A study by Point2 Homes showsthat despite The Bronx’s median home sales price of $251,000 being under the national median of $258,300, our borough is the 12th most unaffordable housing market in the nation and 16th in North America due to a low median household income of $34,299.
The Bronx is considered severely unaffordable with a median multiple of 6.7 which is derived by the median home sales price divided by the median household income.
Nationwide, Manhattan took the #1 spot with median multiple of 15.6, Brooklyn at #3 with a median multiple of 13.1, and Queens at #10 and a median multiple of 7.9. Staten Island was the only affordable borough using those parameters.
Overall, New York City’s 5 boroughs ranked as the 4th most unaffordable city in the nation at 12.1.
This affordability crisis in our borough is one of the reasons that Bronxites are at greater risk of being displaced as gentrification continues to push through inflating home prices even further out of reach of residents.
One of the ways to combat displacement is through home ownership but even that is almost impossible for the average Bronx resident.
We must do better for our communities and instead of pandering to developers we should be developing our workforce to be able to get higher paying jobs.
Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, PhD, RD, will lead the study which will recruit over 300 middle aged Co-op City Residents between the ages of 40-65 due to the neighborhood’s large and ethnically diverse population.
There have been previous studies that indicate diets rich in anti-inflammatory foods like olive oil, fish, and a variety of leafy green veggies appear to slow down cognitive decline and improve overall brain health like the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) diets.
“A key aspect of the study is using the Multicultural Healthy Diet, which is built on a base of known anti-inflammatory foods, including whole grains, fish, lentils, nuts, beans, and herbs and spices,” Dr. Mossavar-Rahmani said. “Many of the foods in this diet are widely available and used in cuisines around the world, rather than emanating from one specific region.”
“The beauty of the study is that we’re assessing diet and cognition in real time rather than having participants travel to a clinic for every cognitive assessment,” said Mossavar-Rahmani. “And we’re looking at an ethnically diverse population of middle-aged and older people. Perhaps we’ll learn that we can change the course of cognitive decline with this diet or reduce risk for mild cognitive impairment that leads to Alzheimer’s disease.”
We’re looking forward to see the data that comes out of this since this is rather personal for us. On my father’s side of the family it’s rare that a family member does NOT get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and we’ve had many loved ones perish from this terrible disease.
BREAKING―New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres of The Bronx, who chairs the Committee for Public Housing and who oversees New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), just issued a statement requiring that disgraced NYCHA Chairwoman, Shola Olatoye, “…to appear before a City Council oversight hearing in early December.” according to a press release issued by the office of the councilman.
This comes just days after a report by the Department of Investigation showed that NYCHA had lied and been sending in false reports to the federal government that the agency was in compliance with checking over 55,000 apartments which must be visually inspected for lead paint, something which Olatoye knew to be false but continued to submit the reports anyway.
NYCHA, which is already crumbling and in disrepair, has willfully put our children and residents at risk by not carrying out the necessary inspections for lead paint.
Olatoye needs to be fired. There is no questions about it nor any point to a hearing at this point and should have criminal charges thrown at her for what she has done to our most vulnerable residents.
Incidence of lead poisoning in our children has continued to decline in New York City and The Bronx has an overall lower incident rate than the rest of the city, but this is an unacceptable act of violence towards our residents who deserve better.
Today, Councilman Rafael Salamanca, Jr went to a NYCHA apartment at Melrose Houses in his District 17 to show the deplorable conditions residents are living in with lead paint./Image via Salamanca’s Twitter Feed
How is this any better than what has been happening in Flint, Michigan where the entire population of over 100,000 people were exposed to high levels of lead yet the government knew and did nothing about it?
New York City Public Advocate Letitia James is right in calling for new leadership at the failed agency that is NYCHA. This recent scandal with lying about lead paint inspections is just one of the many issues plaguing the agency as the infrastructure of over 2,600 buildings is rotting away.
According to the Observer, James came to the conclusion that Olatoye needs to resign after meeting with her and not receiving neither a real explanation of what and why it happened nor what the agency planned on doing to rectify the problem.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio is on the wrong side of the fence and defending Olatoye rather than pushing for further investigations or just forcing her to resign.
What is there to defend? The report was quite clear which stated:
” In its Report, DOI shows that despite its senior staff being made aware that NYCHA was out of compliance with City lead laws in 2015, and its Chair, Shola Olatoye, being told in 2016 of non-compliance with both City and Federal rules, certifications were still submitted to the federal government. As a result of this investigation, and three additional DOI investigations that revealed other serious safety hazards and breakdowns over the past two years, DOI is recommending that a monitor, reporting to DOI, be appointed to ensure future compliance with inspections in areas including lead paint, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.”
Councilman Rafael Salamanca, Jr of The Bronx called for the appointment of an independent monitor and just today visited an apartment at Melrose Houses to show the deplorable conditions residents are living with lead paint.
These issues are above politics. It’s a reality that too many in the BX are living in unsafe conditions in @NYCHA units w lead paint. pic.twitter.com/Itl3CT5Pq8
“In the past 36 hours I have reviewed the Department of Investigation’s report multiple times,” he said. “I have also spoken to tenants and others knowledgeable on these issues. I believe there is no justification for why lead paint testing and abatement wasn’t completed and reported properly. This was incompetent at best, negligent at worst.” said Councilman Salamanca Jr
And what Salamanca said in his tweet is correct, “This issues are above politics…”
We demand better. We demand Shola Olatoye steps down and let someone who is competent and has the morals to do what is right.
Liebman’s Kosher Deli is simply the best kosher deli in NYC…who knew?/Image via Liebman’s Facebook Page
The Bronx has tons of culinary gems to keep our palates busy and thanks to Fordham University professor Mark Naison, PhD, he’s given us 13 of his favorite affordable restaurants in our borough.
Who doesn’t appreciate good, affordable food?
Dr Naison writes:
Here are some of my favorite affordable eating spots in the Bronx. I have “field tested” all of them and can give assurance for their quality.
1. Johnson BBQ. 790 E 163rd St, Bronx, NY 10456 between Union and Tinton Avenues. Been in the same spot for over 50 years. GREAT ribs, chicken, mac and cheese, candied yams, rice and peas. Take out only- no drinks sold. Closed Monday. Say “the professor sent you” and you will get larger portions
2. Premium Sweets 2104 Starling Ave, Bronx, NY 10462 Excellent South Asian food in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, the site of the Bronx’s largest Bengali community. It is actually a neighborhood where you can find a parking space
3. Pio Pio 264 Cypress Ave, Bronx, NY 10454 Great Peruvian food in a classy atmosphere in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx. The roast chicken, ceviche, platanos, and empanadas are amazing. Also a neighborhood where parking is possible.
4. The Crab Shanty 361 City Island Ave, Bronx, NY 10464. The best lunch special on City Island. Has its own parking lot. Excellent garlic bread served with every meal. Excellent broiled fish cooked in many styles and terrific King Crab legs. Friendly atmosphere and a real Bronx crowd
5. Com Tam Ninh Kieu 2641 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10468 Great Vietnamese food at affordable prices on Jerome Avenue near Kingsbridge Road. You know the food is good because most of the people eating there are either Vietnamese Bronxites or doctors from the Veterans Hospital. I love their Pho!
6. Papaye 2300 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10458. A Ghanaian Restaurant at Grand Concourse and 183rd Street with great food for those who like their eating on the spicy side. II love their goat kabobs, but everything is tasty. Just make sure you have lots of water with you if you do take out
7. 3 Way 384 E, 188th St, Bronx, NY 10458. Great Dominican food within walking distance of Fordham. My favorites are the roaster chicken with rice and beans, maduros, tostones, bacalao ( codfish) pernil ( roast pork) and mafongo.
8. Venice Restaurant 772 E 149th St, Bronx, NY 10455. A South Bronx fixture for 50 years which is half the price of Arthur Avenue. Huge portions, friendly service. They do an excellent job with shrimp and calamari. And also have some great hot hero sandwiches
9. Randazzo’s Seafood 2327 Arthur Ave, Bronx NY 10458 – If you love clams on the half shell, this is the place to get them. Strictly take out, but incredibly delicious!
10. Estrellita Publana III : 2328 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458. It may seem odd to recommend a Mexican restaurant in Arthur Avenue, but this place is a slam dunk. Excellent food, big portions, reasonable prices. Passed over by most of the tourists, but not by eaters in the know!
11. Bronx Beer Hall 2344 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458 in the Arthur Avenue Market. Surprising good food, as well as excellent beer because they order from the legendary Mike’s Deli. An excellent place to hold a party, a seminar or a discussion group!
12. The G Bar 150th Street just West of the Grand Concourse. Live Jazz, terrific happy hour, big drinks and excellent Italian food. This is where Bronx professionals gather after work. A fun spot which also has a great Sunday Brunch
13. Liebman’s Kosher Delicatessan 552 W 235th St, Bronx, NY 10463. The best old fashioned Jewish delicatessen in the Bronx. Hug stuffed sandwiches, matzo ball soup, chopped liver. i grew up on this stuff! Maybe that’s why I am still teaching at age 71!
Mark Naison is Professor of History and African American Studies at Fordham University. A recipient of a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University, he is the author of seven books and over 300 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture and education policy. His first book, Communists in Harlem in the Depression, published in 1983, is still in print, and is used in graduate courses around the nation.
Dr. Naison is the founder of the Bronx African American History Project, one of the largest community based oral history projects in the nation and has brought his research into more than 30 Bronx schools, as well as Bronx based cultural organizations and NGO’s. In recent years, the BAAHP’s research has led to granting landmark status to several streets with historic significance, as well as the founding of a cultural center honoring the Bronx’s musical heritage.
A co-founder of the Bronx Berlin Youth exchange, Naison has published articles about Bronx music and Bronx culture in German, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese as well as English, and given talks about these subjects in Germany, Spain and Italy. He recently published a novel, Pure Bronx, co-written with his former student Melissa Castillo-Garsow, and a book of essays on educational policy and Bronx history, Badass Teachers Unite.
His seventh book, co-authored by Bob Gumbs, and published by Fordham University Press in September 2016, is Before the Fires: An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx from the 1930s to the 1960s. This book is one of the featured readings in a new course offered by Dr. Naison at Fordham in Fall 2016 entitled “The Bronx: Immigration, Race and Culture.” He has also been featured on many news programs, the O’Reilly Factor, and the Chappelle Show, where his performance was satirized by Louis CK on Saturday Night Live.
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New York City Public Advocate Letitia James’s office has issued their Worst Landlord and Worst Buildings list that are ranked by total number of open violations on the list.
Two of the top ten worst buildings in The Bronx are owned by two owners who also made it to the top ten worst landlords in New York City.
1892 Morris Avenue in the Mount Hope section of the borough ranked as the worst building with a whopping 485 violations owned by Rawle Isaacs who is the 2nd worst landlord in New York City according to this list.
Over in Parkchester, 2001 Newbold Avenue, a 105 unit building with 294 HPD violations ranked as #6 in The Bronx’s worst buildings and its owner, Thomas Steiner, ranked as the 3rd worst landlord in New York City.
The ten worst buildings in The Bronx are as follows:
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These slumlords need to be held accountable. Our residents deserve better living conditions regardless of their economic status. Clean housing is a basic human right.
Sheikh Musa Drammeh (right) sits with members of the Jewish synagogue that shares space with his Islamic mosque.
A few years ago we wrote about how The Bronx could teach the Middle East and even the world about coexistence, for you see, it is here in our borough at the Islamic Cultural Center of North America where a mosque, a synagogue, and a church worship under one roof.
Sounds like an impossibility but Sheikh Musa Drammeh provided space to a local synagogue so that they could continue to worship in peace after they Jewish house of worship loss their own space due to a dwindling population.
Drammeh said it was a no brainer to offer the space to coexist together because, “…we’re all children of God.”
Now everything is on hold because there is a delinquent tax debt on the property with a scheduled public auction this coming December 12th.
According to a segment on News12 The Bronx, a “benefactor” is offering $1 million already so fingers crossed that this worthy Bronx institution can survive and continue to doing the wonderful work they have been doing.
Over 400 apartments spread across three new “affordable” (yes they may seem affordable but to the community who truly needs affordable housing, they either make too much or too little to actually qualify for the apartments leaving thousands of local residents unable to benefit from these developments…but that’s another story) housing developments in Melrose and West Farms in The Bronx are now accepting applications via NYC Housing Connect.
The developments are as follows:
Elton Crossing Apartments – 899 Elton Avenue in Melrose
198 new construction apartments featuring studios to 3 bedroom units with rents ranging from $396/month to $1,740 depending on size of apartment and household income. The building features a half-time concierge, laundry, fitness room, and landscaped seating areas.
Income requirements:
294 E 162nd Street – Melrose
88 units ranging from studios to 3 bedroom units with rents from $864/month to $1,287/month depending on unit size and household income. The building features a 24 hour attended lobby, landscaped community courtyard, fitness room, community and computer room, and a laundry room.
Income requirements:
West Farms Apartments – 1939 West Farms Road & 1926 Longfellow Avenue
This development has 180 apartments ranging in size from 1 to 3 bedroom units with rents of $396/month to $1,898/month depending on size of unit and household income. The development features outdoor recreation space, laundry room, a bike room, and a community room.
Income requirements:
To apply for any of these units online, visit NYC Housing Connect and if you don’t have an account, you’ll have to create one in order to proceed with the application process.
Arthur Avenue, home of New York City’s REAL Little Italy.
My mouth is watering from watching this video and I think I know where I’m going this week when I head to Arthur Avenue in The Bronx, New York City’s REAL Little Italy (we can’t say that enough ‘cuz it’s true).
In a nation where one of the basic rights of its society is that its citizens are innocent until proven guilty, oftentimes individuals of lesser economic means, especially those of color, end up losing everything due to the inability to post bail.
Some can lose their jobs, apartments, and even their children.
And in some cases, even their own lives.
In The Bronx, they sit in jail for days, months, and even years like Kalief Browder who took his life after being a victim of the very system that says you’re innocent until proven guilty…unless you can’t make bail which he couldn’t.
The toll on him became too much and the system failed him. He hung himself.
Robin Steingberg, who founded and once ran The Bronx Defenders now heads The Bronx Freedom Fund which for the past 10 years has donated thousands of dollars to poor New Yorkers so that they can post bail and not spend a moment longer than they have to in jail.
The Bronx Freedom Fund offers these sobering statistics:
People who await trial in jail are 4x more likely to be sentenced to time in jail
Only 1 in 10 New Yorkers are able to pay bail at time of arraignment
Without The Bronx Freedom Fund, over 90% of people who stay in jail on bail will plead guilty, even if they did not commit the crime
Now, Steinberg is set to take this program which has liberated thousands from the burdens of the bail system and roll it out on a much larger scale across the country as the first of its kind in the nation.
According to The New York Times, the fund plans to post bail for over 150,000 economically disadvantaged defendants under a program known as the Bail Project opening offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma and St Louis by January 2018 and spread across over three dozens across the country within five years.
Ms Steinberg told The New York Times, “We are hoping to end the immediate human suffering of people sitting in cells because they are too poor to pay their bail.”
If you are a Bronx-based artist or know one, then this is for you so please tag or share with your artist friend! This Wednesday, November 15th at The Bronx Museum, please join The Bronx Children’s Museum for an Artist Info Session from 5PM-7PM.
The Bronx Children’s Museum (which is finally under construction) is looking for Bronx-based artists for design ideas for the new space at Mill Pond Park along the Harlem River Waterfront (across from Bronx Terminal Market in the old Power House building).
Be a part of history and learn more!
The Bronx Museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street.
This mural in The Bronx at an auto shop shows the resiliency of the Puerto Rican community after Hurricane Maria/ Image Credit David Gonzalez/The New York Times
A mural in a Bronx auto body shop created by The Royal Kingbee and Per One of the FX Crew echoes the famous “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima” but with utility workers raising an electric pole with a Puerto Rican flag attached to it in a landscape devastated by Hurricane Maria.
First reported by David Gonzalez in The New York Times, the mural in Mike Vargas’s auto body shop is a reminder to the crisis going on impacting not just the 3.5 million residents on the island of Puerto Rico but to the thousands of displaced refugees here on the mainland, including his mother and aunt.
It is a reminder that despite these 3.5 million United States citizens being abandoned by the United States government and the Trump administration, despite all the hardships they are facing, they will rise once again by their own means as they have always done.
E 149th Street registered 11 pedestrian collisions at three different intersections
Vision Zero is actually working.
Here’s a statistic The Bronx can be proud of: The borough is the second safest in NYC for pedestrians according to data collected by NYCrossWalk.
Of the 9,465 pedestrian collisions to date, The Bronx accounts for 12.8% of these accidents citywide (Staten Island comes as the safest).
East 149th Street in Melrose is the most dangerous with 11 pedestrian collisions at three different intersections.
Another notable tidbit of data is that pedestrian collisions dropped after Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero campaign to lower pedestrian fatalities resulted in the city lowering the speed limit from 30MPH to 25MPH.
Per NYCrossWalk’s website, The following are the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians in The Bronx with total number of collisions this year to date:
E 138th Street @Brook Avenue / 5 collisions
E 149th Street @ Grand Concourse / 4 collisions
Grand Concourse @ E 183rd St / 4 collisions
3rd Avenue @ E 149th Street / 4 collisions
White Plains Road @ E 224th Street / 3 collisions
3rd Avenue @ E 187th Street / 3 collisions
Bruckner Boulevard @ Hunts Point Avenue / 3 collisions
West Burnside Avenue @ Andrews Avenue / 3 collisions
E 149th Street @ Courtlandt Avenue / 3 collisions
East Tremont @ Park Avenue / 3 collisions
Check out the map below or head over to their website for more information.
