LATEST NEWS

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito Provides Funding For Major Capital Improvements to St Mary’s Park

St. Mary’s Park in Mott Haven, the recreational heart for thousands of residents of the South Bronx, is getting a face-lift thanks to $1.5 million in funds allocated by New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito who’s district covers the park.

The monies will be used to reconstruct the western playground area along St. Ann’s Avenue and the community is being invited to contribute their visions and ideas for their park on Wednesday, March 4th between 6pm – 8pm at Heketi Community Charter School.

NYTIMES Exclusive: Harper Lee Lawyer Offers More Details on Discovery of New Book

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee is a book all of us remember as being one of the many required reading tomes during our school years. This was true whether you lived in The Bronx or across the country.

Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that over 50 years after Harper Lee’s landmark story set in racially segregated Alabama of 1930s was published, a manuscript had surfaced written by Lee and is a sequel called ‘Go Set A Watchman’ starring the many of the same characters such as Atticus Finch and Scout, this time set in the 1950s.

The Bronx is Buggin’ — Study Shows Borough Has Most Diverse Microbes In NYC’s Subway System

As most native New Yorkers, we tend to often not think about all the germs, microbes, and fauna that coats the subways and bus system we ride daily and depend on. We’re in such denial about them that it’s like breathing — we don’t think about it.

A new study from conducted Weill Cornell Medical College now reveals, that after 18 months of swabbing and collecting samples at every single subway station in New York City (except 2 in Brooklyn which were closed), The Bronx has the most diverse microbes in the entire system. But no need for alarm since most are not considered a danger with only 12% in that category but even then, researchers claimed there wasn’t enough of them for concern.

New Series Focused on the South Bronx of the 70s is Coming to Netflix

The 70s was the decade that South Bronx became the poster child for urban decline. It’s when Howard Cosell, during the 1977 World Series at Yankee Stadium told the world, “Ladies and gentlemen, The Bronx is burning,” It was the decade that our borough lost over 20% of its population (more than 300,000 had fled) — most of it concentrated in The South Bronx.

Now, coming in 2016, a new Netflix series called ‘The Get Down’ will focus on a group of teenagers during that tumultuous era and the creativity that blossomed during those days giving way to hip-hop in all its forms from the music, to the dance, the graffiti artists and much more.

LATEST NEWS

A Chinese Takeout, a Bronx Jewish Businessman & The Creation of the #1 Distributor of Popular Condiment

Here’s a fun story with Bronx history we found via The Atlantic about a Bronx Jewish businessman who was able to overcome some odds to become the top distributor of those little soy sauce packets we all know so well. After all these years of these soy sauce packets staring me in the face, little did I know this was the brainchild of a fellow Bronxite! Oh and did you know that soy sauce appears to go back as far as the year 160AD?

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A Rejected Artist in NYC: Who Really Wins Affordable Housing Lotteries?

In the summer of 2014, 53,000+ people applied to live in 89 affordable apartments at Artspace PS109. This has become an all too common scene in New York City’s housing market. Decades of public subsidies and assistance for luxury development in NYC have increased property values and rents all across the city. This rise has led to the displacement of working- and middle-class families. The main “community benefit” in return for publicly assisted displacement has been the opportunity to enter an affordable housing lottery and hope Yolanda Vega calls your number, allowing you to remain.

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The Bronx Saw Record $2.4 Billion In Sales of Residential Properties in 2014; 6 Residential Towers Planned for Port Morris Waterfront

Real Estate Weekly reported that The Bronx saw a record breaking increase in sales of multifamily properties reaching $2.4 billion in transactions in 2014 as per data published by Ariel Property Advisors’ Bronx 2014 Year-End Report. Meanwhile, developer Cherit Group is reportedly planning to construct six 25 story towers along the Port Morris waterfront of market rate apartments and condominiums.

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