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Mo Gridder’s BBQ – Hunts Point

Only in the Bronx, folks! As much as I travel around the this great borough (in search of anything and everything to dispel the horrible Bronx myths and stereotypes), I must admit to being a tad on the squirmish side at the daunting thought of traveling to the most desolate industrial area of Hunts Point to visit the famous Mo Gridder’s BBQ. While I wouldn’t necessarily want to make the trip at night (Mo’s is only open during the day anyway, so that’s a moot point), my concerns were entirely baseless. The area won’t be winning any prizes in aesthetics or charm, but it felt perfectly safe. And the reward is super cool! I can’t do this place enough justice in a short blog write-up – so check out all these great reviews (NY Times, White Trash BBQ, New York Daily News). Mo’s has got to be one of the most unique dining experiences out there. And hey – if it’s good enough for Guy Fieri and the Food Network, it’s good enough for you! Give ‘em a try!

Getting there: Take the #6 subway to Hunts Point. Either walk (east) the 10 minutes or so or jump on the #6 bus (just make sure to hop off before the bus turns left off of Hunts Point Ave – or you’ll end up in scary no-man’s land like I did.) Bonus: There’s a Citibank across the street to pull cash.

And for those who want a more traditional sit down experience, Mo's just opened a traditional restaurant in Belmont (in the old Roberto's, Belmont and Crescent Aves).

~Simone Davis
www.thebronxrocks.com

Listing of the Day: Hunts Point Building

855 Bryant Avenue, 36 unit 6-story apartment building -$4,000,000

This is an entire building in Hunts Point for what amounts to less than $112,000 per unit. Now we know not many BoogieDowner readers have this kind of dough to through around, but we just wanted to show how cheap one could get an entire building (if $4 mil can ever be described as cheap) if one was in the market for whole buildings.

This building is right down the block from the Bank Note Building, which is set to be a new commercial l loft space that provides shopping and some nice market rate residential lofts in the near future. Not sure at the speed with which this will happen now with the credit crisis, but I guess it will eventually get done.

This building is also close by the brand new Hunts Point Riverside Park as well (so new the parks department hasn't put up pics on its website yet!).

The transportation is not bad, with the 6 train Hunts Point Avenue station close by.

So if the credit morass hasn't crippled your ability to borrow serious amounts of money and you want to roll the dice on Hunts Point, here's a $4,000,000 bet for you.

And if you are really excited about "green" initiatives and new parks, read this NY Magazine article about Hunts Point in 2016, by Alexandra Lange.

Full Listing

~ErLu

South Bronx Businesses are Nice

Daily News' Tanyanika Samuels covers the story of a family meat dealer business in SoBro rising up from a tragic fire with the help of their fellow neighboring businesses.

Master Purveyors, a wholesaler based in the Hunts Point Cooperative Meat Market which provides top quality meat for the likes of Peter Luger, Bobby Van's, Four Seasons, Fairway and Stew Leonard's, was operational 24 hours after a fire ravaged their office and didn't even miss a single order.

How'd they do it? With a little help from their neighboring businesses, who lent them the use of their trailers, office space and equipment.

Master Purveyors is another one of the throngs of businesses who packed up and left the Meatpacking District in Manhattan for the affordability of SoBro.

*Photo courtesy of Schwartz/News*

~ErLu

Other Boroughs Must Be GREEN With Envy... (Part 2)

What better symbol of a city gone green than an electric delivery truck? And it's right here in the BoogieDown baby...

West Bronx Blog reports that Down East Seafood, a wholesale seafood distributor based out of Hunts Point, will be unveiling a zero emissions delivery truck tomorrow at 11am.

Originally based in the Meatpacking District, Down East Seafood is counted among the businesses who have fled oppressive Manhattan rents for the affordability of the South Bronx. Since moving to the Bronx, Down East has seen its number of employees double and its revenue increased by about 40 percent.

Edward Taylor (pictured above), the owner of Down East, was inspired to invest in the electric delivery truck after seeing the positive impacts of the newly created Hunts Point Clean Air Transportation Shuttle, which transports employees to and from the nearest subway station.

According to a U.S. Small Business Association (who was instrumental in providing a loan which enabled him to relocate) press release, Mr. Taylor is so smitten with the South Bronx location of his distribution company that he encourages other businesses to move to the Bronx by saying, "Talk to the SBA, and come to Hunts Point!"

Amen to that Mr. Taylor. Hats off to you and your forward thinking, environmentally friendly business initiatives!

*Photo of Edward Taylor courtesy of Matthew McDermott/NY Post*

~ErLu