Up down, up down, it rains, the winds blow, and then the sun shines. Think Mother Nature has a lot on her mind? Evidently, yes. The question now is will we have a spring or has spring sprung. Keep the sweaters handy, just in case. There’s still a chance for an in between and we won’t have to go from overcoats to tank tops.
Congratulations to Debbie Jackson who received the NAACP Parkchester Branch President’s Award at the 42nd annual Freedom Fundraiser Dinner Dance. Since the branch was first established in 1975, amazing things have happened in the Parkchester area of the Bronx that include the mobilization of a community spirit, thanks in part to Jackson and the seven other honorees. Michele S. Rodney, Esq. is receiving the Woman of the Year Award, Ryan Moorehead is receiving the Man of the Year Award, the Rev. Dr. Fernando Otero is receiving the Good Shepherd Award, Carol Harrison is receiving the first Claudette Colvin Unsung Heroine Award, Roy Gomes is receiving the Outstanding Youth Empowerment Award, Carol Daniel is receiving the Outstanding Community Service Award and Eddie McShane is receiving the Distinguished Service Award. The NAACP Parkchester staff, which includes President Beverly Roberts and Secretary Olivia Johnson, works tirelessly to keep the Parkchester wheels turning and the community on the map. What better way to celebrate than with cocktails, dinner and dancing at Riccardo’s, located in Astoria, N.Y., where there is still a touch of elegance.
It’s not too late to email your comments to the attention of Manhattan Community Board 10 regarding the closing of the 110th Street B and C subway stations, located at the corner of 110th Street and 8th Avenue. The MTA has scheduled the closure to begin Monday, April 9, and although we can expect a brand-new station, the MTA failed to notify Community Board 10 in advance.
Although the express IRT 2 & 3 trains are a short distance away, the inconvenience is anything but short. Riders can expect overcrowding on the platforms and in subway cars, not to mention the additional travel time of having to transfer from the express to the local to pick up the IND line at 59th Street. The walk over to the IRT #1 line at 110th and Broadway is deemed to be nothing less than a nightmare, especially in bad weather. The hill between 8th Avenue and Broadway is steep and the blocks are long. Can we get extra bus service? Please. To voice your complaints and concerns send emails to alassalle@cb.nyc.gov or shamitchell@cb.nyc.gov.
One place you won’t need to take the 110th Street B or C train to is to the Apollo Theater. On Saturday, April 14, 6 p.m., the Apollo will host the 20th annual NYC Teen Poetry Slam. Gathering on the famous Apollo Theater stage are the top 20 teen poets, who are competing in the Grand Slam Final for a chance to represent NYC at the National Teen Poetry Slam. Hosted by Aja Monet with beats by DJ Flip Bundlez, and special performances, this program promises to be a night to remember.
Construction continues to abound across every vacant lot in Harlem. Victory Plaza, a nine-story, 136-unit residential building, which will stand at 11 W. 118th St., is slated to be ready by 2019. Harlem’s only upscale hotel, The Aloft Hotel, located on the corner of 124th Street, 8th Avenue, has just changed hands. Previous owner RCG Longview sold its interest in the 124-room hotel to California-based investor Core Capital, which received an acquisition loan to the tune of $20.9 million from United Overseas Bank toward the transaction. Get used to the numbers. I had the opportunity to spend a night at Aloft and the experience was delightful. Replete with an array of Wi-Fi hooks, plush bedding and a bathroom you could spend hours in, the only thing missing was a view, which means once inside, you could be anywhere in the world. Although there is no formal dining area, a snack bar with a variety of sundries is available, as is the nightclub and I believe a workout center in the basement. The last time my brother-in-law visited us, he stayed at Aloft. I doubt he will ever stay overnight on our pullout couch again.
If it’s a condo you want, look to Hancock Place, where developers are looking to build 69 units. If you’re a little fuzzy of where Hancock Place is located, it’s on the corner of 125th Street, where Convent Avenue turns into Morningside. Better yet, remember LeGree Church? Well, now you’re getting close. Meanwhile, A lottery for 106 newly redeveloped apartments offered at below-market-rate rents in Harlem is now accepting applications. The homes are located in the Randolph Houses, a row of 36 tenement buildings on West 114th Street between Frederick Douglass Boulevard and Seventh Avenue. The cheapest units—four studio apartments—rent for $675 per month and are available for people earning an annual salary between $25,475 and $33,400. The rest of the units are being offered to individuals earning as little as $31,989 per year and families of six earning as much as $66,420. Of the 106 units, 12 are studios, 63 are one-bedroom apartments, 21 are two-bedroom apartments and 10 are 3-bedroom apartments. Preference for the new apartments will be given to New York City Housing Authority affiliate applicants such as former residents of the Randolph Houses, current public housing residents, applicants on NYCHA’s waitlist and Section 8 voucher holders, according to the city’s Housing Connect website.
The road runners are coming to Morningside Park, so get out your sneaks. The launch is scheduled to begin April 14 with runners meeting at 9 a.m. to start a weekly run through the park. Coordinated by the New York Road Runners, volunteers and participants should meet at the park entrance at West 110th Street.
Until next week … kisses.