FU Students' Neighborhood Recommendations

Earlier in the week we linked to New York Magazine's coverage of Fordham's hot new quarterback... And it turns out our alma mater makes a second appearance in this most recent issue.

They did a piece on NYC college kids' recommendations for neighborhood spots to eat, drink, and shop, and Fordham was the lead school.

Click here to check out what the undergrads had to say about the local amenities. Particularly interesting was their designation of bbq joint MoGriddler's as the "Happening Bar." We didn't even realize that MoGriddler's was open again, never mind being a "Happening Bar." Now Pearl and I know where to frequent when we have a hankering for our mid-morning Red Bull and vodka... Kidding! That's Pearl drink - I'm usually designated driver.

Big ups to Kellster out in Chi-town for reminding me to link to this article.

~ErLu

Citywide Bocce Tournament Finals at Pelham Bay Park This Weekend (Members Only Jackets Required)

The New York Times 'Spare Times' reports the following:

15TH ANNUAL CITYWIDE BOCCE TOURNAMENT: Preliminaries on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at select parks in the five boroughs. The finals on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. will be in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. Sponsored by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Registration: (212)360-8207 or nyc.gov/parks.

In researching whether or not registration for the event was still open (it's not, but we still highly recommend this event as a spectator event), we came across one of the best videos we've seen in a while.

It's a Parks Dept. video covering the 2006 Bocce Tournament Finals at Pelham Bay Park. Think lots of gold chains, wind suits, and Members Only jackets. At the 1:55 point in the video, you can even watch an old Italian guy yell at another old Italian guy (presumably a referee of sorts). While gesturing wildly (as only old Italian guys can) he shouts, "I told the guy to watch the line - eh! eh!"

Another old Bocce enthusiast in the video dismisses such confrontations, saying, "We argue, but that's part of the game. It's a lot of fun to argue. You can't just play bocce and not talk, ya know?"

Sounds like fun... Here's hoping no one gets whacked!

Click here to view the video if you're trying to kill some time at work today.

~ErLu

Armory Supermarket Debate Raging

For those who haven't been following, you should really check out our post on Morton Williams' fight against the proposed supermarket at the Kingsbridge Armory.

We've got nearly 30 comments debating both for and against a new supermarket at the Armory. Just this morning we've updated the post with the following statement we received from CB7 District Manager Fernando Tirado in direct response to Morton Williams:

Unfortunately, Avi Kaner's argument against a big-box supermarket opening up in the Armory doesn't hold water. No matter what Mr. Kaner's beliefs, the fact remains that obesity and diabetes continue to rise within our community and many Bronx residents find themselves forced to shop outside of our borough to find fresh and affordable groceries.

I applaud MW Supermarkets for their recent changes, but the truth of the matter is that the community as a whole still does not have quality supermarkets. I find the opposition to a supermarket in the Armory to be anti-democratic and anti-free market at the expense of the surrounding community. I hope that we can still come up with an alternative that brings healthier and affordable options to the Northwest Bronx.

Fernando P. Tirado
District Manager
Bronx Community Board 7

We couldn't have said it any better ourselves, Mr. Tirado.

~ErLu

Photo of the Day

Glorious Asphalt
The newly repaved E. Mosholu S...
Not a pothole or ConEd construction worker in sight.Photo by ErLu

Gotta Have That Funk...

In what could be one of the coolest concerts in the hood in a while, George Clinton & the P/Funk All Stars will tear the roof off the Lehman Center on Saturday, November 7th at 8pm.

Tickets range in price from $45 to $60... click here for more info and to purchase tickets.

Lehman Center should be smelling sweet and tangy for quite some time after this show, wouldn't ya say?

~ErLu

Big Deals

4401 Bronx Blvd. was recently acquired by Montefiore Medical Center

The Real Deal reported the following in the beginning of September:

The Montefiore Medical Center has purchased the Farrand Building, a former rehabilitation center, at 4401 Bronx Boulevard for $5.19 million. Formerly operated by Our Lady of Mercy Medical, the 40,000-square-foot building will be used in the same capacity by its new owners, according to a statement from Kelly Lee, a representative for NAI Friedland Realty. The realty group's Rick Stassa represented both buyer and seller in the transaction. TRD

It's great to see Monte snapping up such a huge property during this real estate downturn. To the average observer, everything they own is impeccably maintained and their presence brings a sense of stability to neighborhoods.

GlobeSt.com reports the following affordable housing project in Morrisania:

Bronx Pro Real Estate Management opened a new 90-unit affordable housing development at 1085 Washington Ave., in the Morrisania section of the Bronx on Tuesday, according to a release from the management company. The building’s anchor tenant will be DreamYard, a local provider of art education to K-12 aged students.

Bronx Pro says it has completed new construction and renovation projects through the Neighborhood Entrepreneur and New Foundations programs, sponsored by the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. In the release, Peter Magistro, president of Bronx Pro, says, “this building is a testament not only to Bronx Pro’s commitment to developing quality affordable housing, but our commitment to the creation of new communities in the Bronx.”

The New York City Housing Development Corp. provided a $13.6-million construction loan, $5.7 million in permanent financing and a $4.95-million subsidy. Other partners included Enterprise Community Partners, who provided Bronx Pro with an acquisition loan equaling $3.4 million, $95 million in tax credit equity and a $40,000 Green Communities Grant.

The new building includes a 1,850-square-foot green rooftop garden that’s certified a “natural habitat in the Bronx” that includes a sustainable native organic garden, birdhouses and a solar powered birdbath. According to he release, the roof will provide a “safe haven for migrating or native birds, butterflies and bees that may be seeking sanctuary in the Bronx.”[GlobeSt.com]

Good stuff!

~ErLu

Mott Haven Playdate or Story Time?

We know firsthand how difficult it is to find stuff for babies and toddlers to do during the day if they're not in a daycare situation. Besides story time at the library and hitting the local parks, we've found it to be pretty hard to find ways for Pearl to interact with other kids. We're sure we're not alone in this problem, which is why we are happy to reach out to our readers on behalf of Sheridan, a Mott Haven mom interested in forming a playgroup in her area or even getting a story time off the ground in her library. Here's what she has to say:

Hi, I'm a working mom living in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx on Alexander Avenue. I'm looking to set-up play dates for my 10 month old son, Maximilian, with children of a similar age range. Our care-giver will most likely be with our son so play dates can be hosted at our home or within walking distance in the neighborhood. I'm also interested in learning whether any parents with infants would be interested in joining a story time group at the Mott Haven Library on Alexander Avenue. The library will only set up a group with 5 or more children. I can be reached at 646-610-5221 (work) and 718-742-0246 (home). Thank you!

Sheridan A.

Anyone interested in reaching out to Sheridan should call her at the above numbers. You can also shoot us an email and we'll be sure to forward it to Sheridan.

~ErLu