For those on the Hunt: Grand Concourse / Fordham Open House Sat. February 12th, 2pm to 4pm

CENTRURY 21 METRO-STAR
2017 WILLIAMSBRIDGE ROAD
BRONX, NY 10461
Ph: (718) 794-2327









For those interested in a new home in the Grand Concourse / Fordham section of the Bronx, feel free to join Century 21 Real Estate Agent Maria Matias at 55 E 190th Street.

Open House - Saturday February 12th, 2pm to 4pm

1,000 sq foot 1BR co-op in well maintained elevator art-deco buidling close to major transportation hub, parks and shopping district. Minutes to Manhattan via the B,D,4 and various Bus lines. Unit amenities include granite kitchen tops, stainless steel appliances, sunken living room, built in bookcases and plenty of light. Art-deco building features include grand lobby with terrazzo floor and murals. Paid parking spot reserved by present owner at local garage. 90% financing possible. No pets

55 E 190th Street, Unit #25
Asking: $149,999
1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
Sq. footage: approx 1,000 sq feet
Maintenance: $594

For more information please contact Mrs. Maria Matias on her cell at (646) 554-0454 or via e-mail at, marie.matias@gmail.com.

Listing of the Day: Grand Concourse/Yankee Stadium Rental

1015 Grand Concourse - 2 Bedroom, $1450/month

Not a bad price for a two bedroom in a decent hood. This stretch of the Concourse has gotten some attention recently with the roadway's 100 year anniversary last year, the new Yankee Stadium opening over a year ago, and a move to landmark a stretch of the Concourse from 167th and a bit south to 153rd streets. Split the $1450 with a roomie and start saving money so you can move your attention to the sales listings, rather than the rentals.

You'd be close to the Bronx Museum of the Arts in this unit. You'd also be close to Yankee Stadium (if you could ever afford tickets) and Joyce Kilmer Park. There's some shopping down near 161st and along Walton. Further afield is the Gateway Center.

The transportation is pretty nice. You have the D/B at 161st (and the 4 at 161st as well for east side access). The Yankee Stadium Metro North is a little far south for this apartment, but it's there too all the way down on 153rd Street.

FULL LISTING

~ErLu

Grand Concourse Historic Preservation Meeting Tomorrow Evening

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will be hosting a community meeting regarding the proposed historic preservation of the Grand Concourse tomorrow evening, 4/20, at 7pm at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Please see the flyer below for additional details.
Grand Concourse Mtg

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Grand Concourse Rental at a Scamingly Low Rent

167th and Grand Concourse, 2 Bedroom - $1,175/month

This apartment seems crazy cheap for the location and size, so I wouldn't surprised if you got a reply from a Nigerian prince looking for you to wire him the security deposit as a response. But it's worth a shot I guess? Only one listing pic makes it even more suspicious, though.

The hood has got some stuff going for it. You'd be close to the Bronx Museum of the Arts in this unit, which is currently running an exhibition about the Grand Concourse's centennial. You'd also be close to Yankee Stadium (if you could ever afford tickets) and Joyce Kilmer Park. There's some shopping down near 161st and along Walton.

To be honest, this is just a pretty sensible apartment (with a shockingly low rent) that looks well maintained and is in a decent and improving hood. The transportation is pretty nice. You have the D at 167th (and the 4 at 167th to the east). The Yankee Stadium Metro North is a little far south for this apartment, but it's there if you need it all the way down on 153rd Street.

FULL LISTING

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Northern Tip of the Concourse

3201 Grand Concourse #5B, 1 Bedroom - $169,000

This apartment is located just near the Grand Concourse's northern terminus where it intersects with the Mosholu Parkway. The unit itself looks renovated and turn-key move in ready. The listing agent must be pretty proud of the reno and the upgrades, because there are pictures with the listing that are just of some of the stainless steel appliances. It's also a sponsor unit, so you'll be spared jumping through as many hoops in the application/closing process.

The hood is Bedford Park and it does have some pretty cool stuff to offer. You'd be near the Mosholu Parkway, which serves as a long green park (with a road) that connects Bronx Park to Van Cortlandt Park. You'd be near the Bronx Greenway and great biking. The Botanical Garden is pretty damned cool as well, and until October there is a twice weekly farmer's market at the Garden. There is also a farmer's market closer to this unit at Jerome and Mosholu Parkway on Wednesdays.

There is some shopping on 204th on this side of Mosholu Parkway. It's like a little Korea town, with a C-town for general grocery shopping, a Korean BBQ place with a Korean grocery store connected. There's also a bagel/coffee shop there as well. If you cross the Mosholu Parkway there's a bit more on 204th Street/Bainbridge Avenue and lots of stuff on Jerome Avenue. If you want really fresh and quality products like bread, cheeses, meat, fish, pasta, or produce, I'd take the 20-30 minute walk to Arthur Avenue or ride my bike over.

Fordham University and Lehman College always provide cultural offerings to the hood like lectures, talks, plays, and musical performances. Fordham provides pretty decent college sports to the nabe.

The hood is saturated in transportation with the B/D at Bedford Park Boulevard and the Concourse, and the 4 train at Mosholu Parkway and Jerome Avenue.

Further Reading for the Studious Types:

New York Times "Living In - Bedford Park"
The Real Deal "Bronx's Bedford Park Hidden in Plain View"
AMNY "Bedford Park, Bronx"

FULL LISTING

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Grand Concourse Rental

E. 167th Street and Grand Concourse, 1 Bedroom - $905/month

This apartment gave the ole BoogieDowner pause when I looked at the pics. I'm a sucker for sunny apartments with original archways and weird built-in shelf things (look closely on the left side of the first pic). The hardwood/parquet floors look pretty well maintained too.

You'd be close to the Bronx Museum of the Arts in this unit, which is currently running an exhibition about the Grand Concourse's centennial. You'd also be close to Yankee Stadium (if you could ever afford tickets) and Joyce Kilmer Park. There's some shopping down near 161st and along Walton.

To be honest , this is just a pretty sensible apartment that looks well maintained and is in a decent and improving hood. The transportation is pretty nice. You have the D at 167th (and the 4 at 167th to the east). The Yankee Stadium Metro North is a little far south for this apartment, but it's there too all the way down on 153rd Street.

FULL LISTING

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Co-op on the Concourse

800 Grand Concourse 3-ES, 2 Bedrooms, 1.5 Bathrooms - $250,000

Since yesterday was opening night for major league baseball and today is the general opening day, BoogieDowner thought we'd bring you something in the much ballyhooedand speculated upon Yankee Stadium area. This unit is very big (check of the floor plan after the jump). It has two large bedrooms, and one and a half bathrooms. It also boasts of a full time doorman. Another nice option is that parking is available (for $198/month). There is no wait list. If you've ever had to contend with parking in the Bronx that seemingly high number is worth every penny. To top it off, the maintenance is not that bad at $680/month (especially since you're getting a doorman out of the deal).

Here's a little more about hood: You'd find yourself in the heart of the Yankee Stadium development orgy in this apartment. Obviously, the City and the Yankees want this hood to do well. It's probably one of the most heavily visited outer-borough attractions for tourists. Expect an already decent hood to flourish. Now if only you could use slightly illegal municipal bills to fund your next move like the Yankees, you'd be looking at real estate sale listings instead of rentals, but that's fodder for another post.

Joyce Kilmer Park on 161st Street is a nice stretch of green across from the courthouse on 161st. In this apartment you'd be directly across from Fanz Sigel Park. You'd be reasonably close to the new Gateway Center Mall, which is set to open in the next year or so. The Bronx Museum of the Arts is up on 165th and the Grand Concourse, but there is art up and down the Grand Concourse in the 160s and 150s with beautiful Art Deco architecture. You'd also be near the new healthy foodie option 4Food.

Lots of choices for transportation. For those who work on the West Side there is the B/D at 161st. For those who work on the East Side there is the 4 at 161st and Jerome. And pretty soon you'll have a Metro North stop around the corner as well.

Another added bonus of the hood is that if you're a keggler, the nabe's got you covered too; Ball Park Lanes is on 160th and River Avenue (literally across from the soon to be old Yankee Stadium).

FULL LISTING

~ErLu

Grand Concourse Tour Video: Celebrating the Past and Looking to the Future

Thanks to the New York Observer's Eliot Brown for bringing this to our attention in his piece about the Grand Concourse design contest...

We've told you about the 'Intersections: Grand Concourse Beyond 100' contest before... Click here to link to our previous post.

In conjunction with the contest, the Bronx Museum and the Design Trust for Public Space have posted the below video featuring an interview with lifelong Bronx resident, Sam Goodman. It's a video tour of the Grand Concourse which celebrates the past while looking to the future... Check it out:

Sam Goodman on the Grand Concourse from Design Trust on Vimeo.

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Concourse Co-op

Mabel Wayne Pl & East 157th St, 1 Bedroom - $189,000

Even though this apartment is a one bedroom, it's a pretty damn big one at 850 square feet. And all of these building on the Concourse hearken back to a time when the Grand Concourse was the Park Avenue of the Bronx. Many of them are stunning Art Deco masterpieces. By the looks of the lobby shot on here, it seems like the building is one of those masterpieces.

Obviously the proximity to the whole Yankee Stadium development makes this location prime. The Gateway Center should be open this year to provide some top notch shopping. There is decent green space with Franz Sigel and Joyce Kilmer Parks in the hood. The Bronx Museum of the Arts would also be a short walk away. And you'd also be near one of BoogieDowner's favorite bowling amenities: Ball Park Lanes.

Transportation is pretty nice with the 4, B, and D all at Yankee Stadium. Transportation will be getting even more convenient with the new Yankee Stadium Metro North station opening in the next few years.

FULL LISTING

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Grand Concourse Co-op

800 Grand Concourse, 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom - $224,000

Obviously the hood is on the upswing with the whole Yankee Stadium/Gateway Center development orgy happening, but this apartment itself is pretty damned nice too.

The apartment is renovated, has a nice pass through in the kitchen, and how can you not love the pimped out walkway outside of the building with 3 foot tall numbers for the address. You'd also have a 24 hour doorman in the building, which is a rarity in the Bronx outside of foo-foo Riverdale. And the maintenance is only $558! The listing mentions indoor parking, but the BoogieDowner is sure that it must be expensive and wait listed. Just a hunch...

You'd be super close to the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and all the aforementioned Stadium development. Joyce Kilmer and Franz Sigel Parks are pretty cool as well.

Transportation is sweet with the B/D and 4 at 161st Street.

Full Listing

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Yankee Stadium Co-op

800 Grand Concourse 2 Bedroom - $225,000

This apartment is at 157th street on the Grand Concourse - right in the heart of the Yankee Stadium development orgy. Obviously, the City and the Yankees want this hood to do well. It's probably one of the most heavily visited outer-borough attractions for tourists. Expect an already decent hood to flourish. Now if only you could use slightly illegal municipal bills to fund your next move like the Yankees, this real estate purchase would be so much easier.

A rather quirky aspect of the apartment is the serious wall-length disco mirror. But hey, I guess the mirror makes it look bigger*. A really nice amenity is that parking is actually available at an attended garage for $189/month. Even if $189 seems high, it beats not being on a waiting list. Alternate side is a bitch (except for this Tuesday. Because of Diwali, the Hindu festival of Lights alternate side is suspended. Say a prayer of thanksgiving to Lakshmi).

Joyce Kilmer Park on 161st Street is a nice stretch of green across from the courthouse on 161st with a nice lorelei statue (A lorelie is like a German siren. If you don't know what a siren is I can't help you. Read some Homer). Right across from this apartment is the hidden Franz Sigel Park, which park dwellers actually have to ascend to enjoy. It is pretty cool to be elevated over the nabe - a little green oasis in the sky. The Bronx Museum of the Arts is up on 165th and the Grand Concourse, but there is art up and down the Grand Concourse in the 160s and 150s with beautiful Art Deco architecture.

Lots of choices for transportation. For those who work on the West Side there is the B/D at 155th or 161st. For those who work on the East Side there is the 4 at 161st and Jerome. And pretty soon you'll have a Metro North stop around the corner as well (another aspect of the Yankee Stadium development Bacchanalia- it's like real estate Caligula).

Another added bonus of the hood is that if you're a keggler, the nabe's got you covered too; Ball Park Lanes is on 160th and River Avenue (literally across from the soon to be old Yankee Stadium).

*That's what she said

Full Listing

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: 149th and Grand Concourse

631 Walton Ave, 5 Bedroom, 3 Bath - $450,000

The listing calls this Mott Haven, but it's a little far north to be Matt Haven proper. Nonetheless, it is right off of 149th and the Concourse, which is a pretty decent location. The the new Gateway Center shopping complex will be in your back yard, and we're pretty sure the whole Yankee Stadium development orgy will find its way down to this hood.

On top of the nabe being on the cusp of being revitalized, this house itself is a real gem. For starters, the sheer size is enough to give a listing scavenger like myself pause. FIVE bedrooms and THREE bathrooms. Four stories, a roof deck, and fireplace (unclear if it functions, but it sure does look pretty). The listing speaks about a cellar too, although I'm not sure if it is finished. Even if it is not, the storage would be pretty sweet.

Like most Bronx hoods, transportation is efficient and close: the 4 train stops at 149th and the Grand Concourse.

This thing must be a price cut, because full houses in reasonable shape in this hood just don't (or didn't) list for this paltry price. So, once you sort out your portfolio of mortgage backed securities and certified debt swaps, make a smart investment and buy low in the Bronx.

Full Listing

~ErLu

Listing of the Day: Size Matters

1855 Grand Concourse - 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom $199,000

1,440 square feet. Stop and contemplate how much room that is. That's bigger than some houses.

This massive apartment is located on the border region of Morris Heights and Tremont, but like a lot of Bronxites, you'd probably just say you lived "on the Concourse" instead of giving some neighborhood.

If you ever got bored of each of those 1,440 square feet or alternating between your two bathrooms you could enjoy one of three parks in walking distance. Roberto Clemente State Park, which incidentally is not run by the parks department, but by the state - go figure with a name like that - is a 25 acre waterfront park on the Harlem River. The smaller Claremont Park is the closest but also most low key. The biggest and best in the hood is Crotona Park. Crotona Park even has a lake and twenty tennis courts that play host to the the annual Bronx Pro Tennis Classic... take that Queens, with your fancy-ass Arthur Ashe/US Open nonsense!

Transportation couldn't be more convenient. You have your choice of the B/D at Tremont, the 4 at 176th or even the Metro North at Tremont and Park Ave.

Just remember that your broker is lying to you if she tells you size doesn't matter. Once you close on that 300 square foot studio in Bed-Stuy for the same price, she'll be laughing about it with her friends behind your back.

Full Listing

~ErLu

Treasures of the Grand Concourse – Loew’s Paradise Theatre

For those interested in seeking a true experience of the opulence and artistic splendor the Bronx had to offer in its prime, a visit down the Grand Concourse is a must. The famous boulevard was, in its heyday, the Park Avenue or the Champs Elyseé of the borough, a wide tree-lined street flanked by some of the most glorious architectural sights to be seen in all of the Bronx - from Art Deco and Art Moderne to Italianate and Renaissance Revival and beyond.

One of the outstanding destination spots back in the day was the incomparable Loew’s Paradise Theatre, built in the late twenties at a remarkably staggering cost of $4 million!. Opening in 1929 with The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu, the 4,000-seat theater was part of Loew’s magnificent “Wonder Theatre” series, so named for the installation of the ornate Wonder Organs in each of the 5 “Atmospheric Theatres” in different boroughs and neighborhoods of NYC. Former patrons remember being so dazzled by the Italian Baroque Garden ornamentation (with flickering stars on the ceiling, hanging flowers and vines, cypress trees, stuffed birds and classical statues) that they often “forgot to watch the movie”! I think I even read once about live goldfish in the lobby fountain!

Sadly, the decline of the property started in the 1960’s when the theatre began to be partitioned off and much of the opulent, carefully crafted “atmosphere” was concreted over. By 1994, it was closed completely until an attempt was made in 2000 to begin restoration. However, due to an ownership dispute, work halted and it wasn’t until 2005 that the Paradise was once again reopened – as a live theater and special events venue. It is now a NYC registered Landmark.

I haven’t yet had the opportunity to venture inside, but will definitely make a point of doing so and will share what I find with the Boogiedowner audience!

Loew’s Paradise Theatre is located on the Grand Concourse at 184th Street. Take the B/D to 183rd to gawk at opulence.


A special thanks to Dave Beckerman for allowing Boogiedowner to use his beautiful black and white photo of Loew's. Please check out his other black and white, New York-centric work. David even has a section of his website dedicated to the Bronx for all the die-hard Boogiedowners.
DaveBeckerman.com

~Simone Davis