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Take me out to the Ball Game ...

Buy me Some Peanuts & Cracker Jack ...

I Don't Care if I Never get Back ...

April 9, 2018 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Sports & Bronx Culture / Bronx Buzz NYC.

It's that time of year again, although given we had a snowfall on April 2nd, you'd never know it. The 2018 Major League Baseball season has begun and both the Yankees & the Mets are off and running. The Mets are in first place in the National League East with 7 / 1 after placing second to the last with their Spring Training record. And the Yankees, came in fifth place with their Spring Training record, and are now in the middle of the pack of the American League East with a 5 / 5 record.

American Baseball 7th Inning Stretch Song

I got a hankering for a bit of baseball and the 7th inning stretch, and the song that accompanies it, so what follows is a bit of the history of the Take Me Out To The Ball Game song.

The first baseball song was reportedly created in 1858 and was called The Baseball Polka Song. In 1908 a New York song writer, Jack Norworth, wrote the song and it was set to music by composer Albert Von Tilzer. It was performed in vaudeville acts and also in recordings.

The song was played at the 1934 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals, whose nickname was the Gashouse Gang because the players were a rowdy, boisterous and reportedly unbathed group. In 1935 the Marx Brothers used it in one of their films, A Night at the Opera. The war likely put its growth on hold, but it returned to popular culture in the 1950's and 1960's. In 1958, on the 50th anniversary of the song creation - the songwriter, Jack Norworth, was presented with a gold lifetime pass to the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball games.

Click here to learn more about the 7th inning stretch song entitled Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

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Bronx Museum Anarchitect Closing & Pig Roast

Anarchitect Closing Celebrated w/ Pig Roast on 2nd Floor Patio

March 27, 2018 / Concourse Neighborhood Bronx South / Bronx Art & Museums / Bronx Restaurants / Bronx Buzz NYC.

On Sunday the Bronx Museum held the closing reception for its exhibit entitled Anarchitect. The closing was held on the second floor of the musem and they sold tickets for folks to come and enjoy a pork sandwich prepared by a chef and enjoy a beer made by the Bronx Brewery.

It was a sunny and cool March afternoon as I made my way north on the #4 subway line. I had to get off at 38th Street and take the #1 bus because work was being done on the #4 line.

When I arrived the Bronx Museum cafe was fairly busy and folks were milling around. After checking in I headed up to the second floor to see what was happening.

 

Bronx Museum Hosts Pig Roast & Bronx Brewery Beer

There's a patio that opens up from the back of the second floor, and oftentimes the museum hosts various artistic and cultural events there. Today, there was a skewered pig roasting over a bed of coals. Chef Angel Jimenez of Lechonera La Pirana, which is a two food truck restaurant that may be found at at 152nd Street and Wales Avenue in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx, had prepared the feast. Jimenez who came from Puerto Rico in 1984 has been cooking and feeding his restaurant guests for over a decade. Lechonera La Pirana translates literally into something like Piglet the Pirahna, but I'm guessing means something like devouring pork.

I sampled one of the roasted pork sandwiches and decided to eat it plain, even though everyone else was adding catsup. The pork inside the bread was juicy, flavorful and skillfully cooked, so I didn't need the catsup - but that said next time I'm going to try it. There was a bit of skin included with the pork cuts which I took out. I also sampled a Bronx Brewery beer, which had a citrus name added to it. And again, I was delightfully surprised by the clean, crisp flavor of a medium bodied brew. I hope to sample more of each in the future.

There were a number of people there, from what appeared to be many walks of life, of various ages and in an eclectic mix of small groups of friends and family. I decided I should pay my respects to the artwork, having taken a little break, so I made my way down into the exhibit rooms.

 

The Bronx Museum Tries to Capture & Reflect one of NYC's Most Fascinating Boroughs

The first stop was the exhibit room located between the second and first floors. In the room were a number of thick paint on canvass pieces created by Angel Otero and the exhibit was entitled Elegies.

 

According to the curator, Christian Vivero-Faune, the work references the late Robert Motherwell who between 1948 and 1967 created over 200 paintings which he entitled Elegy to the Spanish Republic, which laments the Spanish Civil War.

 

Christian tells us that Otero's Elegies aren't elegies in the traditional sense, but are a medium with which to contemplate one's own losses. I found the bright, colorful abstracts works soothing and cheerful.

Click here to continue reading our report about the Bronx Museum in the Concourse neighborhood, including a closer look at the exhibit entitled Anarchitect by Gordon Matta-Clarke. We have also included photos of the work and of the pig roast social on the second floor patio.

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Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx

Early 1920's Old Folks Home in Continuing State of Transition

January 22, 2018 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Real Estate & Business / Bronx History & Bronx Historic Houses / Bronx Buzz NYC.

Last summer I made my way north along the Grand Concourse, past the Bronx Museum to take a look at the legendary Andrew Freeman Home. The home was built about four stories high and of limestone following Freedman's death in 1915. Construction began in 1922 and it opened in 1924. In 1992 it became a designated New York City landmark. In the photo at right you can see the Andrew Freedman Home standing three stories high, as the fourth story is at the ground level in the back of the building.

Andrew Freedman was the New York Giants Baseball Team Owner

The man who founded the home, was the legendary Andrew Freedman, who was born in 1860 and went on to become the owner of the National League New York Giants baseball team from 1895 to 1907. The New York Giants baseball team is said to have tried to deprive the New York Highlanders, which are the present day New York Yankees, of getting a start in baseball, by preventing them from playing at the Manhattan Polo Grounds, which were located at the northeast end of Central Park in Harlem.

The New York Giants were founded in 1883 and moved out to San Francisco after the 1957 season ended, in the same year that the Brooklyn Dodgers moved out to Los Angeles - thus bringing the teams' ongoing rivalry with them to the west coast- while leaving New York City with only one baseball team - the New York Yankees.

The Brooklyn Dodgers were said to have departed the city because they were having trouble with NYC's Master Builder Robert Moses, regarding the use of a proper baseball stadium that would be capable of accommodating the large crowds attracted to the Brooklyn Dodgers games. Andrew Freedman also purchased controlling ownership in the Baltimore Orioles of the American League for a short period of time.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our story about the Andrew Freedman Home - historic homes in the Bronx.

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ID Studio Theater in the Bronx

Theater Gives Voice & Builds Community in Mott Haven

Posted December 5, 2017 / October 21, 2017 / Mott Haven Neighborhood / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Theater & Dance /Bronx Buzz NYC.

I had an opportunity to visit the ID Studio Theater this Fall in Mott Haven. I briefly met the Artistic Director, German Jaramillo, who gave me a short tour of the theater, telling me that ID Studio Theater had moved into its new home to its new home at 311 East 140th Street in Mott Haven in the Fall of 2016.

German said he'd been working on renovating the ID Studio Theater new home ever since he'd arrived, to make it capable of providing rehearsal studio and performance space to work on new projects, community space and two studio apartments for visiting and affiliated performers. I had the opportunity to view the community space and the rehearsal space which are shown in the photos at right below. In the photo at right is the outside of ID Studio Theater in Mott Haven.

• CLICK here for the rest of our report on ID Studio Theater in Mott Haven / Latin Theater in the Bronx NYC.

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Bronx Art Space in Mott Haven

Bronx Cultural Space Provides Venue for Artistic Expression

November 13, 2017 / Mott Haven Neighborhood / Bronx Neighborhoods / Arts & Culture in the Bronx / Bronx Buzz NYC.

A few weeks ago I visited the Bronx Art Space as part of my effort to in some measure capture [and release] the heart and soul of the Bronx in pixels. Beverly Emers was my primary contact and her guidance was invaluable not just into the Bronx Art Space, but also in introducing me in some small way to the surrounding community.

As a bit of background, the Bronx Art Space first opened in 2008 in the South Bronx to provide a communal artistic venue to local artists, musicians, film makers and performers. The Bronx Art Space was co-founded by Linda Cunningham and Mitsu Hadeishi.

I arrived on a Saturday evening to witness one of the Bronx Art Space Gatherings. In 2017 at the Bronx Art Space began hosting the Gatherings, which have been organized by James A. Brathwaite, who I met shortly after I arrived. James told me he's been organizing at least one Gathering per month. The Gatherings consist of performances by local talent which is offered free to the public.

James told me it's an opportunity for local dancers, musicians, comedians and performers to get in front of an audience to express themselves and show what they can do. At the time of the October 21st Gathering, James had organized and hosted nine of them year to date.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Bronx Art Space in the Mott Haven neighborhood.

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Yankee Stadium History: Concourse Neighborhood Bronx

A Bronx Institution Since 1923 was Rebuilt in 2009 with Taxpayer Funds on Public Parkland

October 8, 2017 /South Bronx Neighborhoods - Concourse / Bronx History / Bronx Things to do / Bronx Parks & Sports / Bronx Buzz NYC.

In 1901 the New York Yankees baseball team originated in Baltimore as the Orioles [no relation to present day team]. In 1903, they were purchased by casino man Frank J. Devery and former police chief William S. Farrell, and moved to New York, where they were renamed the Highlanders, because of a Scottish reference and because they played in Hilltop Park which is in present day Washington Heights. Today Hilltop Park is occupied by New York Presbyterian / Columbia University Medical Center at 165th Street and Broadway.

The New York Giants baseball team had reportedly tried to keep the Highlanders out of New York, by disallowing them the use of the Manhattan Polo Grounds as a venue. The Manhattan Polo Grounds was located in East Harlem at 112th Street west of 5th Avenue [and just north of Central Park], and it is where the New York Giants baseball team played.

In 1911 the Manhattan Polo Grounds burned down, and for a time, the NY Giants used Hilltop Park. While the Manhattan Polo Grounds was being rebuilt, relations between the two teams warmed. So, in 1913 the Highlanders baseball team started playing at the Manhattan Polo Grounds where the team was again renamed- this time as the New York Yankees .

The New York Yankees shared the Manhattan Polo Grounds Stadium with the New York Giants baseball team until the opening season of 1923, when they moved into their new stadium.

Click here to read our report about the history of Yankee Stadium in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx.

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Mott Haven: Historic District & SummerStage in St Mary's Park

Large Audience Gathers to Enjoy Communal Music Feast

August 14, 2017 / Bronx Neighborhoods - Mott Haven / Bronx History / Bronx Live Music / Bronx Buzz NYC.

On Sunday, July 30th, I attended the SummerStage concert in St Mary's Park in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx. The stage was set in the western side of the park, which opened up onto a large field, but also gave the advantage of providing 'balcony seats' where one could enj oy the concert watching and listening from the hills.

SummerStage Concerts Bronx: St Mary's Park Mott Haven

The SummerStage concert in St Mary's Park featured Lisa / Lisa who hit the national scene in 1985, in the year before she turned 20. The Hells Kitchen native and her 1980's group - Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam - took the hit single 'I Wonder if I Take You Home', to #1 on the Billboard Hot Club Dance Play chart for a week in June of 1985.

Lisa / Lisa is of Puerto Rican descent and was born and raised in Hells Kitchen in Manhattan. Lisa / Lisa was one of the wave of freestyle musicians to help usher in dance pop. In 1982 Michael Jackson released his best selling dance album Thriller which rose to become the world's best selling album - a title which I believe it still holds to this day. In 1984 - just two years later - teenager Lisa / Lisa and her Cult Jam band released 'I Wonder if I Take You Home', which as mentioned above, rose to number 1 atop Billboard Magazine's dance pop charts.

Lisa / Lisa shared the stage in concert where she had a male and female dancer who artistically interpreted her magical music while we in the audience moved to the rhythms. In the photo above right, Pop Dance Hip Hop musician Lisa / Lisa with one of the dancers at the SummerStage concert in St Mary's Park in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx.

The weather was a warm but dry 80 degrees as the sun was making its way west and we were sheltered by the St Mary's Park foliage. While most folks in attendance were adults there were also a number of families with children.

Mott Haven Historic District: Bronx

After the concert I made my way down past the Mott Haven Historic District to the #6 subway at 138th Street and Third Avenue. The Mott Haven Historic District is rather small, running along Alexander Avenue between 138th Street and 141st Street. The buildings date back to the last half of the 19th century, when people were moving to the Bronx because rail transportation was enabling more easy movement of people and goods. Alexander Avenue is believed to have been named after Alexander Bathgate who was the Morris land holdings manager.

The photo at right shows some of the houses from the 19th century that still exist in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx.

The Morrises bought the land in the south Bronx in 1670 from Jonas Bronck, a Swedish immigrant and one of the original Bronx settlers and after whom the Bronx is named. Bronck in 1641, less than thirty years earlier, bought theland from the Dutch West India Company, which had purchased the lands from the Indians in 1639.

The Bronx neighborhood in which Alexander Avenue resides, is called Mott Haven, and was named after Jordan Mott. Mott was the inventor of the coal burning stove. In 1828 Mott opened up the first manufacturing facility in the Bronx, his ironworks. Today Mott Ironworks manhole covers are reportedly still in use today.

Also nearby is St Mary's Park where the SummerStage concert took place, as well as St Ann's Church, which is an Episcopalian Church where two generations of Lewis Morris are buried, as well as Gouverneur Morris. They are members of one of the founding families of the Bronx, second only to Jonas Bronck himself.

The Bronx SummerStage concert series is organized and sponsored by SummerStage and City Parks Foundation in tandem with the NYC Parks Department. SummerStage organizes several free concerts in Bronx each summer, including two concerts in Crotona Park in the Central Bronx.

Click here to view our story about the Mott Haven Historic District in the Bronx.

Fashion Show on the Hudson

Riverbank Park Fashion Show Highlights New & Known Clothing, Models & Designers

August 1, 2017, Inwood Neighborhood / Manhattan Fashion & Designers / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

A couple of weeks ago I made my way to the 8th Annual Fashion on the Hudson fashion show at Riverbank Park at 679 Riverside Drive along the Hudson River in the Inwood neighborhood of upper Manhattan. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon as I headed into the Cultural Building in the 28 acre park.

The audience filled the Cultural Building, so I had to move around to get some photos of the models who were in the process of displaying men's swimwear. The muscular male models, with washboard ribbed stomachs marched down the runway showing a range of swimming suits that ranged from modest white trunks, to skimpy speedo cuts with psychedelic designs. I surveyed the crowd and found a number of women who seemed appreciative of the new designs and cuts.

As I was tight on time, I decided to make my way backstage to talk to a few of the models and designers to learn a bit more about them. Backstage a number of models had queued up for the ongoing swimwear segment of the program, while deeper backstage a number of the formal wear models were prepping for their debut.

In the photo above right you can see members of the audience enjoying themselves at the Fashion on the Hudson fashion show at Riverbank Park in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan.

Fashion on the Hudson Showcases Local Designers & Models

Fashion aficionado Daryl H. Miles, Founder of Beyond Styles by Miles, took a few minutes to talk to me about the show. He told me that Sofia Davis, editor of Fashion Avenue News, founded the show and that it has been produced at this location since its inception. At first Sofia held the show outside, but given the vagaries of the weather she decided to bring it in, where it has been ever since.

This year the show hosted 30 designers displaying swimwear, formal wear, casual wear and other stylish creations. The show is free to the public, but you must rsvp because seating is limited. The Fashion on the Hudson fashion show represents a great opportunity to see what's new and what's hot in the local NYC metro fashion world, and provides an opportunity for people interested in the business to meet models, designers and fashion buyers.

Daryl of Beyond Styles by Miles [www.beyondstylesbymiles.com - not to be confused with www.stylesbymiles.com] has been in the business for a number of years helping designers, models and fashion show organizers promote their fashion lines and brands.

I stayed a bit longer shooting photos of the models and lines before departing. And I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time covering the show next year.

In the photo above right you can see models who participated at the Fashion on the Hudson fashion show at Riverbank Park in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan.

Quite a Memorial Day Weekend in the Bronx

Good Weather, Cook outs Galore & Plenty of Things To Do

May 30, 2017 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Holidays in the Bronx / Opinion / Bronx Buzz NYC.

I spent a fair amount of time biking around the Bronx this weekend. I ventured as far east as the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in the East Bronx across the waterway from Co-op City [Hutchinson River?], as far north as the Woodlawn Cemetary and Mosholu Golf Course by Norwood, as far west as the High Bridge [formerly an aqueduct] in Highbridge along the Harlem River and as far south as Barretto Point Park in Hunts Point. And overall I found traveling the borough to be good exercise and quite fascinating.

Over the Memorial Day Weekend I found more people cooking out than I've seen in any other borough over the past 30 years. People were relaxing, hanging out with their family and friends, and playing games with their kids.

Given it was Memorial Day Weekend, I stopped by the Woodlawn Cemetery to pay my respects to those who fought for the freedoms we currently enjoy. To be sure Freedom is a Right. But it's a right that had to be fought for and many died so that others might live. It seems our freedoms are under attack these days, so it's worth reminding folks of a few sayings that one of our Founding Fathers said.

Thomas Jefferson said that "Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy." and "A nation that expects to be ignorant and free is expecting something that never was and never shall be." and "were it left to me [Jefferson] to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

There are those who seem to never be able to get enough for themselves, no matter what the cost by others. And these people, throughout all prior generations, and for generations to come, are constantly finding ways to hack our system of checks and balances so that they might get more and others get less - by simply changing the laws to work in their favor. Left unchecked, we will return to the misery of the past.

The first place to start is to make sure that you're not voting on soundbytes put out there by unreliable or very self-interested people. We've been running a series on billionaire Rupert Murdoch who over the past few decades bought and now controls Fox TV, the Wall Street Journal, the NY Post and the National Geographic. He appears to have taken these generally reliable brands and repurposed them to further his own interests, oftentimes at the expense of the American people. Scroll down to learn more.

Click here for stories about Bronx street fairs, Bronx farmers markets, and upcoming free summer theater in the Bronx and free summer concerts in the Bronx.

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Bronx Things To Do - South Bronx

Things to do in Mott Haven, Concourse, Melrose, Soundview, Hunts Point, Port Morris, Highbridge, Claremont Village & Clason Point

October 2017 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Bronx Things To Do / Bronx Buzz NYC.

This section includes events venues for things to do in the South Bronx. This listing of events venues also contains links to the monthly calendar of things to do in the Bronx this weekend and this month.

Click here to view Things To Do in the South Bronx Neighborhoods in NYC.

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Bronx - Free Summer Concerts 2022

Free Things To Do In the Bronx - Free Summer Concerts in NYC

August 12, 2022 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Music & Free Concerts in the Bronx / Bronx Things To Do / Bronx Buzz NYC.

 

Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the concert dates / years. We will be updating / adding a few more concerts between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.

 

Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of films and free summer concerts in the parks. The free concerts listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.

 

• Bronx - Free Movies in the Park

• Click here to view our report on free movies in the park - summer movies in the Bronx in the summer of 2018, with 2022 coming by the 4th of July weekend.

• Bronx - Free Theater in the Park

• Click here to view our report on free Shakespeare in the park - summer theater & summer dance in the Bronx, Mott Haven, Morissania, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park and Morris Park this summer 2022.

• Free Things To Do in the Bronx

• Current Bronx Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Bronx things to do.

• Bronx - Free Concerts in the Park

• Click here to continue onto Music & Free Concerts in the Bronx.

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Bronx - Free Summer Movies in the Bronx 2022

Free Things To Do in the Bronx - Free Summer Movies in the Park in Bx NYC

August 12, 2022 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Dance & Theater / Theatre Bronx / Bronx Things To Do / Bronx Buzz NYC.

Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of free summer theater in the parks. The free theatre events listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.

Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the movies dates / years. We will be updating / adding a few more movies between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on free summer outdoor movies in the Bronx.

 

• Free Summer Theater in the Bronx

• Click here to view our report on free summer theater in the Bronx - near Mott Haven, Melrose, Claremont Village, Hunts Point, Morrisania, Highbridge, Norwood, Bedford Park, Pelham Bay, Van Cortlandt, Riverdale, Concourse, Highbridge, Kingsbridge and Morris Heights.

• Music / Concerts in the Park in the Bronx

• Click here to view our report on free summer concerts in the Bronx - near Mott Haven, Claremont Village, Hunts Point, Morrisania, Highbridge, Norwood, Bedford Park, Pelham Bay, Van Cortlandt, Riverdale, Concourse, Highbridge, Kingsbridge and Morris Heights.

• Free Things To Do in the Bronx

• Current Bronx Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Bronx things to do.

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Bronx - Free Summer Outdoor Theater 2022

Free Things To Do in the Bronx - Free Summer Theater Park in NYC

August 12, 2022 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Dance & Theater / Theatre Bronx / Bronx Things To Do / Bronx Buzz NYC.

Summer is in full swing. A number of community groups in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department and frequently some measure of government funding, have put together a summer full of free summer theater in the parks. The free theatre events listed below are designed for young and old alike and they're FREE.

 

Editor's Note - Note that only ASTERISKED LOCATIONS have been updated. Pay attention to the performance dates / years. We will be updating / adding this summer theater report between now and the end of September. So check back periodically for updates which you can note by the date changing above.

 

Some summer theater programs in the Bronx have been curtailed or cancelled, many in part due to the ongoing CoVid threat. We'll continue to update / add to this schedule of free theater in the park in the Bronx, as we become aware of additional productions.

• Free Summer Movies in the Bronx 2022

• Click here to view our report on free movies in the park - summer movies in the Bronx, Mott Haven, Claremont Village, Hunts Point, Morrisania, Highbridge, Norwood, Bedford Park, Pelham Bay, Van Cortlandt, Riverdale, Concourse, Highbridge, Kingsbridge and Morris Heights.

• Music / Concerts in the Park in the Bronx 2022

• Click here to view our report on free summer concerts in the Bronx - Mott Haven, Claremont Village, Hunts Point, Morrisania, Highbridge, Norwood, Bedford Park, Pelham Bay, Van Cortlandt, Riverdale, Concourse, Highbridge, Kingsbridge and Morris Heights.

• Free Things To Do in the Bronx

• Current Bronx Things To Do. Click here to view a listing of current Bronx things to do.

Which Bronx & NYC Pols Support $8 Tolls To Cross 60th Street & East River Bridges?

Borough President Brewer, NYS Assemblyman Rodriguez, Cuomo's Deputy of Legislative Affairs Weprin & Many Manhattan CCM's Support $8 Tolls to Raise Capital for the MTA

NYS Governor Cuomo Supported Congestion Traffic Pricing in the Past & Cuomo's Deputy of Legislative Affairs Mark Weprin Is Supporting It

August 2016 / Bronx Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Bronx Buzz NYC.

 

The new Congestion Traffic Pricing Plan has been making its way into the legislative process over the past year. Just last week NYS Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez, a Democrat from Manhattan introduced the bill on March 23, 2016. The Move NY Congestion Traffic Pricing Plan is being sold into the legislature as a means to raise revenue to fund MTA Capital projects.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, NYS Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez, Cuomo's Deputy of Legislative Affairs Mark Weprin, CCM's Ydanis Rodriguez, Margaret Chin, Mark Levine & Corey Johnson support installing $8 tolls on 60th Street & East River bridges to raise capital for the MTA.

Governor Cuomo's Words Are ...

Governor Andrew Cuomo supported the Congestion Pricing Plan put forth years ago, which wasn't popular with many of the voters in Brooklyn & Queens. The two boroughs have a combined population which rounds to 5 million or 25% of the 20 million people who live in New York State.

Cuomo was quoted as making the following statement by the Observer in an article published a year ago on March 15, 2015,

"It's not, 'Can I support it?' Will the people support it? Can you get it done? Can you get a congestion plan passed and we've gone through this a couple of times and it was an overwhelming 'no' and I haven't seen anything happen that would change my opinion,"

The Governor has essentially been repeating this position publicly ever since.

 

Inconsistent with Governor Cuomo's Staff Actions

But while the Governor is publicly distancing himself from the measure which is unpopular in Queens and Brooklyn, former NY City Councilmember Mark Weprin, who is now Cuomo's Deputy of Legislative Affairs, has supported the Move NY Congestion Traffic Pricing Plan.

 

Weprin vehemently oppposed Congestion Traffic Pricing in 2008 when he was a NY City Councilmember, but in 2015 Weprin began publicly supporting the revised Congestion Traffic Pricing Plan as he transitioned from NY City Councilmember to becoming Cuomo's Deputy of Legislative Affairs. NYS Assemblyman David Weprin, Mark's brother, continues to publicly oppose the plan.

It's worth mentioning that the Weprins and the Cuomos have had close family political ties spanning two generations.

 

Move NY's 'New & Improved' Congestion Traffic Pricing Plan

We studied the Move NY Traffic Congestion Pricing proposal by first taking a closer look at what groups are pushing the plan [follow the money]. Gridlock Sam Schwartz Consulting LLC is one of the primary promoters of the plan, and the consulting company is owned in part by a large, multi-national, transit infrastructure contractor. We also evaluated the assumptions they used to create the estimates provided in the plan, which we found to be inconsistent with fairly recent independent studies by respectable institutions, and we also looked at what happened in one of the other cities around the world that implemented the plan.

 

In essence the plan retrofits [re-prices] the fossil fuel infrastructure, by making a significant investment to install and operate tolling around the center of Manhattan. The remaining proceeds would then go to fund other MTA capital projects [in London this was about half the proceeds]. The pricing would require those who can't afford the $8 tolls [each way] to either use mass transit [recent NYC metro studies have shown this switching doesn't happen] or to cross the bridge at other times at which time the tolls would cost less. The proponents say this would enable those who can afford the tolls to cross the East River bridges and 60th Street more quickly and move around mid Manhattan more easily [less traffic congestion with the rest of the community priced out of their way]. How 'democratic' is this?

 

Previously MTA Invests Billion$ in New Subways Appearing to Accommodate Billionaire Manhattan Developer(s) & Now Pols Want Metro Residents & Employees to Fund a System to Toll Tax Them to Fund MTA Capital Budget

The MTA during the Bloomberg (Republican) Administration made approximately $8 billion in MTA capital investments for about 30 to 40 blocks of Manhattan subway lines. One line travels from Times Square to the Javits Center [$2.4 billion mostly paid by city] and the other, which was strongly supported by NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, is expected to travel along Second Avenue from about East 60th Street to about East 86th Street when it is completed [ran way past budget and time estimates - currently about $5.2 billion].

The latter subway line has been called the 'subway to nowhere', while the other isn't much different - as it terminates at the Javits Center and billionaire real estate developer Steven Ross' & Related Companies' new Hudson Yards development - without any other subway connections. Pundits have opined that one [new #7 Hudson Yards station] and possibly both of these multi-billion dollar investments were made to accommodate Manhattan real estate developers [such as Ross], more than to facilitate transit for commuters and residents of New York City.

When I confronted an MTA spokesperson with this perspective, they told me that the Q line extension would alleviate a considerable amount of the congestion on the north / south east side Manhattan subway line, but made no comment regarding the Hudson Yards station.

The photos above show no passengers on the Javits subway [at an admittedly random time and not long after it was installed], while the second photo shows the #6 subway along the Upper East Side, also at a random time. The map to your right shows the new #7 subway line extension ending as an unconnected spur.

Perhaps if the MTA and the government officals who oversee MTA capital project spending were more judicious in their selection of multi-billion dollar projects and allocation of funds, they wouldn't need to make a huge investment of the public's money in the creation and operation of an expensive new tolling system which they plan to use to charge taxpayers $8 tolls to cross 60th Street and the East River Bridges.

This plan essentially aids the wealthy by making their lives easier, while economically discriminating against those with less wherewithal, by making their lives harder. This doesn't strike me as a solution that's 'democratic' at all. There must be less costly, more fair ways to raise additional revenue for transit that NYC commuters - not Manhattan real estate developers - really need.

CLICK HERE TO SCAN / READ THE FULL REPORT on the Move NY Congestion Traffic Pricing Plan.

De Blasio Delivers State of the City Address

Mayor Takes Humanist, Social Science Approach to Solving NYC Problems

NYC Crime Down, Stop N' Frisk Down 97%, NYC Public School Graduation Rate Up, H.S. Drop Out Rate Down, College Bound Graduates Up, 70,000 Children Enrolled in Universal Pre-K, Financing Initiated on 62,000 Units of Affordable Housing, NYC Budget Surplus

See Related Analysis of Reporting by Multi-Billionaire Owned NY Post

February 14, 2017 / Harlem Neighborhood / Bronx Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Bronx Buzz NYC.

I attended Mayor de Blasio's third State of the City Address at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on Monday. The beautiful old theater, built in 1904, didn't admit African Americans until thirty years later. And it was in 1934 that the historic theater began earning the fame it has today, by becoming the showcase for African American musical and theatrical legends.

In the photo at right is the Apollo Theater as seen from one of the balcony booths prior to the beginning of Mayor de Blasio's 2017 State of the City Address.

 

Fighting Tyranny & Thomas Paine: These are the Times that Try Men's Souls

There were a number of performances and speeches leading up to the Mayor's address, including a performance by the Dorothy Maynor Choir of Harlem and an operatic delivery of the Star Spangled National Anthem by FDNY's Regina Wilson. Recently deceased Detective Steven McDonald's son, Conor, gave a speech, as did NYC First Lady Chirlane McRay, the Reverend David Ramos, Rabbi Arthur Schneier and Imam Souleimane Konate.

The Pledge of Allegiance was delivered by Jian 'John' Yuan Lin, Chyna Huertas and Eva Lin. And the Reverend Michael Walrond, of the First Corinthian Baptist Church, gave a fiery, inspirational speech talking comparing the national state of affairs today to the American colonists fighting to shake off the shackles of tyranny. He cited the words of American Revolutionary Thomas Paine, who in 1776 said,

"These are the times that try men's souls."

Just before the Mayor came on stage was a video highlighting the de Blasio Administration accomplishments.

 

Mayor de Blasio Standing Big & Tall for All New Yorkers

The Mayor came onto the stage, beginning by thanking the various people and departments that helped make his Administration's accomplishments possible. His thanks always include his wife, Chirlane McCray, who has been evolving in her role as NYC's First Lady.

 

Here's a sampling of the de Blasio's efforts to make New York a better place for all New Yorkers. Some of the information came from the video presentation referenced above, which I have augmented with some additional research and information obtained in prior reporting efforts.

 

In the photo at right stands a weary, but determined, Mayor Bill de Blasio at his 2017 State of the City Address at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

 

I. De Blasio Administration NYC Public School Achievements

A. Social Science & Humanist Approach to Education

• Universal Pre-K Enrollment 70,000
• Advanced Placement For All
• Drop Out Rates Down
• Graduation Rates Up
• College Bound Graduates Up

The slide at right shows some of the gains made by the de Blasio Administration with the NYC public school system over the past three plus years.

 

1. Stop the Bleeding - Stop the 'CORPORATE' run Charter Schools from Maximizing Profit at the Expense of Maximizing Human Potential

Editor's Note: There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between the NON-PROFIT CHARTER SCHOOLS and FOR-PROFIT CHARTER SCHOOL CORPORATIONS. Non profit charters are generally older organizations, designed as an alternative in response to failing public schools decades ago, and whose focus is on improving education - not improving profits.

By contrast the FOR-PROFIT CHARTER SCHOOL CORPORATIONS generally arose in the 21st century, and this group appears to be pillaging the public school system by recruiting and siphoning off the good [low cost / high performing] students so they can maximize profits - not enhance public education.

The despicable consequence of this for-profit charter school strategy is that they are simultaneously robbing the most vulnerable, disadvantaged children of anything resembling an opportunity in life as promised in the founding documents of this nation.

Family background continues to be the highest determinant [have the highest correlation] of a student's academic achievement.

So the de Blasio Administration has significantly slowed the corporate charter school assault on the public education system.

 

Corporate Charter School Business Strategy Comparable to Old Health Insurance 'Gaming the System'

Recruit the Academic Achievers, 'the Healthy Ones', Because They're Most Profitable & Shun the Rest

It appears the charter school corporations have employed a strategy designed to recruit and retain the best students to their schools, while leaving the rest behind. They appear to recruit the kids who are already performing well, because the performing children cost the least to educate, thus providing the highest return to the hedge fund profiteers because the funding is allocated on a per capital / per student basis. High performing student enrollments also enable corporate charter schools to claim they are 'performing well' because they've recruited the highest scoring students.

The recruitment and retention strategy referenced above resembles the old health insurance strategy of recruiting the healthy people to buy health insurance as they are the most profitable, while denying those who aren't blessed with good health because they cost the most to keep healthy. This was a systemic inequity Obamacare attempted to eradicate.

In the photo at right stand an Imam [Islam], a Rabbi [Jewish] and a Reverend [Christian] all sharing the same podium with a message of love, peace, respect and understanding.

 

2. Help the Youngsters & Maximize Human Potential - Not Profits

The De Blasio Administration pushed through universal Pre-K, which has enrolled 70,000 students since its inception in the Fall of 2014.

When this first came out I, and a number of people I know, didn't really grasp the importance of this effort. As family support is the highest determinant in a child's success, many youngsters were entering the public school system at a significant disadvantage vis a vis their better parented peers.

By accessing these kids while they are younger, and providing access to the guidance and resources of the public school system earlier, the NYC Public School system now has a greater chance of motivating these kids, which will inevitabley empowering them, raising their self esteem, and give them a chance at a far more engaged and productive life.

I now get it. And this seems like it can only be a good thing for all of society, as it will reduce societal costs of failing these people early on.

MAXIMIZE HUMAN POTENTIAL - Good Public Policy Costs Less in Long Haul & Enormously Benefits Society

This approach to education enables us as a society to maximize our human potential, which will benefit all the community - and in some small way - all mankind. Not only is this a more humanistic approach to engaging these children, but it's more cost effective in the long haul, as those left behind will inevitably cost society more through lost opportunities, lost productivity, and increased spending on health, human services and criminal justice programs.

In the photo at right is the Mayor on stage at the Apollo Theater with all of the people working for the city that he honored that night including policemen, firefighters, sanitation workers and educators. The Mayor appears to be one who is very much in touch with the middle & working class rank and file of New York City.

Click here for our report about Mayor Bill de Blasio's State of the City Address 2017 including an update on crime, the affordable housing crisis, the city's finances, sanitation and social activism.