming majority of those I’ve met across our beautiful borough do not share these ugly sentiments.
Patricia Catania, the principal at IS 224, however, is one of these hateful people. It is baffling that she is allowed to remain in such capacity after her campaign against Black History month.
In a school where kids are 90-95% Black or Hispanic, how do you ban the one time many get to learn their own histories?
Now, after Catania found herself in hot water over the incident, she continues her racist attacks.
This time she confiscated a Black History Month poster students created celebrating Lena Horne. Catania gave no reason as to why she confiscated it but eventually returned it.
But this isn’t an isolated incident.
According to individuals at previous schools she has worked at, she has a history of racism.
Teachers and staff at IS 224 claim she has created a hostile environment not just for staff but students alike.
There is no room for a racist Bronx principal or racism in our borough.
The Wall Street Journal states that Bronx home prices have, “…eclipsed the previous record set in 2006”. This increase is largely due to the rise in real estate prices in the South Bronx.
And Mott Haven reminds realtors of SoHo 30 years ago and Dumbo 15 years ago as gentrification speeds up.
But the rise in Bronx home prices isn’t just confined to the South Bronx but across the borough.
“Mott Haven reminds us of SoHo 30 years ago and, similarly, Dumbo 15 years ago”
According to the article, it states that in the Northwest Bronx neighborhood of Kingsbridge Heights, prices for homes went up 15% from $407,000 in the final quarter of 2016 to $470,000 in the same quarter last year.
Overall Bronx home prices went up to an average of $515,000 for a 1-3 family home. This is a 2% increase from the previous record in 2016.
The Pillaging of The South Bronx Continues
Robin Schneiderman, a managing director of Halstead Property Development Management suggests that gentrification in Mott Haven will happen rapidly.
“Mott Haven reminds us of SoHo 30 years ago and, similarly, Dumbo 15 years ago,” said Robin Schneiderman, a managing director of Halstead Property Development Marketing.
In a market analysis, Mr. Schneiderman predicted a “rapid gentrification,” with at least 10 multifamily projects in Mott Haven under development, attracting more than 2,000 rentals and condominiums, along with 400 hotel rooms nearby.
The idea, Mr. Schneiderman said, would be to set rents and sale prices close to but below those available in more hip neighborhoods such as Long Island City, Downtown Brooklyn or Harlem.”
This excitement and glee that real estate agents get when talking about the decimation of working class neighborhoods to pave way for gentrification and greed is rather disturbing but not surprising at this point.
Following the success of Detroit’s Entrepreneurs of Color Fund, JPMorgan is creating the South Bronx Entrepreneurs of Color Fund. The $2 million fund will provide necessary capital to minority entrepreneurs including women.
One of the biggest hurdles for people of color embarking on their entrepreneurial journeys is accessing capital that is readily available to other demographics.
Through the partnership with Excelsior Growth Fund, loans are available up to $100,000 via their EGF SmartLoan product. Loans of up to $500,000 are also available.
In the Bronx, 80 percent of small businesses are owned by entrepreneurs of color, and many struggle with being able to afford the space and resources they need to run and grow their businesses.
JPMorgan Chase is partnering with Excelsior Growth Fund and Accion, two recent winners of JPMorgan Chase’s PRO Neighborhoods competition. The PRO Neighborhoods investment facilitated the development of a loan management infrastructure that the collaborative will leverage to create tailored solutions, including flexible small business loan products. The Entrepreneurs of Color Fund will also offer technical assistance and education to businesses. CommonWise Education, a network of grassroots local leaders, labor leaders, and anchor institutions whose mission is to end generational poverty in the Bronx will help to inform the design of the fund.
“When everyone – regardless of race, gender or ethnicity – has access to resources they need to become economically empowered, cities and the country as a whole will reap the benefits of their success. I applaud JPMorgan Chase for expanding resources to empower minority entrepreneurs in two major cities, including New York City,” said Jonnel Doris, Senior Advisor and Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). “These resources will help break historic barriers that have hindered the economic success of these businesses and will continue to make New York City the fairest big city in America.”
“We applaud JPMorgan Chase for their leadership in driving and funding this initiative, and bringing together partners that are well-equipped to create lasting change for businesses in the South Bronx,” said Steven Cohen, President of Excelsior Growth Fund. “As an alternative nonprofit lender and Community Development Financial Institution, Excelsior Growth Fund has a mission to provide capital to underserved small businesses, and thanks to this initiative there is now increased support available for entrepreneurs of color in the South Bronx.”
JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the South Bronx, with thousands of employees living there and hundreds working in the borough. Over the past few years, the firm has invested more than $17 million in small business growth, skills training for young people and the development of affordable housing.
Anyone with questions about how to invest in the funds is encouraged to contact Excelsior Growth Fund (South Bronx) at 646-465-8186.
A 50,000 square foot YMCA in Edenwald is coming and new, preliminary renderings were released today.
In a press release issued by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the facility will include two pools, full basketball court, and programming for residents of all ages.
Located at at 1250 E 229th Street across from Cardinal Spellman High School (my alma mater) and next to Edenwald Houses, The Bronx’s largest public housing NYCHA development, the facility will serve thousands of local residents.
“The Edenwald YMCA will create 100 new permanent jobs that pay a living wage, as well as 101 temporary construction jobs. As part of the de Blasio Administration’s efforts to expand economic opportunities to Bronx residents and families, the YMCA has also committed to a 35 percent minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) contracting goal for design and construction, and will engage in local hiring efforts through NYCEDC’s HireNYC program. Construction on the $58M development is expected to break ground this fall and be completed in 2020.
Preliminary rendering for the planned YMCA in Edenwald/Via Marvel Architects and NYCEDC
The YMCA is also committed to ensuring that membership is accessible to families at all income levels. YMCA membership dues vary by location and are determined by the economics of the area. Membership and program fees are made affordable to residents at different income levels through YMCA’s Financial Assistance Program, and no one is turned away because of inability to pay.”
According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the development has entered the public approval process.
Preliminary rendering for the planned YMCA in Edenwald/Via Marvel Architects and NYCEDC
During this process, local residents will be able to help shape what they want to see at this site and hopefully the Y will listen to the community wants and needs.
Construction is expected to break ground this Fall with a completion date by 2020 but according to The Architects Newspaper, “Before shovels can hit the ground, however, the planned YMCA has to go through Uniform Land-Use Review Procedure (ULURP), the city’s public review process.”
This definitely sounds like a win for the community but we’d love to hear more from you.
What do you think? Do you think this is the best use of this site?
The Daily News just posted another one of their ‘Subway Fare’ articles on cool restaurants and eateries focused around subway stations focusing on Bronx food.
This time the News takes us to 167th and Grand Concourse on the B subway line hitting up a bakery, a Dominican restaurant and a Mexican taqueria.
So who did they pick? Bronx food rocks so I’m sure it’s hard to limit to just a few but here goes:
Punto y Coma on 165th near Grant, a Dominican restaurant where you can get a Cuban sandwich, “with an extra thick layer of melty cheese”.
Los Rodriguez Productos Mexicanos a bodega with a kitchen in the back which they claim is the real reason to visit this spot. This one’s located on 166th near Carroll Place.
Cassandra’s Cake Studio is where you go in the area for your Dominican cakes plus an assortment of treats including pastelitos.
A new Bronx jail is coming to Mott Haven thanks to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Currently an NYPD tow pound lot, the site at 320 Concord Avenue is the location of the old Lincoln Hospital.
This is part of the 10 year plan to shut Rikers Island down and build jails in each borough and was first announced by former NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito as part of her campaign on criminal justice reform.
The move to shut down Rikers and create smaller, safer jails is part of that plan.
“The new facility will be opened at 320 Concord Ave. in the Bronx’s Mott Haven neighborhood, according to a person familiar with the proposal. This person said the building most recently has been used by the New York Police Department and that it would have to undergo renovations to be used as a jail.
Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, promised to close the jail complex at Rikers Island after years of pressure from criminal-justice advocates, elected officials and others who said the aging facilities were dangerous and beyond repair. Some of those advocates, including former New York state Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, have said the mayor’s 10-year timeline is too long. Building new jails likely will require getting the buy-in of local elected officials and could face community opposition.
A spokesman for Mr. de Blasio declined to comment.”
The proposed site of a new Bronx jail in Mott Haven as part of the plan to close Rikers Island within a decade. Notice the proximity to St Mary’s Park.
The proposed location on Concord isn’t the best site for this however. The site is located in a residential neighborhood and proximate to several schools.
This is especially relevant given the amount of push back communities are bound to give due to the location.
Therefore, if we’re going to build jails in the outerborough, they should be placed far from schools and residential areas.
As a result, the city should make a better effort to build a Bronx jail away from such a neighborhood and perhaps deep in an industrial area.
Bronx islands is not the first topic that comes up when thinking about our borough.
Besides the obvious City Island and (gasp) Rikers Island did you know that we have dozens of islands? Some inhabited, some no longer islands, some abandoned completely.
The Bronx even has its own archipelago shared with Westchester known as the Pelham Islands.
This list includes all the islands surrounding our beautiful borough including ones that due to feats of engineering are no longer islands but once were.
In no particular order here we go. Oh, and we purposefully left out a mapped location of these islands cuz what’s the fun if you can’t look them up on a map and find them yourself, eh?
The Bronx Islands
Hog Island
Located just north of Hunter Island in Pelham Bay Park just south of the Glen Island in Westchester County is Hog Island. Little to no information is available on this tiny island of rocks, and a few shrubs. We’ve actually been here once before during a canoe trip one summer.
Danny Hat Island
Just north of Orchard Beach is Danny Hat Island with it’s own “Danny Bay” and “Courtney Bay”
Two Tree Island
South of Danny Hat Island is Two Tree Island (although Lovie Pignata of Morris Perk thinks we need a recount). You can actually walk there from Orchard Beach via Twin Island (no longer an island) during low-tide. Don’t get stuck here during high tide though cuz you’ll have to wait to get back to shore unless you want to swim back.
Hunter Island
The wooded expanse of land directly north of Orchard Beach’s parking lot is what was once a 215 acre island known as Hunter’s Island.
Once the home of the Siwanoy Native Americans, who called it Lap-Haa-Waach King (place of stringing beads) the island was sold to Thomas Pell, the area’s namesake.
When Pell purchased it, it was named Pell Island and then eventually became Pelican Island. Then in 1804, John Hunter purchased it for $40,000 (roughly $800,000 in 2018).
Hunter Mansion in 1936/Via Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Hunter built a grand mansion on the island which sadly fell into disrepair and eventually demolished during the construction of Orchard Beach which connected Hunter and Twin Island to the mainland.
Mishow and Gray Mare are the names of the two large glacial boulders that make up these two former islands that are now attached to the mainland thanks to the creation of Orchard Beach by Robert Moses. The island was also home to a mansion once belonging to James D. Fish, a banker.
Fish Mansion, also known as Ogden Mansion was located on Twin Islands until it was also demolished. / Image via Museum of The City of New York
The 19 acre Twin Island is also home to one of New York City’s last remaining salt marshes.
High Island
High Island as seen from Orchard Beach/Image By Bigtimepeace (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsYou’ve seen the tall antennas across from Orchard Beach but probably didn’t know that this is where you’re getting your signal from for WCBS and WFAN AM radio stations.
The island is privately owned by Entercom but in the past it had summer cottages that were rented out and accommodated about 40 families.
Access to the island is via a private road from City Island.
Chimney Sweeps Islands
Chimney Sweeps, bird poop encrusted rocky outpost on the Sound/Image Via Jag9889 on Flickr
Of all the Bronx Islands, this one’s kinda crappy…
“Another one gone to the birds. Purportedly named after their broom-like shape, some contest that in fact a chimney-sweep turned millionaire had bought the place at some point. Whatever it was, The Chimney Sweeps(which are made entirely out of bedrock) are owned by the Parks Department and you aren’t invited. Nature is only for birds, you know. [Photo via Empire Guides.]”
Goose Island
Smacked between Pelham Bay Park and Co-op City is Goose Island in the middle of the Hutchinson River. Guess what you’ll find on this island? Well birds as its a bird sanctuary now but its last known resident was Abigail “Mammy Goose” Tice who moved to City Island at the age of 90.
East Nonations & South Nonations
East and South Nonations: The Islands no country wanted. / Image by Marie Lorenz
These two islands only emerge twice a day during low tide spending the rest of the day submerged. Does this make them sometimes Bronx Islands? As for their names? Marie Lorenz writes: “Of all the special islands in NYC, my favorites are East and South Nonations Islands. “Legend has it that Dutch and English colonists were unwilling to fight over these two adjoining reefs… so they became owned by no nation.” says the book [The Other Islands of New York A History and Guide].
Kinda sad…
Rat Island
This island with an unfortunate name was purchased back in 2012 in an auction by City Island resident Alex Schibli. Schibli wants to change the name back to Rattle Island but it appears that has happened as of yet.
North Brother Island
Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island decaying away/Image via @urbndecay on Instagram
Just east of the shores of Port Morris is North Brother Island which looks like the set of a horror movie. Filled with the remains of Riverside Hospital which was built in 1885 the island has quite the tragic history that would make any paranormal movie back story complete.
From the Tuberculosis Pavilion used to quarantine the sick away from the rest of the general population to the site of the General Slocum steamship disaster which killed over 1,000 people and even as the final home of Typhoid Mary aka Mary Mallon the first person in the US identified as a carrier of the disease.
Mallon died on the island in 1938 after 23 years of quarantine and 3 confirmed deaths due to her refusal to cooperate. Some estimates are as high as 50 fatalities attributed to her.
The island now is off limits to the public due to the general conditions of the structures and dangers it poses.
Nothing much to see here, not even a structure. North Brother’s smaller and lesser known sibling is devoid of any structure or much history for that matter.
City Island
Do we really need to talk about City Island? I mean, I think we all know the place quite well but for those who don’t, here goes. The largest of the Pelham Islands and archipelago, it has a population of just over 4,300.
And clearly the best known and most visited of all Bronx Islands.
That number swells with visitors during the warmer months as thousands pack the island’s restaurants and art galleries that dot City Island Avenue from end to end (much to the chagrin of locals who simply abhor being trapped on their own island thanks to the nightmarish traffic that the throngs of people bring).
Oh and residents born ON the island are known as clamdiggers and those residents unfortunate enough to be born elsewhere are known as musselsuckers.
Rikers Island
This is one of the Bronx Islands that we question why is it ours? We, personally, don’t claim Rikers. It’s part of Queens Community Board 1 and even has a Queens Zip Code. We’ll gladly take it though once the horrendous conditions and atrocious human rights violations stop there when it’s closed.
Randall’s and Wards Islands
During low tide, Randall’s Island connects to The Bronx… It’s ours for the taking.
These two aren’t Bronx islands but they will be if we have our way. Randall’s and Wards Island (now one big 520 acre island after Little Hell Gate Channel was filled in) is technically a part of Manhattan yet politically united as part of City Council District 8 which is split between East Harlem and several South Bronx neighborhoods.
But we strongly feel that we should just annex the island and get it over with. During low tide the island LITERALLY touches the mainland so twice a day you can easily walk over. Luckily we can do that now that the Randall’s Island Connector is open in Port Morris so we don’t have to get our shoes dirtied.
The Blauzes
Yet another one of the Bronx Islands, The Blauzes
Wikipedia says:
“The Blauzes are two small New York City islands in City Island Harbor which are part of a reef extending 600 yards northwest of the northern tip of Hart Island. They are composed of Manhattan schist bedrock with a slightly bluish tint and are semi-hemispherical in shape.
The Blauzes means “Little Blue Ones” in Belgian French. The name comes from the Belgian Huguenots, who were the first Europeans to settle the area. They are jokingly referred to by local residents as the Blue Breasts because their odd shape resembles that of a voluptuous woman’s bosom.
Writing for Chowhound, Ian Levenstein declares that NYC’s best pizza is not in Brooklyn but in The Bronx.
Where exactly? Pelham Bay to be exact and he lists many past Welcome2TheBronx reader favorites.
But we’re sure this will set off another pizza war.
So which joints did this Brooklyn guy go gaga for? Which did he think are worthy of the best NYC pizza declaration?
Mangia’s, Crosby Pizza (duh), Joe’s Pizza, Louie and Erie’s (double duh) & Frank’s Pizza all are on the list.
“Personally, I feel that the diversity, the variety, and the quality you’ll find in Pelham Bay will leave you satisfied, and hopefully wanting more.”
You’re probably wondering how Levenstein even found these spots.
Well according to his article it’s all about love as he recently began dating a woman who lives in Pelham Bay.
In his article he writes:
“Growing up, I was taught that Brooklyn had three things going for it: pizza, bagels, and Jewish delis. I was under the assumption that what you found there was going to be better than the rest of the five boroughs by default, outside of a spot here and there. As a registered New York pizza snob, I simply was not expecting the abundance of quality, nor the quantity that I have received in one of the far corners of The Bronx. But lo, here it is. Getting off the train at Buhre Avenue, you’re immediately taken by how different the area looks from “The Big City.” Buildings are smaller, the train is overhead instead of underground. But most importantly, there are at least five different pizza options to choose from within walking distance of each other. Makeshift pizza walking tour, anyone? I’m down if you’re down.”
“To anyone thinking to themselves, “Self? Is this too much pizza for one afternoon?” I think that’s up for you to decide. Want to do one of these five and call it a day, or two, or three, or four? Be my guest! But whatever you decide, the trip to the near-end of the Pelham line of the subway is absolutely worth the adventure. These pizza places all exist for a reason, as some poignant final words from Vincent Leo elaborate on. “One of my friends used to say, ‘If everybody likes your pizza, there’d be nobody else in business! You’d be the only guy making pizza.’” Personally, I feel that the diversity, the variety, and the quality you’ll find in Pelham Bay will leave you satisfied, and hopefully wanting more.”
Here’s a wonderful historical post by Olga Luz Tirado, executive director of The Bronx Tourism Council on US Presidents who visited The Bronx. Our borough has a rich presidential history that you may not be aware of!
On February 12th we celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and a week later on the 19th George Washington’s. Both presidents have some tie (albeit a little bit of a stretch for Lincoln) to The Bronx. We decided to ask some of our favorite Bronx-centric folks, historians, and tour guides and counted 17 presidents who had visited The Bronx.
Not only was General GEORGE WASHINGTON the first President of the United States, he was also the first Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. It was in this capacity that he visited Van Cortlandt House, first in October of 1776, according to Laura Myers, the Van Cortlandt House Museum’s Executive Director. Washington’s final documented visit to Van Cortlandt House took place in November of 1783 when he and his entourage stopped overnight on their way in to Manhattan to take possession of the island back from the defeated British Army. This was a considerably more festive occasion than his first visit.
Traveling south on Boston Post Road from his estate in Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, President JOHN ADAMS learned that a yellow fever epidemic had broken out in Philadelphia, which was then the temporary site of the nation’s capital. Angel Hernandez of the Bronx County Historical Society, tells us that Adams decided to stay at the farmhouse of his daughter and son-in-law, Abigail and Col. William Smith. The property was located in the area we now know as Conner Street and Boston Road. The 2nd U.S. President corresponded with officials, governing the country. Thus, for two weeks in October 1797, the center for the executive branch of the U.S. government was in The Bronx. Today car dealerships and auto repair shops occupy this historic site.
There is no evidence that the 16th President ABRAHAM LINCOLN visited The Bronx, but the Lincoln Memorial located in Washington, D.C. has roots in the borough. Sculpted by a family of renowned marble carvers who emigrated from Italy to The Bronx, the Piccirilli brothers played a role in the design and development of the impressive sculpture.
Gen. Farragut’s final resting place
On October 1, 1870, the 18th President of the United States, ULYSSES S. GRANT, visitedThe Woodlawn Cemetery. Grant, a hero of the Civil War, was among the distinguished guests who rode the funeral train that transported United States Navy Admiral David Glasgow Farragut’s remains to his final resting spot. Some Bronx historians have rumored that it was one of the largest funeral processions of that time.
Jacob Lorillard was a very wealthy leather merchant and owned land in the Belmont section of The Bronx, according to Susan Birnbaum of Susan Sez Walkabouts. As the land was being developed he needed to designate streets with names. Of course, Lorillard Place was a given, but his niece, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, was a big fan of CHESTER A. ARTHUR, so she implored her uncle to name one of the streets Arthur Avenue after the 21st president. Today Arthur Avenue is synonymous with “the real little Italy” and was named Best Street in America by the American Planning Association in 2016.
A very curious twelve-year-old known as TR or “Teedie” among his family members, was already a young naturalist and taxidermist, collecting specimens for his own “natural history museum” when they summered at Wave Hill, according to a historian there. He would pay children from the neighborhood to bring him interesting specimens and when he wasn’t on the premises, one of his sisters had to accept the offerings, something she didn’t particularly enjoy. Little TR, or THEODORE “TEDDY” ROOSEVELT grew up to first become Governor of New York State then the 26th President of the United States of America.
Financier and philanthropist Cleveland Dodge lived in the Riverdale section of The Bronx and was very active in politics, according to Bronx historian Lloyd Ultan in his book “The Northern Borough”,published by The Bronx County Historical Society. On October 12, 1918, Ultan writes, 28th PresidentWOODROW WILSON attended a rally and parade in New York City when he received a note from Germany indicating it was willing to accept peace terms based on the president’s Fourteen Points. The next day, he and the first lady rode to Riverdale to have lunch with Dodge and the two drafted Wilson’s reply to Germany. It was the first step to ending World War I.
In 1959 31st President HERBERT HOOVER threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers went on to beat the Kansas City Athletics 3 – 0.
Among the other presidents that have been awarded an honorary degree from Fordham University, (Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, and John F. Kennedy) was FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. The 32nd U.S. President came to deliver a speech at the college campus in October of 1940. Roosevelt also campaigned in The Bronx.
While on the 1948 campaign trail, HARRY S. TRUMAN came to The Bronx to appeal to supporters in his successful bid to be elected the 33rd president of the United States.
Although his Bronx residency was short, when running for the presidency in 1960, JOHN F. KENNEDY followed a proven path for success which brought him to the Concourse Plaza Hotel located on 161st street and the Grand Concourse, according to Sam Goodman a city planner with a penchant for Bronx history and who hosts walking tours of the area (see tours). To be sure, the Concourse Plaza was a “must stop” for any Democrat, given the borough’s staunch support for Democrats and the fact that in those days every Bronx voter made it their business to participate. As he would often do, the 35th president knew how to appeal to his audience as he remarked, “I said up the street that I was a former resident of The Bronx. Nobody believes that, but it is true….Now Riverdale is part of The Bronx.” He lived on 252nd Street and Independence Avenue.
On October 5th, 1960, then Vice President RICHARD M. NIXON gave a speech at the Bronx campus of Fordham University. He had already received an honorary degree from the institution. Nine years later he became the 37th President of the United States of America.
In 1977, President JIMMY CARTER made what he called a “sobering” visit to The Bronx in the aftermath of the devastating fires. The 39th U.S. President’s motorcade toured the rubble-strewn streets of the South Bronx. The president walked along the route meeting and greeting people along the way. There was a lot of optimism from the communities after this visit that Federal funding would come through to help rebuild.
Three years later almost to the day, RONALD REAGAN made his rounds and, as not much had changed, was not received well. The community blamed the White House for inaction and the 40th President accused Carter of breaking his vows to the borough.
It would be nearly another 20 years before a sitting president visited the borough, and the story was much different than the ’77 and ’80 visit. In 1997 President WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON lauded The Bronx as a model for urban renewal. By that time the urban blight Carter and Reagan witnessed a decade prior gave way to tree-lined streets and landscaped homes. The 42nd president was quoted as saying “Look at where The Bronx was when Ronald Reagan came here…look at The Bronx today.”
43rd President GEORGE W. BUSH threw out the first pitch in game 3 of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1, but ended up losing the Pennant. It would have been their 24th World Series win. They finally achieved 24 in 2009.
It would be nearly another decade before a sitting president would come to The Bronx. In May of 2015 President BARACK OBAMA arrived by helicopter and much fanfare, landing on Harris Field. The 44th president was giving a speech at Lehman College to announce the formation of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, a non-profit organization established to address issues faced by boys and young men of color.
The parish of Madonna del Suffragio was founded in 1908 by Italian immigrants from Ponza, an island off the coast of Italy halfway between Rome and Naples.
In 1929, the current church was built to serve the fast-growing community of Ponzese living in the neighborhood.
For decades, Our Lady of Pity Church and School served the Italian community even as the fires roared through the South Bronx.
Even after the parish was merged with nearby Immaculate Conception in 2007, the faithful Ponzese congregated each June 20th on the feast day of Ponza’s patron saint, San Silverio.
I can easily recall the first time I heard the sounds of trumpets along Morris Avenue. I must have been 8 when we first moved to Christopher Court and I ran down to the street to see what it was all about.
There were hundreds of Italians marching proudly in the middle of the South Bronx on Morris Avenue and across 149th street making their way around the neighborhood as they carried the statue of San Silverio.
Eventually, through the years, I would march with them and even helped out several years.
Every religious article has already been stripped away including the murals that once adorned the church.It was a small but beautiful church. This picture was taken on June 20, 2014 on the Feast of San Silverio, the last time the church was opened for this service. Image via Thomas Coffey/Facebook
I attended Sunday mass with my mother for almost 10 years until we began to go to mass over at nearby Immaculate Conception.
It was here at Our Lady of Pity that I began my passion for learning foreign languages.
Each Sunday I would look through the Italian missalette reading this foreign language that was so similar to Spanish yet different enough to get my curiosity going.
I went on to learn Italian and took 3 years in high school over at Cardinal Spellman and 2 years at Iona College becoming fully fluent in the language.
During the summers of ’92 and ’93 I was a camp counselor for the Mark Bavaro Children’s Camp that was founded by the church along with the football superstar.
Each summer we’d take the local kids up to Andover, MA to get them out of the South Bronx and into the country just to get away from the tumultuous streets. It was those years that crime was at its highest and gunshots rang through the neighborhood on a daily basis.
Taking the kids out even if for 1 week was 1 week we could keep them safer.
San Silverio, patron saint of Ponza / Via Vince Tricoli/FacebookThe statue of San Silverio stood here for decades even as the local Italian population dwindled. The fact that the church was built by the Ponza immigrant community of Italy was ever present even if only a handful of Italian parishioners were left.
The Past and an Uncertain Future
Walking through the church today, or the shell of a building, was an emotional journey through my childhood. I never thought I’d cry over a church.
I’m no longer a practicing Catholic or Christian but something about entering a building from your childhood that’s being demolished that makes your life flash before your eyes.
I was that little kid, once again, attending mass with my mom as Father Peter Nuzzo gave the homily or when we attended Christmas mass which was in Italian, Spanish, and English.
The fate that has befallen Our Lady of Pity is the fate of many houses of worship across The Bronx (and New York City for that matter). As populations shift, so do worshipers.
The Bronx once was the most Jewish of boroughs in NYC. To this day not even Brooklyn has the percentage of Jews that The Bronx once had. Those synagogues fell into disrepair and were eventually abandoned and demolished or converted into Christian houses of worship.
In Morrisania we saw St Augustine Roman Catholic Church demolished and an affordable housing development rise in its place.
Perhaps this is what’s going to happen here at Our Lady of Pity given that the lot is of considerable size. Mayor Bill de Blasio is rushing to fulfill his promise of “affordable” housing for all so it’s the most probable scenario.
This church was the last and most visible monument that the Ponzese community left behind.
Today was a sad farewell to the past.
To those of you who had memories here too, cherish them close to your hearts forevermore.
In the end, that’s all were’ left with; memories and a pile of dust and eventually those too shall fade.
Residents of Throggs Neck and coastal areas of The Bronx were shocked and sent into a panic at 8:30AM this morning when AccuWeather issued a Bronx Tsunami Warning for those areas and was sent to users of its app.
The alert stated that the tsunami warning would be in effect until 9:28AM.
But it was only a test which the warning neglected to states. The correction only came minutes after people scrambled to social media and Twitter in disbelief.
A Bronx Tsunami Warning for Throggs Neck and other coastal areas across The Bronx and NYC was issued earlier this morning before notifying residents that it was only a test/Image courtesy of Valerie Santos of The Bronx
Another person on Twitter asked if the same guy from Hawaii was hired.
Residents of that state received an alert of an incoming ballistic missle last month.
Clearly someone will be fired for this, I mean whatever happened to the warning, “THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST”? before these alerts?
So how exactly did Jenny Bui, probably the most famous nail artist become the ‘Queen of Bling’? How did she get clients who fly in from all over the world to get their nails done by her?
A New Lease on Life
Jenny Bui escaped the Cambodia with her family as they fled the Khmer Rouge genocide at the age of 14. She lived with her family in Montreal, Canada for 8 years until she got married at 22.
Shortly after getting married, she moved to The Bronx where her husband was from and although she didn’t like our borough then, she loves The Bronx now according to her interview in Cosmo.
Bui eventually opened up her first nail salon in The Bronx which stayed open for about 3 or 4 years. Sadly, due to lack of business, the salon shut down and that’s when she ended up in Harlem.
Jenny Bui, The Queen of Bling
The Queen of Bling
It was in Harlem where she began putting diamonds and bling on the nails of her customer after being inspired by a Japanese catalog and although folks thought her nails were “ratchet”, eventually folks came to love it to the point that “now everybody does it” as Bui tells Cosmo.
Around 2012, in walked a “regular, degular, schmegular” girl from The Bronx aka Cardi B.
This was before Cardi became famous says Bui.
The Queen of Bling and Cardi B
Jenny tells Cosmo:
The first time Cardi B came to my Harlem salon was five years ago, back when she danced, before she was famous. She wanted me to do her nails, but I was too busy, so one of my nail technicians did it for her instead. Cardi didn’t like how they looked at all. She was like, “This doesn’t look anything like the ones on your Instagram.”
It was true, they didn’t look nice.
She came back a second time though and waited on the couch. My husband recognized her and noticed it was her second time there and asked how he could help her. She said, “I really want Jenny to do my nails, but I think she’s busy, so someone else can do it.” My husband told me, “Honey, this is this girl’s second time here. Do you want to do her nails? Because she says she really likes your nails.”
When people tell me they really like my work, I want to do it for them. I don’t care if you have money or not. Cardi didn’t have nice clothes back then, but I don’t care what someone looks like when they come in. I look at the people who respect me and my art. If someone doesn’t have money, I work with them and do as much as I can for what they have. That day, Cardi told me I could do whatever I wanted, and when I finished, Cardi screamed all over the salon. I still have the video posted way back on my Instagram of her screaming, “Oh my god! You made my day! I’ve never had nails like this in my life!”
“Lately a lot of people have been telling me I changed and asking me if i work with regular people or only famous people, to be honest i work with anyone as long as you make your appointment I’ll never change”
Cardi always does stiletto nails. People send me stuff hoping that I’ll use it on Cardi, but if it’s a rhinestone and not real Swarovski crystal, Cardi can tell the difference. She’ll say, “Jenny, why isn’t this bling right here shining? They’re not Swarovski, right?” And I’ll say, “You already know.” She gets her nails done by me once a month. Even if it’s just a small event, she doesn’t let anyone else touch them. She always comes to the salon too. I’ve only gone to Cardi to do her nails twice, and once was the Grammys this year. She rarely asks me to go because she knows I’m busy, and I have to support my kids who are still in school. She’s very respectful of my time.
Respect
She pays me now, but there would be times back then when she’d want to pay me, and I’d say, “It’s OK, I won’t charge,” or, “I’ll charge you half price.” I did that because I really liked her and because she gave me a lot of respect. She treats me like I’m a special person, like I’m not just a nail tech. I look at her like she’s my daughter, and she looks at me like I’m her auntie.
People would always give her bad comments and talk crap about her when she was dancing, so I’m very happy for her now. Before she was on VH1, I told her, “Cardi, you’re going to be really big one day. Bigger than Nicki Minaj,” and she said, “Oh my god, I don’t think so.” And look now. I told her when she got big, she would forget about me and she told me, “No, Jenny, I’ll never forget about you.”
Shortly after Cardi started posting her nails and tagging Bui on Instagram, Bui began getting even more followers. Now she has clients who fly in from around the world just to get their nails done by her.
Back to The Bronx
Last October, The Queen of Bling opened up shop again in The Bronx in the Fordham Road section of our borough and of course it’s all blinged out too.
But is she too famous now? Well one recent Instagram post seemed to answer that where she wrote: “I want to give my special shout out to my supporters i wouldn’t be where i am today with out you guys . I want to give a special shout out to my girl Cardi .Lately a lot of people have been telling me i changed and asking me if i work with regular people or only famous people, to be honest i work with anyone as long as you make your appointment I’ll never change”
Not bad for someone who escaped so much in life and built her own little empire.
Happily, the overwhelming majority of those I’ve met across our beautiful borough do not share these ugly sentiments.
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