Tag: South Bronx

Exclusive: First Market Rate Condos Planned for E 138th Street in Lower Concourse Rezoning Area

The gentrification of the South Bronx is in full swing despite denials by our borough president, Ruben Diaz Jr, that it isn’t happening.

Yesterday we reported on the expansion of the landmarked Clocktower Loft Apartments and today we share the exclusive story of the first market-rate condominiums coming to the Lower Concourse Rezoning Area.

The old 2 story factories at 221 E 138th Street at Canal Place has been torn down and in its place will rise a 7 story, 50 unit condominium development with ground floor commercial space according to Anthony Gurino of Tahoe Development which purchased the buildings for $2,800,000 in September 2015.

Popular East Harlem Bakery Opens Bronx Location in Melrose

In the heart of El Barrio aka East Harlem is Capri Bakery on 116th between Lexington and 3rd Avenue since 1984.

Now, after working on opening their second location for over a year, Capri is open for business and is already a hit having only opened this past Thursday.

As I sit here eating a typical Cuban and Puerto Rican pastelito de guayaba con queso—guava filled pastry with cheese—and a nice warm cup of tea, dozens of people have come and gone happily after purchasing their fresh baked delights.

Watch: The Bronx in The 80’s

In this brief clip put together from a variety of sources (movies, etc) you get a visual representation of what the South Bronx looked like in the 1980s and when you look at it now in 2016 you see that this version, which still lives on in the minds of many, is gone.

Iconic History Channel Sign in The Bronx Permanently Coming Down

For years The History Channel neon sign has been a beacon to millions of travelers crossing the Harlem River into The Bronx.

Now the iconic sign is coming down for good according to Interstate Outdoor Advertising and filings with Department of Buildings.

First Sneak Peek at Baz Luhrmann’s South Bronx Netflix Series ‘The Get Down’

It’s been almost a year since Netfilx and Baz Lurhman announced that they were embarking on producing a series based in the South Bronx in the 1970s as hip-hop was emergency, disco was reigning supreme alongside Salsa, and of course—The Bronx was burning. Now here’s a sneak peek at the series as Netflix puts out the first trailer for ‘The Get Down’.

Netflix simply writes, “Told through the lives and music of a ragtag crew of South Bronx teens, The Get Down is a mythic saga of the transformation of 1970s New York City.

South Bronx Residents Create ‘Statement of Principles on Private Development’ As Gentrification Creeps In

In response to the wave of real estate speculation threatening the South Bronx and that will open the doors to hyper-gentrification, we present below a Statement of Principles on Private Development. These principles have been in the making for upwards of a year by members of the Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Trust (in consultation with experts in each area) in response to the decades of “development” without community engagement that has caused a health epidemic and now threatens mass displacement. As some of our elected officials choose to deny the existence of gentrification, many developers have already bought land, filed plans and erected buildings “as of right”, and many are not requesting any zoning changes, variances or government subsidies that would trigger wider accountability. Over the coming weeks, members of the community will be assessing adherence to these principles of each developer – from Carnegie, Cheskel Schwimmer and Chetrit to Hornig, JCAL, Savanna and Somerset, among many others – and sharing the information publicly so that we can best direct the breadth of efforts to protect and uplift our community.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Councilmember Torres & NYCHA Infill, and South Bronx Pride

On Bronx AM Links we have stories on standing proud of being from the South Bronx, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and how she almost pulled away from the confirmation process, and Councilmember Ritchie Torres on controversial plans for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) plans for infill at public housing to create market rate and “affordable” housing on its properties.

Randall’s Island Connector is Officially Open Providing a Direct, Safe, & Easy Access to 330 Acres of Parkland to The Bronx

The Bronx may be the greenest borough, with almost 25% of its land dedicated to parks, but residents in The South Bronx do not have equitable access to green spaces. Now that The Randall’s Island Connector—after 2 decades of wrangling with city agencies and community advocacy groups—area residents and the rest of the borough have access to an additional 330 acres of parkland.

The $6 million connector, which only stretches for a quarter mile under the Amtrak line from 132nd Street to Bronx Kill, is now paved with bike and pedestrian lanes so that Bronxites can enjoy the wide open spaces which Randall’s Island provides along with the many playing fields.

The People of The Bronx, United, Are A Powerful Group—Do Not Underestimate Us

We are a diverse and resilient people, here in The Bronx.

Bronxites are an extremely proud group of people considering that many would dare ask what do we have to be proud about?

We not only survived abandonment, the arson which burned neighborhoods to the ground, rampant drug problems, violence and other ills but we rebuilt our borough without the aid of greedy outside interests.

South Bronx Rebranding Begins With Billboard Proclaiming ‘The Piano District’

Developers Somerset Partners and the Chetrit Group who are planning as many as six 25 story residential market rate towers (of which 3 have already been filed with the Department of Buildings for construction) has put up a new billboard proclaiming the area of Port Morris as the ‘Piano District’.

The billboard is prominently aimed at Manhattan and drivers who are heading home to the posh suburbs of Westchester County and Connecticut as they head on home, easily viewing the sign.

The billboard promises, luxury waterfront living, world-class dining, fashion, art, and architecture in a neighborhood where the majority are living well below the poverty line and are fighting for their very lives as they suffer health disparities disproportionately more than others across the city.