Yesterday, mental health nonprofit Community Access broke ground on a new, $52.2 million supportive and affordable housing complex in the Mount Eden neighborhood of the Bronx. Located at 111 East 172nd Street, the building has 126 units, 60 of which will be set aside for Medicaid high-need individuals with mental health concerns and 65 for low-income families. It incorporates sustainable elements such as solar panels and a co-generation plant, as well as health-focused amenities like a community garden and kitchen to encourage and teach about healthy eating, outdoor exercise equipment, and a bike sharing program.

The mission of Community Access is to “expand opportunities for people living with mental health concerns to recover from trauma and discrimination through affordable housing, training, advocacy and healing-focused services.” The 172nd Street project will be their seventh in the Bronx; they’re also responsible for Gouverneur Court on the Lower East Side. This will be their first, however, to incorporate all the programs offered across the other projects. “It’s really a culmination of everything we’ve learned over the past 40 years,” Community Access CEO Steve Coe told NY1. Rica Bryan, the organization’s Health and Wellness coordinator, added, “We really see food and physical activity as a pathway to connection here at community access.”

The building is seeking LEED silver certification and will meet the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s Green Communities standards. Both the city and state are providing partial funding and rental subsidies for the project, which is expected to be complete in 18 months.

RELATED:

• Mixed-use affordable housing complex in the Bronx will feature Hunts Point Brewery and LightBox film studio
• Bronx Commons will bring 305 affordable apartments and a new music venue to the South Bronx
• New York Botanical Garden breaks ground on new $28M ‘Edible Academy’ complex

Renderings via Community Access

Back in 2011, Dattner Architects created the West Farms Redevelopment Plan, a rezoning (the largest ever in the Bronx at the time) of a 17-acre, 11-block former industrial area in Crotona Park East. The plan calls for a total of 1,325 affordable housing units, 46,000 square feet of retail, and community facilities. Dattner’s first two buildings in the complex are called theCompass Residences, which provide 237 apartments arranged around a series of courtyards. This past December, 114 of these residences at 1544 Boone Avenue came online through the city’s affordable housing lottery, and now, 120 more at 1524 Boone Avenue are open to New Yorkers earning 60 and 90 percent of the area median income, ranging from $822/month studios to $1,740/month three-bedrooms.

As 6sqft previously described, “The complex varies in height between three to 15 stories and, according to the architects, ‘a variety of colors and patterns distinguish the buildings as separate structures and emphasize the dynamic massing of the project.'” Amenities include parking in a nearby buildings, a shared public courtyard, residents’ courtyard, bike storage, laundry room, community room, and children’s playground.

The apartments have wrap-around, floor-to-ceiling windows, closed-circuit television systems, stainless steel appliances, granite counters, wood floors, and ceramic tiles.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable units at Compass Residences until April 24, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 3 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• 114 affordable units at the Bronx’s new Compass Residences complex up for grabs, from $822/month
• 227 COOKFOX-designed affordable apartments up for grabs near the NY Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo
• From just $368/month, lottery opens for 107 affordable apartments in Crotona Park East

The Bedford is a $22 million, 10-story, 60-unit affordable housing building in the Norwood section of the Bronx. Located at 3160 Webster Avenue, right alongside Bronx Park and just a quick walk to both the New York Botanical Garden/Bronx Zoo and Woodlawn Cemetery/Van Cortlandt Park, the project offers a small number of units for formerly homeless New Yorkers and 50 apartments reserved for those earning 50, 60, and 80 percent of the area median income. Applications are now being accepted through the city’s affordable housing lottery for this larger group, which range from $734/studios to $1,745/month three-bedrooms.

Go-to affordable housing designers Aufgang Architects are behind the project, and amenities include bike storage, a roof deck, and a laundry room. The ground floor has 10,000 square feet of glass-faced retail space, which is part of a larger initiative to transform Webster Avenue in a more vibrant streetscape following a 2009 rezoning of 80 blocks along the street.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 3160 Webster Avenue until May 5, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 7 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• 120 more affordable units available at the Bronx’s Compass Residences complex, from $822/month
• 227 COOKFOX-designed affordable apartments up for grabs near the NY Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo
• Lottery opens for first affordable units at Essex Crossing, from $519/month

A new report from the Regional Plan Association finds that residents of the Bronx are at highest risk of being pushed out due to gentrification compared to other New Yorkers, according to DNAinfo. The report, titled “Pushed Out: Housing Displacement in an Unaffordable Region,” looks at the effect of rising housing costs in New York City and addresses what it names “A Crisis of Affordability.” The report found the threat of being pushed out due to lack of affordable housing was a threat in 71 percent of census tracts in the Bronx. Following in displacement risk was Brooklyn at 55 percent, Manhattan and Queens at 31 percent each and Staten Island at 15 percent.

The report looked at factors such as economic vulnerability and area market activity when assessing risk; on an even more micro level, Bronx neighborhoods that were at highest risk were the ones from Port Morris to Norwood while areas on the borough’s eastern and western edges–Riverdale, for example–were considered more secure.

In a related finding, the borough also had the highest concentration of rent-burdened households, defined as paying more than 30 percent of household income in rent, at 56 percent of households, and the highest percentage of households earning less than $25,000.

The report found that recent population growth in the Bronx has been largely happening among people making less than $50,000 annually, though its “large amount of walkable, job-accessible neighborhoods,” could soon be attracting more well-off residents. For now, though, according to RPA New York Director Pierina Sanchez, “A lot of the Bronx is where lower income people in the city are still going to be able to remain in the city.”

What that seems to mean, in effect, is that residents being “pushed out” of other boroughs due to lack of affordable housing are ending up in the Bronx, but that it might not be a safe haven for long.

Other key findings:

• According to the report, proportionately lower-income residents throughout the city still live in pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with easy access to jobs, but they’re being replaced by wealthier ones, and they have few options when housing costs rise.
• The study also found that at-risk areas have a higher proportion of black and Hispanic residents than the rest of the county.
• Many of of those neighborhoods are seeing a shift to more expensive housing.
• Displacement risk is a problem that plagues the entire region, not just the urban areas of New York City.

The report goes on to suggest ways to help limit displacement, such as strengthening laws that limit rent hikes, using vacant government-owned land for low-income housing and obtaining more funding for programs that assist low-income people with rent.

[Via DNAinfo]

RELATED:

• Bronx Commons will bring 305 affordable apartments and a new music venue to the South Bronx
• Design team suggests a new mission-driven gentrification model geared toward artists and small businesses
• Coffee Culture: Are Neighborhood Cafes the First Sign of Gentrification?
• Should Poor Neighborhoods Stay Poor to Avoid Gentrification? Mayor De Blasio Speaks Out

Lead image courtesy of Alonso Balaguer.

The massive South Bronx waterfront development planned by Somerset Partners and Chetrit Group is coming together–at least visually. CityRealty revealed a rendering of the second parcel of a two-parcel master plan that will eventually hold six residential towers and park space. Construction on the first three buildings within the first parcel at 2401 Third Avenue was approved last summer. This second parcel at 101 Lincoln Avenue will hold three more towers, 25 stories each, with a grand total of 826 apartments. The developers have long heralded this development as a game-changer for the South Bronx, but faced pushback after Somerset developer Keith Rubenstein attempted to rebrand the area as the “Piano District” and held a party that capitalized on the struggles of the Bronx in the 1970s, featuring burning trash cans and a bullet-ridden car.

The rendering, which comes from the expediters at JM Zoning, shows that two of the towers hug the Harlem River, while the third is situated along Bruckner Boulevard. The architect of record is Hill West, who designed the buildings with various masonry, colors and fenestration treatment.

Waterfront parkland, open to the public, will play heavily into the design of both parcels. Above, a schematic from the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation shows what that green space will look like.

The renderings above offer a look at the first parcel, located at 2401 Third Avenue, which will hold three towers–two at 20 stories and one at 25. The architect of record for this phase of the project is also Hill West.

Both parcels make up a site that’s 60,902 square feet total. While construction has started on the first phase, Department of Building permits have yet to be approved for the next three buildings at 101 Lincoln Avenue. The entire development site is a part of the Special Harlem River Waterfront District, which is expected to yield up to 5,000 units across the district and buildings as tall as 40 stories.

[Via CityRealty]

RELATED:

• See how Keith Rubenstein’s trio of South Bronx towers will transform the ‘Piano District’ skyline
• The Bronx Dethrones Brooklyn for Most Residential Permits Issued
• Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

Our ongoing series “My sqft” checks out the homes of 6sqft’s friends and fellow New Yorkers across all the boroughs. Our latest interior adventure brings us to the Mott Haven rowhouse of Samuel Brooks. Want to see your home featured here? Get in touch!

Samuel Brooks has been living in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx for the better part of 43 years, never budging in his passion for this vibrant area that’s recently been dubbed the next “it” neighborhood. After buying a historic rowhouse within the Mott Haven Historic District 12 years ago (and then spending about nine of those scraping paint off the beautiful moldings!), Samuel is now a major player in Mott Haven’s local community efforts–he’s the President of the Mott Haven Historic Districts Association, runs an art gallery in his basement to exhibit local artists, and spearheaded the effort to transform his home this summer into the first ever Mott Haven Decorator Show House as a way to promote Bronx-based and up-and-coming designers. 6sqft recently paid Samuel a visit and toured his historic-meets-artsy home and learned all about his work putting Mott Haven on the map for reasons other than real estate development and food halls.

Samuel’s home was erected in 1889 by builder/architect William O’Gorman

Tell us about your history in Mott Haven. You mentioned you moved briefly to Manhattan after college; what brought you back to the Bronx? 

I originally arrived in the South Bronx on July 14, 1974 from Honduras, Central America. About a year later, we moved to 140th Street between St. Ann and Cypress in Mott Haven after a fire forced us out of our original apartment. I graduated from South Bronx High School and went on to Stony Brook University. Upon graduation, I moved to upper Manhattan for about two years with a couple of my college roommates. I soon found myself missing my beloved South Bronx so I returned. I have been living in the Mott Haven section as a homeowner for the past 12 years. Coincidentally, I returned to 140th street but this time between Willis and Brook Avenue.

Mott Haven is indeed special for its rich history and diverse community and culture. The neighborhood has three designated historic districts–Mott Haven Historic District, Mott Haven East Historic District, and the Bertine Block. There are 12 historic districts in the Bronx and Mott Haven was the first designated in 1969.

What are some of your favorite spots in the neighborhood?

We know that after decades of neglect, investors and developers have turned their gaze toward Mott Haven, and tourism and businesses have followed. Before this entire “new buzz,” I have been and continue to frequent the Mott Haven Bar and Grill. This establishment owned and operated by Rosa Garcia has been a constant pillar in our neighborhood. La Morada Restaurant is also an amazing; it’s a long-standing Mexican restaurant. And when it comes to great coffee, The Boogie Down Grind.

The standing lamps on either side of the couch are by iconic American lighting designer Cedric Hartman. They retail for about $7,000 each, but Samuel found them at a local yard sale for $5 each. 

Following up on what you just about the “buzz” surrounding Mott Haven, the Times recently named the South Bronx one of the world’s top travel destinations for 2017, and developers tried to give the waterfront area the trendy moniker “the Piano District.” What are your thoughts on all this press and brokers trying to rebrand the area? Have you witnessed a lot of changes? 

Oh boy!! Well, just for the record, the Bronx was a travel destination well before the New York Times named it as such. I tell folks all the time that we actually made the list back in 1639 when Jonas Bronck, a Swedish sea captain who once resided in the Netherlands and for whom the borough is named, was the first European to settle in the Bronx. In my 44 years of living in the South Bronx, I’ve experienced fist hand some of the bad, the ugly, and in the past few years some of the good. So yes, I have seeing dramatic changes in the South Bronx overall and more specifically, Mott Haven.

With respect to investors and developers making their way to our borough, [I hope] they keep a basic concept that I shared with a few of them in mind. I call it D3–Dialog, Don’t Dictate. Continue to have an open dialog with the community to try to incorporate some of their ideas and concerns into the development. A bit of piano history: The Clock Tower Building as it is now called, at 112 Lincoln Avenue, was erected in 1885 as a factory for the Estey Piano Company. That was one of several such piano factories in the area, such as Krakauer and Kroeger. The Bronx became known as the piano manufacturing capital of the United States. As for the moniker “the Piano District,” perhaps that should have been part of a community “dialog.”

Originally, there were six fireplaces in the home, but many have been covered over. As part of the Show House, the fireplace in the living room will be opened up and this mantle will be placed back around it.

How did you get involved with the Mott Haven Historic Districts Association?

By default, every resident, homeowner or not, is part of the Mott Haven Historic Districts. As far back as 2008, a coalition of 12 neighbors got together to help improve their homes and streets. As President of the MHHDA, our mission remains the same: To improve public safety, raising awareness of the area’s history and architecture through outreach, programs, tours, encourage building restoration, and cultivate support for neighborhood beautification. My involvement was a natural extension of my history in the South Bronx.

The art going up the stairs comes from Housing Works in Tribeca. The prints were 50 cents each and can be found scattered throughout the home. 

Along these lines, Mott Haven was recently named one of the Historic Districts Council’s “Six to Celebrate” neighborhoods. What do you have planned in conjunction with this distinction? 

Yes, we are honored to be one of the 2017 Six to Celebrate. The program annually identifies six historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation as priorities for HDC’s advocacy and consultation over a year-long period. For the next 12 months and through continued support in the years to come, we will learn to use tools such as documentation, research, zoning, landmarking, publicity, and public outreach to advance local preservation campaigns. We are also fortunate to partner with Bronx Historical Tours to develop a series of walking tours throughout the three historic districts of Mott Haven.

The outlines in the brickwork are covering up historic doorways that allowed workers to go from one house to the other without having to go outside. 

In July, your home will be on display for eight weeks as the first annual Mott Haven Decorator Show House. Tell us about this endeavor.

The MHDSH, the first of its kind in the South Bronx, is modeled after the famous Kips Bay Decorator Show House. It’s an excellent way to raise critical funds to support the Mott Haven Historic Districts Association programs–initiatives such as signage throughout the districts, uniform tree guards, more historic plaques, retro street lamps, and the development of historic preservation programs for elementary and high school students.

When Samuel bought the house, the beautiful glass doorknobs had all turned green. As part of the Show House, they’ll all be boiled in vinegar and returned to their original state. 

Most of our interior designers are Bronx-based. Jason Tackmann is president of SoBro Studio Surfaces, a Mott Haven-based creative finishing company that uses innovative materials for interior design. Pedro Castillo is president of PC Interior Renovations, another local company that specializes in kitchen and bathroom renovation, as well as high-end carpentry. Stacey Dipersia is an amazing interior designer who is actually based in Tribeca and will have the incredible challenge of transforming the central foyer and staircase. Damaris Reyes, founder and creative director of Madeby_SAS and another Bronx-based interior designer, does some amazing floral arrangements.

Your basement media room doubles as an exhibit space for local artists. How did this come about?

The Brownstone Gallery was something I’ve been thinking about for a few years now. With 800 square feet of open space, I thought it would be great to host art exhibits for local artists. This is now the fourth installation we’ve done. The current exhibit is a very talented artist known as John Carl Martin of JMartin Designs who is best known for his success with airbrush. He is also a designer, art educator and publisher of the book series “What Makes Me Happy, What Brings Me Joy.” The original character of the series is what you see in this exhibit.

Will this space also be redesigned as part of the MHDSH?

Yes, by talented Bronx interior designer/material and product specialist Jennifer Gomez, who holds a bachelor of science in architectural technology and MFA in interior design. The space will be rebranded as the “ultimate Airbnb Hospitality Suite.” Airbnb guests will have the opportunity to view the art on display during their stay and to purchase it as well. My hope is for other hospitality hosts to consider the Brownstone Gallery approach and reach out to me for a source of artists.

And finally, we are in discussions with David Nussenbaum, Executive Director of Bronx Arts Ensemble, a premier professional music organization founded in 1972, about hosting a series of brownstone concerts in the garden level of the home.

Last question: Do you have a favorite piece of furniture or art?

I would say the set of Cedric Hartman adjustable floor lamps, as well as the historic travel posters that you see throughout the home.

+++

All photos taken by Erin Kestenbaum exclusively for 6sqft. Photos are not to be reproduced without written permission from 6sqft.

Just two days ago, 6sqft brought you a brand new rendering of the second parcel at Somerset Partners and Chetrit Group’s massive South Bronx waterfront development, and now, YIMBY has uncovered even more views of the full seven-tower, 13,000-unit residential project, along with some more specific details. The renderings come courtesy of Hill West Architects and also show the publicly accessible 25,500-square-foot public waterfront esplanade.

At the foot of Mott Haven’s Third Avenue Bridge at the 2401 Third Avenue site will be a stand-alone, 25-story tower and a pair of 25- and 16-story towers that will sit atop an eight-story base. Here, there will be 430 rentals (a mix of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedrooms), 42,000 square feet of community facility space, and a 175-car garage. The roof of the podium will be a landscaped deck that’s open on one side to the esplanade and serves as an entryway/porte-cochere. Other amenities include a pet care room, lounge, gym, event room, bike storage, third-floor pool, and a mysterious “quiet room.”

The second site at 101 Lincoln Avenue will take up the full block south of the Bridge and contain three stand-alone, 24-story towers and a 22-story tower atop a six- and seven-story podium. This complex will offer 849 rentals (ranging from studios to three-bedrooms and including a handful of two- and three-bedroom duplexes), 20,500 square feet of retail space, and a 1,100-square-foot community facility space. Amenities here will be the same, but also include a ground-floor cafe, library/wine room, and a screening room. The two sites will be connected by a shared courtyard that will provide access to a 423-spot, multi-level parking garage.

Chetrit Group and Somerset Partners, the latter led by Keith Rubenstein who caught slack when he tried to rebrand this area of the South Bronx the “Piano District,” bought the two parcels for a combined $58 million in 2015.

As 6sqft previously reported:

Both parcels make up a site that’s 60,902 square feet total. While construction has started on the first phase, Department of Building permits have yet to be approved for the next three buildings at 101 Lincoln Avenue. The entire development site is a part of the Special Harlem River Waterfront District, which is expected to yield up to 5,000 units across the district and buildings as tall as 40 stories.

They’ve so far secured financing for the first phase, set for completion in June 2019, but not the second, which is still tentatively planned for December 2019.

[Via YIMBY]

Renderings via Hill West

Rendering of Mill Brook Terrace courtesy of NYCHA

As part of the New York City Housing Authority’s NextGen initiative–the controversial policy of partnering with private companies to develop housing on open space in existing public housing projects–an affordable senior development is coming to the South Bronx. As reported by NY Yimby, Mill Brook Terrace in Mott Haven will be a nine-story, 169-unit building at 570 East 137th Street and will be set aside for seniors who earn no more than 50 percent of the area media income, or less than $36,250. Designed by Perkins Eastman Architects, the building will include a 9,000-square-foot senior center on the ground floor, which will include a commercial kitchen, community space, activity room and an outdoor garden.

Despite losing nearly $35 million in federal aid, NYCHA continues to push forward with development plans that partner with private developers in order to save on costs. So far cuts to NYCHA include at least $27.7 million in operating costs and $7.6 million in funding the Section 8 voucher program. And while the privatization approach has been met with criticism, NextGen NYCHA plans on constructing two more affordable buildings on open space in Brooklyn in addition to the Mill Brook Houses. Ingersoll Houses will be built in Fort Greene and Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville. With these three developments, NYCHA hopes to create 489 below-market rate apartments for New Yorkers earning between 20 and 60 percent of the area median income.

The developer, West Side Federation of Senior and Supportive Housing, along with NYCHA, hope to begin construction on Mill Brook Terrace later this year and finish by 2019.

[Via NY Yimby]

RELATED: 

• 489 New Units of Affordable/Elderly Housing to Rise on Land in Brooklyn and the Bronx
• As the Mayor weighs options for loss of public housing funding, Trump considers $6B in HUD cuts
• Seniors Increasingly Struggle to Find Housing, But Some Find Ways to Cope

New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income can apply for three newly constructed units at 1319A and 1319B Prospect Avenue in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. The $1,230/month one-bedrooms are located in a 16-unit, two-building project in a leafy residential area not far from the 2 and 5 trains.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 1319 Prospect Avenue until April 10, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 4 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• Apply for 50 affordable units along Bronx Park, from $734/month
• 120 more affordable units available at the Bronx’s Compass Residences complex, from $822/month
• 227 COOKFOX-designed affordable apartments up for grabs near the NY Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo

Bronx Commons via Danois

The $160 million Bronx Commons mixed-use development, located in the borough’s Melrose neighborhood, broke ground in January. When complete, it will combine affordable housing, retail, landscaped public space, and a 300-seat music and arts venue known as Bronx Music Hall. As 6sqft previously reported, the Hall was envisioned as a way to celebrate and revitalize “the deeply rooted history of cutting edge Bronx music,” which nonprofit developers WHEDco and BFC Partners also hoped to address by setting aside 15 percent of the 305 below-market rate apartments for older musicians. But as the Times explains, despite the South Bronx’s past as a hub for jazz and doo-wop music venues and sidemen, the city says this may be in violation of fair housing laws that prohibit preferences based on age or race.

Bronx Music Hall renderings via WXY Architecture + Urban Design

With changes in the music business, it’s become harder for older musicians to book gigs like they used to. In addition, many South Bronx neighborhoods have been the target of gentrification and increasing rent prices. These changes have many musicians struggling to find affordable housing, living off money earned from gig to gig. Which is where WHEDco’s Nancy Biberman got the idea to allocate some of the project’s affordable housing for aging musicians. “There is senior housing, but that’s depressing, honestly. The elder artists I met did not want to be living in a building with people who are just old. They wanted to be who they were — musicians — and not isolated in an old-age home,” she explained. The plan was also to incorporate the Bronx Music Hall as a way for the musicians to continue making and teaching music,

Though Mayor de Blasio has committed to providing 1,500 units of affordable housing for artists, a spokeswoman for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development told the Times “there would be many opportunities for this population in future developments.” She suggested the musicians enter the city’s general affordable housing lotteries, which often attract tens of thousands of applicants.

[Via NYT]

RELATED: 

• Bronx Commons will bring 305 affordable apartments and a new music venue to the South Bronx
• NYCHA’s open space development plans move ahead with affordable senior housing in the South Bronx
• More renderings, details released for massive South Bronx waterfront development

The historic mansions of Riverdale never fail to impress, and this gem is no exception. Built in 1899 and known as the Esmeralda, the home has maintained many of its historic details over the years. Throughout formal dining and living areas, as well as all nine bedrooms, you’ll find finishes like hardwood flooring, oak doors, wood-beamed ceilings and fireplaces. The property also comes with an impressive degree of privacy, as you enter through a long, gated driveway. For this level of exclusivity and historic charm, the price tag is $4.129 million.

In case you doubted the name of this estate, it’s written into the wrought iron fencing. Past the private gates you’re led into a massive property with the freestanding home surrounded by green space.

The mezzanine level boasts two fireplaces, one in stone and one in marble, as well as wood-beamed ceilings across a sprawling living room. The other living room has a more old world aesthetic, with wood lining the floors, fireplace and windows.

The kitchen connects to an enclosed sunroom, which then leads to a lovely outdoor patio.

The home, in fact, has more than one enclosed sunroom–in the front and back of the house–for the homeowner to look out at the spruce trees that surround the property.

The upper floors hold more living space as well as the bedrooms. In total, the Esmerelda holds nine bedrooms, five full bathrooms and one powder room, all lined with windows.

There’s also a finished basement, and the listing suggests there’s enough room outside to install a pool. Basically there’s plenty of space for add-on perks to this stately mansion, which has stood up well against the test of time. Be sure to check the gallery for many more shots of the interior and surrounding private property.

[Listing: 3111 Henry Hudson Parkway by Oxford Property Group]

RELATED:

• 1924 cliffside Riverdale castle-cottage has magical river views, a Broadway pedigree and a $2.6M ask
• $2.6M Mediterranean-Style Mansion Is Up for Sale in Riverdale
• Live in Riverdale’s Historic Fieldston Neighborhood For Just $1,230 a Month

Photos courtesy of Oxford Property Group

Atop the city’s second-highest peak, in Riverdale, the Bronx, this opulent mansion has been beckoning the heavens–and seeking a buyer–since 2009 when it hit the market with an ask of $14 million; As 6sqft previously reported, the 17-room 1home was built in 1928 for an eccentric owner who never actually lived there herself, but rather constructed it for Jesus’ second coming. The house was asking $11 million in 2013 and re-listed with a $10 million price tag in 2015. Welcome2TheBronx reports that the home finally sold for $6,250,000 on January 9th of this year.

The mega-mansion was built for Genevieve Ludlow Griscom, widow of Clement Acton Griscom Jr., a prominent shipping executive and a member of a cult-like religious group called the Outer Court of the Order of the Living Christ, which was rooted in Episcopalian beliefs, but focused on reincarnation and Christian mysticism. The house was built as the group’s summer retreat, surrounded by a tall fence.

Genevieve supervised the Bronx mansion’s construction, but chose to live in a shack on the 2.3-acre property that was heated by a stove. The other group members lived in cottages throughout the grounds. They did, however, make sure to dust the home regularly in anticipation of Jesus’ visit, and every day Genevieve went inside to play the pipe organ.

In 1958, Genevieve died at the age of 90, and two years later, after the Order had ceased to exist, a developer bought the property for $700,000, leaving the site untouched and eventually giving it to the Archdiocese of New York, who sold it in 1969 to Manhattan College. The school planned to build dorms there, but chose another location instead. It sat vacant until 1987 when Sandra and Jerry Galuten bought it for “practically nothing.”

At the time, “the house was a shell of its former self. Its front door was boarded up, the windows had been shattered and a group of raccoons was living in the attic. Vandals had burned the banister and other items, and the interior was blackened by flames.”

A more recent listing shows a virtually staged renovated mansion ready for some 21st century worship–of modern luxe interiors like a Lindsey Adelman organic chandelier and a sprawling white sectional sofa.

The Galutens restored the 14,050-square-foot home over 25 years, adding limestone walls, marble floors imported from the Vatican, gilded ceilings painted by the Plaza’s artisans, and chandeliers from the Plaza. The property offers seven bedrooms, four wet bars, a hot tub, phones in all of the bathrooms, a wine cellar, barbecue pit in the kitchen, walk-in freezer, glass conservatory, cocktail lounge, and a top-floor hobby room/workshop.

RELATED:

• Outrageous Bronx Mansion Built for Jesus’ Second Coming Can Be Yours for $10M
• VIDEO: The History of the Upper East Side Mansion Where the Pope Is Staying
• Did You Know Brooklyn Has Its Own Saint?
• $2.6M Mediterranean-Style Mansion Is Up for Sale in Riverdale

Images courtesy of Keller Williams, Oxford Property Group and Halstead.

Tremont Park via NYC Parks

As of today, qualifying New Yorkers can apply for 16 newly renovated, affordable apartments in the Tremont section of the Bronx. The units at 565 East 178th Street and 2089-91 Arthur Avenue–which are right near Tremont Park and just a short walk to the Bronx Park and Zoo–are available to those earning 50 to 60 percent of the area median income, ranging from $716/month studios to $1,292/month three-bedrooms.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 565 East 178th Street and 2089-91 Arthur Avenue until May 5, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 6 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to discover more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for these housing lotteries, visit CityRealty’s no-fee rentals page for other great deals on apartments.

RELATED: 

• COOKFOX’s Massive Affordable Housing Development Pushes Forward in the Bronx
• Three chances to live in the Bronx’s Morrisania neighborhood for $1,230/month
• NYCHA’s open space development plans move ahead with affordable senior housing in the South Bronx

Located just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium, this affordable housing project with a beautiful shared courtyard is truly unique, as it was developed on one of the last vacant city-owned lots. Applications are now being accepted for one- and two-bedroom rentals at 12 East Clarke Place and 27 East 169 Street in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, including $963/month one-bedrooms and $1,166/month two-bedrooms. 

The 100,000 square-foot complex combines two brand new buildings that share a parking lot and a landscaped open space. The mixed-use building at 12 East Clarke Place rises 11 stories and contains 73 units. At East 169th Street, find 33 units in a 13-story residential building. The artful facade on the buildings contain red, brown and beige brick, and the interior of the units feature high-quality bamboo flooring, ceramic tiles and custom wood cabinets.

The building was designed by RKTB, an award-winning architect firm known for transforming vacant lots into affordable housing. Unlike a lot of affordable housing projects, these buildings boast large windows that let natural light brighten the living spaces. Plus, it’s one of the first buildings to comply with the Green Communities Criteria requirements and its energy consumption is monitored. The units’ shared courtyard provides a clean and safe outdoor space. Other amenities of the building include a parking garage, a shared recreation room, a community facility space and in-unit laundry facilities.

Applications may be requested by email from: cynthiav@langsamprop.com 

Or by writing to:

Langsam Property Services
c/o Cynthia Valette
1601 Bronxdale Avenue, Suite 201
Bronx, NY 10462

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 12 East Clarke Place and 27 East 169 Street until June 15, 2017. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED: 

• RKTB Architects Design Two New Affordable Housing Buildings in the Bronx
• The Bronx Is Getting a New Mixed-Use High-Rise Near Yankee Stadium
• Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

Crotona Park East via NYC Parks

Adding to the development boom in the South Bronx, eight newly constructed units are available to rent at 1417 Longfellow Avenue. Located in the Crotona Park East neighborhood, which was rezoned six years ago to allow more residential buildings in the former industrial area, the building contains 38 apartments that each are about 636-square units. New Yorkers who qualify can apply for four $1,348 one-bedrooms and four $1,521 two-bedrooms.

The Longfellow Development was designed by Badaly Architects and developed by Kim Tasher. The apartments offer amenities like electronic keys, security cameras, an intercom, as well as a roof deck is on the top floor. The building is just four blocks from the Freeman Street stop for the 2/5 trains.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 1417 Longfellow Avenue until May 16, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 3 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• From just $368/month, lottery opens for 107 affordable apartments in Crotona Park East
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Located in the Mount Eden neighborhood of the South Bronx, this affordable housing building at 1561 Walton Avenue sits just off the Grand Concourse and a block south of the Cross-Bronx Expressway. The 11-story residence contains 60 units total and includes an on-site manager, rear patio, laundry, and storage space for bikes, as well as on-site college application assistance and work-readiness training. Applications are currently being accepted for 50 of the units, ranging from $558/month one-bedrooms to $1,740/month three-bedrooms for those earning 40, 50, 60, or 80 percent of the area median income.

The building is part of the New Settlement Apartment complex, which provides a neighborhood-based approach to housing while including many community programs and services. As part of New Settlement, residents at 1561 Walton have access to on-site college application assistance and work-readiness training. They also have access to the New Settlement Community Campus, which consists of two new public schools, an amphitheater, outdoor space, library, gym, cafeteria, and health clinic. Attached to the school, a community center features a swimming pool, dance studios, cooking classroom, green roof learning terrace, and an atrium with an art gallery. Programs offered at the center include swimming lessons, yoga classes, cooking and nutrition instruction and dance classes.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 1561 Walton Avenue until July 3, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 4 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED: 

• Apply for eight affordable units in the Bronx’s Crotona Park East, from $1,348/month
• Score an affordable apartment near Yankee Stadium from $963/month
• Apply for 16 affordable units in the Tremont section of the Bronx, from $716/ month

Conceptual rendering courtesy of Raft Architects

While many residential and commercial projects are underway in the South Bronx, the neighborhood continues to lack diverse food choices for its residents. Hoping to bring more variety to the Hunts Point community, Majora Carter--a revitalization adviser and developer who’s also behind the nearby transformation of the former Spofford Juvenile Detention Center into a $300 million mixed-use affordable housing complex–is partnering with Slayton Ventures to create a hip new dining spot in an empty railway station. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the $2 million project will restore the former Amtrak-owned building, which was designed by Cass Gilbert, beginning this summer and is expected to be completed in the fall.

Majora Carter and Slayton Ventures’ vision may include creating a food hall-type operation with multiple vendors that would offer diverse cuisine selections. Similarly, Somerset Partners purchased a 16,000-square-foot warehouse last summer at 9 Bruckner Boulevard for $7.5 million with plans for a fresh food market, restaurants and possibly a beer garden.

The developers currently are selecting the architects and plan to put a new facade, roof, bathrooms and kitchens in the building. It has 4,500 square feet and high-arched reinforced concrete ceilings to work with. Plus, it sits near a subway station that developers hope will bring a lot of foot traffic. The Majora Carter Group LLC secured a permanent easement agreement from Amtrak for $1.

Gentrification in the South Bronx remains a concern for many of its residents. Recently, a study from the Regional Plan Association found Bronx residents are at the highest risk of being displaced due to gentrification. The study found that because of the lack of affordable housing in the area, 71 percent of census tracts there may face the threat of displacement. However, Majora Carter, who has pushed for environmental equality and green infrastructure projects in the South Bronx, said eclectic dining options could encourage economic diversity. “Variety is something we don’t have,” she told the WSJ. “We know dollars leave our community because we don’t have the kind of quality that speaks to people of diverse economic profiles.”

[Via WSJ]

RELATED: 

• A New York Minute with Urban Revitalization Consultant Majora Carter
• Mixed-use affordable housing complex in the Bronx will feature Hunts Point Brewery and LightBox film studio
• Trendy, ‘Affordable’ Food Hall and Beer Garden Headed to the South Bronx
• All of our South Bronx coverage

The city’s Economic Development Corp. has announced its support for plans to build up to 1,045 units of market-rate and affordable housing and commercial space on a vacant four-acre stretch of East 149th Street in The Bronx, the New York Post reports. The city had promised a decade ago to replace the more than 25 acres of parkland that was lost when the new Yankee Stadium was greenlighted in 2005; the vacant space was to be the last leg of the Mill Pond Park, off the Harlem River. Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates, a watchdog group, said the “sleazy switcheroo” “screams of Brooklyn Bridge Park all over again,” referring to promised waterfront parkland that that became high-rise housing instead.

Mill Pond Park Powerhouse.

Last year the city came through with a long-delayed park on the Williamsburg-Greenpoint waterfront to appease locals there who had been similarly been promised parkland in 2005 as a giveback for a controversial neighborhood rezoning in favor of high rise housing.

Activists met with representatives of Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who is also the legislator representing the affected Mott Haven neighborhood, last week in an effort to to lobby her to block the development, which must go through a review process before City Council approval. Mark-Viverito has said she remains undecided and that she is “reviewing this proposal.”

Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. George Pataki and the Yankees had promised to replace the lost parkland–and then some. But only about 21 acres have been delivered so far.

Bronx Community Board 4 member Killian Jordan called the move of offering admittedly much-needed affordable housing at the expense of the promised parkland “spectacularly inappropriate,” suggesting that the EDC build the affordable housing on city-owned land used for stadium parking instead.

EDC officials are saying that the planned mixed-use project will be a win for the community because it will not only include some open space but that it will bring jobs to the neighborhood. The agency also says it’s considering a 2.5 acre lot five blocks to the south of Mill Pond Park on East 144th Street for another park. EDC spokeswoman Stephanie Baez said, ““We have a booming population that needs both affordable housing and recreational space, and [our] . . . investment strategy aims to do just that.”

[Via NYPost]

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Located in the evolving Melrose neighborhood of the South Bronx, eight newly constructed units are available to rent at 407 East 160th Street. As the Bronx continues to undergo major residential and commercial development, Melrose sits as the epicenter of these changes. It has a bustling district known as the Hub, or the Times Square of the Bronx, which features many retail stores, restaurants and entertainment options. New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income can apply to rent four $1,348/month one-bedrooms and four $1,521/month two-bedrooms.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 407 East 160th Street until June 1, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 3 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• New food hall may arrive at an empty railway station in the South Bronx
• New rendering emerges for Keith Rubenstein’s ambitious South Bronx development
• New York Times names the South Bronx one of the world’s top travel destinations for 2017

Applications are currently being accepted for nine newly constructed affordable units at 866 East 178th Street in the West Farms section of the Bronx. West Farms, which underwent the largest private rezoning in the Bronx ever a few years ago, is located in the southwest of the borough. Residents here can enjoy plenty of green space with access to the Bronx Park, Zoo and the Bronx River. New Yorkers earning 80 percent of the area median income can apply to rent four one-bedrooms for $1,348 per month and five two-bedrooms for $1,521 per month.

In 2011, West Farms was redeveloped to turn an underutilized manufacturing district into a neighborhood with better access to parks, open space, better schools and affordable housing.  Residents at 866 East 178th Street will benefit from the building’s electronic key system, security cameras and intercom.

Qualifying New Yorkers can apply for the affordable apartments at 866 East 178th Street until June 7, 2017. Residents of Bronx Community Board 6 will be given preference for 50 percent of the units. Complete details on how to apply are available here (pdf). Questions regarding this offer must be referred to NYC’s Housing Connect department by dialing 311.

Use 6sqft’s map below to find even more ongoing housing lotteries.

If you don’t qualify for the housing lotteries mentioned, visit CityRealty.com’s no-fee rentals page for other apartment deals in the city.

RELATED:

• Apply for eight affordable units in the Bronx’s bustling Melrose, from $1,348/month
• Score an affordable apartment in Harlem’s Sugar Hill from $747/ month
• Apply for 14 affordable apartments in Bed-Stuy’s luxury Atrium rental, from $833/month