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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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?

LATEST NEWS

MTA Reveals Possible Subway Cars of The Future

We won’t be seeing them anytime soon and at the very earliest only 2, ten car prototypes will be ordered for delivery by 2020—ish. That ‘ish’ means we probably won’t see them anytime soon until perhaps 2025 or beyond given the MTA’s track record with advancing technology.

But the future will be interesting and looks like New York City is on pace to joining the rest of the modern world by testing articulated subway cars that will be just one long, open train from end to end where passengers can roam freely.

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Tomorrow, Saturday Jan 30th: Bronx LBGT Youth Summit!

Tomorrow, Saturday January 30th, thanks to New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, NYC Council Members Ritchie Torres and Carlos Menchaca, together with the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a Bronx LBGT Youth Summit will be held at Bronxworks Betances Community Center.

The event, called, Love Yourself, Express Yourself, Be Yourself, runs from 10AM through 4:30PM and will highlight what LGBTQ specific services our available to our youth in our borough and will also offer youth-led workshops and presentations.

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Love, Want, Need: Carven’s Spring Floral Sandals

There are many elements of Charlotte D’Alessio’s life that read like a teenager’s fairy tale. Instagram didn’t exist when I was in high school, but I imagine I’d be pretty fascinated by the beautiful, leggy 17-year-old with more than 174,000 followers and a Wilhelmina Models contract, too. For the legions of aspiring Cool Teens™, D’Alessio,…

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Artist Interview & Selection for Public Art Commission for New 40th Precinct

You are invited to The Bronx Documentary Center, tomorrow, Thursday January 28th for an exciting event!

The 40th Precinct is moving from its current location in Mott Haven at Alexander Avenue and 138th Street to a more central location in Melrose at 149th Street and St Ann’s as part of a $68.9 million modern facility.

As part of the new precinct, New York City’s Percent for Art, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, has been tasked with finding an artist who will work on a permanent art exhibition for the new 40th precinct.

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URGENT: NYC City Council District 17 Candidates Forum Tonight, Wed, 1/27**VIEWING PARTY LOCATIONS**

Since Maria del Carmen Arroyo decided to step down from her role as City Councilwoman representing the 17th district, the area has been without a representative since the start of the new year.

On February 23rd, a special election will take place to fill this void in one of the most visible districts that’s facing many issues including gentrification. (DISCLAIMER: In The interest of full disclosure, Welcome2TheBronx and myself are supporting Julio Pabon, a progressive candidate, who’s running under The Bronx is Not For Sale Platform.)

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Watch—City Island Bridge: End of an Era

Last month we bid farewell to the iconic City Island Bridge, the only way on and off the island as the city begins the process of replacing the 114 year old structure (with an ugly causeway-like bridge.

Tommy Breen and his brother have been documenting the project since it began and have put together a rather heartwarming and touching video.

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