161st Street/River Avenue Rezoning - Approved!

Melrose and Concourse Village will benefit tremendously from the newly adopted rezoning of East 161st street from Park Avenue , the eastern most part of the new zoning area, across to the west towards River Avenue right at the new Yankee Stadium. The new zone then proceeds south along River Avenue to East 153rd Street right where the new Metro North station opened earlier this year as well as the Gateway Mall which also opened earlier this year. (click on any image to expand the view of that image)

What exactly does this mean for us in Melrose as well as our neighbors in Concourse Village? Simply put with a minimal rezoning of just a few lots in what is the most important corridor of The Bronx, we are set to gain more office buildings as well as more residential units in an area that is still growing considering there is a recession and decline in real estate projects in general.

For those of you who do not know, East 161st Street is the heart of The Bronx as it is the main thoroughfare in Civic Center. Within 3 blocks you have The Bronx Borough Hall, Yankee Stadium, what will be the Heritage Park once the old Yankee stadium is demolished, the old Criminal Courthouse, the new Bronx Hall of Justice, Concourse Plaza Mall which currently houses the office building where the offices of the Borough President are located. On the western end of that corridor you have the 4, B and D trains at River Avenue/E 161st Street and the easternmost end of the new zoning area you have the Melrose Metro North station at 162nd Street and Park Avenue.

The new zone is divided into 3 nodes each with specific goals and are as follows:

• 
  The Transit Node, which comprises River Avenue from East 162nd Street down to East 153rd Street, will encourage high-density development adjacent to the 4, B and D train station at 161st Street and River Avenue. Some of the lots that are now rezoned will allow for 10, 18 and 27 story office towers. Of all 3 nodes, the Transit Node will eventually have the most dramatic impact on the area once a developer comes up with an idea to properly integrate office towers of such heights in the area which should not be difficult since they will be located at the nexus of The Bronx's courthouses.

• Civic Node focuses on the heart of, well the Civic Center and runs from Concourse Village West between East 159th Street and half a block North of East 161st Street down East to Concourse Village East and Morris Avenue. This node will focus on the fact that there is a wide open gap between the Concourse Plaza Office building and the Melrose Office Building which is occupied by the mall's parking lot. As described above, this gap can now be filled in with a 10-13 story office building with enough set back to still allow access to the mall itself and the movie theatre. There are also a few underutilized lots with only 1-2 stories of commercial use where a 6-8 story commercial building can be built.

• Residential Node is at the easternmost end and meets the Melrose Commons area of Melrose as well as the currently-under construction Courtlandt Corners. This node will now allow for development on the current commercial and residential lots which are occupied by 1 story commercial and 2-3 story 2-3 family homes. With 161st Street being such a busy street, this area is very underutilized and does not benefit the neighborhood as is improved. Where the commercial building sits at the northeast corner of 161st Street and Morris Avenue, a 12 story residential building will now be allowed with a commercial overlay to allow for ground floor commercial. The entire block which it sits on has now been rezoned for such development.

Once developers take advantage of the new zone and the City of New York does its part now that it has approved the zoning, the 161st Street Corridor will be a beautiful street linking the Transit Node where the 4, B and D trains are located, Bronx Borough Hall, Yankee Stadium, Civic Center with the new Boricua Village and its vertical 14 story campus for 2,000 students, 4 residential apartments of low to mixed incomes and middle incomes (approximately 700 apartments in total) and Courtlandt Corners currently under construction which an additional 323 units.

This is truly an exciting time to be living in Melrose. A big Melrose THANK YOU to the City Council and Department of City Planning for approving the new zoning on September 30, 2009! Thanks for your continued support in rezoning a once neglected and abandoned area!

Diagrams compliments of New York City Department of City Planning.

Spotlight: South Bronx Food Co-op - A Healthy Way of Eating For All

With an alarmingly high percentage of obese and overweight residents in the South Bronx, The South Bronx Food Co-op is a beacon in Melrose to the rest of the surrounding neighborhoods. Located at 3103 Third Avenue @ East 158th Street in Melrose, the Co-op offers a variety of fresh organic produce, whole grains, hormone-free meats and dairy products as well as eco-friendly household and person products.

No longer do local residents have to travel into Manhattan to go to Whole Foods to obtain basic organic food and green products that are good for the environment. With the South Bronx Food Co-op, on a smaller scale, you have everything that they offer and more because they will special order certain items. But that is not all what the Co-op offers.

The Co-op is a community run and founded organization that dedicates itself to be the green alternative to for profit supermarkets in the local area. They contract with local farmers to bring in the freshest produce and products from as locally as possible to minimize the carbon footprint of our eating habits. Along with these principles they also provide services such as cooking classes, nutrition education (workshops run by healthcare professionals from Montefiore Hospital), health screens, fitness workshops (including three yoga classes with one in Spanish).

Although you do not have to join the South Bronx Food Co-op to benefit from what they offer, if you join you get a discount on all prices in the store. All products are labeled with two prices, one for members and another for non members which is considerably lower. Membership fees are also very reasonable for all economic situations. Senior Citizens and those on certain types of public assistance can join for $40.00; Students for $60.00; Families of 2 or more $80.00 and $120.00 for just regular folks. Note: you must provide ID to prove you qualify for the discounted membership fees and also know that these fees are ONLY ONE TIME FEES and can be PAID IN $10.00 INSTALLMENTS. This makes it attractive to all residents who desire to make a change within themselves, their families and their communities by affording them the opportunity to pay such a low installment.

As a member of the Co-op you are required to work 3 hours every 4 weeks which really isn't much considering that time is money after all and by working just 3 HOURS every 4 weeks you are helping keep prices down.

For more information visit their website, call 718-401-3500, email at info@sbxfc.org or just simply drop by and say hello at 3103 Third Avenue between East 158th and East 159th Streets right here in the Heart of Melrose. Slowly but surely with the likes of the South Bronx Food Co-op and healthy eating alternatives such as PeaceLove Cafe, Melrose and the rest of the South Bronx is eating to a healthier future.

A big Melrose THANK YOU to the South Bronx Food Co-op for providing us with a healthy alternative to eating right!

South Bronx May Be a Banking Wasteland But Not Here In Melrose

Not too long ago the New York Daily News declared that "The South Bronx is a banking wasteland" in an article of the same name which points out how under served the general area is when it comes to banks. According to the article there are only 27 banks in an area that has an estimated population of 500,000 residents.

Luckily for people who live in Melrose this is not case because thanks to it being part of The Hub, the nexus of subways (2 & 5 lines) and buses (2, 4, 15, 19, 21, 41, 55), office buildings and neighborhoods (where Melrose and Mott Haven meet), there are 8 Banks in a 2 block radius from Third Avenue/149th Street/Melrose Avenue/Willis Avenue intersection. Up until recently there were 9 banks however with Chase swallowing up Washington Mutual, Melrose is sans 1 but still is light years beyond any other South Bronx neighborhood and probably any Bronx neighborhood for that matter.

The only drawback with the location of these banks is that they are at the southern border of Melrose and the northern fringes are left virtually devoid of banks with the exception of Bank of America at Concourse Place on 161st Street. With over a 1,000 apartments being constructed over the next few years along East 161st Street in just a 2 block span with Courtlandt Corners and Boricua Village as well as the already existing new condominiums, The Aurora and The Orion, banks who do not seize the ground-floor retail spaces available at either development on East 161st Street is going to be one sorry bank.

If banks down in Manhattan can have 2 or 3 branches within blocks of each other, this fast growing and vibrant neighborhood certainly deserves the same rights afforded to more affluent neighborhoods. By adding more branches to the northern border of Melrose it will not only enhance the already existing banking opportunities to Melrose residents, it will also benefit our neighbors to the north, Morrisania which according to the Daily News article is one of the most under served South Bronx neighborhoods.

So what do you say Wall Street and Bankers??? Time to put your banks where your mouths are...in the neighborhoods of the working class.

CLICK ON THE MAP BELOW FOR A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT BANK LOCATIONS IN MELROSE!

Welcome to Melrose Milestone...of Sorts

14 days, 15 entries (including this one) is how long we've been on the web. Yesterday we hit a milestone of sorts...for the first time since starting this blog 2 weeks ago, Welcome to Melrose had over 200 hits yesterday, Wednesday, September 23, 2009 and we could only thank YOU, the followers who continue to read up on Melrose and what we have to offer on a daily basis and spreading the LOVE! Since it's launch we have consistently grown in hits on a daily basis from starting around 70 hits per day to over 140 hits daily especially since our friends The BoogieDowners gave us a nice shout out! (Please do visit their blog as it is by far THE finest blog about The Bronx!)

As Welcome to Melrose continues to grow in readership, I personally invite YOU, the public and citizens of Melrose, to feel free to drop me a note sometime and let me know if there is that special Melrose resident, business or organization that you would like featured.

Once again, a big Melrose THANK YOU to all of you who continue to visit and support this blog.

Real Estate Values in Melrose on the Rise According to Zillow

According to Zillow.com, property values are on the rise over the past 12 months and is one of only 3 neighborhoods with increasing values in the entire Bronx. Check out the the data below comparing Melrose to other neighborhoods in the South Bronx.

Zillow Home Value Index

More Melrose Home Values

*Note: No data was available for Port Morris and Hunts Point due to lack of sales data.

Safety Concerns in Melrose

Most people when they hear about Melrose and that it's located in the South Bronx their first thoughts are of murders galore. But NYPD statistics say the contrary. So far in 2009 there have only been 2 murders in Melrose compared to 6 murders on the Upper East Side/Lower East Harlem area between East 96th and East 110th Streets and 3 in the East Harlem area between East 110th and and East 125th Street for a total of 9 murders in 2009 in the general East Harlem area. Also right across the river in Harlem a total of 9 murders compared to 2 in Melrose have been reported. Don't believe it? Check it out for yourself on the New York City Interactive Homicide Map by the New York Times.

People also measure "safe neighborhoods" by whether or not Yellow Taxi Cabs from Manhattan venture into said neighborhoods late at night. Last Thursday while I was taking pictures of local 24 hour eateries, I snapped pictures of 3 cabs in the general neighborhood in a span of 5 minutes...so next time you're downtown late at night and want to take a cab instead of the subway, rest assured that the driver will not balk at your request and will gladly take you there. (FYI when coming home to Melrose late at night in a cab, tell the driver to take Madison straight up over the Madison Avenue Bridge and make a left onto 3rd Avenue in The Bronx. This route is faster than the FDR and a little cheaper as well)

Pictures of the Day - A walk through Melrose

Was I walked to and from my parents' place today on Morris Avenue, I decided to snap a few pictures of the area, particularly of some of my favorite buildings.

Facing west on East 149th Street (corner of Morris Avenue)

House on East 151st Street

Apartment building on Courtlandt Avenue @ East 152nd Street

The crown jewel of East 151st Street (the stretch of East 151st Street between Morris and Courtlandt Avenues has some of the best kept homes and buildings and throughout the worse years in the area, sanity always seemed to have kept hold of this block.)

Side view of 614 Courtlandt Avenue (which is for sale at $800,000...and is the LAST landmark building for sale in Melrose)

Our Lady of Pity Roman Catholic Church - Closed as of 2007 when the Archdiocese of NY closed and merged parishes in an attempt to save money.

Facing West on East 151st Street between Morris and Courtlandt Avenues

Another building on East 151st Street...

...and another...

...and yet another!

Melrose is Night Owl Friendly

While many of the outer boroughs and their neighborhoods sleep at night, Melrose is abuzz with 24 hour activity. You may wonder, "What is open after midnight into the wee hours of the morning besides bodegas and fried chicken restaurants?" (not that there is anything wrong with the aforementioned establishments but sometimes one might want to eat something that won't harden your arteries or ruin that figure you've worked so hard to achieve. The answer is quite a few.

There's Lincoln Cafe, directly across from Lincoln Hospital on E 149th Street at the corner of Morris Avenue where you can get your sandwiches made to order and find a selection of healthy potato chip brands like Dirty Potato. On the next block right on E 149th Street between Morris and Courtlandt Avenues you have Dunkin Donuts and La Isla Restaurant specializing in Puerto Rican and Dominican dishes (ok so not necessarily healthy but they're open if you need to get your fix at 3AM).

As you walk further down 149th Street and you pass a castle of a certain color that is open 24 hours (delicious but as unhealthy as it gets) you get to the Times Square-esque intersection (sans the bright lights, ads and billions of people) of 3rd Avenue/East 149th Street where Melrose Avenue begins as well as Willis Avenue. If you head North on Melrose past PeaceLove Cafe (sorry guys, not open in the wee hours) between E 152nd and E 153rd Street you will find Xochimilco Family Restaurant which is one of the best Mexican eateries in Melrose. Although not open 24 hours, they do get an honorable mention since the kitchen is open until 12AM Sundays - Thursdays and on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 4AM.

Walk 4 more blocks up North and you come upon King Gourmet Deli on Melrose and E 157th Street. King Gourmet Deli has a 24 hour deli counter where you can pretty much order anything you want including wraps.

These are just a small sample of what is available to our local night owls whether they live in Melrose or work here. More to come in the near future on 24 hour establishments.

Spotlight: PeaceLove Cafe in Melrose

As some of you know by now, one of my favorite places to spend some free time, socialize with the locals and listen to live jazz is the new PeaceLove cafe located at 617 Melrose Avenue between E 151st and E 152nd Streets. After living in such neighborhoods as the East Village and Kips Bay in Manhattan and finally resettling back in the neighborhood that I was raised in, it is truly a great feeling that the first and only cafe of its kind in Melrose has opened.

PeaceLove is the brainchild of one of the South Bronx's very own daughters, Darada David (owner and founder of PeaceLove), who was born and raised just a few blocks in nearby Betances Projects on East 143rd Street and St. Ann's. Ms. David has spent all her life involved in the arts and music whether performing in bands, at church or as choir director. She also attended the famous LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan which further enriched her experience as an artist and musician.

So what exactly is PeaceLove Cafe? According to Darada, it is not only a dream but was a new years resolution this year to start her own business. She pursued her goal even after being rejected by the bank she has done business with for so many years as well as several well known lenders who told her about her business plan, "That's nice but would "those" people want that in that neighborhood?" That and the fact that she knew The Bronx and the South Bronx needed a place like this only pushed her harder to proceed with her plans. "PeaceLove is a health food cafe...a place you can come in and relax, enjoy a cup of organic coffees and organic fair trade teas, home made salads, sandwiches, wraps while either surfing the Internet on one of the public laptops or listening to live jazz on certain evenings," says Darada. She also goes on to say that she wants to change the environment where one socializes...in other words, provide options since most local places, "you either get too drunk (read: bars) or get sick after eating not-so-healthy food."

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere that PeaceLove can provide you with. Oh and did I mention that they have homemade sweet potato pie made with all natural ingredients? Just the pie alone is worth the trip!

PeaceLove offers Live Jazz Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM and occasional Sunday Brunch performances at 3:00PM and coming soon: Poetry and Theatre nights! For more information contact PeaceLove at 347-577-6397 or simply email them at: PeaceLoveCafe@gmail.com

A big Melrose THANK YOU to PeaceLove for offering Melrose and the South Bronx what many other neighborhoods in Manhattan take for granted and a bigger THANKS to Darada David who took a leap of faith after her bank and several other lenders said "would "those" people want that in that neighborhood?"

Apartments for Rent in Melrose

2 Apartments have opened up in a beautifully maintained Art Deco building on East 153rd Street at the corner of Melrose Avenue. Less than a 5 minute walk to the 2/5 express trains to midtown (and yes it DOES only take 15 minutes to get there EAST or WEST), a plethora of stores to shop in a block away on 3rd Avenue, tons of great local restaurants and a great cafe just a block away makes this studio apartment and 1 bedroom apartment a steal. The studio is currently listed for $895 and the 1 bedroom apartment is listed at just $975. For more information contact Tryax Management at 718-590-4311. At these prices, the units will not be on the market for long.

Studio Unit:

Boricua Village and the Rebirth of a Once Blighted Block

What was once one of the most iconic symbols of urban decay in Melrose is now slowly being resuscitated back to life with the creation of Boricua Village. Although the building is not part of the development proper, the old Bronx Courthouse will no longer sit amongst ruins and empty lots as it has been for decades now.

At 4.5 acres it is one of the largest construction projects in not only just Melrose but The Bronx as well. Boricua Village will feature a 14 story vertical campus which will be occupied by Boricua College and will be surrounded by open plazas, trees, an amphitheatre as well as 700 new units for low income and middle income families and approximately 50,000 square feet of retail. According to Atlantic Development Group, the college will be home to 100 full-time faculty, 100 part-time faculty, 140 administrators and staff and estimated that it will generate approximately $15,000,000 in additional revenue for the Melrose area. That's pretty impressive to have such a large economic engine to be housed in what was once one of the most blighter neighborhoods in The Bronx.

A big Melrose thank you to Boricua College, Atlantic Development Group and all who have the faith in Melrose and our great borough up North who have made this project possible. Oh and be sure to catch the neat marketing video of what Boricua Village should look like upon completion.

Now if only someone could purchase the Old Courthouse and turn it into yet another functioning building we can all be proud of. Hint, Hint!