LATEST NEWS

Bronx Residents Fearful Treacherous Stretch of Road Will Lead to Fatalities

For several years, Bronx residents—along with Community Board 10 and the City Island Civic Association—have been begging for New York City to fix a hazardous stretch of Shore Road which goes from the Pelham Bay Landfill and into Westchester County.

Water—whether groundwater or from a water main (determination has yet to be made)—not only creates crater-like potholes but also freezes over over in the the winter forcing drivers to swerve and veer into the opposite lane of this two-lane road to avoid the potholes and patches of dangerous ice.

Groups Reveal NYC is Spraying Bronx and Citywide Parks With Controversial Cancer-Linked ‘Roundup’ Monsanto Pesticide

In 2014, New York City sprayed Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide—now classified as a possible carcinogen by The World Health Organization—2,748 times (more than double the 2013 rate) but only 2,000 locations have been revealed through data released by NYC Parks as a result of a Freedom of Information Law request.

From The South Bronx, to Riverdale and City Island to Pelham Parkway, many neighborhoods were sprayed with this pesticide linked to cancer. Manhattan has the least amount of sites (partly due to incomplete data from Central Park and other conservancies) but Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island have been doused with this pesticide more than our borough.

A Love For The Bronx Forged by Growing Up in Our Borough

My family moved from Manhattan to the Bronx in 1954. I was raised by my grandparents and we lived in a tenement on Hoe Avenue, near Southern Boulevard. On Saturdays, I would accompany my grandmother, Clara, in trips to the market at Simpson station, serving as translator between her and the meat and produce sellers.

The two schools that I attended were P.S. 75 and P.S. 123. I loved my years at these schools with my favorite teachers, Mrs. Lasher, who taught me English and that you couldn’t use a double negative in a sentence, and Mr. Mathes, who inspired in me an appreciation for science that has always stayed with me.

NYC Council Has a Big Opportunity to Do the Right Thing

When all testimonies are done, whether in favor or against changes to zoning via mandatory Inclusionary housing (MIH) or zoning for quality and affordability (ZQA), New York City’s Council members have an opportunity to side with their constituents in voting down Mayor de Blasio’s ill-conceived plan that is central to his preserving 120,000 affordable units and creating 80,000 new units of “affordable” housing.

The more controversial of the two, MIH, sounds great on paper. It mandates that affordable housing would be mandatory not voluntary and it would be permanent in districts that would be zoned for MIH. Trick is that it isn’t truly affordable.

America’s Fukushima? 25 Miles North of The Bronx, Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is Leaking Radiation Into Groundwater

Is this a sensationalist headline? No.

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is considered America’s most dangerous nuclear plant by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) as recent as 2011.

Over the weekend, we learned that radiation leaked out at Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County just 25 miles north of The Bronx border and New York City limits. The radiation leaked into the groundwater wells raising radiation levels by as much as 65,000%. That is not a typo.

65,000%. Let that sink in.

This isn’t the first time there’s an issue at Indian Point.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods

LATEST NEWS

Bronx Birthplace of Hip Hop Being Honored With Street Renaming

It was a hot summer day on August 11, 1973 in the Bronx at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue as DJ Kool Herc and his sister held a party in what would become known as the birth of Hip Hop—a genre which has transcended cultural, national, and many other boundaries by leaps and bounds.

Now, the New York City Council, thanks to the leadership of Councilwoman Vanessa L. Gibson, has passed a resolution to co-name to stretch in front of 1520, ‘Hip Hop Boulevard’ further solidifying The Bronx’s importance in the creation of the genre as the birthplace of Hip Hop.

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Parkchester Receives Staggering “Temporary” 15.19% Common Charge Hike For Capital Improvements

Parkchester South Condominiums, the largest of the two separate condominiums that make up Parkchester—with 8,286 of the more than 12,000 units in the complex— is undergoing major capital improvements yet again. But this time rather than taking loans out, they will instead institute a temporary 15.19% common charge hike across the board for all units in the development to pay for these improvements.

Needless to say, this isn’t sitting well with residents and home owners at one of the largest condo developments in the world. Residents have been organizing against this fee and have a rally scheduled for this coming Wednesday, February 10th, at 4pm at 2000 E Tremont Avenue.

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Bronx Artist is One of 2 Selected for New 40th Precinct Public Art Which Will Be First of Its Kind in NYC

Two weeks ago we reported on the artist selection process for the permanent public art for the new 40th Precinct which was held at The Bronx Documentary Center.

During last week’s presentation, we got a look into what the new 40th Precinct would look like slated for construction at its new location on 149th Street and St Ann’s in Melrose.

The design itself is that of stacked blocks centered around a common atrium, with each block serving a specific purpose. Each rooftop will be green with plantings but what will make this building unique is the dedicated public community room.

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A Wholesale Upzoning of all Five Boroughs is a Handout to Developers

An important message from the Historic Districts Council regarding the changes to zoning which the the overwhelming majority of community boards has said no to. Despite widespread opposition, New York City Planning Commission has voted yes to the changes against the will of the people. MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD BY SUBMITTING YOUR TESTIMONY HERE!

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Carnegie Hall Comes to The Bronx Tonight at The Bronx Museum!

Let there be Latin Jazz!!

Tonight, as part of The Bronx Museum’s First Friday events, in collaboration with Carnegie Hall, Chris Washburne and the SYOTUS Band will be performing with their own inventive take on Latin Jazz so put on your dancing shoes and let’s get ready to mambo!

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One Way We Can Save Our Small Businesses in The Bronx and Citywide

All across the city, we are seeing neighborhoods being destroyed by real estate speculation pushing out longtime residents and established small businesses. Predatory landlords target working class communities inhabited predominantly by ethnic minorities, repackaging it as a “luxury community” which intentionally drives out longtime residents and small businesses. The question is no longer if gentrification is coming to the Bronx, the question is how fast will it happen and what are the consequences to Bronxites?

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