Talk Bronx New York

 

Rosemary “Rosey” Comiskey O’Reilly said her brother was in a doctor’s office in New Jersey when a nurse asked him if the Rosey who last year organized a Bronx party in Calabash, N.C., was his sister. When he answered yes, the nurse told him she heard it was one of the best parties ever.

O’Reilly of Carolina Shores, N.C., said that because more than 300 people attended the event, she and Frank Ward of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., decided a second The Bronx, N.Y., Day was necessary.

“We had to turn people away last year,” Ward said.

He remembers the wide variety of people who attended. Ages ranged from 50 to 80 years, and people came from all backgrounds: Irish, Polish, Italian, Jewish, Catholic and more.

Ward and O’Reilly said they have streamlined the party, so this year they will have signs indicating areas of the Bronx, such as Sacred Heart parish, Highbridge; Tolentine parish, Fordham Road; Parkchester; and others.

“This is so people have a place to congregate,” O’Reilly said. “Once they know the part of the Bronx someone is from, they know what questions to ask.”

She teases her husband, Tom O’Reilly, by saying he missed out because he grew up in Queens, N.Y.

The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The Bronx has almost 1.4 million residents, according to the the Bronx Borough President’s Office. Celebrities from the Bronx include Colin Powell, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Jennifer Lopez. The borough is bordered by the East River and Harlem River, and it is home to the Bronx Zoo and Yankee Stadium, which opens its new ball park in April. It is the only borough that is part of the mainland; Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island are islands.

Ward said one of the hot topics at the party will be the high value of Bronx real estate today.

“It is going through the roof because of its closeness to Manhattan,” he said. “It was a great time growing up there. It was a peaceful, safe environment.”

Frank’s wife, Ginny Ward, said she also grew up in the Bronx and has great memories. She cites a pizza parlor, school dances and roller skating. Mention “egg cream” and she and others from the Bronx know it was a popular beverage comprised of vanilla syrup, seltzer water and milk. You also could get a chocolate egg cream.

“I am lucky to be born in Highbridge, the Bronx,” O’Reilly said.

“Everybody knows everybody. It’s like a family. That’s why it was so easy to contact people [for the party]. We went to church and to school together.”

She paused for a moment, then added: “Terrific people come from the Bronx.”

If you go
What | 2nd annual The Bronx, N.Y., Day

Who | For anyone who has ever lived in the Bronx, N.Y.

When | 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 21

Where | Elks Lodge, 937 Carter Drive, Calabash, N.C.

Cost | $10 per person at door; no advance ticket sales

Contact | 910-575-4534 or 910-575-6670

SOURCE

Tags: bronx, Bronx Borough President, Bronx News, Bronx People, bronx zoo, Calabash, Carolina Shores, Catholic, Colin Powell, Cuba Gooding Jr., Entertainment, FORDHAM, Fordham Road, Frank Ward, Harlem River, Highbridge, Highbridge; Tolentine parish, Irish, Italian, Jennifer Lopez, Jewish, Manhattan, Music, N.C., New Jersey, Ocean Isle Beach, Parkchester, Polish, queens, Rosemary "Rosey" Comiskey O'Reilly, Sacred Heart, The Bronx, Yankee Stadium

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