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Bronx’ seaside: Affordability on the water in Throgs Neck

The Bridgeview Estates in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.

A view of the Whitestone Bridge from the pool.

Directly across the Long Island Sound from the multimillion-dollar Mediterranean villas in Whitestone Woods, the Throgs Neck neighborhood in the Bronx might offer the most affordable coastal living experience in the five boroughs.

At Bridgeview Estates, 21 two- and three- bedroom condominiums, some with direct waterfront access, are available starting at $475,000. Located at Schurz and Davis Aves. in a neighborhood known for families, water proximity and the shopping stretch of E. Tremont Ave., Bridgeview Estates is a newly built gated condominium complex with views of the Throgs Neck and Whitestone bridges.

“At night, these two bridges light up and make this area something magical,” says Robert Van Zandt, the longtime North Bronx real estate developer who built the property. “We tried to make this an alternative living option to what people are paying in and around Manhattan. They just have to come out here and their mind will be changed.”

With beach clubs and catering halls, bungalows, condominiums and small single-family brick and wood homes a block from the water, Throgs Neck bustles with entire families taking walks together while kids ride bikes and play sports on front lawns. Up the street, the community has asked the city for a long-planned public golf course on a former landfill cornering Ferry Point Park. Recent rumors suggest it might happen, making the neighborhood more attractive to homeowners.

“This side of the bridges is more laid-back than the Queens side, with lower price points and a less suburban feel,” says Maria Paleatsos, who owns MP Power Realty in nearby Pelham Bay. “I’m not sure you can find anything this price on the water where families can live so well.”

Completed and ready for move-in, Bridgeview Estates includes balconies for each apartment, two upscale homes for sale in the multimillion- dollar range with large decks and swimming pools and a development team that truly cares for the area. Van Zandt and colleague Richard Rodriguez funded and coach the baseball team for Villa Maria, a local Catholic grammar school. Their own children graduated, yet they still remain as coaches. Van Zandt also funds three scholarships for students from financially saddled families.

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 Manhattanites Choose The Bronx

Now that the glory days of moving to Brooklyn after being priced out of Manhattan are all but gone, the question remains: where do Manhattanites move?

The above I.R.S. graph is based on net migration and shows a clear trend; while Staten Island seems to be a last resort for the priced-out set, The Bronx has attracted more Manhattanites than Brooklyn since the beginning of the decade.

From 2001 through 2006, over 23,380 Manhattanites relocated to the Bronx.

Every year, the Bronx led the three other outer boroughs in net gains of Manhattanites. That includes Brooklyn, traditionally perceived as the natural next stop in a priced-out Manhattanite’s real estate evolution.

Is it time to scan those Bronx real estate listings? Maybe not. Just last year, brokers seemed a bit concerned and disenchanted about the borough’s real estate bubble, one saying, “The North Bronx north of Fordham Road is overrated. To me it doesn’t make a difference if you are North or South Bronx, it is still low- to middle-income.”

Prices are still on the rise, however — in just one year (February 2007 to February 2008) condos in parts of The Bronx (”Riverdale, Parkchester and Spuyten Duyvil are the three most popular Bronx neighborhoods for home seekers in New York City”) went up 11%.

Before packing your bags, there could be a better borough for you; NYMag recently checked out Suburban Jungle Realty, which is like a dating service but for homeowners and cities — will you and The Bronx fall in love?

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4,000 Bronx Building Workers Looking For More $$ & New Contract

Residents in 500 Bronx buildings are facing another nervous wait-and-see game, as building workers and landlords have begun talks on a new contract.

With their current contract expiring March 14, talks were underway for nearly 4,000 residential property service Bronx workers, represented by Local 32BJ, and major Bronx employers, including the Bronx Realty Advisory Board and top independent employers.

“Wages for Bronx members have failed to keep pace with the rising costs of housing, food and transportation over the last three years,” said Kyle Bragg, vice president of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.

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There Are ‘Lots’ of Treasures In The Bronx 

ONCE their eyes adjusted to the dim interior of the house that would be theirs, Marcel and Sherrie Deans marveled at the architectural details they could make out amid the dust-covered desks and armchairs and piles of books.

In the bit of light that made it past the drawn curtains and closed blinds, they could see two ghoulish pixie figurines, which doubled as lamps, frolicking on the newel posts. Then it was up the wide, curved staircase that did not creak, grasping the banister that did not wobble. They found heavy pocket doors that slid smoothly, stained glass windows and tin ceilings, as well as a moose head watching from a corner.

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The Bronx Museum of the Arts, completed in 2006 by Miami architects Arquitectonica, gives new life to the Grand Concourse.

Over budget and delayed, the new Bronx courthouse.

Prewar buildings along Walton Ave.

South Bronx: A historic section of the borough blossoms once again

Having more to do with housing prices than hip hop, the “Boogie Down Bronx” around the Grand Concourse continues to be a red-hot real estate market. Standing on the steps of the hulking gray Bronx courthouse, looking at the prewar buildings lining Walton Ave. and the cranes constructing the new Yankee Stadium, it’s clear why.

“There hasn’t been this much building in the Bronx since the 1920s,” says Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión. “At my inauguration, I said, ‘The Bronx is open for business.’ People are working here, they’re building here and, best of all, people are moving here.”

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