Talk Bronx New York

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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Farmers markets, Fresh Direct have fruit and vegetables pouring into the Bronx

In a borough typically cited for its lack of access to fresh produce, fruits and vegetables abound with the onset of summer.

The Bronx has more than 20 local farmers markets and Fresh Direct, a Manhattan luxury food delivery service, is offering groceries and produce to the entire South Bronx at a discount.

Health experts say the benefits of the fresh produce are endless.

“We’ve all heard ad-nauseum about the skyrocketing rates of diabetes, obesity and other diet-related diseases, and the farmers market is an enjoyable place to live a more healthy lifestyle,” said Gabrielle Langholtz, spokeswoman for Greenmarket, a program of the Council on the Environment of New York City, which runs three markets in the Bronx.

And through city funding for wireless card-swiping stations, the produce at most markets can be bought with food stamps.

Even better, while supplies last, folks who use food stamps at the farmers markets are given an extra $2 in Health Department “Health Bucks” to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables for every $5 they spend.

At Drew Gardens, on E. Tremont Ave., east of Boston Road, shoppers can go ultra-local and buy food grown in the Bronx, along with the produce from area farms.

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Councilman James Vacca fuming mad at Citgo stations

This Citgo gas station, on the Southbound side of the Hutchinson River Parkway, is one of the highest priced gas stations in the Bronx.

Councilman James Vacca got the city to take action against the high prices at the Citgo stations on the Hutch.

They should pour this gas from a Champagne bottle.

A Bronx lawmaker hit the gas price ceiling over what two local gas stations on leased city land were charging motorists - and got results.

Councilman James Vacca took aim at the CITGO gas stations on the Hutchinson River Parkway near East Tremont Ave., where gas prices started at $4.49 last week. According to the American Automobile Association, the average price in the city is $4.12.

“Historically, these gas stations have been the highest in the borough by far,” Vacca said. “Even now, with the current crisis we face, they continue to be the highest. When I saw that it hit $4.49, that was the last straw.”

In a letter to the city Parks and Recreation Department, which owns the land, Vacca called on Commissioner Adrian Benepe to terminate the lease of the twin stations, which face each other on opposite sides of the parkway.

“These two stations are notorious for charging 25 to 35 cents more than stations only three blocks away,” Vacca wrote in a May 23 letter.

A listing of gas prices on MSN.com showed the two CITGO stations ranked as the most expensive in the Bronx.

Vacca’s office has been fielding numerous complaints about the prices.

“With residents of the Bronx feeling the pinch of ever-increasing gas prices every day,” Vacca wrote, “it is unconscionable that the city would tolerate flagrant price-gouging.”

In response, Parks officials said they are sending the concessionaire, Super Value, a “Notice to Cure” that states their gas prices are inconsistent with prices charged at other area stations.

The notice orders the owners to immediately adjust their prices accordingly to comply with the terms of their contract. An inspector is to follow up.

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Middle School 391 Students Show They Care

Students at Middle School 391 in Tremont are trying their hands at philanthropy.

They’re participating in the O Ambassadors program, a nationwide effort that’s part of Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network.

As part of the program, MS 391 students will work to raise awareness in their community about different UN Millennium Development Goals, including poverty, education and health.

Students got to choose the region of the world they wanted to study and support. Over the coming year, they will raise funds to support development projects in Latin America.

“We’re proud to represent the voices of youth in the Bronx,” said Principal Pedro Santana. “There are so many issues in our world that need our attention and we’re ready to show that youth in the Bronx care.”

SOURCE: NYDailyNews.com

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All-Out Effort For A Greener Bronx

All around the borough, Bronxites were thinking green and doing their part Tuesday for Earth Day.

In the South Bronx, more than 200 volunteers celebrated by planting trees, shrubs and perennials in five community areas.

The event was in support of PlaNYC’s goal of planting one million trees throughout the five boroughs by 2017, and officially kicked off the Timberland Company’s plan to “green” 300 communities worldwide.

The effort will help “create the first truly sustainable 21st century city - what we call a greener, greater New York,” said Liam Kavanagh of the city Department of Parks & Recreation.

At Middle School 391 in Tremont, the celebration will last all week long.

Together with the Bronx Overall Development Council, more than 30 students, parents and school officials showed up at the school at 2225 Webster Ave. to blanket the concrete rooftop with 20 pine trees and plants.

“We are the first in the community to do this,” said Middle School 391 teacher Vic Madho. “It’s very avant-garde.”

The school’s Eco-Green team will take care of the garden, and the project will be incorporated into science lessons.

Later this week, with the help of the nonprofit PHIPPS, students will paint the school foyer and redecorate selected bathrooms in the building. Read more..

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