The holidays are upon us and it’s that time of year where people are scratching their heads on what to buy their loved ones. Welcome2TheBronx would like to suggest the following list to consider as gifts for someone you love.
What better way to give someone something than an item from The Bronx or a Bronx based artist?! Please do know that this isn’t a complete list and should you want to be considered for inclusion in this list, feel free to reach out at info@welcome2thebronx.com
Art
Pet Portraits by Lovie Pignata of Morris Perk!
For $125 you can order a custom painted pet portrait of a favorite pet. Acrylic on a 10×10 canvas. Send photos to morrisperk@gmail.com to order. Price includes US shipping.
What happens when a tree falls at Wave Hill? Well it’s turned into beautiful art of course! A local artist takes the fallen trees and turns them into beautiful, sculptured bowls that are truly breathtaking and a wonderful tribute which speaks of the cycle of life. Check out the many gifts they have available by heading over there or just clicking on their website above!
Nelson”Chief69″ Seda, A Nuyorican,Brooklyn born,Bronx based Bboy/Emcee/Artist inspired by RAMELLZEE,FUTURA 2000,MR.WIGGLES,KEITH HARING,KRS-ONE,IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE,THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY,BRUCE LEE,BOB ROSS,STAN LEE to name a few.He has been involved in HIP HOP since 2008.His artwork is currently across the world on display.He has been featured in The NY Times and many International publications. for all inquires email Chief69@mail.com
A Bronx native, SinXero (SX) is a Fine Grafstract Expressionist. SinXero’s paintings incorporate various, Graffiti, Street Art & Abstract techniques, which produce his signature style of Fine Grafstract Expressionism. SinXero’s artistic style utilizes raw imagery and a palette of colors upon layers of mixed media in retrospect to the early 80s, when NYC’s billboards and posters were being put up, torn down and a graffiti writer’s canvas. With his artistic weapons of choice (SX) pays an “Ode To The Streets,” by capturing an authentic period golden to the Hip Hop era as he produces urban landscapes & textures reminiscent to the front of old school bodegas, handball courts and NYC streets, as well as, bombed MTA trains. A true visionary, SinXero informs, enlightens & educates the public about personal and social issues that are taking place in the world and in our community today.
Bronx born and bred artist, who is currently living in Florida, is definitely one not to be missed. In her own words, “The work I make isn’t exactly for everyone. Or maybe it is. Maybe it’s just the idea that the “everyone” that I’m talking about is not the “everyone” that is counted as important. Maybe its because I’ve made work about the folks we don’t see… the chambermaids in hotels or the inner city mother of three that is thrown in a tizzy because she can’t seem to get a cab for her and her kids. I have built my artistic career by creating works that investigate notions of otherness as a Latina in the US. Starting from personal experiences, I set out to dissect aspects of my heritage from varying points of entry- from within my own family, home, neighborhood, intersecting Latino cultures. These investigations in turn, became larger studies on otherness as a whole in American culture”
Although not born or raised in The Bronx, Padilla spent his High School years at All Hallow’s off the Grand Concourse and has documented gentrification’s impact in The Bronx. Check out some of his photography which is for sale and very affordable too!
The Bronx Visual Artist Directory
The Bronx 200 site is a dynamic, online platform that showcases a curated selection of artwork by two hundred artists identified with The Bronx. Artists were invited to participate by curators and art professionals working in the borough. The curators were asked to recommend artists whose work represents the rich and diverse range of creative production here. The primary goal of The BX200 website is to connect the borough’s artists and art organizations to curators, collectors, art enthusiasts, businesses and other artists worldwide.
Books
The book is “an unprecedented collection of over fifty Bronx memoir fragments, as penned by our very own residents, spanning various generations, continents, languages, cultures and themes.”
Bronx born and raised author, Stephanie Hoina published her first book, Kissing Atticus Primble earlier this year for young adults. “Like any other girl her age, Kathleen was ready for the excitement of a first love. What she wasn’t ready for was Atticus. He had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, and the subtle change in their relationship as they started high school caught her off guard.”
Author Martin Kleinman, born and raised in The Bronx, left our borough and returned after over 25 years abroad (I mean in Brooklyn) put together this collection of short stories, some based in The Bronx, others not. Either way it’s a great read and an excellent gift idea to support one of our own at the same time! Home Front, the New York-centric assemblage of fictional tales is an account influenced by our own great metropolis and its denizens. From the Bronx, to Brooklyn, to Manhattan, and bungalow communities of the Catskills, each short story is bright and alive with that real New York flavor that, well, a true New Yorker would instantly recognize and relate to.
Everything I Know About Zombies, I Learned in Kindergarten
Ok so this particular author isn’t FROM The Bronx but he gets points for setting a fun and exciting book in our borough featuring local Mott Haven and Port Morris landmarks as well as heroes which could very well come straight from the neighborhoods! “Even before the apocalypse, nine-year-old Letitia Johnson’s life had never been simple. Shuttled from foster home to foster home in the impoverished neighborhood of Mott Haven, it was all she could do to keep track of her little sister. When the apocalypse came, she tried to keep her sister’s kindergarten safe by locking them all in a tiny school bathroom, hiding while they waited for a rescue that never came. For five days, they hid. They hid while their teachers were being eaten, while their classmates were being killed. They hid while the Bronx was being evacuated. Now, there’s no one left to help them. There’s no place left to hide. It’s just her, one ax, twelve kindergarteners, twelve garden stakes, and a will to live. While the cast of this novel is primarily children, the book is intended for adults and contains material unsuitable for younger readers.”
Writer Jimmy Newell was born and bred in the Bronx during a time of tremendous change and social upheaval but, because of a loving family, life-long friends, and a great community, growing up in the Bronx was grand. His book, ‘A Bronx Boy’s Tale’ ” is the story of a boy growing up in a special place at a very special time. Providing a neighborhood context to historical events, A Bronx Boy’s Tale helps you see America through the eyes of one boy who grew up in a time of tremendous change and strife, but who still had time to live a grand life in the greatest place on Earth. If you grew up in the Bronx, or only wish you had, you should read this book.”
A collection of poetry by Bronxite LIz Dolan and Nominated for The Robert McGovern Prize and a Pushcart Prize Cave Moon Press has just published Liz Dolan’s,[ Dougherty] second poetry collection, A Secret of Long Life. According to Julianna Baggott, author of eighteen books Dolan’s poems are “Haunted and haunting. They thrum and trill with memory, keen with sorrow, and are always brimming with life.” And Fleda Brown, former Delaware poet laureate, says “Dolan is a skilled and deeply thoughtful poet. She knows how to let a family’s history-of Ireland and The Bronx and the Delaware beaches-tell its profound and nuanced truths. Dolan was contacted by publisher Doug Johnson from Cave Moon Press who after he published her work in a Cave Moon Anthology, a literary magazine, asked if she would be able to provide the press with an entire collection of poetry for publication.
Profits from sales will go to The Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome.
Eyewear
Yes, eyewear! We are more than happy to recommend the gift of healthy eyes and great eyewear fashion by our own homegrown Metro Optics! From gift coupons to gift baskets, this is the place to go and celebrate a succesfully home grown business who’s now celebrating their 4th Bronx store! A true Bronx success story!
Food & Coffee!!!
Morris Perk Coffee Service!
Need coffee? Morris Perk is offering coffee service for meetings, celebrations, community events, fundraisers or family gatherings in The Bronx Email us @ MorrisPerk@gmail.com or call 646 621-7631 to check availability! $39 includes freshly brewed Morris Perk blend regular coffee in two thermal carafes, 8oz cups, sugar, sweetener, stirrers, napkins, half&half PLUS FREE DELIVERY! (& pickup of carafes) within 5mi of Ben and Dotty Abram’s Way. Need MORE coffee? We can percolate on site or deliver up to 4.5 gallons of coffee! Oh and they also sell coffee by the pound too!!!
Who doesn’t like homemade fresh pasta for the holidays or in general? Borgatti’s has been a Bronx staple since 1935 offering some of the best and freshest pasta in the region. Don’t believe me? Go there an any given day and you will see people traveling from all over the region just to get some of this good stuff. Borgatti’s even makes gift baskets!
Memberships
Who wouldn’t love a membership to one of our great institutions?
The Bronx Zoo aka the Wildlife Conservation Society
From premium family memberships valued at $189 (which gives 2 adults, their children up to the ages of 18 and a guest) unlimited access to all Bronx Zoo attractions and FREE parking for your visits to the Bronx Zoo and the New York Aquarium. Not to mention you get free access to all 5 WCS parks! This is an excellent value for the family that loves nature and a gift that not only puts a smile on the receiver’s face but also helps save wildlife across the world! Other membership levels are available so make sure to check them out!
One of the most important botanical gardens in the world is located right within our borough and membership is just a click away and offers you unlimited visits during a year. Various levels of memberships are available for purchase so make sure to check out the list.
And we’re back to Wave Hill (we just can’t get enough of this place). You too can give the gift of a Wave Hill membership so that special someone (or you) can enjoy the splendor that is Wave Hill.
Pregones Theater Puerto Rican Traveling Theater
Get great membership perks for just $45 at this fine institution which now boasts two locations: One in The South Bronx and one off-broadway! “Following years of enterprising activity on stage and in the community, Pregones Theater and Puerto Rican Traveling Theater recently merged into a single Latino arts organization with performance venues in The Bronx and Manhattan. The transformation builds upon congruence of mission, values, and programs, and sustained engagement of a growing network of diverse artists and audiences throughout and beyond New York City. Moving forward, Pregones/PRTT champions a cultural legacy of broad impact through (1) creation and performance of original musical theater and plays rooted in Puerto Rican/Latino cultures, and (2) presentation of other artists who share our twin commitment to the arts and civic enrichment.”
Spas
Who would have ever thought that a Spa and wellness center would open up in the Melrose neighborhood of the South Bronx? Not only is the business is by Bronxites but it is now a 5 year success story! Located on 3rd Avenue and 156th Street, the center offers many services such as facials, massages, health coaching, skin care, and even acupuncture! Check out their website and see all that they offer.
That’s it for now…keep this list book marked as we will continue to add to it and keep it up to date!
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