Event Reminders: TGIF!

Here's a sampling of the events for this weekend that landed in our Inbox...

Fordham Road BID Holiday Celebration
Tonight, 12/4, at 7pm.
Santa Claus will be making an appearance at this year's Fordham Road Holiday Lighting Celebration. The first 250 kids to show up will get a free gift from Santa. Click here for more info.

First Fridays @ Bronx Museum of the Arts

Tonight, 12/4, 6-10pm. Free!
"El Super" Film Screening: 30th Anniversary Tribute with special guest Xiomara Laugart. Join The Bronx Museum for an exciting First Fridays! program celebrating the 30th anniversary of El Súper, a film about a Cuban exile struggling to survive as the superintendent of a New York City apartment building, along with his wife and 17-year-old daughter. The evening will also feature a Q& A with the film’s writer Ivan Acosta, live music by DJ Asho, and a performance by UNity (Cuban, Son, Jazz & Salsa) with special guest Xiomara Laugart. Event will take place at The Bronx Museum of the Arts - 1040 Grand Concourse (at 165th Street) - North Building - 2nd Floor. Click here for more info.

South Bronx Food & Film Expo @ The Point
Saturday, 12/5, at 12-5. Free! Food/clothing donations encouraged.
A healthy, locally made lunch is served at 2:15pm. Film screenings, including Bronx-made short films, will take place throughout the day and close with a discussion and Q&A at 4:15pm. The Point is located at 940 Garrison Ave., b/t Barretto & Manida Sts., entrance on Manida St., Hunts Point (718-542-4139). Click here for more info.

~ErLu

Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

Finally as an answer to long-suffering Fordham hoops fans' prayers, Head Coach Dereck Whittenburg has been canned [NY Mag] [BD NOTE: The more rabid Rams fans out there may want to check in with the FordhamFans.com message board to air their views on the topic.]

An extensive review of Parkchester's impressive rebirth after facing struggles throughout the 70s and 80s [Daily News]

Ex-Met Mo Vaughn's development company has snapped up 14 struggling South Bronx buildings which were in foreclosure after being owned by Ocelot [Crain's NY Biz] [BD NOTE: The award for best headline goes to Yournabe.com's Daniel Beekman: 'Bronx properties troubled no Mo.' Click here to check out his coverage.]

The Lehman College Art Gallery has introduced a new online guide to architecture throughout the BoogieDown [Lehman College Art Gallery]

A Public Housing Advisory Council has been established to address problems within the Bronx's public housing projects [Daily News]

~ErLu

Matt Damon Filming at Fordham...Alums/Students Welcome as Extras!

Here's a nice opportunity to see Matt Damon in all his glory without being labeled a creepy stalker...

We received an email from Fordham University announcing that Matt Damon's upcoming movie, The Adjustment Bureau, will be filming at the Rose Hill campus this Monday, December 7th! Wooo hoooo - hubba hubba!

Mr. Cutie Pants will actually be playing a Fordham alum who's announcing his intent to run for Senate at a press conference. The casting company is looking for extras made up of 350 to 450 peeps ages 21 and up from the Fordham community. Here are the details:

If you are interested, you should email a recent picture to adjustment@gwcnyc.com with "Fordham Student" in the subject line. This subject line applies to all faculty, staff and alumni who choose to participate. The casting company has said they will be in touch with all who contact them by Sunday at noon.

All who participate must be prepared to be on campus by 6:00 a.m. (or earlier) and remain on the set until 5:00 p.m. Dress warmly and in your Fordham finest. Participants will receive $90 for the first 10 hours. In case of a very heavy rain or heavy snow, filming will take place on Tuesday, December 8.

First U2 and now Matt Damon...Fr. McShane is really bringing some bling to the ol' alma mater. Living right around the corner from campus, it's kind of killing me not being able to participate in the shoot. But I suspect dragging Pearl to an 11 hour shoot for 90 beans may violate some child labor laws. Rest assured I will be there lurking in full stalker mode for a glimpse of what's happening.

~ErLu

Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

Here's a story not for the faint of heart:
A profile of 2320 Aqueduct Avenue, aptly named 'Hookers, Slot Machines, Rats: Life at the Bronx's 2320 Aqueduct Ave' [Village Voice] [BD Note: Although a horrific story of landlord (not to mention law enforcement) neglect, we have to admit we had a few chuckles while reading this piece. The prez of 2320's tenant association is one Adolph Santana, AKA 'El Gordito.' This guy's a real piece of work - at one point he's quoted as saying, "I'm the president of the tenants association! I know when the girls get their periods." Talk about a class act. The piece describes Santana as "a former law enforcement officer and addict who specialized in providing security for thugs and gangsters." So what was his most recent gig? Serving on Pedro Espada Jr.'s security team of course!]

Remember that Claremont woman who was complaining that the City wanted to plant free trees in front of her home? Well, she got them anyway. [Daily News]

You can't throw a stone in the Catholic community in the Bronx without hitting a Jesuit from Fordham who is assisting within struggling parishes [Fordham]

Our beloved borough (along with Staten Island... bleh) is one of the only not represented in the 'Edible' foodie magazine network [Gothamist]

Some much-needed improvements may be coming to White Plains Road [Yournabe.com]

~ErLu

Celebrate 'Places That Matter' in the Bronx

City Lore and the Municipal Art Society will be honoring six of the BoogieDown's notable locations Thursday evening, 12/3, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the 2nd Annual Place Matters Awards at the Longwood Gallery (Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse).

The six honorees will be 52 Park, Amalgamated Housing Cooperative, Arthur Avenue Retail Market, Bronx River Houses, Casita Rincon Criollo, and the General Sedgwick Houses. Click here to read more about the signifigance of each of the honorees.

The event will open with guest speaker Carl Capotorto, playwright, screenwriter, and actor, whose book, Twisted Head: An Italian American Memoir (Broadway Publishers, 2008) describes growing up in the Bronx. A reception, featuring music by Trio Los Platinos, will follow the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public. For more information or reservations, contact City Lore at 212-529-1955, extension 306.

~ErLu

Photo of the Day

Southern Blvd. and 163rd Street
Dated 1919Photo sent in by BD reader J. Marin

Sinfonietta of Riverdale Presents 2nd Concert of Season This Saturday

This Monday after Thanksgiving is undoubtedly a tough day for folks to be heading back to the ol' grind, so I figured let's start the week off thinking about next weekend...

The Sinfonietta of Riverdale will be presenting it's second concert of the season this Sunday, 12/6, at 2:30pm. Here are some highlights of this weekend's program as explained on the Sinfonietta's website:

Highlights include performances of Gustav Mahler's Song of the Earth and Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring. Soloists will include Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Theodora Hanslowe and Riverdale's own Wilhelmina Smith, a cellist in demand across the country.

The season includes one coup that will generate much excitement. The world-renowned Finnish conducting sensation Esa-Pekka Salonen, who just concluded his 17-year tenure as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in order to devote more time to composition, will come to Riverdale to hear his music performed by the Sinfonietta.

As the Sinfonietta's artistic director, Mark Mandarano, notes: "Esa-Pekka Salonen, one of the most celebrated musical figures in the world at this moment, will pay a visit to our community in order to hear the Sinfonietta of Riverdale. He will be conducting the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera next fall, and his music is performed everywhere from London to Berlin to Tokyo. But here in Riverdale he will be just another member of the audience! This is the kind of intimacy with greatness that the Sinfonietta brings to our wonderful nook of the big city."

The concert will take place at the Riverdale Temple - 4545 Independence Avenue

(at 246th Street), Bronx, New York 10471.

Tickets are $35 ($25 for seniors and Riverdale Temple members, $15 for students). Although it is recommended that you buy tickets in advance, they will also be available for purchase at the door.

~ErLu