Bronx Scavenger Hunt Unites Lovers Of Our Borough In Quest For Glory

This past Saturday July 12th, 26 teams comprised of 4 individuals each gathered on the steps of Bronx Borough Hall for the beginning of a race to test people’s knowledge of all things Bronx from its history to pop culture.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr, his staff, John DeSio, Olga Luz Tirado, Executive Director of The Bronx Tourism Council, and Angel Hernandez of The Bronx County Historical Society created the Bronx 100 Scavenger Hunt to celebrate 100 years of the creation of Bronx County and was the first event of its kind in The Bronx’s history — with a first place prize of $2,500.

Welcome2TheBronx was part of team ‘Bronx All-Stars’ which was made up of none other than Baron Ambrosia, Michael Max Knobbe, executive director of BronxNet Television, and the ultimate Bronxite, Lloyd Ultan, our borough’s official historian — obviously we were in it to win it.

At exactly 10AM, armed with a list of about 200 clues categorized by neighborhoods, we ran off to decipher and find the places given to us. As per the rules of the game, 3 members had to be in front of the answer while the 4th member took the picture. Each clue was worth a set amount of points according to difficulty. We also had to pay attention to Ruben Diaz Jr and Bronx Tourism’s twitter accounts for additional bonus clues.

While some clues were pretty simple, at least for Bronx history nerds such as myself and our group, there were others that even tested the knowledge of our own borough historian.

We had 7 hours to run around The Bronx and gather as many points as possible and be back at the finish line in Riverdale which was McGoo’s Pub on Broadway. If we weren’t inside the doors by 5PM we would lose but we made it with just 12 minutes to spare.

The entire event was a wonderful opportunity for Bronxites and those who love our wonderful borough to unite for some good old fashioned fun. For me it was so much fun to play against so many people I know and care about to fight for the top honor. I don’t always agree with our Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr, that’s no mystery to anyone, but as I said when we started the race, this definitely was one of the best events done for all Bronxites in a long time.

The big surprise of the entire event was that not one but TWO teams won the first prize and each team received $2,500. The Huntington Hunters who’s members included such Bronx history buffs like Mike Gupta, Nilka Martell, Tom Casey, and Tom Vasti and yours truly, Welcome2TheBronx as part of the Bronx All-Stars with Baron Ambrosia, Michael Max Knobbe, and Lloyd Ultan, our borough’s historian.

I”m already looking forward to doing this again next year!

Having fun at the after party:

10428543_10204233791267986_6682069867901355645_n — Enjoying the after party at McGoo’s!

10403533_10204234020833725_3062132164409301620_n — The Bronx All-Stars! Baron Ambrosia, Ed Garcia Conde of Welcome2TheBronx, and Michael Max Knobbe of BronxNet. Bronx Borough Historian, Lloyd Ultan was directly behind us! / Image Credit: Miriam Quin Photography

10547428_10204233790307962_4808869478438956877_n — The Grand Prize Winners! The Huntington Hunters and The Bronx All-Stars! / Image Credit: Miriam Quin Photography

10483165_10204311424572544_9135286979924320449_n — Winning Team, The Bronx All-Stars Baron Ambrosia, Ed Garcia Conde, Lloyd Ultan pose in front of Stickball Boulevard, one of the hundreds of clues in the Bronx 100 Scavenger Hunt / Image Credit: Michael Max Knobbe

10289807_10204311681618970_9213647318667509107_n — Neerob was one of our destinations in the clues provided — and the source of our lunch! Pictured: Michael Max Knobbe, Baron Ambrosia, Lloyd Ultan / Image Courtesy Michael Max Knobbe

10527354_10204311737580369_2353850327672891246_n — One of the toughest clues — if you’re not familiar with every inch of The Bronx. Here the Baron reenacts a bull as I try my best torero (bull fighter) pose as Lloyd Ultan thinks we’re nuts! / Image Courtesy Michael Max Knobbe

10525637_10204311759020905_4793974718559446050_n — Can anyone guess what the building behind us is and WHY it would be on the list of clues? Pictured: Ed Garcia Conde, Baron Ambrosia, and Lloyd Ultan. Image Courtesy Michael Max Knobbe

10448827_10204313232657745_6126015950354188718_n — Bronx All-Stars Michael Max Knobbe, Baron Ambrosia, and Lloyd Ultan / Image Courtesy Michael Max Knobbe

10492492_10204313943795523_4236421104493474571_n — Bronx All-Stars, Lloyd Ultan, Baron Ambrosia, and Michael Max Knobbe. Image Courtesy Michael Max Knobbe.

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Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.