The Bronx

The city is looking to construct two affordable senior complexes with between 150 and 200 housing units each. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Friday released a request for proposals for two underused city-owned sites, one in the Bronx's Morrisania neighborhood and the other in Crown Heights in Brooklyn. The developments fall under Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration's "Seniors First" housing program, which aims to serve 30,000 senior households by 2026 through the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
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How a new soccer stadium could be a catalyst for neighborhood growth in the South Bronx

Image by A.V. Flores from Pixabay

March 5, 2020

How a new soccer stadium could be a catalyst for neighborhood growth in the South Bronx

With a deal between the New York City Football Club and developer Maddd Equities to build a new soccer stadium in the South Bronx on the horizon, the Urban Land Institute New York (ULI NY) and Bronx Community Board 4 (CB4) have issued a report outlining how the new stadium could best impact the surrounding community. ULI New York recommendations outline important strategies that would allow the proposed stadium to become a catalyst for neighborhood growth.
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New Developments

Step into a ‘Kaleidoscope’ of color at this year’s New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show

Photo courtesy of New York Botanical Garden

February 12, 2020

Step into a ‘Kaleidoscope’ of color at this year’s New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show

The New York Botanical Garden's popular orchid show will return for its 18th season this Saturday with a special exhibit from "floral designer to the stars" Jeff Leatham. The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope employs the artist's love of color, transforming various galleries with thousands of orchids and their own color schemes. Highlights of the very-Instagrammable show include a kaleidoscopic tunnel of lights, a 10-foot tall mirrored orchid sculpture set above a water fountain, and a series of yellow and orange orchid arches.
Take a tour of this year's show!

February 12, 2020

450-unit affordable housing development planned for New York Botanical Garden property

A two-building development with 450 affordable housing units will be constructed on property owned by the New York Botanical Garden, developers announced Tuesday. Douglaston Development has entered a 99-year lease with NYBG for a lot on Webster Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard, located about a block from the 250-acre garden.
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Affordable Housing

Image courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

February 12, 2020

$839K South Bronx condo offers loft living in Mott Haven

In the bustling and buzzy South Bronx community of Mott Haven, this bonafide loft at 305 East 140th Street is also a 2008 condominium conversion known as Bronx Bricks. Constructed in 1904, the classic loft building features a ground-floor art gallery and adjacent theater performance space, both of which highlight the neighborhood's vibrant arts community. The 1,290-square-foot unit is asking $839,000.
Just don't call it SoBro

Plans for NYC’s first soccer stadium inch forward in the Bronx

Image by A.V. Flores from Pixabay

February 10, 2020

Plans for NYC’s first soccer stadium inch forward in the Bronx

The long-anticipated plan to build a home stadium for New York City's soccer team in the Bronx inched forward last week, the New York Times first reported. The group of developers and the New York City Football Club are close to reaching a deal with the city to bring a 25,000-seat stadium to the South Bronx as part of a $1 billion development plan that also includes a hotel, new school, and affordable housing. New York City F.C., which has been looking for a permanent home for years, currently plays games at nearby Yankee Stadium.
More here

Affordable Housing

City likely to rename Bronx block outside of Yankee Stadium after Derek Jeter

Photo by Daniel Vargas on Unsplash

January 16, 2020

City likely to rename Bronx block outside of Yankee Stadium after Derek Jeter

Although he's moved on to a new team and city, former Yankee Derek Jeter will always be a Bronx Bomber in the eyes of fans. As a way to honor the star shortstop and current Miami Marlins coach, two Bronx Council Members are introducing legislation to rename East 161st Street, the block in front of the stadium, "Jeter Street," as amNY first reported.
More details here

Celebrities

January 7, 2020

Real estate investors spend $166M on group of Mitchell-Lama buildings in the Bronx

A group of real estate companies has purchased eight affordable housing buildings in the Bronx for $166 million. LIHC Investment Group, Belveron Partners, and Camber Property Group last week announced the joint deal, which involves 1,275 housing units and 10 commercial units that fall under the city's Mitchell-Lama program. The firms plan to keep the units affordable, instead of converting them to market-rate apartments when the rent regulations expire.
Learn about it

Affordable Housing

December 30, 2019

21 experts on NYC’s most important projects of the past decade

By 6sqft

As the decade draws to a close, we're reflecting on the growth and evolution of New York City during the 2010s. In the past 10 years, the city has seen the rebirth of neighborhoods, the creation of a totally new one, the return of a major sports team to Brooklyn, and the biggest subway expansion in decades. We've asked notable New Yorkers to share which project of the past decade they believe has made the most significant impact on the city, from the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site to the revival of the Coney Island boardwalk.
The full list ahead

Architecture And Design

Images courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

December 10, 2019

This warm, contemporary home surrounded by the suburban greenery of Riverdale asks $2.6M

The spacious, laid-back architect-designed modern home at 5253 Arlington Avenue in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale near Wave Hill was built in 1940 on one of the neighborhood's deepest plots (79 feet by 323 feet). The cedar-clad four-bedroom home, asking $2.599 million, is surrounded by private flagstone patios, rolling lawns, and lush plantings. The residence has been well-maintained and tastefully updated over time, but there's potential and space for significant expansion if you're looking for even more room.
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Distinctive Homes

December 2, 2019

Iconic Bronx Kosher deli Loeser’s faces an uncertain future

Street View of Loeser's in August 2017; Map Data © 2019 Google Usually, when we talk about historic mom-and-pop businesses closing up shop, it's due to a rent increase. But in the case of Loeser's Kosher Deli, the issue comes down to a potentially faulty gas pipe. As the Riverdale Press tells us, the Department of Buildings issued a violation to the 60-year-old Bronx establishment and a shutdown notice as of November 20th. Now, facing high repair costs and loss of business, the fate of Loeser's seems uncertain.
The whole story

Food & Dining

Take a tour of the NYBG’s Holiday Train Show, now with a new Central Park section

All photos by James and Karla Murray exclusively for 6sqft

November 26, 2019

Take a tour of the NYBG’s Holiday Train Show, now with a new Central Park section

The New York Botanical Garden's 28th annual Holiday Train Show is back for the season, and this year it has an entirely new Central Park section, featuring iconic spots like Belvedere Castle, Bethesda Terrace, and the Bow Bridge--all made entirely from natural materials including bark, seeds, berries acorns, and cinnamon sticks. 6sqft took a special tour of the exhibit, which features a total of 175 New York landmarks, and went behind-the-scenes with Laura Busse Dolan, President and CEO of Applied Imagination, the design firm that works all year long to make this whimsical show a reality. From the exhibit's 2,000 plants to its 25,000 pounds of cedar bark and 200 boxes of moss, Laura fills us in on all the fun and little-known facts about the Holiday Train Show.
Take a tour

New mixed-income development brings 435 affordable housing units to Soundview in the Bronx

Photo courtesy of L+M Development Partners

November 22, 2019

New mixed-income development brings 435 affordable housing units to Soundview in the Bronx

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, L+M Development Partners and Nelson Management Group opened the doors to their new mixed-use affordable housing developments in Soundview, the Bronx. The two buildings at 1520 and 1530 Story Avenue will bring 435 units of affordable housing and a 15,000-square-foot facility for Easterseals New York that will offer early childhood education. Roughly half of the units were up for grabs through a lottery held earlier this year.
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The most expensive site in the Bronx gets a name and new renderings

Renderings courtesy of ArX Solutions

November 21, 2019

The most expensive site in the Bronx gets a name and new renderings

Last fall, Brookfield Properties bought two sites in Mott Haven for $165 million—the most expensive transaction on record for development in the Bronx—from Somerset Partners and Chetrit Group. On Thursday, the developers revealed a $950 million plan for a 4.3-acre mixed-use development that will bring more than 1,350 apartments to the South Bronx neighborhood, of which 30 percent will be affordable. Branded as Bankside, the project will also include a public waterfront park and promenade, as well as ground-floor retail and community facility spaces.
See it here

City Council votes to make Hart Island, nation’s largest public cemetery, more accessible

Photo of Hart Island by David Trawin on Flickr

November 15, 2019

City Council votes to make Hart Island, nation’s largest public cemetery, more accessible

On Thursday, the New York City Council approved legislation that transfers ownership of Hart Island, the nation's largest public cemetery where over 1 million people are buried, to the city's Parks Department. The 101-acre island off the coast of the Bronx contains a potters field that has been the final resting place for destitute New Yorkers as far back as the Civil War. The island is currently operated by the Department of Correction (DOC), with Rikers Island inmates paid $1 an hour to bury bodies there. This week's vote comes after a years-long fight to end the onerous process required of visitors who wish to pay their respects to loved ones buried there; its intent is to make the island more accessible to the public and improve its dilapidated conditions.
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Policy

November 14, 2019

161 affordable apartments available in the South Bronx, from $331/month

In the Melrose section of the South Bronx, a new building is now accepting applications for 161 affordable apartments. Located at 735 Cauldwell Avenue, just a couple blocks from the 2 and 5 trains at Jackson Avenue, the building has a part-time attended lobby, roof deck, fitness center, party room, and laundry. The units are available to households earning 30, 50, or 100 percent of the area median income and range from $331/month studios to $1,910/month three-bedrooms.
See if you qualify

Affordable Housing

$52M supportive housing complex with health-focused amenities opens in the South Bronx

Rendering by Peter L. Woll Architect, P.C; Courtesy of Community Access

November 13, 2019

$52M supportive housing complex with health-focused amenities opens in the South Bronx

An affordable housing complex with health and wellness perks officially opened in the South Bronx on Tuesday, after breaking ground more than two years ago. The $52 million building at 111 East 172nd Street in the neighborhood of Mount Eden contains 126 apartments, with 60 of them set aside for those living with mental illness. The units are affordable for households earning 60 percent of the area median income.
More here

Affordable Housing

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

Photo of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market by Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons

November 11, 2019

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week unveiled a new brand strategy for the city's network of six public markets, which includes a multilingual ad campaign, a dynamic new website and social media presence, direct mail campaigns and more, all of which are designed to consolidate a network of historic markets under one city-wide brand. It's all part of the organization's comprehensive initiative to promote NYC's public markets--including Essex Market, the Bronx's Arthur Avenue Market, and Williamsburg's historic Moore Street Market--as "world class destinations for both local residents and tourists."
See what's in store

City Living

November 5, 2019

Best of the Bronx: What to do and see in the northernmost borough now

You're probably familiar with the big attractions in the Bronx: Yankee Stadium, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. But the borough has a lot more going on, from historic and cultural treats and treasures to new breweries and restaurants and acres of beaches, parks, trails, and gardens. Read on for a collection of destinations in the city's northernmost, greenest, and most diverse borough that are worth the trip, wherever you’re coming from.
More to do in the Bronx, this way

Affordable housing complex at former Bronx juvenile jail site breaks ground

Rendering by BLA and WXY

November 5, 2019

Affordable housing complex at former Bronx juvenile jail site breaks ground

The city on Monday broke ground on a five-acre mixed-use project that will bring more than 700 affordable apartments, open space, and manufacturing space to the Bronx. The Hunts Point complex, called the Penninsula, will sit at the site of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, which closed in 2011 following reports of cruel conditions. Construction will now kick off on the project's first phase and includes space for industrial and light manufacturing businesses and 183 deeply affordable housing units.
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Apply for 52 mixed-income units near Lehman College in the Bronx, from $736/month

Photo by Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

November 4, 2019

Apply for 52 mixed-income units near Lehman College in the Bronx, from $736/month

A housing lottery launched this week for 52 mixed-income units in the Bronx neighborhood of Bedford Park. Located at 16 East 204th Street, the building, dubbed "Villa Gardens," sits just east of Jerome Park Reservoir and the 37-acre campus of Lehman College. Qualifying New Yorkers earning 60, 90, and 100 percent of area median income can apply for the apartments, ranging from $736/month studios to $2,066/month three-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify

Affordable Housing

Lottery launches for 57 low-income units for LGBT seniors across the street from Crotona Park

Photo via CC on Wikimedia

October 28, 2019

Lottery launches for 57 low-income units for LGBT seniors across the street from Crotona Park

Seniors who identify as LGBT often experience housing discrimination, but dozens of affordable openings at one of New York City's first subsidized developments targeted to this vulnerable population aim to create a different experience. Non-profit developer HELP USA partnered with advocacy group SAGE to create the mixed-use development at 775 Crotona Park North in the Bronx, which will combine low-income housing with an LGBT-oriented Senior Center on the ground floor. Starting Tuesday, individuals or households that have at least one household member who is 62 years of age or older and who qualify for Section 8 can apply for the 57 available units. Eligible residents will pay 30 percent of their income for rent.
Here's everything you need to know to apply

Affordable Housing

94 affordable units up for grabs in the South Bronx, from $748/month

Photo by Fletcher6 on Wikimedia

October 25, 2019

94 affordable units up for grabs in the South Bronx, from $748/month

Ninety-four newly constructed units are up for grabs at 985 Bruckner Boulevard in Woodstock, the Bronx. Non-profit Community Access worked with Think! Architecture and Design on the project, which spans across ten floors and 170,000 square feet and includes 215 residential units and a 70,300 square foot community facility. Qualifying applicants earning 60 percent of the area median income can apply for units that range from $748/month studios to $1,148/month two-bedrooms.
Here's everything you need to know

Affordable Housing

400 bus stops in the Bronx to be cut as part of major network redesign

Photo by Adam Moreira on Wikimedia

October 23, 2019

400 bus stops in the Bronx to be cut as part of major network redesign

Four hundred local bus stops in the Bronx will be cut as part of a major system redesign, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday. The large reduction is an attempt to speed up travel times by moving bus stops further apart, from an average of 882 feet to 1,092 feet between them. The new plan also brings two new local routes and an express route to the borough, providing commuters better peak-hour service between north Bronx and Midtown.
Details here

Photo by Tim Rodenberg on Wikimedia

October 18, 2019

NYC Council approves plan to replace Rikers Island with four new jails

The New York City Council on Thursday approved a plan that would close the notorious Rikers Island complex and replace it with four smaller jails across the city. The nearly $9 billion proposal, released by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017, pledges to shutter Rikers in 10 years by dramatically reducing the city's jail population. It involves housing inmates in new facilities in Lower Manhattan, the South Bronx, Downtown Brooklyn, and Kew Gardens that are better integrated with the surrounding communities, as well as located closer to court systems.
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Policy

The East River prison barge, intended to be temporary, draws ire amid plans to close Rikers

Photo via Wiki Commons

October 10, 2019

The East River prison barge, intended to be temporary, draws ire amid plans to close Rikers