Meet Doña Carmen, 85 Years Young

85 years young, Doña Carmen can be seen around the neighborhood running her errands each morning.
85 years young, Doña Carmen can be seen around the neighborhood running her errands each morning.

Meet Doña Carmen, a resident of Melrose since leaving her native ‪#PuertoRico ‬many decades ago.

85 years young and you can always spot her in the early morning hours running her errands. Even though she cannot walk without the aid of her walker, she does not solicit help from anyone.

For over 40 years she has spent her summers at ‘La Playita’ (Little Beach but not really a beach just stretch of tar in ‪#‎HuntsPoint‬) making ‪#‎cuchifritos‬ such as ‪#‎rabitos‬‪, #‎alcapurrias‬‪#‎rellenosdepapa,‬ ‪#‎morcilla‬ and other heart clogging fried delicacies.

Eventually after La Playita began to die down after over 40 years as a hot spot, she moved much closer to home to Villa Cuernos on 156th and Brook Ave.

Both locations, once the hint of warm weather began, became places of dancing, drinking, selling trinkets and wares but most importantly it was a celebration of culture.

Little is left from that era and Villa Cuernos in Melrose has gotten smaller and smaller as new developments have been built. Now it sits in front of the last remaining parcel of land which is slated for development and such gatherings will soon be gone.

Doña Carmen is one of our local treasures and ‪#‎PeopleOfTheBronx‬. The greatest resource of our borough is its people.

For more information on the history of these places, read David Gonzalez’s  article in the NYTIMES
http://nyti.ms/1CoYJqb

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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.