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

Ed García Conde
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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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.

    Riding NYC buses and subway may cost over $3 as MTA considers a fare hike

    Ed García Conde
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    Riding NYC buses and subway may cost over $3 as MTA considers a fare hike

    The Metropolitan Transit Authority, the agency that runs the New York City bus and subway system, is considering a fare hike that would start in the middle of 2023 and push fares to $2.90 per ride and to $3.02 per ride by 2025 in order to close an ever-increasing budget gap.

    While the agency hasn’t voted on any plan and any plan pushed forward would require a public hearing period before the board actually votes on it, a fare hike is almost certain as the base fare of $2.75 per ride hasn’t changed since 2015.

    According to the MTA, the fare hikes are needed in order to raise revenues that have been lost due to historic low ridership as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of last week’s work week, daily ridership on subways was averaged just 63.4% of the pre-pandemic daily averages.

    A Manhattan-bound 4 train enters the 149th Street and Grand Concourse station in The Bronx

    With many workers continuing to work remotely, New York City’s subway system is a literal ghost of its former self but in a borough of essential workers, like in The Bronx, many didn’t have the choice and luxury to stay and work from home during the height of the pandemic. In fact, some of the highest ridership on the subway system came from The Bronx during that period and the borough continues to have some of the highest ridership numbers in the city as a result of its high numbers of essential workforce.

    And while a hike may seem necessary, as usual, it will come at the cost of the most vulnerable and in New York City, that, unfortunately means residents in The Bronx who have the highest poverty rate not just in the city but in the state.

    The MTA must have its funding increased by Governor Kathy Hochul as well as the federal government in order to avoid such an increase.

    In a time of rampant inflation, this is the last thing that Bronx residents need to worry about.

    Metro North Penn Station Access finally breaks ground in The Bronx with four new stations to be ready by 2027

    Ed García Conde
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    Metro North Penn Station Access finally breaks ground in The Bronx with four new stations to be ready by 2027

    After decades of promises and false starts, ground has finally broken on the transformative Metro North Penn Station access in The Bronx today.

    The ceremonial groundbreaking event was held at the site of the future Parkchester/Van Nest Metro North stop—one of four to be constructed in the East Bronx—that will bring direct rail service to Manhattan’s Penn Station as well as points north to Westchester and Connecticut in the estimated $3.18 billion project.

    Local elected officials, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Congressman Ritchie Torres, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, join Governor Hochul in Parkchester for the ceremonial groundbreaking/via Governor’s Office

    “We are bringing modern, safe, and reliable public transportation to East Bronx communities and with it, more economic opportunity for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. 

    “In partnership with Senator Schumer, Representatives Torres, Ocasio-Cortez, and Bowman, and Amtrak, Penn Station Access will not only drastically reduce commute times, but it will also help connect hundreds of thousands of residents and boost local economies. I’m thankful for MTA’s partnership to get this project off the ground, and I look forward to seeing the completed project to help ensure all New Yorkers have access to the modern public transportation that they deserve.” added governor Hochul.

    The future stations, which will be located in Co-op City, Morris Park, Parkchester/Van Nest, and Hunts Point, will provide 500,000 residents with not only a new way of commuting into Manhattan, but will also drastically reduce commute times by almost an hour each way thus providing an increased quality of life for so many Bronx residents.

    Rendering of the Morris Park Station/via MTA

    For too long, these communities have been considered transit deserts due to the fact that many residents need to travel by at least one bus just to simply connect to a subway line.

    Representative Ritchie Torres said, “For too long the Bronx has been neglected when it comes to public transportation. The Penn Access metro expansion project is a step forward in ensuring that the Bronx has adequate Metro access. This expansion not only cuts down on travel time, improves regional connectivity, and it provides for local economic benefits. The Bronx is thriving and not just surviving, and this project is a critical step in ensuring the growth of our community.”

    Today’s groundbreaking comes on the heels of New York City Mayor Eric Adam’s announcement yesterday of his ambitious housing plan where he called to relax rules for developers that would speed up construction by up to 50% in order to address the housing crisis facing the city. Adams also called for the construction of 500,000 new homes in 10 years including 6,000 new residential units around the four new East Bronx Metro North Stations to be built by 2027.

    The Hell’s Gate Line, as it’s being called, will branch off from the New Haven Metro North Line which currently runs from Connecticut through east Westchester County/Via NYC.gov

    While this is a momentous time in history for Bronx residents in terms of quality of life issues surrounding transportation, in order for this project to reach its full potential impact, the MTA must make fares for intra-city commute the same as the subway.

    If a resident is traveling into Penn Station or say from Co-op City to Hunts Point or any of the other stations within The Bronx, the fare shouldn’t cost more than the bus or subway.

    Elected officials must push the governor and MTA to reconsider how they price rides within the city in order to truly make this an equitable project that benefits everyone and not just a select few who can afford it.

    New York City declared the most expensive city in the world

    Ed García Conde
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    New York City declared the most expensive city in the world

    As New Yorkers, we’ve always known that living in New York City was expensive compared to other cities worldwide.

    Many often believed it to be the most expensive in the world. Still, it wasn’t until a report released in recent days by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) that declared New York City to, in fact, be the most expensive city on the planet.

    It’s official: New York City is the most expensive city in the world.

    Bumped up from number six just a year ago by the EIU, New York City ties in first place with Singapore for the not-so-pleasant recognition as such.

    The methodology utilized in the report to come up with the rankings is pretty straightforward. It surveys more than 400 individual prices of over 200 essential products and services, including utility bills, food, rent, drinks, cost of commuting via public transportation, taxis, gas prices, recreational costs, and other essential expenses and compares then across 172 different cities across the globe.

    Soaring inflation has increased these prices in the past year by an average of 8.1%, according to the report, which accounts for how New York City was propelled to the number one spot for the first time in the report’s 30-year history. The EIU reports that this is the fastest rate it has increased for at least 20 years and attributes the increase to the war in Ukraine and China’s continuing restrictions and lockdowns due to COVID-19.

    The report also cites a strengthened US dollar this year as one of the other factors that has pushed New York City.

    And in The Bronx, residents are all too familiar with these increased prices. Grocery budgets buy less than they did a year ago, let alone two.

    Hundreds of Bronx residents line up in the rain at a food pantry, often standing for hours just to get a hold of basic food staples.

    Nowhere else in New York City has felt inflation the way Bronxites do, given the unfortunate fact that the borough has the lowest median household income, which was $43,540 in 2019 and, according to a report by the NYU Furman Center, was 40% lower than the citywide median of $72,930 and is coupled with the highest poverty rate in the city which is 26.4% versus the citywide rate of 16%.

    Local Bronx residents continue to flock to food pantry lines to supplement what they can no longer afford at the cash register.

    Rents continue to rise, and according to Zumper, an online real estate listing website, rental prices in The Bronx have increased by 15% compared to last year, with the average one bedroom listing rent at $2,000 a month.

    Most of the rent increase in average asking rents can be attributed to the influx of luxury apartments in the South Bronx neighborhoods of Port Morris and Mott Haven, where the average asking rent listed on StreetEasy is $2,785 for one-bedroom apartments.

    The following is the full list of the top ten most expensive cities in the world:

    • New York and Singapore – Tied at 1
    • Tel Aviv – 3
    • Hong Kong and Los Angeles -Tied at 4
    • Zurich – 6
    • Geneva – 7
    • San Francisco – 8
    • Paris – 9
    • Copenhagen and Sidney -Tied at 9
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