We were driving over to Van Cortlandt Park to catch the Manhattan College HS XC Invitational (holy crap, I've never seen such a huge cross country meet before in my life!) and noticed that the Van Cortlandt Village C-Town over at Sedgwick Avenue and VC Avenue W has flown the coop and it is now a Food Dynasty. What the hell is a Food Dynasty anyway? Any of you Vanny Villagers care to share your opinions of the new store? Reviews are mixed of these grocery stores (bodegas?) in other parts of the city. Shoppers in Sunnyside, Queens say their Food Dynasty couldn't be any nastier, while residents in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn seem to like their store. Why did the C-Town leave? In any case, I think we can all agree that Food Dynasty is a pretty ridiculous name for a grocery store.~ErLu
32 comments:
There's a sign on the door that says the store has the same personnel as before. Apparently store management switched their affiliation from C-Town to Food Dynasty. Food Dynasty is owned by Keyfood. Inside, the store looks the same.
The name does not seem any sillier than C-Town, Food City, Pathmark, Associated, A&P, or even Keyfood. Stop and Shop makes the most sense. I guess the owners have grand plans to conquer the market--although like most of these changes, everthing inside seems to stay the same.
Van Corlandt Village needs to stop focusing on the big bodega on the corner and start worrying about the crack den in the building on Gouverneur across from the school, and the heroin den in building 12 of the Amalgamated Houses where the pusher is a dreadlocked Department of Sanitation worker.
There's also a group home on Van Cortlandt Avenue West on the hill. The adult occupants wait patiently for the express bus to pull up at night on the corner so they can panhandle the working people who clutch their purses because the dope addicts and crack heads have run amuck...
With a name like "Food Dynasty" we are officially a GHETTO
Is there really a connection between the name of a supermarket and neighborhood drug activity? And why is BD so negative and potty mouthed?
I think this thread is so negative because there are many extant issues in the Van Cortlandt Village neighborhood that residents are concerned about. This neighborhood supermarket is a very frequented and visible icon of the community. Any change to it will raise residents' awareness of the quality of their community and changes that may be occurring in it, positive or negative. It is up to the residents ultimately to demand quality in their neighborhood, and keep, as they say "ghetto" businesses away.
Anyway, the businesses cater to their demand.
The ol' BD is pretty much always negative when it comes to the topic of grocery stores in the supermarket desert of the Northwest Bronx. Sorry, grocery shopping around here just plain stinks. Not sure if what the potty mouthed comment is about.
"Holy crap" is wholly unnecessary.
The former C-Town that was here was a good market- far better than your average corner store. With the change in ownership prices have risen. The weakest part of this store is produce; meats are above average. It used to be very worthwhile to go here for staple products like the generic Krasdale brand, but now they've discontinued this for the more expensive Key Food brand. Otherwise the friendly cashiers are the same, and they still make the visit a pleasure.
This is the only local market for the many who live in the Amalgamated Houses- it seems Amalgamated owns the building and neighboring shops, and leases the space to vendors for its residents. (The double-tree Amalgamated crest on the building's exterior indicates this.) If this is the case, Amalgamated should look for the highest quality vendor for its residents.
This store is much better than it was about 2 years ago. It changed ownership prior to the name change and cleaned up quite a bit. I actually have very little to complain about. Certainly not my first choice -- but not a place I would avoid as was the case 2 years ago. The name is somewhat funny -- but hardly ridiculous. Piggly-Wiggly, now that is a ridiculous name for a grocery store. Not sure how the name evokes a "ghetto" image.
Kingsbridge/Van Cortlandt Village has experienced something of a grocery store renaissance in recent years, starting with the opening of Garden Gourmet. Across the street from GG, Stop and Shop clearly felt the pressure and went through a major renovation of its space and definitely improved it's stock. The latest improved grocery option in the area is Foodtown on Broadway just south of 231st. After its recent renovation, in terms of attractive physical space, it is definitely the Taj Mahal of grocery stores in the area. Its selection is pretty remarkable as well. They are trying to compete with GG in the prepared food market and may do well given their proximity to the 231st street subway station. They dedicate a lot of space to bottled imported and craft beer.
*knock knock*
Jack...Jacccckkkk are you in there...?????????????????
Have you any idea how many elderly folks on a limited income in Van Cortlandt Village depend upon a local grocery store? I am speaking about the elderly who cannot make it all the way down to Garden Gourmet or Foodtown.
The "ghetto" environment is a result of a covert mission to flood the area with recovering addicts and mentally challenged adults who PANHANDLE in front of the Big Bodega which is FOOD DYNASTY-TY-TY-TY (said in the voice of Darth Vader as the sound echoes into eternity)and was formerly C-TOWN and at the express bus stop at night when people are returning from work. The Group Home is located down the Hill in a private house on Van Cortlandt Avenue West. Most of us who grew up in the Bronx referred to C-Town as a Big Bodega. Yes, the property is owned by the AH Consumers Society. The lease for the property was signed immediately before regulations were lifted that subsequently allowed for Cooperative Housing Developments to charge market rate rents on their commercial property.
There has been one burglary there that I know of. Someone was smart enough to know where the weak point was in the roof and broke right through.
Yes, the former Managers of the space were beasts and the store was a health hazard...but thats only because the former Managers weren't kicking back any graft to certain Board members of the AHC so the AHC refused to renovate the space.
In steps a person who is interested in running a grocery store...who happily agreed to pay most of the cost of renovations...however, they still have roaches running amuck in the produce section.
The man at the deli counter is a wonderful friendly guy. Keep his family in your thoughts and prayers...his wife is recovering from a stroke. The cashiers are ok too. But I have noted on several occassions pricing conflicts. The sticker often does not reflect the scanned price. I have never purchased meat from anywhere but Stew Leonard or Trader Joes and that has a lot to do with a bad experience at the C-Town where I purchased chicken and when I opened the package to cook it the following day it smelled like raw sewerage. Yes, I called the Health Department.
The Salon next door is actually quite good now that Sonia is running the show. The Pizza Shop (Sorrento's) had MULTIPLE health code violations, so if you want a raging case of diahhrea(sp), feel free to gorge on their food. The pharmacy is ok too. They deliver, which helps when you are velcroed to your bed.
All in all, the area could use a little cafe/bakery with a little live music in the evenings. Unforunately, the AH Consumers Society and the Board of Directors want to hear nothing about anything interesting or artistic for the residents other than the same old boring crap they do all of the time.
Aside from the parking issues that would prevent many people from coming to buy scones or croissants in the morning and a listening to a little jazz or classical in the evenings, I think we could really liven the place up with a little bit of love and a lot of vigilance in protecting our neighbors and our property. I know many of us already do, so try not to jump all over me. Kay...thanks!
*knock knock*
Jack...Jacccckkkk are you in there...?????????????????
Have you any idea how many elderly folks on a limited income in Van Cortlandt Village depend upon a local grocery store? I am speaking about the elderly who cannot make it all the way down to Garden Gourmet or Foodtown.
The "ghetto" environment is a result of a covert mission to flood the area with recovering addicts and mentally challenged adults who PANHANDLE in front of the Big Bodega which is FOOD DYNASTY-TY-TY-TY (said in the voice of Darth Vader as the sound echoes into eternity)and was formerly C-TOWN and at the express bus stop at night when people are returning from work. The Group Home is located down the Hill in a private house on Van Cortlandt Avenue West. Most of us who grew up in the Bronx referred to C-Town as a Big Bodega. Yes, the property is owned by the AH Consumers Society. The lease for the property was signed immediately before regulations were lifted that subsequently allowed for Cooperative Housing Developments to charge market rate rents on their commercial property.
There has been one burglary there that I know of. Someone was smart enough to know where the weak point was in the roof and broke right through.
Yes, the former Managers of the space were beasts and the store was a health hazard...but thats only because the former Managers weren't kicking back any graft to certain Board members of the AHC so the AHC refused to renovate the space.
In steps a person who is interested in running a grocery store...who happily agreed to pay most of the cost of renovations...however, they still have roaches running amuck in the produce section.
The man at the deli counter is a wonderful friendly guy. Keep his family in your thoughts and prayers...his wife is recovering from a stroke. The cashiers are ok too. But I have noted on several occassions pricing conflicts. The sticker often does not reflect the scanned price. I have never purchased meat from anywhere but Stew Leonard or Trader Joes and that has a lot to do with a bad experience at the C-Town where I purchased chicken and when I opened the package to cook it the following day it smelled like raw sewerage. Yes, I called the Health Department.
The Salon next door is actually quite good now that Sonia is running the show. The Pizza Shop (Sorrento's) had MULTIPLE health code violations, so if you want a raging case of diahhrea(sp), feel free to gorge on their food. The pharmacy is ok too. They deliver, which helps when you are velcroed to your bed.
All in all, the area could use a little cafe/bakery with a little live music in the evenings. Unforunately, the AH Consumers Society and the Board of Directors want to hear nothing about anything interesting or artistic for the residents other than the same old boring crap they do all of the time.
Aside from the parking issues that would prevent many people from coming to buy scones or croissants in the morning and a listening to a little jazz or classical in the evenings, I think we could really liven the place up with a little bit of love and a lot of vigilance in protecting our neighbors and our property. I know many of us already do, so try not to jump all over me. Kay...thanks!
ONE LOVE -- I have no idea how a fair reader of my comments could possibly conclude that I was making any assumptions about the demographics of the neighborhood. Trust me -- I am very much aware that many of my neighbors cannot easily travel down the hill to the other stores I referenced. Thanks, but I really did not need your metaphorical knocks, extra letters in my name and excessive use of punctuation marks to clue me in.
The fact remains, grocery shopping options are greatly improved in the immediate Van Cortlandt Village area. 5 years ago I did almost all my shopping by driving outside the neighborhood to Yonkers or Manhattan and avoided the former C-Town like the plague. Today my neighbors and I can take advantage of a much improved market at Sedgwick and Van Cortlandt. Many of us can also walk (or drive) down the hill to take advantage of other local options I mentioned.
Bottom line: "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." The South Bronx is experiencing gentrification. The North Bronx is not. Only the residents, whether they own or rent, can prevent the area from hitting rock bottom and then hoping for a renaissance. This could take a few generations. Better to do something about the sows.
Jack, I agree with you that the Van Cortlandt V. area is unusually blessed with great markets, just a short walk away. The Broadway markets could hold their own in the best areas of the city- they make living in this part of the Bronx a pleasure.
I wish the Food Dynasty held the same standards in food quality. I get the feeling that the competition of markets on Broadway have encouraged excellence, while Food Dynasty takes advantage of being the only local choice in the neighboring blocks.
Let me guess...hmmmm... This 'Jack' has a car, likes yuppie food places, and reads and comments on blogs with his fancy computer. I'll bet my balls that 'Jack' is a white homeowner rather than a minority renter. You're not a true Bronxite. Don't talk to us real Bronxites about food stores until you're forced to shop at Finefare with a benefits card.
Jack...
Got kids?
Do they go to the local schools?
Just wondering...I mean, since all is fine and dandy in the hood.
You must not notice the local drug crimes...how about the major bust @3873 Orloff last week...a kilo of cocaine was tossed out the window and hit a Lt. in the head. DO you know where 3873 is Jack?
How about the teenagers who are traveling in packs and punching other lone teenagers in their face to steal their iPods and cell phones...know anything about that Jack?
Jack, honey, it appears you don't know Jack about whats REALLY good in the hood and how we can work together to make it better. Thats why I am, for the most part, so totally down for the Boogie Downers. They may not be from the hood, but they do have great ideas on how to IMPROVE the area rather than merely gentrify the joint.
See, if we had a local coffee shop/bakery you and I could meet up and discuss Plato or Machiavelli or Locke or KRS-One...alas, we'll never have anthing better for as long as people like you think everything is fine and dandy as is...save for the local big bodega.
As a 30 year resident I want to see more food locations that give food to the residents of the Bronx that need it. Whenever we let a Garden Gourmet or Morton Williams open in our neighborhood and rape the citizens for their hard earned money, we should force them to open up a food pantry that has all the dignity of a real grocery store. Why should those lucky enough to have jobs be able to shop in style, but our neighbors of more meager means be forced to grovel at some shitty pantry in a church basement. If companies want to do business in the Bronx, they need to take care of the Bronx. Period.
I drive to Westchester to get my groceries and I am sick of it. I want to be able to walk down the street and purchase quality food. A few things: one well-groceried strip on Broadway does not equate to a quality shopping experience for Bronxites. Two: The Bronx is not a free market. If it was, the Armory would not be empty and we would not have "food deserts" in which the NYCEDC needs to offer tax incentives to entice Supermarkets. All is not well in the Bronx.
Is there really a need for me to argue that quality food sources (beloved neighborhood grocery stores that do you rip people off) equate increased quality of life which then equates happy, decreased crime? Nah...!
For years, people and companies have gotten away with disinvesting in the Bronx. This is because community members would rather fight amongst themselves than help each other (see previous comments).
Now, to stop allowing companies to disinvest in the Bronx, we need to hold them accountable. Why do we allow Fine Fare on E. Gun Hill and Webster to rip off customer repeatedly? Why don't people report them to the NYC Dept. of Consumer Protection (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/contact/contact_form.shtml)? Hmmmm? Probably for the same reason that a facebook group "Bring FreshDirect to the NorthWest Bronx" failed -- no one copied and pasted the letter and mailed it to FreshDirect. People just expect others to do that... Just like a thread on a Whole Foods website is left empty:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/forums/index.php?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3ab7a46641-decf-4337-a3a5-93b2342d08bfForum%3abbfb0510-f536-4fab-9cec-ae561906a267Discussion%3a9c675795-0b86-4095-af2b-3129e52e075f
Just like the heavily disorganized, feel-good, little action group,Bronx Food & Sustainability Coalition, (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=109617355727056) which is never consistently attended.
I don't even know where to begin with our BP... does he ever answer emails from his Bronx residents? Has he tried to offer a plan to entice quality-Supermarkets to the Bronx?
So argue all you want about who is more hood and who has lived here the longest, but do so while reporting discrepancies in price stickers and the cash register to the Dept. of Consumer Affairs. And for god's sakes, write letters and call quality Supermarkets and ask how you can get them to serve your area. No one is going to do it for you!!!!!!
The only people who need to take care of the Bronx are Bronx residents. Anon's comment at 5:38 scream entitlement and that does not help the Bronx. Bronxites need to step up!
One Love shouldn't get carried away by the Boogie Downers and their good ideas for the neighborhood. If they love it so much, why is their coop for sale?
(Yes, there's a rumor about that.) What suburb are they running to?
As for Anon at 3:40, what's wrong with being a homeowner, white or not? The Bronx has always been a mix of renters and owners. When we no longer respect one another, we deserve the reputation we have.
This blog brings out the worst in some people.
$199K? Surely you jest.
ONE LOVE- Please refrain from calling me "honey". It's patronizing and offensive.
Read what I wrote, please. Stop making stuff up. I never said everything is "fine and dandy" in VCV. I said nothing about all these other issues you introduced. I simply said that C-town/Food Dynasty has improved. That's it.
Food "Dy-Nasty"! Sorry, I couldn't resist!
don't be so sensitive "JACK"...you should be happy I'm not calling you a hypocritical douche...while you laude the VCV and the shops on Broadway, I noticed you didn't answered whether you have children and if they attend VCV schools. You strike me as the type who wants to declare his hood a historic site, in order to pump up the "significance" of the neighborhood to increase the value of your home, buuuuuut you ship your kids outside of the district by any means necessary.
folks are quick to be critical of the boogie downers...but I cannot blame them if they leave with their newborn. crime is going up, quality of life is going down and the neighbors cannot seem to get a grasp on what the hell is going on.
I would sell my apartment,but who is going to buy anything once the police department is forced to share the real stats on crime?
good luck boogie downers!!!
I think everyone commenting here should get out and enjoy the sunshine for a bit. Everyone is making assumptions about my friend Jack (mostly untrue ones) and asking him all sorts of personal questions. Most of the people doing so haven't even given us their handle, much less their name.
Let's all try to be neighborly toward one another, shall we? Together we can tackle neighborhood problems. By sniping at one another we only leave ourselves feeling more isolated in a hostile world.
Coke bust at 3873? My old building? Wow! How can I possibly enjoy the sunshine knowing this, MargaretBX?
As for 10-13 @ 3:40:
"Let me guess...hmmmm... This 'Jack' has a car'"
Ooh! I hate him already! A car? He probably thinks he's too good to ride the subway. I bet his car has really good AC and stereo, too.
"likes yuppie food places"
Not like you, right, anonymous? You keep it real by only eating pizza and bagels.
"reads and comments on blogs with his fancy computer."
You, he should comment on blogs by using smoke signals or a ham radio, not with a fancy computer (by the way, are you using an "un-fancy" computer to comment here?)
"I'll bet my balls that 'Jack' is a white homeowner rather than a minority renter."
Fist, why are you putting his screen name in quotes to dismiss it when you don't even have the "balls" to use any name at all, let alone your actual name? Second, the Bronx is and always has been populated by white homeowners, so if you don't like them; tough.
"You're not a true Bronxite."
Oh, snap! Now you have to tell us why you are a real Bronxite.
"Don't talk to us real Bronxites about food stores until you're forced to shop at Finefare with a benefits card."
Right. Only the poor have relevant opinions. Lay it down, brother.
Did you really think diffusing the situation would get people to back off Jack.
The VCV area is getting WORSE. There are heroind dealers and crack dealers in residences that sandwich P.S. 95...call the 50th Precinct and ask them about the drug arrest statistics in our neighborhood. They'll say they don't have the numbers, but I can tell you dealers are BRAZEN and dealing right on the street.
We have plenty of baseheads and junkies around us because the 50th Precinct is the laziest goddamn precinct in the 5 boroughs. You dont want the stats because then the value of your home plummets...like the dow jones industrial average.
Everyone who loves the Bronx - really loves the Bronx - is a Bronxite in my opinion. But don't bust through the gates declaring yourself more altruistic than the Boogie Downers when you know DAMN well you are concerned more about the value of your home than you are the value of your neighborhood which includes your neighbors.
If you don't like what the Boogie Downers have to say, don't come back. I know I didnt for a while, but I returned because they have heart. If the rumors prove to be true, GOOD FOR THEM...rumors starts went friends prove to be traitorous pieces of garbage which would give the BD's all the more reason to set up camp in greener, cleaner, pastures.
Have a great weekend.
Speaking of the price of food, has anyone ever heard of ANGEL FOOD MINISTRIES DOT COM? Probably not. We don't have a host site in this area. I have written to Rev. Delgado from the Church of the Mediator (231st St. & Kingsbridge Ave.) He collected tons of food for Haiti, yet he won't help his own community? ANGEL FOOD supplies monthly baskets of food. You pick the basket you want and pick it up. They take cash, credit cards and food stamps. With the current economic environment this nabe could really use it. There are benefits to hosting Angel Foods and they list it on the site. Won't you please contact Mr. Delgado and urge him to help this neighborhood? (Oh and the closest host site is on Boston Post Road. Not what I would call convenient.)
Phone: 718-548-3312 / 718-548-0944
E-mail: hispanicmediator@aol.com
I would also like to share this website. Read up on Click-n-fix.
It pertains to the Bronx. If you see a problem within your neighborhood, bring it to their attention and they send it on. I currently am complaining about the local bus service cut. No more buses to and fro 231st to Sedgwick. It's all limited until 6:30 pm. It's listed under Kingsbridge as they don't show a Van Cort Village area YET.
http://www.bronxnewsnetwork.org/p/see-click-fix.html
re: GROUP HOME RESIDENTS PANHANDLING /annoying bus commuters on Sedgwick Avenue. Would someone PLEASE post the name of the agency that runs the group home, and other contact info. if available. Perhaps the group home manager is IGNORING the situation or is UNAWARE of it. I am former group home worker and ALWAYS appreciated feedback from neighbors (good/bad or ugly) and passed it on through the agency. Also, the people who are being "harassed" really need to let 50th Precinct know...and if there is no action, bring your concern to the 50th Precinct Community council or to Community Board #8. If the problem is NOT documented, it will If you are a Park Reservoir or Amalgamated Housing resident, also call Co-op security immediately.
I take the Bx#10 and the BxM#3 bus regularly and have not noticed a problem...neither have 2 elderly female family members.
Please post further helpful info. so that IF needed, I can properly follow-up for you and post back. . Thanks for posting.
sorry to pull up an old thread, i was looking for the hours at food dynasty . . . which unfortunately don't seem to be listed anywhere on the net.
anyway, i moved to an apartment on sedgwick pretty recently (march) from quite a fancy neighborhood in another east coast city. i work from home, so i'm in and out and visiting the food dynasty all the time.
it's honestly way better than any corner market, and i've only encountered one guy begging in front, and i never feel unsafe in this neighborhood at any hour, or that it would be a bad place for kids to walk around. i'm happy with the bag for the buck here in vcv (just learned that this place has a name!) and think that maybe-dirty pizza places and kids stealing each other's ipods happens everywhere.
Thanks for giving me some feedback on the Sedgwick Avenue "pan-handler"...it does seem to be just one guy. Some one/some people MUST be giving him change/money...let's see if come spring there'll be two or three. If would be better if the people who are giving him money, would walk him to the pizza place or deli to SPECIFICALLY buy him food/coffee. I still remain concerned, IF he is a group home resident, that he puts his placement at risk by panhandling.
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