La Terraza Now Accepting Applications

Melrose continues to rise as more luxury units come online and new developments are completed.  Originally slated to be cooperative apartments but converted to rentals before construction due to the tanking economy, La Terraza , located at Third Avenue and East 158th Street, is now accepting applications for its 84 rental units.

The units will feature hardwood floors, energy star appliances and even outdoor terraces (thus the Spanish name of La Terraza - The Terrace). Of the 84 units, only 3 will be for low-income families and the remainder 81 units will be for middle income households.  Apartment size range from studio units to three bedroom apartments.

For more information, visit:

 http://www.laterrazarentals.com 

Courtlandt Corners Open For Business in Melrose

After years of hard work and labor, the ribbon has been cut at Courtlandt Corners ushering over 300 brand new apartments in the ever growing neighborhood of Melrose.  Once a blighted span of two blocks of brownfields on East 161st Street between Melrose and Courtlandt Avenues, the new development through its architecture acts as sort of a gateway into Melrose with beautifully designed buildings on 'either side of the street.  Courtlandt Corners is yet another wonderful affordable housing development by Phipps Houses and was designed by Dattner Architects and built by Monadnock Construction.  Phipps Houses has a long history in New York City as the city's oldest and largest not-for-profit developer as well as owner of housing for low and middle income families.

The 323 units are a mixture of studios, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units made available to a wide range of low and middle income individuals and families.  The units are quite nice with large windows letting in ample sunlight.  Finishing touches such as countertops, tiles and flooring are pretty average and plain compared to competing developments like The Residences at Northrose of Boricua Village and The Eltona - which boast higher end finishes and hardwood flooring.  The good thing is that the 2 and 3 bedroom units more than make up for this lack of detail as each of these units come equipped with a washer and dryer.  This last detail is where Courtlandt Corners one ups the other developments mentioned as they only have laundry rooms on each floor.

During the opening speeches prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony several key individuals from all the partner organizations spoke of the remarkable turnaround that Melrose has made.   Andrew Weinstein, President and CEO of Phipps Housing and Development, spoke about how the site was a brownfield and all of the work it took to clean it up and turn it into Courtlandt Corners.  Mr. Weinstein also commented on the importance of this development to the community at large due to its location next to the Melrose Metro North station and his hopes that it will spur the MTA increase service to between the Melrose and Grand Central Station which is only a 13 minute ride and to the northern reaches of Metro North for those reverse commuters.  

Rafael E. Cestero, NYC's Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Preservation, spoke with pride of the metamorphoses of Melrose and how above all other neighborhoods in the entire city, Melrose has been redeveloped along with community leaders, government officials, and developers into a neighborhood that people and families are becoming interested in coming back to and not a neighborhood.  This is a major reversal of what was once the demise of a neighborhood that political leaders, banks and even its own residents gave up on.  

Ronay Menschel, Chair of Phipps houses also echoed what Andrew Weinstein said about working with the MTA to get better service to the Melrose Metro North Station which is an important regional connection right in our own neighborhood.  Ms. Menschel also acknowledged all who worked hard on making this project a reality for the community.

Courtland Corners consists of 2 sites directly across from each other on East 161st Street between Melrose and Courtlandt Avenues.  The northern building is lined with ground floor commercial space from Courtlandt all the way to Melrose Avenue and the southern site offers ground floor commercial space as well, from Courtlandt Avenue to halfway up the block toward Melrose Avenue.  The combined sites offer over 21,000 square feet of retail spaces.  Any savvy businessman, company, etc who is reading this should contact Charles Gross of Phipps at 212-243-9090 ext 236. The new retail and commercial spaces available at Courtlandt Corners is an opportunity not to be missed since Melrose is after all the fastest growing neighborhood in the Bronx and the development's mixed low and middle income tenants should be enough of a draw as well.


A big Melrose THANK YOU goes out to Phipps Houses, Dattner Architects, Monadnock Construction, Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Ted Weinstein, Director of Bronx Planning for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the many others who made this development possible. 


Oh and a big Welcome2Melrose to all the new residents who will be occupying these lovely units!  Be sure to contact us and let us know how your stories about living there and why you want to move to Melrose!

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

Welcome Home General Colin Powell

On Thursday, September 9th, General Colin Powell attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new low-income cooperative apartments in Longwood bearing his name - The General Colin Powell Apartments.  It was a proud day for Bronxites as we listened to him speak proudly of his Bronx years.

General Colin Powell, born in Harlem and raised on Fox Street in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx, entertained the crowd with stories of growing up in the South Bronx and the diversity of his neighborhood from the Puerto Rican bodega owners, the Jewish shopkeepers as well as West Indian and African-Americans all getting along in one neighborhood.  He spoke of how in Europe in particular, people are most fascinated with the first chapter of his book  "My American Journey", which dealt about the years he lived in the Bronx. General Powell even mentioned that before the advent of the Internet there was the "AuntNet" - the network of his aunts as well as local mothers who always looked out the apartment windows to look after the kids.  He quipped that "...nothing traveled faster than information on the "AuntNet" when you got into trouble."

The General Colin Apartments (originally called the Fox-Legget Cooperative Apartments), located at 715 Fox Street, is a 50 unit cooperative project built with "sweat equity" as 12 of the 50 units were constructed by the unit's owners themselves in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity.  It is also a platinum LEED certified green building in the tradition of the continued greening of the Bronx by developer Les Bluestone of BlueSea Development.  As you may recall, Mr. Bluestone is the man behind the beautiful Eltona in Melrose which is also LEED certified as well as dozens of green townhomes in Melrose.  

According to the press release issued by New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development some of the features of this project are:

• Green roof that insulates and reduces storm water runoff
• Co-generation system that produces electricity and hot water
• Healthy indoor environment through non-toxic materials and controlled filtered ventilation systems
• Educational materials for residents on green, healthy lifestyles
• Decorative ironwork and lobby art pieces in honor of General Colin L. Powell by artist Béatrice Coron (who also designed the decorative ironwork for the Eltona)
• Employment of ex-offenders for construction jobs through Wildcat Service Corp. and construction job training for graduates from Harlem Congregational Communities Inc.

Let's hope that the Bronx continues to lead the rest of New York State as the forefront of green housing and green initiatives!  Don't believe that statement? Well did you know that Melrose is the ONLY Silver LEED Certified neighborhood in the ENTIRE State of New York?

A big Melrose THANK YOU to all who made these affordable possible, especially to BlueSea Development for their continued leadership in providing not only affordable housing, but QUALITY housing which we can all be proud of.

Photo Courtesy of HPD/HPD/L. Racioppo

General Colin Powell and The "Mayor" of Melrose

Photo Courtesy of BronxVibe

The Solara Cooperative Apartments Unveiled at Another Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

On a beautiful Friday morning this past October 30 dozens of people gathered for yet another ribbon cutting ceremony this time for affordable co-op apartments at The Solara located on Grant Avenue between 167th and 169th Streets in the East Concourse area just North of Melrose.


The Solara is comprised of 2 ten story buildings with 160 units of one, two, and three bedroom apartments and is luxury at affordable prices for a neighborhood starving for homeownership.  Through a partnership with developer The Briarwood Organization, who has had a long history of providing quality affordable housing in New York City, The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York State Affordable Housing Corporation the dream of owning a home has come true particularly for Denise Mariso a single mother of two. 

Denise Mariso, a Bronx native who currently lives in Staten Island was one of the lucky 4,516 applicants who applied for a chance at the American Dream to become a homeowner.  After being dismayed by so many unaffordable options she stumbled upon an ad for The Solara and was relieved to find income guidelines for quality, and luxury housing that were realistic for the working class.  Ms Mariso, who works at Lincoln Hospital on East 149th Street and Morris Avenue will now have a commute of just 20 minutes - an hour less from her 1 hour and 20 minute commute from Staten Island she currently endures - almost three hours of her day.  

And it's not just the new homeowners that are excited but also local residents are happy to see such a project go up in their own backyard.  Carmen Negron, a resident of 26 years at a rental property directly across the street says she is, "...happier than ever to have new neighbors who are homeowners" and looks forward to the continued revitalization of the East Concourse area.  The superintendent in the same building, Romeo Ortiz feels that with the new building and residents, "the area will improve and bring new life and business to the area as well."

As Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr. has so often eloquently mentioned, Denise is one of the many stories that needs to be told and heard around the world...of the new Bronx.  Not the Bronx that 32 years ago Howard Cosell declared was burning in the 1977 World Series but of The Bronx that is in a state of unprecedented renewal and growth.  She is a Bronxite come back home because of organizations like Briarwood, HPD and city officials like Ted Weinstein, Director of Bronx Planning for HPD, Ruben Diaz, Jr, Bronx Borough President who believe not only in The Bronx but the PEOPLE of The Bronx.  As of this writing, 152 of the 160 units have been sold.


So once again, a big Melrose THANK YOU to Vincent Riso of the Briarwood Organization, Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr., Marc Jahr, President of HDC, Ted Weinstein, Director, Bronx Planning from HDP, HPD Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero and all the countless others who made this dream come true.

Ms. Denise Mariso (center) and her two children (not shown) were on hand as guests of honor to assist in the ribbon cutting ceremony along with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr, Briarwood's Vincent Riso as well as City and State officials.

Ted Weinstein (right), Director, Bronx Planning of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development

Ms. Mariso's daughter proudly looks on as her mother speaks during the ceremonies.

Denise Mariso and her two children.

Taking a look at their new apartment.

Checking out the master bedroom.

Olga Villanueva, head of the sales team who successfully to date has sold 152 of the 160 units for sale.

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.

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.

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!