Picture of the Day

As seen on a Harley on Elton Avenue between East 157th and East 158th Streets.  


Special shout out goes to local Bronx resident Lance Rios founder and creator of Being Latino - the largest Latino social networking group on Facebook as well as a stand alone blog of the same name.  Through the blog and Facebook, Lance Rios has successfully taken social media networking to a whole different level.  


More on Being Latino coming soon but in the meantime, listen to what Mr. Rios has to say about Being Latino in his own words!


Ed García Conde
The "Mayor" of Melrose
http:/www.welcome2melrose.com
themayor@welcome2melrose.com
347-92-MELRO (347-926-3576)

Pics of the Day

Stained Glass Window at Simpon Street Northbound 2/5 IRT Station in Longwood - Our neighbors to the north.

Picture of the Day

Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church and School

Now in their 97th Year serving Melrose and the surrounding communities!

838 Brook Avenue at the Corner of East 159th Street.

Pictures of the Day

As part of the Mayor's 1,000,000 tree planting program, workers here are diligently planting trees on the small stretch of East 150th street between Third and Melrose Avenues.  A block that had no trees will now have about 7-8 beautiful trees.  

World Series Started Yesterday at the Melrose Station of Metro North

As I waited for the 3:39 train at the Metro North Melrose Station I glimpsed a very bold man walking down towards the platform with a...METS gym bag...but it gets BETTER.  Mr David Patterson (no relation to our governor) said that he is actually a Phillies fan through and through in through - his hometown.  As we boarded the train, a discussion on which team is better ensued.

The VERY bold David Patterson sporting his METS bag - His wife and in-laws are big Mets fans and she got him the bag.

AJ - A diehard Yankees fan has one message and only one message to David, the Phillies and ALL their fans:  "Phillies don't have a chance in hell!"

As you can see the discussion was pretty intense...hand gestures and all

Metro North Conductor listening to the pair discussing their passions...I'm sure it's not the first OR the Last to be heard by him on his train.

Photo of the Day - More Red Brick Roads

Here's another great example of our area in it's heyday when our streets were paved not with gold but red bricks in many areas.  it must have been such a beautiful site to be seen back then.  

Picture of the Day

Did you know that decades ago Melrose streets were once was paved with red bricks???

Picture of the Day

Football and soccer match at Alfred E. Smith High School Athletic Field.

Pictures of the Day - Evolution of 2-3 Family Homes in Melrose

Back in 1991 when Melrose was mostly burned out lots, vacant buildings and rubble, the first 2 Family homes were built along Elton Avenue between East 154 and East 155th Streets as well as those same streets between Elton and Melrose Avenues. These pictures below are of the evolution of what architects thought belonged in a low-income neighborhood from 1991 to the present. If anyone lived in the area and has photographs of what it looked like back in the 1970's through the early 1990's, please feel free to send them to me so that I may post them!

Year built: 1991

Elton Avenue @ East 155th Street facing North. These first homes, when built, added a much needed splash of color to a neighborhood that was just burnt out buildings or garbage filled lots.

Elton Avenue @ E 155th Street facing South.

Year built: 1994

East 153rd Street between Melrose and Elton Avenues. A little drab, but homes nonetheless in an area once dominated by rubble.

East 154th Street between Melrose and Courtlandt Avenues

Year built: 2000

Elton Avenue between East 157th and East 158th Streets...although a little bland, these 3 family homes that dominate Elton Avenue turned a desolate street into a calm and quiet tree lined street.

Year built: 2001

Elton Avenue between East 158th and East 159th Street. These homes were the first Green Homeownership Development in the Bronx and in 2003 they received the Platinum award, the highest level, from HUD's Secretary's Award for Excellence as well as first place in the residential category for Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) in 2003 as noted in ArchitectureWeek.

East 158th Street between Courtlandt and Melrose Avenues

Year built: 2004

Courtlandt Avenue between East 158th and East 159th Streets

Year built: 2004

East 159th Street between Courtlandt and Melrose Avenues. These 2 family homes here offer an owner's 3 bedroom duplex with Central AC, 1 Car Garage, a full, finished basement as well as an ample back yard...beautiful grass and all. They also happen to be located on the same block as the community garden recently featured here.

Year built: 2005

East 154th Street between Melrose and Elton Avenues. Although these homes are nice to look at, they lack a backyard. What is the "backyard" is barely 5 feet in length. This is one of those instances when they should have come up with a better idea to provide more outdoor space for the homeowners instead of trying to squeeze out every inch of the lot to make a profit.