The Bronx is beautiful and we love looking at old pictures of our borough as much as you do and thanks to the New York Public Library we can do just that.
With the NYPL Digital Collections, I tend to get lost for hours at a time while researching images for stories both current events and historical ones.
All the images are from the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library. The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1887 – 1964.
But you know what’s better? Your old photographs so if you have any you’d like to share, feel free to drop us a not over at info@welcome2thebronx.com and provide a brief caption!
A pilot program in The Bronx was announced yesterday, that if successful, will end up benefiting millions of New Yorkers who are renters.
Making on-time rental payments, something you’d think would help your credit, doesn’t since it isn’t reported to the major credit reporting agencies.
Residents of 40 buildings operated by Banana-Kelly in the South Bronx will now be able to opt into this pilot program that will report your payments thus helping you establish and build credit.
“A lot of people are credit worthy,” New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said in an interview with PIX11 News. “Their biggest expense is either the mortgage, or the rent payment, but the rent payment accounts for nothing.”
The way the program works is very simple.
“Our tenants are able to sign on to the RentTrack program and they are the ones that report to the three credit agencies,” Hope Burgess, chief financial officer of Banana Kelly, said.
She said it’s both shameful and amazing that this opportunity hasn’t existed before.
These are the types of stories that shows just how awesome The Bronx and its people are.
NY1 reports this evening about a young 5 year old girl named Stella who gets on the Longwood Avenue station on the 6 train everyday with her dad.
He told NY1 how Stella always waves hello at the conductors as they pull the trains into the station and oftentimes would wave back.
Well today the train came into the station at a slower speed than normal and when it reached Stella, the window opened and the train operator gave stella a special gift: A box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day.
The parents tried to find out who the train operator was and NY1 was able to track the man down who also turns out to be a Bronxite.
47 year old John Moreno of Pelham Bay did it as a way of saying thank you to Stella for always saying hi and seeing him. “To the average New Yorker, we’re invisible — but not to Stella!”he was quoted as saying to the station.
For me, this is rather personal story since my dad worked for the MTA for 33 1/2 years, most of which as a train operator himself.
It’s so beautiful to see these kinds of stories being highlighted so make sure you spread this one around because we need something to smile about more than ever.
A 9 story building is being planned by Foxy Development on Arthur Avenue and E 179th Street in the Tremont section of The Bronx.
The building, once complete, will have 177 units spread across 122,000 square feet.
Senior housing is severely needed in The Bronx as our population continues to age.
We firmly believe that all developments being constructed should have such units set aside for our seniors.
According to the article in the Real Deal, the developer hopes to break ground by the end of the year, however, we know these things rarely start on time so we’ll keep you posted on future developments.
The title of this post and the original article leads one to believe that there wasn’t a vibrant literary community here in The Bronx.
But that’s not the case.
Our borough has a long history in all forms of the arts including a literary one so there’s no building but rather a continuation of an existing and rich literary and cultural legacy.
Jennifer Baker at ElectricLit writes about five people and organizations that are supporting readers and writers alike.
From Charlie Vázquez, Deputy Director of the Bronx Council on the Arts to Ron Kavanaugh, Founder/Executive Director of the Literary Freedom Project, the article provides an insight into the realm of the literary arts in The Bronx.
When asked what’s the first thing that comes to mind about The Bronx, Vázquez says:
“How rich our culture is! The Bronx is the birthplace of hip-hop as well as home to many arts and culture institutions such as ourLongwood Art Gallery @ Hostos Community College, theBronx Museum of the Arts,BronxArtSpace, theAndrew Freedman Home,Bronx Music Heritage Center,Poe Park Visitor Center(adjacent to the legendary writer’s final residence),BAAD!(Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance), andPregones Theater — are just a few. The Bronx’s creative legacy has been informed and deepened by the diverse groups of immigrants who’ve settled here as well as through the efforts of cultural leaders serving some of the nation’s poorest districts. The Bronx is a people-of-color/immigrant-majority county.“
And indeed it’s that diversity that makes the people of the Bronx our greatest resource.
Make sure you read the full interviews at ElectricLit.
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.
