The Bronx

May 27, 2016

Housing Lottery Launches for 135 New Rentals in Mott Haven, From $538/Month

Up-and-comer "It" neighborhood Mott Haven in the South Bronx kicks off a brand new housing lottery today with 135 new rentals up for grabs at 500 Union Avenue. The 14-story residence, dubbed the Crossroads II Plaza, has been dedicated to below-market rate housing and is part of the larger three-building Crossroad Plaza project, which includes a include a 21,278-square-foot community facility and 37,687 square feet of commercial space. Affordable apartments have been priced between $538-$861 for one-bedrooms, $655-$1,042 for two-bedrooms, and $749-$1,196 for three-bedrooms.
FInd out if you qualify here
May 10, 2016

Housing Lottery Kicks Off For 140 New Apartments in the Bronx, Starting at $788

The Bronx is the state's fastest growing county, and its development boom continues to add hundreds of units to the city's depleted affordable housing stock. Now today, an affordable housing lottery has officially kicked off at 655 Morris Avenue that will bring 140 below-market rate units to the revitalized Melrose/Concourse Village section of the borough. Rising 15 stories from a long-vacant lot, the 217,579-square-foot development will contain a mix of apartment sizes: seven studios are priced from $788 per month; 62 one-bedrooms from $847; 65 two-bedrooms from $1,025; and 6 three-bedroom units from $1,182. The apartments are created through the city's LAMP program and are able to be rented out at affordable rents because of the low-cost financing offered to the developers. The program is reserved for households earning 60 percent of the annual median income (AMI) of the NYC region, therefore individuals can have a maximum income of $38,100 and households of six up to $105,600.
See if you qualify
May 5, 2016

489 New Units of Affordable/Elderly Housing to Rise on Land in Brooklyn and the Bronx

The de Blasio administration is expected to announce plans to lease New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) land to build nearly 500 apartments for low-income and elderly tenants in three buildings of up to 16 stories within existing housing projects in Brooklyn and the Bronx, according to the New York Times. The sites, on parking lots and grasslands within the projects, were included in the housing authority's initiative to improve deteriorating public housing, as well as increase the number of new affordable units. More controversial plans are also in the works to add market-rate housing within public housing projects in prime real estate locations.
Find out more
April 29, 2016

Lottery Commences for 79 Affordable Units in Crotona Park East

A couple weeks ago, 6sqft got word of an affordable housing lottery at 1702 Bryant Avenue in the Bronx's Crotona Park East, "one of a few areas that seemed slow to catch up with the rest of the borough." Five years ago, the city rezoned this small neighborhood from light industrial use to residential, which created a rise in affordable housing opportunities. The latest offering is at 950 East 176th Street. It's Building A of the Crotona Terrace development and will have 79 affordable units. Though the address is just a few short blocks from the park, it's also directly adjacent to the Cross Bronx Expressway and elevated tracks of the 2/5 trains, a fact that might seem like less of a nuisance considering the apartments range from $975/month studios to $1,486/month two-bedrooms.
Find out if you qualify
April 28, 2016

First Look at COOKFOX’s Affordable Housing Development in East Tremont

Here's a first look at a new two-building development in the Bronx's East Tremont section designed by COOKFOX. Developed by nonprofit Breaking Ground, the project will include housing for low-income families and formerly homeless individuals, in addition to on-site social services and a community room. The structure will be encased in brick, which will have alternating rows protruding and receding by a half inch, giving it an appearance meant to reference "ocean sand or tree bark patterns." It will also boast many eco-efficient features and will qualify for Zone Green benefits, allowing extra floor area for affordable homes, according to the architects.
More on the project
April 25, 2016

Live Near the Newly Opened High Bridge for $975/Month

The latest in a wave of recent affordable housing lotteries includes six buildings in the Bronx -- three in High Bridge, right near the newly opened and much-hyped overpass, and three farther east in Soundview. All together there are 20 newly constructed units up for grabs (though it's not clear how many are at each address), ranging from $975/month studios to $1,709/month three-bedrooms.
More details ahead
April 15, 2016

Post-Modern Bronx Mansion With 35-Foot Atrium and 10 Skylights Wants $2M

The Bronx's Fieldston neighborhood is considered one of the city's best preserved early 20th century suburbs, unique for its collection of revival-style homes (Tudor, Mediterranean, and Colonial, mainly). But this mansion at 4545 Delafield Avenue is in a category all its own. The post-modern structure was built in 1994 by noted local firm Isaac & Stern, who designed a stucco-covered, geometric creation that looks straight out of "Miami Vice." Now on the market for $1,950,000 (down from the original $2.4 million ask last year), the residence is just as mod inside as it is outside, with a 35-foot entry atrium complete with huge skylights, arched columns, and black granite floors.
Check it all out
April 14, 2016

Lottery Opens for 10 Affordable Units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East Neighborhood

In 1977, when President Jimmy Carter visited the South Bronx and declared it the worst neighborhood in the country, he was standing in Crotona Park East, a small neighborhood nestled in the triangle bordered by the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Harlem River, and Crotona Park. Though the Bronx dropped this reputation a long time ago, Crotona Park East was one of a few areas that seemed slow to catch up with the rest of the borough, but five years ago, the city rezoned this stretch from light industrial use to residential, creating a boom in affordable housing opportunities. The latest such development is located at 1702 Bryant Avenue, where 10 newly constructed affordable units are up for grabs through the city's housing lottery. The unit are $931/month one-bedrooms for one person earning between $31,920 and $38,100 annually and two people earning between $31,920 and $43,500.
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April 12, 2016

The Bronx’s Depression-Era Boxcar Village, Where Lodging Was $3/Month

When the Great Depression hit, homelessness exploded, leaving most cities ill prepared to house this growing population. As 6sqft previously reported, "Homeless people in large cities began to build their own houses out of found materials, and some even built more permanent structures from brick. Small shanty towns—later named Hoovervilles after President Hoover—began to spring up in vacant lots, public land and empty alleys." The largest such settlement was on Central Park's great lawn, but smaller Hoovervilles popped up elsewhere, especially in Inwood and the Bronx, where many working-class New Yorkers had moved to follow north the construction of the subway. At Spuyten Duyvil Road and 225th Street there was a Boxcar Village, a collection of 40 boxcars where rent was $3 a month to live four men to a car.
The full history, this way
March 30, 2016

Apply Today for Two $939/Month One Bedrooms Near the Best Bronx Attractions

The Bronx is having a moment, thanks in part to popular institutions like the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, and Italian food mecca along Arthur Avenue. If you want to get in on the action, you can now enter the lottery for newly constructed, $938/month affordable apartments nearby at 863 Fairmount Place in Tremont. There's just one little catch -- only two units are available.
Find out if you qualify
March 9, 2016

Affordable Housing Lottery at Colgate Close Starts in Soundview, Priced $696/Month

In the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx, the Arker Companies has commenced the affordable housing lottery process for their latest ground-up building, Colgate Close. Located at 1092 Colgate Street, where the semi-industrial area along the Bronx River evolves into a low-scale residential community, the five-story complex will contain 32 studio and one-bedrooms targeted for low-income households earning between $25,200 and $30,250 for a single person and $27,052 and $41,460 for two people. Depending on income, studios will be priced at $696 or $847 per month and one-bedrooms at $749 and $910 per month.
More details this way
February 29, 2016

Beyond Bars: Designers Reimagine Rikers Island As a Destination

The 413-acre plot of city-owned land, most of it landfill, that makes up Rikers Island is known more for its impenetrable prison than its waterfront property and breathtaking city views. Recently City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called for the closing of the jail complex, reports Crains, calling it an "ineffective, inefficient,” symbol of outdated policies and approach to criminal justice. An independent commission headed by Jonathan Lippman, the state's former top judge, is creating a blueprint for accomplishing the prison’s closing. There is significant opposition to the idea, though others, from Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the New York Times editorial board are behind it.
Find out what could replace the jail
February 25, 2016

Lottery Open for 77 Affordable Units for Seniors at Dattner Architects’ Van Cortlandt Green

It's been widely noted that New York has an ever-growing population of low-income elders, and a new affordable housing project in Riverdale seeks to address the issue. Designed by Dattner Architects (who are also behind the Bronx's huge West Farm Redevelopment Plan), the brand-new building at 6469 Broadway is known as Van Cortlandt Green and overlooks the park. It will offer 77 studios for $832/month for those age 62 and older. They're available to one person earning between $26,430 and $36,300 annually and two persons earning between $26,430 and $41,460, according to the NYC HDC.
Find out how to apply
February 22, 2016

Lions and Tigers and Buildings, Oh My! The Architecture of the Bronx Zoo

As home to four thousand animals representing more than 650 species, the Bronx Zoo has been delighting children and grownups alike since 1899. But it’s not simply the extensive array of wildlife that makes this world-renowned conservation park a pleasure to stroll around. Nestled among the 265-acres of parklands and beautifully-replicated natural habitats is a collection of architecture that almost rivals the main attraction. Ahead we'll visit the zoo's most notable constructions, which though may draw upon the architectural styles of various eras—from Beaux-Arts to Brutalism—do culminate into one succinct and spectacular display of design.
Tour the zoo's architectural beauty
February 3, 2016

Bronx Rail Yards Could Become a $500M Mega-Development

Back in September, Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. put forth a plan to transform an abandoned stretch of rail tracks in Mott Haven into a Lowline-style park. There hasn't been much in the way of updates since then, but now Diaz is turning his sights to another set of tracks, this one much larger and in the northwest Bronx. The Real Deal cites findings from the borough prez that claim the MTA's Concourse Yards, a 19-acre open-air subway depot, could be decked over to yield two million square feet of development rights, resulting in a mega-project like Hudson Yards. At an estimated cost of $350-$500 million (Hudson Yards cost $800 million by comparison), the project would require no rezoning and would be "a real opportunity to not only provide much-needed homeownership, mixed-income housing and retail space, but to allow Lehman College to expand by better connecting it to the Bedford Park neighborhood and making it a true community campus," according to Diaz's report.
More details
February 3, 2016

RKTB Architects Design Two New Affordable Housing Buildings in the Bronx

Yesterday, the architecture world was abuzz with newly released renderings of Bjarke Ingels' NYPD station house in the Bronx. Nearby, a couple of other buildings are set to rise, and though they may not have the same starchitect cachet, they'll certainly attract some attention for the fact that together they'll offer 269 units of affordable housing. Designed by RKTB, the architects behind our favorite castle conversion at 455 Central Park West, the buildings are planned for Saint Anne's Avenue in the South Bronx, and their designs illustrate how far the city has come in raising the aesthetic quality of government-funded housing.
Find out all about the projects here
February 2, 2016

Bjarke Ingels Is Designing a $50M NYPD Station House in the South Bronx

Taking a break from his glitzy builds like the Via tetrahedron and 2 World Trade Center, starchitect Bjarke Ingels is taking on a project that is much more modest, yet just as laudable–a station house for the NYPD's 40th Precinct in the South Bronx (h/t Curbed). The $50 million commission, facilitated under the Department of Design and Construction, is located in the Melrose section of the borough and will resemble a "stack of bricks," according BIG's website, "referencing the rusticated bases of early NYC police stations." Spanning three stories, rising 59 feet, and encompassing 43,000 square feet, the precinct will be the first ever to include a green roof, not surprising considering Ingels' commitment to incorporating nature into his buildings.
More details ahead
January 31, 2016

A New York Minute With Urban Revitalization Consultant Majora Carter

6sqft's new mini-series A New York Minute features influential New Yorkers answering spitfire (and sometimes very random) questions about their life in the big city. Want to nominate yourself or someone you know? Get in touch! The last time we checked in with Majora Carter she was spearheading a proposal to turn Spofford Juvenile Center in Hunts Point into mixed-income housing—but that's just a kernel on her resume. Majora is an urban revitalization strategy consultant, real estate developer, and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. Her 2006 TEDtalk "Greening the Ghetto," was one of the first six videos to ever appear on TED's website, and in it she passionately describes her solutions for environmental equality in the South Bronx. Now, fast forward ten years later, and she's still pushing for green infrastructure projects in her beloved neighborhood. We recently caught up with Majora to find out some fun facts, including what she loves, hates and would change about New York City.
Majora's NY minute this way
January 17, 2016

A New York Minute With Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

6sqft's new series A New York Minute features influential New Yorkers answering spitfire (and sometimes very random) questions about their life in the big city. Want to nominate yourself or someone you know? Get in touch! With the somewhat-recent arrivals of The Bronx Brewery and Trump Gold Links at Ferry Point, as well as talks of a Lowline-style park and bringing back streetcars, it's no wonder Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has described the borough as "The New Bronx." Though BP Diaz has only held his position for about seven years, he's a lifelong Bronxite, and he's taken some time out of his busy schedule to chat with 6sqft about what his life has been like in the Boogie Down.
BP Diaz's NY minute this way
January 11, 2016

This $1.95M Mediterranean Revival Home in Historic Fieldston Holds Some Modern Surprises

The leafy, well-tended Fieldston Historic District–one of New York City's only privately owned neighborhoods–lies within the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. Here inside this 4,200-square-foot whitewashed stucco Mediterranean Revival home you'll find original 1901 details, modern, energy-efficient updates and at least five bedrooms–just twenty minutes from Lincoln Center. Altogether it's a mix of suburban quietude, townhouse grandeur and a New York City address, for $1.95 million. in addition to plenty of room on two stories for living and entertaining–plus outdoor space for gardening–there are a few 21st century surprises.
Take the tour
January 4, 2016

Dr. Zizmor of Subway Ad Fame Retires and Sells Bronx Mansion All in One Day

Local celebrity Dr. Jonathan Zizmor has been both charming and perplexing subway riders for decades, thanks to his dermatology ads that subtly peddle cosmetic surgery against a rainbow background. But these will soon be a thing of the past, as the Daily News reported this morning that Dr. Zizmor has officially retired and closed his Upper East Side practice. And just hours later, Curbed broke the news that the doctor's Mediterranean Revival mansion in the Fieldston section of the Bronx has gone into contract for $3.075 million after three years on the market. (Bet you never thought you'd hear so much Dr. Zizmor news in day!)
Take a tour of his grand home
December 29, 2015

Outrageous Bronx Mansion Built for Jesus’ Second Coming Can Be Yours for $10M

Up in Riverdale, atop the second-highest peak in the city, is an opulent mansion that beckons to the heavens–literally–that's about to hit the market for $10 million. The grand, 17-room home was built back in 1928 by its eccentric owner who never actually lived in the home herself, but rather constructed it for Jesus' second coming. Genevieve Ludlow Griscom was by then the widow of Clement Acton Griscom Jr., a prominent shipping executive. She was a member of a cult-like religious group called the Outer Court of the Order of the Living Christ, which was rooted in Episcopalian beliefs, but focused on "reincarnation and Christian mysticism," according to the Post. "The property was built as the group’s summer retreat and was surrounded by a high fence, leading neighbors to speculate that it was home to strange rituals," they added.
Get the rest of the strange history ahead
November 30, 2015

A Co-op at This Striking Freestanding House on City Island Asks $600K

You definitely don't see listings like this everyday. This freestanding home comes all the way from City Island, a small Bronx neighborhood that also happens to be an island about a mile and a half long by a half mile wide. At this seaside village (where about 4,500 New Yorkers live), Victorian homes with porches aren't all that rare. Still, despite the fact you can access Manhattan by the 6 train and then the bus, it does feel like this whole area is a secret hideaway in New York City. Although the property at 33 Tier Street is a freestanding home, this listing is for a co-op apartment within the residence. The apartment in question holds two bedrooms, 1,200 square feet, and waterfront views. Plus, residents have access to the dreamy front porch. The asking price? $599,021 with a monthly maintenance of $700.
Check it out
September 30, 2015

The Bronx May Get Its Own Lowline-Style Park at Abandoned Mott Haven Rail Tracks

Ever since the High Line became an international phenomenon, there have been countless proposals across the city for elevated parks and public spaces made from abandoned train tracks. The latest comes from the Bronx, where Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is asking Mayor de Blasio to transform a piece of unused railway in Mott Haven that is currently a "homeless encampment populated by drug users," according to the Daily News. Because the "litter-and-needle-strewn" trench is below street level, it's being called a lowline, after the underground park taking shape on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
READ MORE
September 18, 2015

New Yorker Spotlight: Chris Gallant of the Bronx Brewery Brings Craft Ales to the Boogie Down

Brooklyn is no longer the only borough making a name for itself in the local craft beer industry. Thanks to the Bronx Brewery, the northernmost borough is staking a claim in the market with a fun spot dedicated to making pale ales. Founded in 2011 by co-presidents Chris Gallant and Damian Brown, the Bronx Brewery is located in Port Morris, a mixed-use neighborhood near the Major Deegan Expressway. While still young, the brewery in the Boogie Down is certainly finding a following with its impressive lineup of year-round and seasonal beers that can be found on tap and in stores throughout the tri-state area. With a tasting room, tours, and a backyard to sit back and relax in, it's quickly becoming a popular spot for both locals and Manhattanites looking for a day trip. We recently spoke with Chris to learn how the Bronx Brewery came to be and how the company has evolved and grown over the last few years.
Our convo with Chris right this way
August 11, 2015

The Bronx Is Getting a New Mixed-Use High-Rise Near Yankee Stadium

Brooklyn and Queens have been flush with new condos and rental developments lately, now it's time for the Bronx to get in on the action. Local developer M. Melnick & Co. has begun construction of a mixed-income, 17-story residential and commercial high rise at 810 River Avenue that will be the area's first since it was rezoned in 2009. The company dates back to 1934 and has proven to be reliable builders of multi-family, senior, supportive and mixed-use housing developments around the city.
Find out more right here