The other day as I was making my treck over to the Gateway Center at Bronx Terminal Market, the new mall which houses, Home Depot, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, BJ’s (whew…any more stores that begin with a “B”??), Staples and Target just to name a few, I decided to check out the progress of our new waterfront park, Mill Pond Park.
Mill Pond Park is the first waterfront park along The Bronx Harlem River waterfront in decades and once complete will be a much welcomed addition to our neighborhood in the South Bronx. Finally we get a little slice of what Manhattanites take for granted (i.e. The Hudson River Park). It is also a minor, minor fulfillment of the Yankees’ promise to replace the parkland which it gobbled up for the construction of the new stadium. I say minor because for whatever reason this is moving along at a very glacial pace…come on Yanks…speed it up!
So what will the new park feature for us? For starters, it will be a 10 acre park with 16 tennis courts, 12 of which will be open year-round as they have been designed to have a bubble enclosure. A concessionaire will be chosen to install the bubble as well as operate the indoor tennis courts during the winter months. They will also be given the option to operate a year round cafe as well as construct an outdoor ice skating rink for winter use.
Below are some more pics of the park. I heard it was supposed to open sometime this year but we’ll see.
The Historic Power House is currently being restored and will include a green roof, lockers, restrooms and a cafe.
So where does one begin to describe such an experience as Coqui Mexicano? Yes, that’s right, an experience for Coqui Mexicano is not just a restaurant but it is an experience to be had by all. This past Friday, October 9th, I had the privilege to be invited over to Coqui Mexicano by owner Daniela to enjoy all that the restaurant has to offer as her husband and other half of Coqui Mexicano, Alfredo, celebrated his birthday.
When I first saw Coqui Mexicano on one of my many walks around the neighborhood it quickly caught my attention as I knew right away it had to be a fusion of Puerto Rican and Mexican cuisine but i quickly said to myself, “Great…just what the neighborhood needs…another Puerto Rican or Mexican restaurant.” (which we probably have the highest number of Mexican restaurants in all of The Bronx!) After Friday’s visit boy am I just banging my head against a brick wall for not stopping by sooner! Coqui Mexicano is the product of husband and wife team Daniela, who is from Puerto Rico and husband Alfredo Diego who is from Mexico and has been in the United States for 20 years.
According to Daniela, since she was not allowed to play outside in the streets while growing up she spent her formative years, “always in somebody’s kitchen asking a million and questions or trying to help…if it wasn’t mommy’s kitchen, it was abuela’s…if it wasn’t abuela’s it was tia’s.” As a result she always enjoyed cooking and experimenting.
As for Alfredo, it was always his ultimate dream to own his own business so after working in and learning every facet of the industry (food prep, bus boy, runner, delivery, bartender, waiter, caterer) for 20 years since he stepped foot into the United States, “…the next logical step with all his experience would be towards applying it to owning his own place,” said his wife and business partner Daniela.
I moseyed up Third Avenue towards 161st where Third meets Brook Avenue which is where the they are located and I knew I was getting closer when I could see the Old Bronx Courthouse. As soon as I entered Coqui Mexicano I immediately felt as if I entered some restaurant back in Puerto Rico. The colors, the non-pretentious decor and open kitchen where you can see everything as it is prepared in front of you really makes great use of this space. Alfredo’s reception was very warm considering he didn’t know who I was at the moment so that made me feel great and very welcomed as a family owned restaurant should be.
After a brief chat, he told me that he was just finishing up his fresh, homemade mole(pronounced moh-leh and is a thick sauce popular in Mexican cooking. The sauce itself is made up of various Mexican spices and chocolate…yes chocolate. I’m not sure what exactly his ingredients were for I dared not to ask what most likely is a well guarded secret). I told him not to worry as I was in no hurry and that I was there to sample as much as humanly possible. I was especially interested in trying the Ensalada de Pulpo, or Octopus Salad as well as the Latin Style Couscous so with that said, Alfredo just provided me with some plates and just as I was about to serve myself some of the couscous, he came right over with a plate of chicken with mole sauce, some white rice and black beans.
Heaven. That is how I can descibe the chicken with mole sauce. The chicken was so tender that it just fell apart as you dug your fork in and the mole sauce was perfect. With enough fire to give it a kick but not too much as to drown out the other spices. The white rice was nice and fluffy and the black beans were by far the best black beans I’ve ever had in any restaurant. Definitely
not what I expected. As I was eating this fine dish, Police Officer Ralphie Diaz came in and joined me in this feast. Ever since they opened in August of 2008, he has been coming in religiously as he is also hooked on their food. We spoke a great deal about all the change that has occurred over the past 5 years (he’s been on the force for 16 years and all of those years he has worked in the neighborhood and is now working as part of the 42nd Precinct’s Community Relations division).
So after we were done with the mole, we both moved on to the Ensalada de Pulpo (Octopus Salad) which was a pleasantly cool salad that does’t overwhelm the palate with a fishy aftertaste due to the delicate balance of spices, onions, vinegar and what appeared to be fresh lime as well. The Latin Style Couscous Salad was also a winner and is a MUST for all who visit…who would have thought that couscous could be “Ricanized”??!!
The entire experience at Coqui Mexicano left me feeling very happy for I felt as if I walked into a relative’s home because it was so welcoming. Everyone was chatting and Alfredo was very attentive to make sure that everything was ok and if I needed anything else. I also had the pleasure of running into local South Bronx Food Co-op employee Lily Acunzo who is a self-proclaimed fan of the restaurant and spoke warmly about Daniela and Alfredo. Lily says when she can’t make it over from the co-op she calls and has her lunch delivered as she loves it that much!
Don’t wait like I did and head on over to 871 Brook Avenue @ 161st and 3rd Avenue in Melrose and support our local small business owners!! Coqui Mexicano is open Mon-Fri from 7AM – 7PM, Saturdays from 9AM – 7PM and is closed on Sundays. They can be reached at 718-350-3477 or coquimexicano@ymail.com. Oh and did I mention that they are right next to Boricua Village???? The residents of the 700+ units are in for a real treat once Boricua Village is completed and they move in…not to mention the 2000 students that will be attending Boricua College right on the premises. So let’s give a big Melrose THANK YOU to Alfredo and Daniela for pursuing the American Dream and creating such a great, TRUE family atmosphere and welcoming us into their dining room and kitchen.
The delicious and not to be missed Latin Style Couscous Salad
Coqui Mexicano is an official BookCrossing location where you can pick up a free book and take it with you or drop off books that you no longer want. Then you can track and see where your book ends up in the world!
Guava Cheese Muffins
Sweet Cornbread Pudding
Cuban Sandwich
Piña Colada Pie (yes there is a heaven!)
Yuca rolls made to order!
Conconetes – Soft and Chewy Puerto Rican Style Coconut Cookies
Passion Fruit Mousse topped with grated coconut and grated coconut.
WOW how time flies! I can’t believe that I completely FORGOT that Saturday marked our 1 month anniversary since our launch! So how does that translate into statistics? Well in that first month we went in the first to weeks from just under a hundred hits daily to over 200 hits daily and just last week we hit over 400 hits daily! We couldn’t do it without YOU our readers for this is a blog for you and about you by one of you! Thanks again!
Many of you already know that Boricua Village, once completed will be a major anchor and cornerstone of Melrose with the 14 story verticle campus of Boricua College and over 700 residences of low income affordable housing as well as affordable housing for middle income families.
The developer, Atlantic Development Group, has released more details, including artist renderings on the middle income units of Boricua Village and is now accepting applications to those who qualify (see instructions for filling out the application.)
The Residences at Northrose, as the 4 buildings containing 393 middle income units within Boricua Village are called, are truly one of the most luxurious residences being built in Melrose and The Bronx as a whole. Rents range from $838 for a studio (with a minimum income requirement of $28,731 and a preferred maximum income of $53,800 and a max allowed income of $69,940) to $1,572 for a 3 bedroom deluxe unit (with a minimum income requirement of $76, 801, preferred max income of $84,480 and a max income of $99,840 – based on a four person house hold. 6 person household max allowed income is $115,830).
Some of the amenities offered at The Residences at Northrose when completed will include:
70,000 square feet of outdoor space plus a state-of-the-art playground for kids
An on-site gym that will be for the exclusive use of residents including a separate yoga, Pilates and dance studio
A screening room where you can lounge on couches while watching movies amongst residents and friends
A Game Room including pinball machines and billiards
For the kids a Play room is provided which can even be used to host parties
A Learning Center for children and adults, with Wi-Fi access and desks for quiet study.
Below are some more artist renderings of the development as well as of the apartments themselves.
Game Room
Site Plan
Kitchen
Living Room
Bathroom
Landscaped Roof
Typical Studio Floor Plan
Typical One Bedroom Floor Plan
Typical 2 Bedroom Floor Plan
Typical 3 Bedroom Floor Plan
A big Melrose THANK YOU to Atlantic Development Group for realizing what a great neighborhood that Melrose is as well as the borough of The Bronx for such a fine development!
While walking back home from my grandmother’s apartment along Courtlandt Avenue, I had the pleasure of entering Restoration Garden located between East 154th and East 155th Streets. Unlike the location of the other gardens in the neighborhood which are mostly on quiet side streets, Restoration Garden sits right in the middle of the craziness that can be Courtlandt Avenue. Directly across from New York City Public Housing, aka “the projects” and more affectionately known as the PJs, the garden offers a refuge for those who choose to walk through its gates.
According to local resident, Nelson (last name withheld), the garden has been there for over 25 years and had recently within the past 5 years received financial support from generous donors which they utilized to spruce up the place. The names and families of the various donors are engraved in plaques or some of the red paving stones that make up the steps and patio area.
As with almost every single garden in the neighborhood, The Bronx and throughout the rest of the city, these gardens feature the “casitas” or little houses which are reminiscent of a not too distant past in Puerto Rico where mostly every home outside the cities were just small wooden shacks. These community gardens and casitas are a little slice of home for so many residents and they come in to unwind, gossip, play a friendly game of dominoes, watch the game, etc. Thanks to the casitas, rain or shine, people can still enjoy the gardens!
Each garden in the area has its own unique style, decor and feel to them so make sure you explore each and every one of them. As time progresses, Welcome to Melrose will provide a map of all community gardens within the area as well as hours of operation for your convenience. Next time you happen to be in the area if you are not a resident, come on in sit for a while…chat with the locals…they are very friendly and love to chat!
“We Honor The Fallen…” I guess it’s open to
interpretation who the fallen are but considering
how many have died in the community during its violent past
as well as those who succumbed to HIV/AIDS it is befitting of the community.
As part of the South Bronx Food Co-op’s mission to empower locals on healthy eating habits and better their health, yoga is provided 3 times a week. So not only are you benefiting your body but you are also doing some good for your mind.
Most people think of yoga as simply sitting in a lotus and chanting mantra but it is more than that. The word itself means “union” in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India and that union is that of the mind, body and spirit. Yoga has a rich tradition that goes back over 5,000 years and while most of the time it was pretty much confined to the Eastern world but over the last 50-60 years it was slowly introduced to Westerners through people such as Swami Satchitananda who was the opening speaker at Woodstock back in 1969.
According to WebMD, some of the benefits of yoga are:
Flexibility
Strength
Posture
Breathing (can increase lung capacity due to the deep breathing that yoga involves)
Can reduce stress
The ability to better concentrate and focus
Heart benefits are also one of the benefits from Yoga as it can help lower blood pressure and heart rate which is a benefit for people with hypertension. In fact, this is one of the leading benefits discussed and demonstrated by Dean Ornish, MD the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. Considering that many residents in Melrose and the South Bronx are obese and are at high risk for heart disease this a major plus for our communities.
So that being said, come over to the South Bronx Food Co-op and not only learn how to eat right but also go and participate in one of their yoga classes.
Classes are currently as follows:
Tuesdays at 3:30PM (In Spanish)
Thursdays at 6:30PM (English)
Saturdays at 11:00AM (English)
Suggested donation for yoga classes is $10.00 and all classes are held at:
La Casa de Felicidad
3097 Third Avenue at East 158th street, directly across from the co-op
Thursday, October 8th between the hours of 4:30PM and 7:00PM PeaceLove will be hosting Express Yourself – an evening for anyone who wants to get up on the stage and grab the mike and sing, recite original or their favorite works of poetry.
So hop on the 2/5 express train to 3rd Avenue/149th Street and EXPRESS YOURSELF!
PeaceLove is located at 617 Melrose Avenue between East 151st and East 152nd Street just two short blocks north from the 3rd Avenue/149th Street 2/5 train station. For more information please call 347-577-6397.
A big Melrose THANK YOU to Darada David and PeaceLove for working so hard to provide such a great venue for self-expression and relaxation and not to mention great healthy eats, drinks and sweet potato pie!
Melrose Avenue facing south at East 158th Street with Jardinde Seline in the background.
Compliments of Engine 71 and Ladder 55 of the FDNY at Melrose and East 155th Street…couldn’t say it better myself. I smell a public service campaign in our neighborhood from this…
Today I strolled over to Hostos Community College (located in Mott Haven and the border of Melrose) for the annual ¡Viva El Bronx! and Hostos Community College Homecoming Celebration which was held on the Grand Concourse between East 144th Street and East 149th Street. Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are a few to show you some of the highlights of this gorgeous Bronx afternoon. Be sure to click on the pictures below for a larger image…ENJOY!!
Dancing to the beats of salsa from the CD vendor
Firm E Rydaz were there showing their great lowriders which truly are works of art…see below
More dancing!
Los Macheteros Band marching in the Hostos Homecoming Parade
RamitasdeBorinquen, or Little Branches of Borinquen (what the Taino Indians called the island of Puerto Rico).
Strangers picking up instruments at one of the CD vendor tables and playing along with the music that was playing as well as dancing…gotta love The Bronx!
Melrose and Concourse Village will benefit tremendously from the newly adopted rezoning of East 161st street from Park Avenue , the eastern most part of the new zoning area, across to the west towards River Avenue right at the new Yankee Stadium. The new zone then proceeds south along River Avenue to East 153rd Street right where the new Metro North station opened earlier this year as well as the Gateway Mall which also opened earlier this year. (click on any image to expand the view of that image)
What exactly does this mean for us in Melrose as well as our neighbors in Concourse Village? Simply put with a minimal rezoning of just a few lots in what is the most important corridor of The Bronx, we are set to gain more office buildings as well as more residential units in an area that is still growing considering there is a recession and decline in real estate projects in general.
For those of you who do not know, East 161st Street is the heart of The Bronx as it is the main thoroughfare in Civic Center. Within 3 blocks you have The Bronx Borough Hall, Yankee Stadium, what will be the Heritage Park once the old Yankee stadium is demolished, the old Criminal Courthouse, the new Bronx Hall of Justice, Concourse Plaza Mall which currently houses the office building where the offices of the Borough President are located. On the western end of that corridor you have the 4, B and D trains at River Avenue/E 161st Street and the easternmost end of the new zoning area you have the Melrose Metro North station at 162nd Street and Park Avenue.
The new zone is divided into 3 nodes each with specific goals and are as follows:
The Transit Node, which comprises River Avenue from East 162nd Street down to East 153rd Street, will encourage high-density development adjacent to the 4, B and D train station at 161st Street and River Avenue. Some of the lots that are now rezoned will allow for 10, 18 and 27 story office towers. Of all 3 nodes, the Transit Node will eventually have the most dramatic impact on the area once a developer comes up with an idea to properly integrate office towers of such heights in the area which should not be difficult since they will be located at the nexus of The Bronx’s courthouses.
Civic Node focuses on the heart of, well the Civic Center and runs from Concourse Village West between East 159th Street and half a block North of East 161st Street down East to Concourse Village East and Morris Avenue. This node will focus on the fact that there is a wide open gap between the Concourse Plaza Office building and the Melrose Office Building which is occupied by the mall’s parking lot. As described above, this gap can now be filled in with a 10-13 story office building with enough set back to still allow access to the mall itself and the movie theatre. There are also a few underutilized lots with only 1-2 stories of commercial use where a 6-8 story commercial building can be built.
Residential Node is at the easternmost end and meets the Melrose Commons area of Melrose as well as the currently-under construction Courtlandt Corners. This node will now allow for development on the current commercial and residential lots which are occupied by 1 story commercial and 2-3 story 2-3 family homes. With 161st Street being such a busy street, this area is very underutilized and does not benefit the neighborhood as is improved. Where the commercial building sits at the northeast corner of 161st Street and Morris Avenue, a 12 story residential building will now be allowed with a commercial overlay to allow for ground floor commercial. The entire block which it sits on has now been rezoned for such development.
Once developers take advantage of the new zone and the City of New York does its part now that it has approved the zoning, the 161st Street Corridor will be a beautiful street linking the Transit Node where the 4, B and D trains are located, Bronx Borough Hall, Yankee Stadium, Civic Center with the new Boricua Village and its vertical 14 story campus for 2,000 students, 4 residential apartments of low to mixed incomes and middle incomes (approximately 700 apartments in total) and Courtlandt Corners currently under construction which an additional 323 units.
This is truly an exciting time to be living in Melrose. A big Melrose THANK YOU to the City Council and Department of City Planning for approving the new zoning on September 30, 2009! Thanks for your continued support in rezoning a once neglected and abandoned area!
Diagrams compliments of New York City Department of City Planning.
