Roughly 800,000 low-income New Yorkers have enough to get to their jobs, schools, interviews, or simply getting around.
For years, activists have called for reducing the MTA fares for the most economically disadvantaged of New Yorkers but the State hasn’t budged in a program that would cost $200 million to do so.
But a proposed $50 million pilot program put into the budget by the New York City Council can potentially pave the way the State to take on the responsibility of helping this segment of the population.
Under the pilot program, over 72,000 CUNY students who’s income falls below the poverty line would benefit from the program.
Too many at risk New Yorkers have to choose between missing meals so that they can get to work and provide for their families.
The discount fare program would cost $212 million annually, according to Riders Alliance and the Community Service Society annually, and save someone who buys monthly MetroCards about $700 a year.
“I often skip meals so I have enough cash in hand to make sure I get back,” said Riders Alliance member Monica Martinez. “My family and all low-income families in New York really need this half-priced MetroCard.”
The Fair Fares campaign has picked up support from more than two-thirds of the City Council. While Mayor de Blasio has expressed support for the concept, he has declined to fund it, arguing that the MTA is the state’s responsibility.
This is a no brainer and something that needs to pass and then eventually pressure the state to take over and lessen the burden on low-income New Yorkers since the 1% get all the tax breaks.
So close yet so far…even friggin Jersey got Citi Bikes!
Well maybe. The New York City Council has proposed $12 million in funding for Citi Bike as the only solution to finally bringing the bike share program to The Bronx and other parts of the city.
Since the inception of the bike share service, Citi Bike has predominantly ignored low income communities of color (with the exception of East Harlem/El Barrio which finally got the service last year) and even Jersey City got them before us!
Bike sharing programs such as Citi Bikes are actually more beneficial to low income communities as an alternative to ever rising MTA fare hikes so if this proposal goes through, it can have a positive impact on our communities that need it the most.
A yearly membership is $163 for unlimited use for a full year (up to 45 minutes per ride) or $14 per month.
Best of all, residents of NYCHA get a major discount at just $5 a month (just $60 a year).
Clearly this is a better way of getting around with one way subway fare at $2.75 a pop or $121 monthly unlimited.
According to the Daily News, the $12 million can get an additional 2,000 bikes on the ground without having to wait for Citi Bike to actually do it themselves.
While these amenities can clearly be seen as a vehicle (pun intended) for gentrification especially since they’d be coming to the South Bronx, is it if everyone else has access to them too?
Let’s hope this gets approved so our residents can get a move on!
On April 23rd, Nilka Martell of Loving The Bronx will be conducting a 5k walking tour through the South Bronx inspired by Baz Luhrman’s Netflix original series, The Get Down.
According to Nilka,
“We will visit some of the places where scenes were filmed, discuss the history and future plans for the Bronx, share personal experiences and meet pioneer of hip hop Grandmaster Melle Mel.
Please note the route is over the 5k distance, approximately 3.8 miles. Please wear comfortable shoes and attire.
We will be meeting at St. Mary’s Park, the northern entrance on East 149th Street and St. Ann’s Ave, Bronx, New York.
Water will be provided at the end of the tour.”
If you want a real treat then get your tickets NOW as you won’t want to miss this tour. Nilka is just a walking, talking encyclopedia of Bronx knowledge and trivia!
Tickets are $30 bucks which is a good deal for all the knowledge she’ll be dropping plus you get to walk 3.8 miles through our beautiful Bronx and keeping in shape!
Growing Up Gonzales, a play by Félix Rojas and performed by Andres “Chulisi” Rodríguez is a loving and brilliant tribute to brotherly and family love while growing up in The Bronx during the 1970s.
Through the writings of Rojas interpreted on the stage by Chulisi, one is transported into that era, where although life was harsh in the South Bronx, it still managed to thrive with a colorful cast of characters in our families, neighborhoods, and our everyday lives.
Even for those who didn’t experience that era, Chulisi has a way of hypnotizing you and taking you there with just a few props and a modest set on stage that you can clearly see yourself in the midst of the stories he weaves for the audience.
But through the joy there is pain. Pain in the death of his brother, a brother who’s gay, a brother who has died from AIDS. A brother he swore to protect.
All these emotions that range the spectrum of the human condition are felt throughout the performance which the entire audience could feel and reacted to.
Last week we received a bit of annoying news on Twitter: Google (or rather their algorithm) stereotypes The Bronx.
When you do an image search on Google for The Bronx, along with the images you’re served six categories: Ghetto, Streets, Maps, Projects Gangs, 1970s.
The digital diss was found by Jer Thorp, an artist and writer in Brooklyn, who posted it to his twitter account.
Clearly it’s not Google intentionally serving this since the giant search engine is run by algorithms but it serves as a reminder of what people still think about The Bronx.
Despite all the efforts of the thousands of residents who helped our borough during the roughest years when we were burning and after the fires were but memories, people still think we’re this forbidden, crime-ridden land.
Fact of the matter is that there is so much beauty to be found within our streets, “ghettos” , and projects.
There’s no denying that we still have many societal ills to overcome but The Bronx is more complex, more diverse than merely six categories can ever try to define us.
We are one of the most diverse counties in the country (actually according to the US Census, we’re the most diverse), we are the greenest borough of NYC, we are the birthplace of hip hop, salsa, and other music genres.
There’s a lot to be proud of even our so-called ghettos.
Back in April, Welcome2TheBronx broke this exclusive story that Zaro’s is coming back to Parkchester after closing its store in 2015. Now, Pix11 news has picked up the story (4 months later) so check it out below!
April 8, 2017
Several weeks ago we received a tip that Zaro’s Bakery was returning to Parkchester after over a year since it closed down their iconic location.
The tipster said they were reopening at a nearby location.
We called Zaro’s to confirm their reopening several weeks ago and an employee laughed and said “maybe” but we’d have to speak to someone else regarding it.
This past Saturday we received an email from their PR department declining an interview at this time.
Although we didn’t get official confirmation from Zaro’s, we’re pretty confident that indeed they are returning (hey, dreams do come true!) but until then, we’ll be patiently awaiting any official announcement.
Are you excited about this? Make sure to like and share this post to show your love!
The masterminds behind the failed “Piano District” rebranding of the South Bronx neighborhood of Port Morris are seeking a $500 million loan to finance the construction of their 7 building, 1,300 unit luxury market rate development on the waterfront at the foot of the Third Avenue Bridge.
It will be interesting to see how banks will react to one of the largest ever financing for residential development in our borough especially in a police precinct which saw the only increase in murder in all of New York City—the 40th Precinct.
The 7 buildings range 22 to 25 stories in height will begin construction next month regardless if they have the loan approved by then.
This is single handedly the biggest gamble in the entire Bronx in a largely untested market rate sector in the South Bronx which has largely been dominated by smaller scale market rate buildings like The Clocktower on Lincoln and Bruckner and JCAL’s three Alexander Avenue low-rise lofts.
Are people going to flock to the neighborhood in gentrifying hoards as these speculative developers are hoping?
Will they feel comfortable surrounded by NYCHA projects and the thousands of residents who live below the poverty line making this the poorest congressional district in the entire United States?
Perhaps they will since already they’re creating their own community separated and divided from the rest of the area by the Deegan Expressway and the river.
But at one point they will have to intersect whether on mass transit walking to the 6 train on 138th Street and Alexander Avenue where everyone’s forced to mingle whether they like it or not.
Whatever the outcome, we’re already knee-deep in the gentrification process as residential rents continue to ride and overburden our residents, as commercial landlords, blinded by greed and the prospect of higher rents kick out long time mom and pop businesses waiting for the higher bidder,and as property values continue to rise well out of reach of many living in the community who have a chance at homeownership only to have their dreams crushed.
No amount of gleaming towers will save our communities regardless of what we’re told that, “they’re good for us.”
Five years ago, Blink Fitness opened their first gym in The Bronx at St Ann’s Terrace in Melrose. Now, the chain is poised to open their 9th and THIRD location in Melrose as they are setting up shop in The Hub at the old Sachs building on 3rd Avenue and Westchester (150th Street).
The old Sachs building, which currently houses a T-Mobile, a women’s clothing store, and an electronic store on the ground floor, has been neglected for decades by its owner as the upper floors remained vacant waiting for a tenant.
Now that Blink is going to occupy the 2nd and 3rd floors of the 5 story building, perhaps the building will be better maintained.
But as with new national chains occupying space at The Hub, we have to ask ourselves, will there still be a place for the mom and pop shops that stayed and thrived while everyone else left in the 70s and 80s? Last summer we reported on the dozens of vacant storefronts in and around The Hub as rents continue to rise and shops are forced to close or relocate further away from the South Bronx.
There has to be a way where these smaller businesses can continue to do business at the oldest shopping district in The Bronx, I mean why should they be pushed out now that it’s suddenly “cool” to be in The Bronx?
Residents of New York City Council District 17 in The Bronx had their first experience with participatory budgeting as Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr, brought PB to the district for the first time.
Participatory Budgeting has increased from just 3 New York City Council Districts in The Bronx that participated in last year’s 2015-2016 cycle out of 9 districts in the borough to five this year!
Simply put, Participatory Budgeting is one of the most democratic activities our city has to offer by allowing residents of participating districts to vote on which eligible projects should receive funding via your tax dollars and best of all—our youth can vote as voting age is 14 and above!
According to New York City Council’s website:
Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. It’s grassroots democracy at its best. It helps make budget decisions clear and accessible. It gives real power to people who have never before been involved in the political process. And it results in better budget decisions—because who better knows the needs of our community than the people who live there?
Council Members choose to join Participatory Budgeting New York City (PBNYC), giving at least $1 million from their budget for the whole community to participate in decision-making. It’s a yearlong process of public meetings, to ensure that people have the time and resources to make informed decisions. Community members discuss local needs and develop proposals to meet these needs. Through a public vote, residents then decide which proposals to fund.
This year, you can vote for as many as five of your favorite PBNYC project proposals on your district ballot. Each participating Council Member guarantees funding for the projects that receive the most votes, until their PB funding runs out.
If you live in the following neighborhoods and districts, you can vote online or in person on dozens of projects from now through April 2nd:
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From reconstruction of two clay tennis courts in Van Cortlandt Park, Decorative Street Lighting along Webster Avenue between McClean and E 233rd Street to installation of air conditioning at the landmark Mott Haven Library and installation of lighting at Alfred E Smith High School athletic field to extend use to public into evening hours, these are just some of the dozens of items you can vote on.
Also of note is that you’re not just limited to 1 project in your district but you can choose up to 5 ensuring that the money gets split between multiple items.
So what are you waiting for, spread the word with your friends, family, neighbors and VOTE!
Calling all Bronx entrepreneurs!
MELROSE—Finishing touches are being made at Bronx Coworks, an office sharing space at The Hub in the South Bronx.
Located at 2825 Third Avenue (just below 149th Street) the sleek, modern space is perfect for Bronx start-ups and entrepreneurs looking for co-working space in The Bronx where they can grow their businesses surrounded by the creative energy of other like-minded individuals for considerably less money than renting out your own space in an office building.
Roger Saad, one of the partners of Bronx Coworks thinks that Bronxites deserve to have such services that Manhattan and other boroughs take for granted.
“Bronx Coworks fills a gap in an untapped market in the South Bronx and the entire borough bringing high-end office space for a reasonable price to our community.” Saad told Welcome2TheBronx.
He added, “For the first time, The Bronx is on par in terms of co-working facilities with Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Our facility is the perfect example of the private sector market pushing public policy to create an environment where Bronx startups, entrepreneurs, and dreamers can access co-working space without leaving the borough. ”
And indeed the pricing is highly competitive when compared to similar spaces such as WeWork located throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Starting from $250 a month for “floating desks” where you plop down anywhere in the designated common areas to work, the fee grants you access to your own personal locker, Wi-Fi, and even use of one of the conference rooms for up to 30 minutes.
For $500 you can rent a private dedicated desk in one of several rooms where you share a long desk with others but you get your own lockable filing cabinet. This also grants you access to your personal locker, printing services, and 60 minutes of conference room time.
Feel like dropping the “big” bucks and getting your own private office? You can do that too with private office spaces starting at $700 a month complete with desks and filing cabinets.
All plans grant you use of amenities such as kitchen stocked with coffee and refreshments, Wi-Fi, mail delivery (extra for floating desks), and conference room use depending on your plan.
There’s even a separate section for you to just sit down and relax in a quiet atmosphere to take a quick break from running your business.
Best of all is access 7 days a week, Monday through Friday 8AM-7PM, Saturday 9AM-6PM, and Sunday 10AM-5PM.
Additional conference room time above your monthly alloted allowance can be rented for $35 an hour for the 10 person conference room to $45 for the 18 person room.
Although not officially open until April 6th, two tenants have taken up space with the Hub Third Avenue Business Improvement District already up and running their operations at Bronx Coworks.
The second business is Dannleen Cleaning Service, a start-up company owned by Bronxite Bernadette Burke of Gun Hill Road.
“I was told by my friend that it’s time to take my business to the next level and move from operating from my home after one year to my own office.” said Ms Burke in an interview after signing her contract.
“I started my business to help put my son through college who’s currently at Albany in pre-med studying to be a doctor.” she told us.
Dannleen currently services mostly Manhattan clients from offices, to residences, and commercial businesses like restaurants too.
Located just steps outside the 3rd Avenue and 149th Street Station on the 2 and 5 line and multiple Buses that run through The Hub, Bronx Coworks is easily accessible from many Bronx neighborhoods and also just 5 minutes and two stop from East or Central Harlem.
We really believe that this is an important step in helping the many entrepreneurs in The Bronx including Bronx women who, according to the Center for an Urban Future report last year were leading New York City in growth and outpacing the other boroughs.
For more information and to schedule a tour of the space, head on over to their website. Tell them you heard about Bronx Coworks from Welcome2TheBronx!
Note: Although there is BXL Bronx Business Incubator (formerly Sunshine) in Hunts Point and the Lehman College run Bronx Business Bridge in Fordham, those entities are run by the city and partnerships with the city. Bronx Coworks is a truly independent enterprise.
Last year I was hired to write a piece for NYC neighborhoods for the Village Voice and it was finally published today!
When you walk through the streets of Melrose, you’ll be hard-pressed to find signs of the urban decay most of the world thinks of when they hear the words “South Bronx.”
Founded in the 1850s and largely settled by German immigrants fleeing the ever-more-crowded conditions on the Lower East Side, the Village of Melrose was carved out of farmland belonging to the descendants of U.S. Constitution preamble author Gouverneur Morris. By the time the Bronx was fully annexed to New York City in 1895 — three years before Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island joined the party — Melrose had already grown into an important gateway to the borough, connected to Manhattan by several bridges and rail lines. Once the subway was extended into the Bronx, in the early twentieth century, office buildings (and even an opera house) began sprouting along 149th Street, a nexus which would become known as the Hub, the Times Square of the Bronx.
The golden years lasted for decades, as Italian and Irish immigrants, and eventually African Americans and Puerto Ricans, settled in. But then things began to change: Federal redlining rules, following the National Housing Act of 1934, led banks to refuse to provide loans to any property owners once a person of color moved in on a block. The result was white flight, as homeowners unable to obtain mortgages for necessary upkeep abandoned their properties, some even committing arson to collect insurance and cut their losses.
By the end of the 1970s, the Bronx had lost over 300,000 residents during the decade, and Melrose was filled with abandoned buildings and rubble-strewn lots. But life continued: Community gardens created by residents overtook vacant space, and the stage was set for one of the nation’s most successful examples of urban renewal. Today, little vacant land is left, and what remains is slated for development. More than 5,000 new units of housing have been constructed since 2000, much of it affordable to low-income residents, and streets once vacant for blocks on end are now tree-lined strips of townhouses. Melrose is now home to 25,000 residents, up from just 3,000 in 1980, among them Puerto Ricans, African Americans, Mexicans, West Africans, and Dominicans.
Take a walking tour of The South Bronx by Loving The Bronx’s Nilka Martell
NY1 called me the “Mayor of Parkchester.” I’ve been there for decades. I love the diversity. And I’m a single mom, so it was really important to know that if something happened on the block, there would be neighbors there to help with my kids. When you’re in a community like that and you form those relationships, there’s no reason to leave.
