If two former bankers and a master brewer have their way, the Bronx’s first microbrewery will open in the historic Banknote building in Hunts Point this summer. Steve O’Sullivan, Niall Henry and Damian Brown, all under 30, plan to produce six different beers with tongue-in-cheek names, including Riverd(ALE), Mother Hef’n [...]
By Venita Virgia Johnson vjo@hunter.cuny.edu Center Sheet Metal is a get-your-hands-dirty kind of place whose employees work with steel and aluminum to fabricate custom-built heating ducts and other equipment. The factory occupies a typical Hunts Point industrial building. The one-story utilitarian structure on East Bay Avenue two blocks from Food [...]
By Joseph Gallagher josephtgallagher@gmail.com An empty lot full of gravel, dirt and demolition equipment is all that remains of what was once a bustling strip of retail stores in Longwood’s Southern Boulevard shopping area. On the night of October 28, four-alarm fire tore through a taxpayer, destroying five businesses and [...]
By Michel Ovalle Michelovalle@hotmail.com The heavy drumbeat of Merengue music, the buzz of a hair dryer and the splashing of water merge to greet customers when they walk into Sira’s Unisex, a longtime presence on Hunts Point Avenue. Its owner, Cynthia de la Cruz, is a Dominican immigrant who purchased [...]
By Felix Quinonez Felixfanmail@yahoo.com Early every morning, Luis Martinez sets up the fruit stand he owns. Usually he can be found on the corner of Simpson Street and Westchester Avenue. He’s seen a lot in the seven years he’s been selling his wares in Hunts Point. On a recent morning, [...]
Business Improvement District has big plans By Fausto Giovanny Pinto Fpinto@hunter.cuny.edu After a slow start, the Southern Boulevard Business Improvement District has begun its effort to improve shopping in Hunts Point and Longwood for both retailers and their customers. Cleaner streets are the first sign of progress, according to some [...]
By Fausto Giovanny Pinto Fpinto@hunter.cuny.edu Loyal patrons of the stores on Southern Boulevard and Westchester Avenue say there’s no need to go anywhere else. “They have everything here that they have in other areas–clothes, games,” said Rafael Castro who was checking out shops on Southern Boulevard on a recent afternoon.
What: The BID is an association of owners of commercial real estate who have agreed to make additional payments to the city on top of their property taxes. The city then turns the additional sum over to the organization to spend on its efforts to improve shopping. Who: The BID [...]