Grown in the Bronx
Written and Photos by Morgan Williams (Left to right: Sunny Cheeba, Leomary Rodriguez, Kevin “Advice” Toledo and Flordalis Espinal)
The Bronx has been a recurring character in the origin stories of some of today’s most talented and successful artists. But are these artists needles in the giant haystack that is the Bronx borough? Or is there a larger art scene that exists but that hasn’t been publicly acknowledged yet? Four Bronx natives believe that the art scene in the Bronx is overflowing with talented and passionate individuals but that their vibrancy tends to only be felt by those who already know that it exists. From maintaining their creativity through the pandemic to seeking their insight on how to reimagine the art scene in the Bronx, interviewing these four creatives helped hold a microphone to the hum of talent actively buzzing in the Bronx making it now impossible to ignore.
As she holds the camera steadily and poised, Leomary Rodriguez simultaneously makes her subjects feel comfortable in front of her by validating their expressions and poses. Using cement steps in front of a Washington Heights apartment building as their set, the different members from the cast of the online web series Dominican York flip flop back and forth confidently before her, based off of her subtle directions. Similar to watching a close friend take photos of another friend, you’d never know this was the first time Leomary was meeting them. As she moves the camera screen with ease, she pays attention solely to the person in front of her never once getting distracted by the six other members chatting behind her or music blaring in the cars driving past her.
Leomary Rodriguez is only one of the many native Bronxites that is paving a way for herself by following her talent and her passion, which in her case is being a documentary filmmaker and director. Born and raised in the Bronx, Rodriguez first started watching films and TV as a way of bonding with her mother. “I caught my mom always staying up late watching TV so I was like boom that’s how I’m going to bond with my mom. So it was a comfort thing for me,” she said.
Images courtesy of Leomary Rodriguez, left adjacent by Morgan Williams
“I wish people knew that we can talk however we talk and we can present ourselves however edgy we present ourselves because I feel like there is an edge to people who live in the Bronx. But we’re so dynamic...expect the unexpected from people who present themselves in a way that others aren’t used to.”
For college, Rodriguez left the Bronx to go to school in Buffalo, New York which resulted in her gaining a whole new appreciation for her home. “It’s good to have that type of experience, but all it created was a longing to reconnect with this place that I grew up at...the culture that I’m used to and the convenience of it and just the diversity of it is not out there in these cities. So coming back I was like ‘nah, I gotta tell these stories’.
Rodriguez followed through on her goal to spread Bronx stories as she is now the Content Acquisitions Coordinator for Bronxnet, where their mission is to provide programming opportunities to educate, inform, and promote community voices for the Bronx and beyond. “I knew there was talent in the Bronx, because like I’m talented, so I’m like there’s got to be more of us out here,” she said confidently. She was right and she makes an effort to elevate the voices of other talented people.
Rodriguez created Directed By Us, a digital platform for the purpose of championing stories and connecting BIPOC creatives and entrepreneurs with each other. Eventually, she wants to turn the individual stories she shares into a TV series. Being in the Bronx during these turbulent times, Rodriguez witnessed her community come together through the emergence of photo walks, including some organized by Girls who Shoot, along with a rise in community gardens and fridges. While many struggled to stay creative during these times, Leomary kept her mind at ease by journaling and documenting more stories for her Directed By Us series including highlighting Christian Montero’s The Lantern Project. She also joined a group, initiated by her friend, where the members in the group create projects that challenge themselves and then present those projects to the rest of the group. “We hold each other accountable and congratulate each other on the progress.” It’s these types of important communities and support systems that encouraged Rodriguez to continue to push herself and her creativity during the pandemic.
In 2020, Rodriguez won the award for Best Director in the Bronx 48-hour Film Challenge for her horror film, “Night Call” which centers on a cautionary tale of what happens when dating during quarantine goes wrong. She said her strength lies more in her ability to visualize a story being told rather than coming up with a story from scratch. As a result, Rodriguez said she loves documentary filmmaking because you can let people tell their story themselves, she just helps guide them through it. “I want to see what else is out there, who else I can meet, how I can tell their story,” she said with sincerity.
As Rodriguez mentioned, she is not the only talented person in the Bronx. So, her suggestion for reimagining the art scene in the Bronx? Create our own platform. “Have our own streaming platform. There’s a global presence we can cultivate here.... it’d be great to have guidance to get us there,” she said. Rodriguez might be onto something considering the plethora of unique voices the Bronx has to offer that could change the narrative around the Bronx as a whole.
“I wish people knew that we can talk however we talk and we can present ourselves however edgy we present ourselves because I feel like there is an edge to people who live in the Bronx. But we’re so dynamic...expect the unexpected from people who present themselves in a way that others aren’t used to.”
Images courtesy of Flordalis Espinal and top centered by Morgan WIlliams.
A true example of performing the unexpected can be found just a quick metro swipe away to West Farms where Girls Who Shoot founder, Flordalis Espinal, plots her next photo walk. Espinal had over 300 people sign up to attend only her second Girls Who Shoot photo walk over the pandemic. A number that not even she was expecting. Unfortunately, due to social gathering rules she was unable to host all 300, but the demand for the organization that she created was evidently high.
Espinal, a Bronx born and raised photographer, says her photography start dates back to using up the rest of the film on her mother’s disposable cameras as a kid. Switching from digital to film in recent years, Flordalis has become a pretty prominent Bronx based portrait photographer. After purchasing a manual camera from the 1940s she had trial and error when it came to figuring out the proper way to use it, but eventually she figured out how to make it work best for her. “I would take double exposures by mistake at first, but once I figured out how to do it I started doing it more intentionally...I wanted to capture the duality of a person,” she explained.
Espinal started attending photo walks, which are when a group of photographers meet up in one place, to walk freely or through a certain route and take street photography and even photos of each other. While the photo walks were great for networking and meeting new photographers, Espinal noticed one glaring problem: there were very few women. As Espinal’s network grew and she met more and more women photographers scattered around the area, the idea for Girls Who Shoot was born. “I was like wow I need to bring all of you guys together and invite more people...but what I noticed about my friends who were photographers that were women was they modeled as well. So, for my photo walks I not only invite photographers and videographers, but I invite women who want to get their pictures taken as well. So that way we all can network and give content to each other.”
“That’s what I always try to capture in my pictures, there’s beauty in the struggle, there’s beauty in these gritty areas of the Bronx.”
The first Girls Who Shoot photo walk began as 50 women photographers coming together in the Bronx and has now grown into not just a community organization boasting over 2,000 followers on Instagram, but also a worldwide movement as Girls Who Shoot has inspired women photographers in Los Angeles and the UK. “There are a lot of women who just want to meet other women creatives...I just needed more inspiring women in my life,” Espinal shared.
It’s not hard to imagine that being a portrait photographer during Covid-19 isn’t ideal considering half of your subject’s face has to be covered. Espinal found herself struggling to like the pictures of people in masks because “the whole point of a portrait is to tell a story through someone. That comes through expression and body language and if half your face is covered, I can’t tell as much about you,” she explained. Despite the hindrance of masks, Espinal spent a lot of time during the pandemic documenting her neighborhood and taking self-portraits. As I listen to Espinal speak, I start to grasp a greater understanding of the extremely well respected and talented reputation that she holds as she reveals with a shrug that she taught herself how to develop her own film, as a result of not being able to get it developed elsewhere. At this point, it becomes extremely clear that not even a worldwide pandemic can stunt her creative flow.
Growing up in a poor neighborhood in the Bronx inspired a lot of Espinal’s work and her desire to shoot portraits. “The area I grew up in was a very poor neighborhood, but my mom just made the best out of what she had, and I think that has just allowed me to see the beauty in the struggle. That’s what I always try to capture in my pictures, there’s beauty in the struggle, there’s beauty in these gritty areas of the Bronx.” Espinal managed to find strength instead of sadness coming up and she credits that strength as inspiration in what she tries to capture in her photos. It’s also because of this strength and beauty in the struggle that Espinal believes the Bronx has the most authentic and growing art scene. “You just have to be in it and have to network with people to know there’s an art scene.” That being said though, there is still work to be done to better advertise the thriving culture of artists and creatives here in the Bronx and Espinal believes that there just needs to be space to do that. “We need nicer venues and more access to certain spaces and more access to opportunities that could highlight people’s work...I wish people knew that there's beauty here and it comes from the people because the people are true to themselves.”
In the future, Espinal hopes to open up a store and creative space for Girls Who Shoot that would offer women a place to come in and create. She also hopes to continue to expand outside the New York area.
Images courtesy of Kevin “Advice” Toledo
Someone else who sees so much beauty in their community is none other than Kevin “Advice” Toledo, a portrait street photographer and experimental hip hop artist born and raised in the Bronx. Toledo’s music name, Advice, was inspired by his perspective and experience as someone who has worked in social work and consistently advocated for others. Everything about Advice’s music is intentional including the cross in the “c” of his name which is supposed to resemble a cents sign like he is giving his two cents with his music. “The irony of advice is that advice is the one thing that you give to others but don’t follow yourself or that you need but won’t take from others.” Advice’s focus with his music is to tell mental health-based stories and encourage people to feel the emotions that they are feeling, not to ignore them.
Advice sits across from me at a local diner on Fordham Road near the school where he serves as a guidance counselor to middle school kids. The passion radiates off of him as he discusses his music journey. “I was that kid in school banging on the tables and having ciphers with the homies. I never believed that I could seriously pursue something like rap.” Advice took it further than just pursuing rap, when he bought his first microphone, he embarked on a journey of creating music so personal it became extremely unique to him. “I don’t think I make anything that sounds familiar to anybody...I say experimental because I’m very open to what I want to do with my music.”
“I was that kid in school banging on the tables and having ciphers with the homies. I never believed that I could seriously pursue something like rap.”
Before I met Advice at the diner, I walked down Fordham Rd. listening to his album while dodging pedestrians on the sidewalk. Hearing his words in a way that felt like he was speaking directly to me, the music felt unique to him because he’s simply sharing what he sees and knows. “There’s a lineage of mental illness, a lineage of addiction, and not just in my family but my environment, like I go outside, and this is what I see.” Advice says the stories of struggle and pain that he’s seen in the Bronx and his personal experiences shape his music and his desire to focus on mental health.
Over the pandemic, Advice really pushed himself to get an album out and finish the projects he had already started, since up until this point he had never put out a body of work. “I was stuck for a while, but I had to discipline myself to get this project done... The time put it more into perspective for me. Like this is something that you have and that you can do something with but you’re not doing it and you need to do it.” After setting parameters for himself, Advice went above and beyond just putting out his music, he took complete creative control of the writing, producing, recording, and even graphics.
Advice’s music isn’t the only place his passion lies, he is also very involved with the youth in his community and runs and also assists with existing hip hop programs for kids to help them write and rap their rhymes to be able to express themselves. “A lot of creatives look out for themselves, but I look out for the future. Being a creative from the community I know it’s important to share my mindset and gifts with them because I know how much I would have benefitted from that, growing up in this community.”
Advice believes that the art scene in the Bronx could have so much potential for more if people just came together and supported each other. However, he admits that he has been guilty of only thinking about himself and his art before but has made an intentional shift to think more about the creatives around him as well. “Nobody’s thinking there’s room for everybody, everybody is just kind of staying afloat and doing their own thing. I think if we changed it from “I” to “we” things would be different.” How does Advice know things would be different? Because he sees the incredible talent brewing around him and knows what the Bronx is capable of. “Understand that the Bronx is a beautiful place, because we’ve been through so much as people. I say that a lot because I work in a middle school, so I see what the kids are dealing with.”
Eventually, Advice hopes to blend the worlds of hip hop and therapy and to bring people into his world of empathy. “The Bronx is beautiful because of its pain, and I think that’s how I view myself and how I want everyone to view themselves.”
Images of Sunny Cheeba courtesy of Roy Baizan, Guarionex Rodriguez, Jr. and Carlita Lopez
The Bronx is beautiful in more ways than one, and as I hop on the 1 train to Van Cortlandt Park, I scroll through Sunny Cheeba’s latest Instagram stories of her picking up trash and tending to the plants in a Bronx community garden she works at Sunny Cheeba, a Bronx native who acts as a farmer by day and vinyl DJ by night, has always been into analog culture which is why it’s no surprise to see her schlepping vinyl records across town for her DJ set. “I always compare it to archaeology; it feels like you’re digging in this dust for this music that’s trapped in these records. It feels like digging for gold.” Cheeba isn’t the only one who likes to dig for gold, in 2015 her and other vinyl DJs in the Bronx came together to create a crew called Uptown Vinyl Supreme that would serve as a collective for support and community.
The way Cheeba talks about music is very unique in the sense that she sees her job as a service to others. She says she feels a spiritual connection to the records, like pieces of history that she is supposed to bring to the people to liberate them. It also allows her to break down barriers that would normally exist outside of music to connect with people. “Music is a universal language. It allows me to talk to many different people that I probably wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to talk to, but I get to talk to them through sound and talk to them through music.” In the age of everything being digital, talking to Cheeba about her vinyl was incredibly refreshing and the way she spoke about them made it clear she knew how special it was too. She described her style as “Nuyorican but bringing it back to the motherland kind of thing,” in reference to the types of music she likes to play for crowds.
There’s more to Cheeba than just her DJ reputation; she also serves her community by being a part of two different green spaces in the Bronx, the Kelly Street Garden and New Roots Farm in the South Bronx. The self-proclaimed funky farmer began her farming journey in 2017 and attended farm school NYC to learn about farming and visit community gardens. “Learning to grow food, this is something that a part of me felt like, ‘how can I give back to the land that has been helping me?’”
“I always compare it to archaeology; it feels like you’re digging in this dust for this music that’s trapped in these records. It feels like digging for gold.”
When the world shut down, Cheeba who is usually always on the go was forced to shut down with it like everyone else. She managed to still find ways to offer her skills to the people around her by participating in a weekly zoom meeting where she and other DJs provided the music for artists to do their work to. “It reminded me that everyone is in it. Being able to provide a soundscape for people to create was so beautiful.” Lockdown wasn’t easy for anyone, especially those like Cheeba who are constantly looking for ways to do for others. Unfortunately, during the pandemic Cheeba was bedridden for a few months due to a surgery. She used this time to create merch, work on medicines, and write a grant that she was recently approved for that allowed her to bring soulfrito con bomba into her community garden space, as a way to fuse music and food together as forms of medicine and as a means to preserve the culture. Even in a state of immobility, Cheeba wanted to do for her community which shows that while her music and community gardens have their own beauty, her service provides its own special touch as well.
Cheeba believes that reimagining the art community in the Bronx means creating more hubs for creatives. “I just think we’re very scattered. In other places there are downtown areas. There’s no central area here. You gotta be in the know to know what’s going on.”
This is a common theme between all of the creatives: in order for the Bronx art scene to really thrive, creatives need a central place to collaborate, share their work, and support each other. “If we could have hubs created by us then we could share space and build up.” It can’t be relied on a small few to create space for all the Bronx creatives, but an entire community effort. Cheeba’s goals long term would be to get land and create a space for artist residencies and communal workshops. She just needs people to help bring that vision to life.
“I love the Bronx so much, I really do. From the people to the energy to all the greenery and definitely just the vibe. I think there’s so much to be grateful for and so much to be proud of and still so much to work on,” Cheeba said.
Q+A with the Bronx Direct
Written by Brittany Villalona / Photo via Brayan Daniel Feliz
The Bronx Direct, is a collective database that highlights the Bronx community and documents local efforts and inspirations, created and organized by Brayan B.D. Feliz. We spoke with him to find out more behind the inner-works and process of creating it.
Thank you for joining me today, Brayan. Why don’t you introduce yourself to our audience. Please tell us about where you are from and what you do for a living?
Well, my name is Brayan Daniel Feliz, officially. But I tend to go by B.D. Feliz, because it’s easier and my branding. I would say that I am a Bronx-based visionary. I am a designer, artist, and writer. My main area of expertise is in design.
Are you originally from the Bronx? Tell me about your personal experience as a Bronxite in your particular neighborhood.
I was born in [Santo Domingo,] Dominican Republic, but raised in the Bronx pretty much since I was two. So that technically doesn’t count. I kind of moved around throughout the Bronx so I can say I’ve lived in more or less the different regions of the Bronx. I started on the D line and then moved around to the 4/5 line, 2/5 line, and now I live by the 6, by Pelham.
I would say my experience growing up has been like everyone else’s experience growing up in the Bronx. A lot of hardships in the sense of when you’re growing up in the hood, it just is what it is. I lived in the struggle, basically. And then going from that environment, it teaches you what you should know. It’s a really New York upbringing. You have your mom and pop shops that you go to and your bodega. And then you have your friends that you would hang out with all the time.
I went to college in Brooklyn, first City Tech initially and then I transferred to Hunter. It was obviously very different from living in the Bronx. But [City Tech] was small, community-based and everyone there was like family. So I feel like it wasn’t too much of a change.
To be honest with you, I feel like that is one thing that is unique to the Bronx. In other boroughs, it’s a little bit easier to just say “I live here and I work here and I’m going to stay here.” But the way that things have been for the longest, from what I know of the history of the Bronx, most of us tend to work outside of the Bronx. Unless you work in your neighborhood, like at a mom and pop shop, or a food spot, a lot of the income that comes into the borough is from people working outside of the borough. So it’s normal for us to just travel to get anywhere. Unless you’re driving, then it’s not that bad. If you want to travel to Brooklyn, it’s an hour. But if you want to get to the other side of the Bronx, it’s over an hour and you have to take mad buses.
I know the feeling. I live in the Bronx by Sedgwick, so I have to take the 12 bus to get to you all the way in Pelham. It’s a whole journey and a half.
And the 12 bus is chill!
How would you describe your pandemic experience? Have you been able to stay productive or have you taken this time to reflect and rest mostly?
It’s been okay. Let me give you an example of the past and right now. Typically because I occupy a creative space, I’m used to having to freelance and it’s like being an entrepreneur. I started designing when I was sixteen. There weren’t a lot of people that were designing in my area back then. This was before Instagram or any of that stuff, I actually had to learn it on my own. Coming from that space and growing up in the type of environment where you had to just hustle. I had to teach myself. It taught me at an early age to use my downtime as hustle time. If I wasn’t in class, I would either join clubs or get involved.
Before the pandemic, I was working corporate for a while and then I decided I would do my own thing. I wanted to focus on myself and build a business. I was also working on this Creative Bronx book, where I interviewed your team, the Bronx Narratives.
So when the pandemic happened, it didn’t affect me too much. I was already on that wave, to work remotely. As much as there are people working in offices that are in tech, most people are working from home. One, because it’s cheaper for the companies, compared to having a fully occupied office building. Two, because it’s efficient.
This year, my sister was diagnosed with cancer, so that hit me much harder.
Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear that.
Thank you, she beat it thankfully.
That’s great news.
Yeah, this year was bad news and good news. But that was something that affected me more because of the pandemic. In a way, it was a blessing in the sense that society slowed down because sometimes it feels like things are moving so fast if you’re in the Bronx. But then also looking at the rest of the world, you realize how slow things are moving here relative to the rest of the world. The fact that the world slowed down, it gave us a chance to catch up. That’s been my experience with the pandemic.
You chose to use your time wisely and create with that time.
Yes. I think this year, I’ve done more than in the last two years, working on ideas I’ve always wanted to do and that I’d put in the back seat. Part of that, because of finances. When society is in full effect and the machine is running, you have to either keep up or start moving faster than it. Having everything slowed down allowed me to not go crazy for money because right now there is barely anybody working, so if I had anything saved up, I could afford to focus on my ideas. And it’s also just straight up not having any other choice. Either you’re gonna stay the whole pandemic waiting for things to open up or you’re gonna find a way to adapt to it. So for me, amongst other things, it was building The Bronx Direct.
The front page of The Bronx Direct.
“To me, that was an act of resistance by saying that if anyone is going to own anything with ‘The Bronx’ in it, they need to be from there. So that’s what makes me proud of this. The Bronx Direct, I’m glad it’s somebody from here that did this. And it makes me excited just to see other people doing things in the Bronx and discovering them along the way.”
Great, I appreciate that. I think many of us feel the same way about this year in general. Now that we know a bit about you, let’s discuss your brainchild, The Bronx Direct. What would you say was your inspiration for this project?
The inspiration was the fact that there really isn’t a space that is for us by us. As far as the Bronx is concerned, when you look at what’s available, like the Bronx Arts Council has a directory, there’s the Bronx 200, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. There are a couple here and there, but they are all mostly narrowly focused and very specific. They have certain people on some lists, and others on different lists. There’s a lot of disconnect. If I’m not an artist, but I’m a designer, where am I gonna be listed? If I’m not a business or I’m not registered with the Chamber of Commerce, where am I gonna be listed? So I figured it would be cool to create a space that addressed that. To create a space that is inclusive for all in the Bronx.
At first, I thought “there are already directories out there, so do I really want to do this?” Then part of me was like, “Is this something that could be a business?” But then I realized that certain things can be business and certain things that you just do. I felt like this was something that needed to be done, because there was a genuine need to have a space where people could discover one another. I figured why not? It can only help. So that’s what motivated me. The need for this space for creatives and professionals to come together regardless of their association.
I understand that you are the solo creator of The Bronx Direct. Can you tell me how working alone affected the creation process?
A lot of the projects I do I tend to do on my own. It’s not necessarily because I don’t want to work with other people. I legit don’t have the patience for certain things. If I can do it and solve that problem, I’ll do it. I’m trying to do the teamwork thing more.
I understand. If people don’t pull their weight on a project, that’s unfair.
Right, and honestly, it took me about a month to build The Bronx Direct. I’m sure that if I had spent more time, I would’ve been able to build something crazy. But the main thing with me was that it was something that I needed to get off the ground because sometimes I tend to become a perfectionist about things and then… don’t launch it. I’ve thankfully gotten around this by just saying ‘you know what, lemme just put it out there and we’ll grow from there’. Ultimately, I have an idea of where it could go in the future.
More power to you. Most people couldn’t even accomplish this with a team. Are you currently looking for more partners/team-members or do you want to continue managing this project solo?
I don’t have expectations per se, I’m really treating this as something that should grow organically and I’m not doing it for profit. To me, it’s what the community wants it to be. It’s a project that I want to live on its own and can be used as a tool.
I embrace the idea of having a team. I have so many things I’m working on, so it’s hard for me on the time and the resources. If anyone donated, it would go right into the mechanics of running the Bronx Direct. It would go into automation. I’ve always wanted someone to build this, but I know it’s not something I want to control in the long run. That wasn’t my endgame. I would hope that people want to step up and want to get involved with this.
Okay awesome, thank you for elaborating on that. The Bronx Direct seems to have a very user friendly interface that’s easy to navigate. Can you describe how it works as a platform?
Back in the days we used to have the Yellow Pages, I think they still exist, but I haven’t seen a book in forever.
I have not seen a book in a long time!
[Laughs]
Yeah, well it works the same way. There were so many design elements that I wanted to add, but at the end of the day, the simpler it is, the easier it is for users. Not everybody that will go on this directory may be a young person. It might also be an older person that lives in the Bronx and wants to get involved with something. So it needed to be extremely easy to navigate. As soon as you go on there, it’s listing everyone that’s on it. Or, you can filter it. On the left side tab, you can click different areas of expertise and that would narrow down the folks that are on the platform. Then you can click on the different profiles and take you to either their twitter page, website, etc. The way that I have it set up at the moment — is that it relies on Twitter. I built the Bronx Direct off of a code that’s based on discovering people on Twitter. But it’s limited because unless you’re on Twitter at the moment, you won’t be able to be listed. This is something I’m looking to change very soon.
I noticed that your ‘about’ page mentions that your directory is full of professionals that have been Nominated. Please explain this process.
For the most part, anyone can submit a nomination. There’s a form on The Bronx Direct that can be filled out. I take a look at it, to make sure it’s a real person with a professional profile. I take into consideration any type of bias I might introduce. I don’t want to ever not create a space for someone I personally might not like. There are extremes, like if someone is a harm to the community. Cases like that, I want to create a space where everyone can feel comfortable. If a nomination seems correct, I can potentially honor that. I would like to get to a point where there’s a team that reviews nominations. Then to take it a step further, we could eventually create algorithms to sort that out.
Does a nominee have to be an actual professional or can they be more amateur level? Their interests could align with someone else’s and they could grow together via The Bronx Direct.
At the moment, it’s more so about what I can see. If I can see you are active and doing something, then I’m more likely to list you versus if you only have a profile that says you’re an artist but there’s no art. It’s hard to gauge that if you don’t have social media, or a website or something so I can get an idea of what you do.
My hopes are, that in the future, there’s a situation where literally everyone can just be listed on there and the categorization might change a little bit. There may be a way to show if someone is professional or not, or just looking to try something new that interests them.
As for the Job Board section, how do you select the small local businesses to highlight?
It’s not necessarily about me choosing who gets highlighted, but it’s more so about anyone who wants to list a job, can list a job. There’s a fee on there, of course, because it does cost money to have that. That flows back into development. But it’s definitely cheaper than Craigslist, at about a dollar a day. At a certain point in the future, I want to allow people to just list certain things for free. But right now, while we’re still getting off the ground, we needed something on there to help fund the building of the platform.
What would you say have been some of the more difficult issues in regards to creating the Bronx Direct as well as running the platform currently?
Part of what’s made it difficult has been finding enough people… more so on Twitter. I had to look for the Bronx twitter, but we’re not really there. We’re not really on there. Which is crazy because it’s such a useful tool. I hate big data, but at the same time, I understand that it’s really useful if you needed to communicate certain ideas. Twitter is perfect for politics, to connect to your representatives too. There are actual conversations about things. Trying to find Bronxites on Twitter was definitely a challenge. But after I started to really put in work and create good search queries, it made it much easier to find people. That was probably the biggest challenge.
What has been the most exciting or rewarding part for you?
The most rewarding part was, first of all, to just able to get The Bronx Direct. I’m a brand person. I’m always thinking of brands, ideas, and words. The fact that no one owned that is crazy. It’s interesting because when I first started getting involved in the Bronx from an activist standpoint, it was really about digital activism and about making sure we owned our spaces online. A good five or six years ago, the conversation of gentrification was just starting to happen. I remember a time period where people in the Bronx didn’t even understand what gentrification means or how it works.
It also didn’t affect us that much in the past. I like to call the Bronx “The Last Frontier” of New York City, because it’s not like Brooklyn or Queens, where gentrification has been prevalent for over a decade now.
Right, and back then, when I started to realize what was happening, I realized that in Brooklyn, outside people started to take control of the Brooklyn brand, and that made it easier for gentrification to happen. It’s always about the brand. That’s how they’re able to convince people to move in and build things that compete with the natives. When Brooklyn as a brand slipped out of the hands of native Brooklyn, old Brooklyn was, in a way, over. Then, you started getting all of these brands. Brooklyn this, Brooklyn that, everything Brooklyn. Everything was advertised towards people that weren’t from Brooklyn. That’s what really made gentrification work. Other than that, people probably wouldn’t have gone to Brooklyn. People were like ‘Nah it’s kind of dangerous in parts of Williamsburg’. That’s what the neighborhood was — I saw that back then because I was in Brooklyn all the time. So I decided that whatever happens, we need to control our digital selves like as a borough and a brand. I bought domain names that had the Bronx in it, in order to make sure people that requested the domains were actually from the Bronx.
To me, that was an act of resistance by saying that if anyone is going to own anything with ‘The Bronx’ in it, they need to be from there. So that’s what makes me proud of this. The Bronx Direct, I’m glad it’s somebody from here that did this. And it makes me excited just to see other people doing things in the Bronx and discovering them along the way.
Does the Bronx Direct give back to the Bronx community?
At the moment, I haven’t done any fundraising. That’s something I would like to do if we had a team and we can really start working more so on the job board side of it. I hate job fairs not because they don’t work, but because they don’t work here. The advertising sucks, the people who advertise them are not popping like that, and the events themselves are not really popping as well. But that would be a way that we would be able to give back. It’s a goal for the future. At the moment, there’s a platform, but I’m not really getting money for this project. The most I can do is provide the service.
Right and if you connect others on your platform, there might be someone that has access to fundraising if someone is interested.
That’s all doable and I’m open to it, if we had the time and resources to do it. That’s taking an idea that works and making it something big.
Could you see an expansion into an app interface?
It’s a web app. It’s a website that’s not static. It’s constantly pulling new data from Twitter. It works on a mobile phone as well. Theoretically, if you add it to your home screen, it would behave like an app. It functions like one, but it’s not in the app store.
Last question, Brayan. Where do you see The Bronx Direct in 6 months, especially when New York City really starts to reintroduce itself post-Covid?
Six months from now, it would probably be in a place where it is a lot more inclusive. It would be able to list people regardless of what platform they’re on. I would like to make it a lot easier for people to continue to find more Bronx creatives, professionals, movers, and shakers. And hopefully to have more Bronxites involved in managing this and realizing the vision, to create different and newer ways to improve our platform and brand.
Thank you so much for your time, Brayan. I look forward to The Bronx Direct continuing to grow and connect the Bronx community.
You can follow The Bronx Direct on Twitter. Brayan’s socials: Instagram and Twitter
Brittany Villalona is a writer and videographer. She holds a B.A. in English Creative Writing from CCNY and an M.A. in International Affairs from the New School. She lives happily in the Bronx with her cats and plants.
Alone Together
Q+A by Brittany Villalona / Photo by Julian Myles
An interview with co-founder, Daniel Ahmadizadeh, of the new innovative dating app, ‘Quarantine Together'—which uses current quarantine conditions to its advantage.
Daniel, please introduce yourself to our readers. Including where you are from and your occupation.
Thank you for having me, Brittany. My name is Daniel Ahmadizadeh. I’m a Bronx native and co-founder of Quarantine Together. I live by 231st street currently with my parents during Quarantine season. Growing up, I had a brief time where I went to middle school in Harlem, but I returned to the Bronx for high school and I’ve been here since then. Yeah, that’s kind of my story here as a local. 1 train all the way.
1 train all the way for me too. So, how have you been holding up during this pandemic? What do you find has been the most productive way to spend your free time?
Well, my dad’s a doctor in the Bronx. Immediately, the first concern was his health. For me personally, it’s been about just staying positive and taking this time to be creative. There’s a lot of negativity happening all around us. So it’s like, how can you create something that is positive? Whether that’s conversations you have with other people or projects that you work on. There are a lot of new behaviors that we have been doing since this all started. Six feet apart, face masks. Even though this virus is really negative, there are a lot of positives that can come out of it. When the recession happened 12 years ago, companies like Uber and Venmo were launched during this time. This has been an opportunity to make something good out of the bad.
Positivity is a great tool to deal with this stress. Awesome, thank you for that. So let’s dive in, shall we? What was the source of the inspiration for ‘Quarantine Together’?
Quarantine Together is a project that my friend and I kicked off and started working on for fun on March 8th. That same night, we launched it. It was very easy to get it off the ground. 14 days later, it was on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. We have about 30,000 people all over the world that use it every day. We work on it nights and weekends. It’s been exciting to see how people are looking for human connection.
“The root of it is we crave authentic human connections.
Loneliness is not going away. In fact, it’s always been here before Covid-19. ”
Wow! QT has really taken off since its inception. How does this app stand out from other dating apps and websites, such as Hinge or Tinder?
Great question. So let’s think of people as “books.” Apps like Tinder and Hinge are first and foremost about your picture, your clever bio, and the ‘cover’. People are getting judged by that ‘cover’. With us, there’s no photos, no judgement. It’s two people, anonymous and having a private text conversation. The ‘content’ of said ‘book - that’s really the primary difference. For a segment of the population, physical appearance is the number one way that they want to connect with someone. And that’s fair. You have different types of bars. You have the Irish pub. You have the bar that plays Spanish music. And that’s what we’re doing here. Just like every bar has its own flavor and vibe, many apps are the same. Tinder is about hookups, Hinder is a little bit more serious, Bumble is women first. For us, it’s about people that don’t want to be judged based off of their appearance. They want to have a genuine conversation first.
As we both know, many dating apps and websites utilize the “swipe-right” technique or personal profile methods to match potential partners or friends together. Others use a ‘face-to-face’ speed dating method. But for ‘Quarantine Together,’ it uses a combination of the two, aiming for a genuine connection free from visual bias. Why did you go with this concept rather than the more common methods I described?
The root of it is we crave authentic human connections. Loneliness is not going away. In fact, it’s always been here before Covid-19. Just like we crave authentic experiences in life in general, we look at the movement of how things are happening. We don’t want fake, we want real. That’s why people buy organic food or look for real raw content. The reality is Tinder makes 2 billion dollars a year on revenue with 60 million users. What about all the people who aren’t on dating apps because of how they work? We focus on the users that never liked traditional dating apps. We think it’s a great opportunity to help those people.
Photo by Max Ducourneau
Does this app take into consideration non-binary people or members of the LGBTQ community? How so? (If not, any ideas on how to implement this?)
Absolutely. So when you look at our form to sign up, there’s a section for gender. There are multiple options, not just male or female. There is non-binary and we have a place where you can put it in yourself. Then we match people based off of those preferences. In fact, Buzzfeed did a video about the QT experience. One of the reporters in the video matched with another man and talked about his experience. QT is about no judgement… on all fronts. It comes down to connecting with another human being.
What kind of criteria do you use to connect people?
The way the matching works is by age preference, location, availability (when they send the ‘wash hands text), and gender preference. It can be tailored to preferences in regards to what is craved from this experience. This can all be accessed from your dashboard before you begin matching with other people.
The internet is a tough terrain to navigate for some, especially with internet bullying being a major social issue in today’s society. Have you all created precautions or a code of conduct to combat bullying should this problem arise within the realm of ‘Quarantine Together’?
When we match people, you get matched and introduced to each other. It might say “Daniel, meet Jasmin. You have thirty minutes to chat. Be kind to one another.” Then it says “P.S. If for any reason your match is being disrespectful, just text back ‘End Chat’.” This function immediately ends the chat. Look, when you’re texting your match, they don’t know your phone number and vice versa. It’s all anonymous and it’s a private number. Just like when you text your Uber driver.
So like a secondary number that keeps a level of respect and protection for both people?
Exactly. So let’s say your match is disrespectful or you’re having a bad experience, you text back ‘End Chat’. In fact, we think this will be a meme someday [laughs]. So we want to be proactive about bullying and we thought of this way to help users remain in control. Another thing that we do is that every single chat is rated by both parties. You’re not rating the person, necessarily, but you are helping us understand how your conversation and experience were. But we do ask you if we should keep your match in the QT community? And it allows you to explain. So the feedback really helps us police QT and help users feel comfortable.
Can you tell me a little bit about the process in developing QT with your team? Maybe give us a short rundown on the collaboration it took to create this app?
My friend and I were catching up via email on 3/8. Decided to build something that night and we launched the first prototype the same night. We used no-code tools like Typeform, Webflow, Zapier, and Twilio to make it happen.
Thanks for that, Daniel. So let’s take a step back and talk a bit about you. Are you currently dating? (IF yes, how did you guys meet, dating app?)
Not dating! Single.
What would you say is your most memorable form of connection with another person?
Ones where we have something to bond over. Where there is shared context. Sometimes it can be surprising context.
I understand what you mean. You never know what will spark a connection between you and someone else. Speaking of connections, the ‘Quarantine Together’ website mentions covid resources and donations. Could you explain this aspect and why it was important for you guys to include in this project?
My dad is a ER physician on the front lines and we recognize that many hospitals around the world do not have the resources for protection, so we wanted to link out to organizations that are raising funds for the cause.
Photo by Derick Anies
What was the most challenging part about creating this app?
The beauty of our app is that it is not even an app. No download required. It's all via SMS. The challenging part for us in creating QT in the early days (10 weeks) was more around messaging and positioning. Setting the vibe and energy of the QT experience.
What’s the most exciting part?
Feedback from users. They share with us magical conversations that took place and how QT helped them feel less lonely.
So once ‘Quarantine Together’ launches, what’s next for the app? Where do you see it going in 6 months, when hopefully, quarantine is officially over?
We'll probably just call ourselves Together or just QT. Loneliness isn't going anywhere.
Okay, to wrap up, I have one question I’m sure our readers have eagerly been waiting for: is this app available on all platforms, Android and iPhone? How do we sign up?
You can sign up on Quarantine Together - no app download required!
The Bookstore You Want To Visit: The Lit Bar
Written + Hero Collage by Tiffany Hernandez / Photos by Brandon Chacon
I planned to make the trip to the recently opened Lit Bar for months.
I followed Noëlle Santos’ years-long journey to pry open the doors of the only independent bookstore in the Bronx through social media and newsletter, cheering along as progress was made one step at a time. Finally, the Lit Bar opened on April 27th 2019, Independent Bookstore Day, at 131 Alexander Avenue in the South Bronx.
Three months after opening its doors, I still hadn’t set foot in the Lit Bar, but it did not miss my absence — it has been praised, news reported and gone viral on social media, even earning a NYC fact on the LinkNYC monitor’s lining city sidewalks. As a working adult in New York City, there is not enough hours in the day, but I was excited when I had a reason to put visiting the Lit Bar at the top of my priority list. The weekend prior, my QTPOC (Queer/Trans People of Color) book club had settled on All About Love by bell hooks as our next book.
So, on Tuesday, August 8th, as news of Toni Morrison’s death flooded my Twitter feed with quotes from Beloved and snippets of her well-spoken interviews, I was on my way to the Lit Bar. As I hopped on the 6 train, I knew there was no better time to support a black woman-owned bookstore.
When I got there, the Lit Bar was quiet except for a family of four sitting on a couch, the two children being read to by one of their parents while the other sipped on a glass of wine. Two women of color managed the store, walking around and tidying up book displays.
I started judging the bookstore how I judge all bookstores — by how they categorize, section off and display their selections.
I was pleased.
Their LGBTQ+ section was upfront and not tucked away in the depths of the bookstore or nonexistent entirely. They had two book displays marked as “Dear White People” which held books like White Fragility by Robin Diangelo and the Bluest Eye, by the recently passed and loved Toni Morrison. There was an “Smut” section lined with books my sister devoured in her youth and of course, a “Classic” sections but not without the tongue-in-cheek subtitle that stated “(not up for debate).”
“It was such a Bronx moment. The sense of ‘I got you’ runs in the blood of the Bronx community and to see it alive and well in a literary space, a space that has been denied continuously to our community, was an affirmation.”
A handful of the bookshelves were empty or sparse with signs asking the patron to pardon their appearances as the bookstore works on restocking these sections. In a city where the few independent stores that are still standing are overwhelmingly packed to the brim, this was surprising to me. But only for a second, before I imagined how as the sole source of literature in the Bronx and newly opened at that — and let’s be honest, probably not nearly as well funded at McNally Jackson — the Lit Bar must grind to keep their shelves stocked. And the shelves that were stocked, they were well-chosen books — books I’ve read and loved, critically acclaimed books I’ve been meaning to read or books I’ve never seen before but was immediately drawn too.
As I was browsing, the street food lady poked her head into the bookstore and called out her offerings. Not abnormal for a Bronx business to see, whether it be churros, icees or sliced mangos, the women who worked the streets in our community always had something to offer patrons and passerbys. But, it was the first I’ve ever seen it happen at a bookstore and it was one of those Bronx moments that make you smile.
But, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hold my breath — waiting to see how this newly built, boutique-esque bookstore would handle the moment.
The women working at the bookstore, didn’t shoo her away or ignore her like you can imagine would happen if we were downtown or in Williamsburg. One of the bookstore employees didn’t have money and the other went and spoke to the lady in Spanish about her co-worker’s interest but lack of money. And as expected, the street food lady reassures her that it was alright and that she could pay her back next time.
“It is a place where the street food lady can pop her head into and call out her offerings. The Lit Bar, is a little prayer, a breeze in blistering heat, the train pulling up just as you get on to the platform. ”
I was relieved. It was such a Bronx moment. The sense of ‘I got you’ runs in the blood of the Bronx community and to see it alive and well in a literary space, a space that has been denied continuously to our community, was an affirmation. An affirmation that while the South Bronx is gentrification’s most recent target, that our energy and support for one another can be, will be and is stronger than the forces trying to displace and disregard our community. That Bronx energy lives on through businesses that are for us and by us. And it is in those businesses that we must pour our love, support, energy into.
Yes, it is disappointing that the Lit Bar is the only independent general store in the Bronx. But, something is better than nothing. The Lit Bar is more than just something. It is a retreat for families of color, somewhere a mom can sip a glass of wine, while her children flip through their favorite books. It is a place where the street food lady can pop her head into and call out her offerings. The Lit Bar, is a little prayer, a breeze in blistering heat, the train pulling up just as you get on to the platform.
When I think of what the Lit Bar means for our community, I think of Toni Morrison. That Monday night, she died in the Bronx at Montefiore Medical Center. I wonder if she had heard about the Lit Bar and what she would think of it. I imagine it would be something along the lines of her famous quote, “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
I see the Lit Bar as a manifestation of that sentiment and hopefully it will not be the last. In the spaces where our community has been emptied out by lack of resources or funding or care, it is our own hands that have built spaces like the Lit Bar from the ashes because where there is a hunger in our community, it is up to us to satisfy it.
Visit the Lit Bar at 131 Alexander Avenue, Bronx NY, 10454
The High Bridge Film Q+A with Filmmaker Benedict Campbell
Q+A by Dondre Green / Photo by Phillip Bell
Benedict Campbell is a writer and director focused on short and feature length dramatic fiction. He is a member of The Bronx Filmmakers Collective, a recipient of the 2019 BRIO Award from the Bronx Council on the Arts and was a teaching artist at Ghetto Film School. His films have shown at festivals around the world including the Sundance Film Festival. The High Bridge is his latest film.
What inspired this film? How long did it take to write?
I’ve been working on The High Bridge for a few years and I’m inspired by the Bronx and the incredible communities within the borough. My friend was a teenage dad who stepped up to raise his kids here. I was struck by his story and he inspired the main character of Abel. I was working in Washington Heights when they reopened the bridge and it gave me a chance to walk back to the Bronx and see the connection between the two neighborhoods. I thought the bridge could be a metaphor for a child that links two families on opposite sides and I wanted to write a film set among both communities. I spent about two years writing the feature film. I included details from my friend’s story, his emotions, and anecdotes I collected. I spoke with academics specializing in fatherhood and family planning in person and on Skype. I talked to program coordinators that work with young fathers. There were vivid details that stuck with me (like a visit to a doctor’s office) and I adapted them to the character and narrative structure. The short film is based on the feature length script with the same characters. I shared both scripts with different writing and filmmaking groups like The Bronx Filmmakers Collective for feedback. I read the short with tenth graders when I was a teaching artist for two weeks at a Bronx high school. Both were revised several times. I felt it was important to share this story because I don’t think we’ve seen young black dads portrayed positively in movies.
“I thought the bridge could be a metaphor for a child that links two families on opposite sides”
Why was it important to cast a young father?
Once I landed on a story about a young dad, I dug into the harmful stereotypes and the impressive non-fiction work done on the subject. For example, Zun Lee has done amazing documentary work photographing dads in his series Father Figure. The narrative reinforced repeatedly is that black fathers are absent or uncaring. Visual stories change minds and I wanted to tell a real, positive story about a young dad. I wanted to see him confronting judgment, taking responsibility, caring for his daughter and upending this pervasive narrative. I worked with Aubrey Joseph (Abel) on an earlier film and he’s got this subtlety the camera can read. You aim to capture emotional complexity and you can see him processing multiple emotionson screen without speaking. Aubrey mentioned having friends in similar situations and I think he connected with Abel.
What was the most challenging part of putting this film together?
Getting from the page to the screen is always a challenge because things beyond your control bring the story to life but also get in the way. We worked closely with NYC Parks but there were restrictions on which days we could film. I wrote the scene in the park thinking of a nice day and that didn’t happen. The crew was huddled under a tarp waiting out the rain and we lost valuable time. On the bright side, grey skies meant even and consistently diffused light. When you don’t have tons of gear, it’s the best photographic conditions you can hope for.
How long did it take you to shoot and edit this film entirely?
Pre-production was three months. Shooting was 2.5 days and post-production was another three months. Needless to say, a lot goes into a nine minute film.
What inspired you to get into filmmaking? Is this your first film?
I was that photo kid in high school. I loved the dark room and I would be in there for hours before school, after school, and during lunch. When I picked up movie film, I saw all the tiny frames and realized it wasn’t that different. Initially I was only interested in the visual part and it would take a lot more learning to understand how much work has to go into a script and a story to make one that is worth telling with all those tiny pictures. Later on I was inspired by Ang Lee for his ability to seemingly tell any story and his remarkable humility when directors can have big egos. I’m lucky that The High Bridge isn’t my first short film and I’ve had the experience of making a few others. I do hope it will be my first feature-length film.
“Visual stories change minds and I wanted to tell a real, positive story about a young dad. I wanted to see him confronting judgment, taking responsibility, caring for his daughter and upending this pervasive narrative”
What do you hope people take away from this film?
I hope to give some people the chance to see a real depiction of their journey. I also want people to see a film that challenges misconceptions. In nine minutes, you’re getting a brief sense of who Abel is and where he is in his life. He’s concerned but not necessarily willing. In other words, he knows what he needs to do, he’s just in denial about it. The denial is consistent with processing in stages (denial, anger, guilt, fear and so on). It’s hard for him to process how and why he’s being treated a certain way. He’s embarrassed he doesn’t know the answers to basic questions but angry he’s being embarrassed and also mad at himself. He has the authority to be assertive without the experience to do it confidently. That inner conflict about what he can do and should do is playing out and hopefully you’re following his journey as he uses a tough moment to change. I also want people to see the bridge and realize that the Bronx is a beautiful setting for this story and others. The best thing a short film can do is leave you with a sense of wanting more. I’d like The High Bridge to be feature film and hopefully you’re left with a sense of wanting to see that.
Art Deco in the Bronx: An Exploration of Bronx Architecture Along The Grand Concourse
Written and Photos by Jeannie Smith
What if I told you that the same architectural designs one may find in the iconic Chrysler or Empire State buildings can be found in the designs of most residential buildings in the Bronx? The skyscrapers of the Boogie Down might not be as high up as that of Manhattan, but the two boroughs share more than slabs of concrete and connecting subway lines.
Tasked with exploring the history of Art Deco in the Bronx, honestly, I didn’t have the slightest idea where to begin. I know nothing about architecture. I mean, I think buildings are pretty, and I like taking photos of them, but to explore the angles and curves of why the architect chose one design over another and their motivations, I’m completely at a lost! I figured I’d start the way I’ve always did with a paper: go to the library (you thought I was going to say wikipedia or Google...shout out to the old school crew who know what the Dewey Decimal system is).
So what is Art Deco? Art deco is a “style of decoration used for both the interior and the exterior design of buildings”, including the product design of both useful and decorative objects such as appliances, clothing, posters, and advertisements. The term “Art Deco” was introduced at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs (Exposition of Decorative Arts) from which the style derives its name. The 1920s and 30s saw much advancement in modern innovative design in America, and architecture was not one to be left behind. Art deco, in some ways, celebrates an array of influences from which it pulls. Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman in their book, Architecture: From Prehistory to Post-Modernism, define art deco as “an amalgam of Cubist-inspired European Modernism, with streamlined, rhythmic machine forms, exotic Pre-Columbian and Navajo zigzag imagery, and a love of gaudy colors and shiny materials such as plastic, aluminum, and stainless steel along with sumptuous wood and stones.” (Insert long inhale.)
2255 Grand Concourse
220 East Mosholu Parkway
190 East Mosholu Parkway
There are many buildings on the Manhattan island which exemplify this description to the tee: as mentioned above, the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Center. But in the Bronx? Well, it’s actually a lot more visible to us then we realize.
Enter in Mark. I met him a few Saturdays ago while on a visit to the Bronx County Historical Museum. I figured if there were any place that would have anything archival about Art Deco in the Bronx, it had to be here! Our meeting was all the more serendipitous: I had failed to realize that one needed to make an appointment at the museum to review their archives, but Mark, a Bronx native, happened to be at the museum that day, and took the time to speak with me about art deco and toured with me along the Grand Concourse to where a majority of this style can be seen.
“The Grand Concourse, formerly known as the
’Grand Boulevard and Concourse’, per Mark, was designed by French immigrant, Louis Aloys Risse. His vision of the Grand Concourse mirrored that of the Champs-Élysées but would include bicycle paths, pedestrian sidewalks and “three distinct roadways split by lush landscaping”
“Art Deco was the hot scene in Europe,” he began. “Many immigrants from that time migrated from Germany, and brought with them the architectural design with them. Sleek lines, detailed brickwork [with] different color bricks, or maybe they’ll have a little bit of an outcropping on the edge sticking out so as to break up the surface [plane of the building]. The interiors had sunk in living rooms, some with one or two steps leading into them; parkay floors, metal railings. Levers in the bathroom so you can hang your laundry so that they’ll drip over the sink. Modern state of the art, 1920s, and that was a big draw. Near the Grand Concourse was the place to be.”
The Grand Concourse, formerly known as the “Grand Boulevard and Concourse”, per Mark, was designed by French immigrant, Louis Aloys Risse. His vision of the Grand Concourse mirrored that of the Champs-Élysées but would include bicycle paths, pedestrian sidewalks and “three distinct roadways split by lush landscaping”. Currently along this boulevard stands some of New York’s most beautiful art deco co-op buildings. (To learn more about what makes the Grand Concourse so “grand”, check out this article in Brick Underground featuring the Bronx’s own Ed García Conde, founder of Welcome2theBronx.)
There are many distinctive features and benefits to Art Deco buildings. One feature/benefit Mark highlights are how thoughtful these buildings were designed. “The buildings were put up to allow for maximum light and to accommodate efficient living: the bathroom is right next to the bedroom, the kitchen is off to the side, usually a galley kitchen, and then the dining area. And then you would step down into your living area. These apartments were made with a lot of thought on how people live and function.”
In thinking about my own apartment, which I love dearly, and receives a wealth of light all around and throughout, I recall my initial process when looking for an apartment; and how adamant all my friends were about having a “prewar building” (when really I just needed A BUILDING!). I paused Mark in our discussion to inquire about the difference between the terms “prewar” and “art deco”: “One is a realtor’s term, the other is an architectural term”, Mark defined. So be careful out there, my fellow apartment seekers!
We talked more about the influence of art deco in Syracuse, Nashville, and many other American cities, and as appreciative I was of Mark’s time, I needed to make my way to the “Grand Boulevard and Concourse” to take in what I had learned. “I’ll come along with you!” Mark exclaimed. Our walk began at E 204 and E Mosholu Pkwy where stood two residential buildings facing one another. “Look at the curved edges,” Mark pointed out. This was another unique quality of art deco buildings. “Art deco buildings either had curved or straight edges, which could be a nightmare for interior designers! Let’s see if we can go inside!”
200 East Mosholu Parkway
“The entire ride I looked at the Grand Concourse with almost new eyes: outcropping brickwork with alternating colors, curved edges, straight edges, mosaic designs, large windows that took in lots of light. ”
200 East Mosholu Parkway
We walked into the entrance of 200 E 204 street. The floor was covered with multicolored tile, the faces of the steps that of cracked marble. Mark points to the walls. “Check out this design. This design, and the coloring, is typical in front areas of some art deco buildings.” We stood in the front entrance, admiring the lobby from behind another set of doors we couldn’t get through. Mark immediately points out the heat grate, the design resembling that of sun rays. As Mark began to talk about the design of the elevator door, a mailman and a resident of the building came in behind us. “Oh! Great, we can get a better look!” The building was warm, and a door somewhere on the first floor was open blasting loud party music which felt rather contrast to the mission at hand. Looking at the elevator door, I’m reminded of Batman. Actually, all things art deco remind me of Batman and the Gotham aesthetic. We round a corner and Mark points out a defunct trash shoot, its door painted bright orange. Another heat grate with the sun rays design comes into view, this time the rays looked to be sprayed painted off-white to match the adjacent wall.
Getting our fill of art deco from our first location (and I growing nervous that someone might think us as loiterings), we leave the building and try our luck with the one across the street at 190th. Immediately, the building is at sharp contrast to the one we just left. And I mean SHARP! Shiny silver metal doors greet you as you walk up along the rounded grey carpet underneath the exterior outcrop. These first set of doors led to another set of shiny silver doors. We were barred from entering, but didn’t stop ourselves from pressing our faces against the glass to see the lobby. Eggshell white walls with vertical stripes of red and soft yellow; the infamous art deco floor design ran all the way out of view from where we stood, designed with various geometric shapes in black, yellow, white and grey. A mirror hung above what resembled a curved fireplace, simply reflected the egg shell white opposite it. Another heating grate, which appeared more modern than the two others at the adjacent building was painted that same soft yellow, the outline of the sun and its rays more apparent.
190 East Mosholu Parkway
190 East Mosholu Parkway
Standing there, there was something poetic about the design, and not being able to touch it frustrated me a little. We waited a little longer to see if anyone would let us in, my money on the mailman. No one came, and so we left.
Eventually, I parted ways with Mark, so happy to have spent the afternoon exploring together. He waited for me at the bus stop and urged me to sit somewhere on the bus where I could take in all the art deco that lines along the Grand Concourse. The entire ride I looked at the Grand Concourse with almost new eyes: outcropping brickwork with alternating colors, curved edges, straight edges, mosaic designs, large windows that took in lots of light. Many public institutions reflected the design of art deco as well. The more obvious sites like the Bronx County Building still hold fast to this design, including the Emigrant Savings Bank. As I continued my route back home, I wondered if the people who walked this boulevard day in and day out appreciated the beauty of this part of the Bronx. It definitely has helped me to love it even more.
To learn more about art deco in the Bronx, including that beyond the Grand Concourse, I recommend checking out the Art Deco Society of New York’s website. They have an online registry of every borough. You can view the Bronx registry here.
The Bronx Narratives Dream Team
Q+A by Herbert Norat / Interview by Richard Defino / Design by Hoay Smith
“I simply say that there are only three places that have a ‘the’ in front of their name: the Vatican, the Hague, and the Bronx, and that so much talent has come out of the Bronx”
The Bronx is home to artists, musicians, writers, entrepreneurs and regular folks, who make our borough vibrant, diverse, and dynamic. At Bronx Narratives, we look forward to learning about and sharing the innumerable stories that exist in our hometown.
Reading that Mary Higgins Clark, Al Pacino, and Carl Reiner, are all native Bronxites shocked me. To think that some of my favorite artists and writers are from my hometown inspired me to continue honing my writing skills, because maybe, just maybe, I can become a successful Bronxite like them. But, I shouldn’t have been too surprised by the various talents that came up in our borough, after all our grit and resilience are bar none.
As we head into 2019, we invite you to meet some of the Bronx Narratives team members who are striving to make the Bronx a little better than the way they’ve found it.
Dondre Green, Creative Director & Founder
HN: What led you to create Bronx Narratives?
DG: Me and the co-captains felt the need to change the narrative of the borough and let Bronxites create their own instead of being stereotyped by often outdated and misinformed media. The Bronx isn't perfect, we have a ways to go but I'm happy to be a part of the mission.
Decota Letman, Logistics Coordinator
HN: What would you most like to see brought to the Bronx (affordable housing, jobs, etc.)?
DL: More creative spaces for an intergenerational audience and more restaurants/lounges for everyone! We shouldn’t have to leave the Bronx to chill or eat.
Sabrina Hall, Lead Online Editor & Co-Art Director
HN: What are you most passionate about?
SH: At the moment, mentoring and helping people grow their passions.
Hoay Smith, Art Director
HN: What do you love most about the Bronx?
HS: I appreciate an environment that brings me peace - there's plenty of greenery amid the concrete. Walks in the park, meditating to the sounds of a running river, watching the sun set, birds chirping. That's what I love about the borough.
Pedro Pincay, Social Media & Field Data
HN: What’s your favorite restaurant in the Bronx?
PP: Liberato Restaurant in Burnside Ave off the 4 train.
Jeannie Smith, Writer
HN: What are you most passionate about?
JS: Travel travel travel travel travel! I moved around a lot when I was younger and often had to acclimate to new environments and I feel that has inspired this love and need to see the world. I solo travel often, which annoys my friends lol, but it’s a form of self care for me that I greatly value whenever I can. I’m also passionate about culture and learning about people and languages (anthropology nerd!)
Kayla Smith, Illustrator and Podcast Co-Host
HN: What would you most like to see brought to the Bronx (affordable housing, jobs, etc.)?
KS: Anything that will help the Bronx and her residents thrive. I do believe we need more job opportunities in the Bronx but I'd also like us to create them by owning businesses.
For my first assignment as a new staff writer for Bronx Narratives, I conducted a brief interview with Dondre Green, the founder of the online and physical Bronx based publication Bronx Narratives. Dondre, who is a native of the Bronx, as well as the magazines lead photographer and creative director, granted me access into a deeper look inside the publication.
RICHARD DEFINO: Hi Dondre. Before we get started, I wanted to take the time to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to write for Bronx Narratives; it’s a real honor to work with you and share my story with Bronx readers, writers and artists alike, both from the Bronx and outside our home borough.
For my first story with Bronx Narratives, I’ve been selected to interview you--my goal is to familiarize the readers with yourself and Bronx Narratives. I’m really excited about this interview and thought we could first start with an introduction of yourself before we got into the thick of it. Thank you!
RICHARD: Can you tell me a little about yourself?
DONDRE: I’m a Bronx-born and raised curious human who enjoys simple things and creating solutions. Some of my passions include: Photography, Design (Graphic, Interior & Stage), Basketball and Community.
RICHARD: What inspired you to start Bronx Narratives?
DONDRE: I felt there was a niche in our local media sources to create something that felt more authentic, more innovative while being fully community centered. In 2014, after me, Decota (our now Logistics coordinator) and Hoay (our now Art Director) threw our first Bronx event ever at The Point, I wondered what building a long term community infrastructure would look like and how we could attract and share more interesting Bronxites in a variety of ways.
We met up with people who attended the event a few weeks later at The Bronx Library and started listening to ideas of what Bronx Narratives could look like from the eyes of people who live here. It was refreshing.
In addition, my friend Jack Sommer, also played a huge role in the publication, I’d actually say he low-key mentored me during the early stages, he’s always been someone to help people near to him organize their ideas and offer honest feedback with anything you present his way and for him I’m thankful.
RICHARD: What can people expect from Bronx Narratives in 2019?
DONDRE: I think each year we’re trying to grow and challenge ourselves by taking leaps that allow us to continue our mission and I believe in 2019 ongoing local partnerships will allow us to event plan and be a bit more strategic with our goals when it comes to serving the community.
RICHARD: What changes will there be from previous years?
DONDRE: I don’t think they’ll be changes per se but as each year passes by, the captains and I all approach each year with a new level of focus and setting the tone with the energy we expect from our teammates.
RICHARD: What do you love/dislike the most about the Bronx?
DONDRE: The people. I love Bronx people, they’re resilient. If you know where to go, you know what the Bronx has to offer when it comes to food. Things I dislike are public transportation within borough and lack of resources for low-income individuals.
RICHARD: What was your favorite street pastime as a kid? For example; manhaunt, stickball, hanging with friends, etc..
DONDRE: I would play basketball pretty much all day with my brother during the summers, just to stay active. Most times with my neighbors too to spice up the competition. Reflecting on it, those were really fun times.
RICHARD: From your perspective as a Bronxite, innovator, or just as Dondre Green, what are you most proud of?
DONDRE: I think putting Bronx Narratives in a space to serve the community in ways I’ve never imagined is a start. For instance at our Bronx Day Party at the Bronx Museum this past year, afterwards I felt charged up seeing everyone come together and share that special unity we hold in our hearts. My team has been planting seeds for quite some time now.
RICHARD: Dondre this was great, thank you for your time and for allowing me to interview you! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Bronx Narratives.
DONDRE: Thank you and glad to have you on board.
Bronx Boys Q+A with Filmmaker Adiana Rivera
Q+A by Dondre Green / Photos & Poster Design by Adiana Rivera
Filmmaker, Adiana Rivera, can be found around the borough capturing the pulse of events and collaborating with other Bronx creatives. Adiana is a vibrant personality with a knack for storytelling through her video work. She’s recently embarked on a new visual project, called “Bronx Boys” which highlights men from the Bronx. I initially saw her numerous posts about the project on Instagram, so I reached out to her to learn more about the inner-workings and what prompted her to start it.
1) What inspired Bronx Boys? Why was it important for you to create it?
In general, the Bronx inspired me. I grew up here my entire life and I’ve always loved what the Bronx gave to me. I wanted to give something back, but didn’t know how. Documentaries and photos are insanely powerful, and that’s the only tool I knew to use, so I wanted to create a documentary about the Bronx. I always loved profile pieces whether in articles or in documentaries, because I felt they talk about broader issues using the subject’s day to day life. And then one day my thought process fell on my brother. I thought about his pre-teen to teen years growing up in The Bronx. I remember being in elementary school and walking to the corner with him so he could fight another kid because he spoke badly about our mother. I remember him coming home bloody from a fight. He was just surrounded by a lot of violence once he left home and entered the streets. It always felt as if he was protecting his manhood. He had a different outlook on life.
A lot of other Bronx Boys I would meet were these amazing, talented individuals, with these similar stories to my brother. They were poets, painters, athletes, rappers or honestly just the sweetest individuals, but each of them shared a violent past in someway or another.
It just felt so important to create this project to highlight them, because I needed people to see these boys for who they were. Not just a statistic, not just their borough, not just another story. I needed people to know that gems were created from The Bronx despite any hardships. I needed others to know that this borough provides inspiration and is the home to some of the strongest, most creative, passionate people I know. I needed people to know that the violence is just a factor from our circumstances.
2) Have you read the book “Bronx Boys” by Stephen Shames?
I haven’t read Bronx Boys, but once I’m finally done with this project I’m going to reward myself with buying Stephen Shames book. I wonder if there are going to be any overlapping messages and ideas between his book and my mini-documentary series.
“I had to convince myself that this project didn’t have to be perfect, it just had to exist.”
3) How did you come up with the name “Bronx Boys?
It’s kind of silly how I came up with the name. I was just sitting thinking of titles that would fit with the Bronx just cause. First I landed on Bronx Bars, and thought I could do a Bronx Bar crawl, which I did attempt too but I never edited any of the footage and only filmed on my iPhone. Then Bronx Boys popped up in my head and I knew that would be the perfect title for my project.
4) How long did it take you to complete this project?
The project still isn’t complete yet. It’s a ton of work. The first four episodes took almost 3 months because there was so much trial and error. I’m still working on the last four episodes and my hope is that I can finish it in about 2 months. Actually, I shouldn’t say hope, because it has to be completed within that time frame, as the first four episodes are dropping before the last four are completed. So overall, it’s probably a 5 month long process.
5) How’d you go about choosing the boys in each episode? Why specifically did you choose to highlight boys?
I chose four boys who inspired me. In reality, they’re grown men, but the term “Boy” refers to their childhood and the idea that as the Bronx grows, so do they.
With the four that I’ve chosen, we’ve run in similar circles either from my childhood or my semi-recent involvement with The Bronx. Their passion and past had me in awe. I decided to highlight boys, because of my brother and all of the male individuals I’ve met who grew up in The Bronx. I felt as if these men encompass the Bronx overall. They’ve encountered Bronx violence. They’ve had to survive with less than ideal not ideal circumstances, but it didn’t matter. Their passion and their love for the Bronx didn’t falter.
6) Did you film and edit everything yourself? If so, what was that process like?
I did film and edit everything myself! The process was a mix of simple and insanely hard. On paper it’s setting up a time to meet with one of the men, interview them, capture b-roll, edit once footage is captured. But of course setting up times were difficult, because everyone is living their own life with their own busy schedule. Filming gets harder the colder it gets, and the more it rains. Then once I was done and it was time to edit, which was hard because the only feedback I had was mine. The only person I could really bounce ideas off of was myself. Eventually I did turn to other creatives for advice and opinions, but there was a lot of internal dialogue for this project.
7) What do you hope people gain from viewing this project?
I want them to gain insight and have conversations. By the end of all the episodes, I want them to wonder about The Bronx and everyone who lives in the borough. I want people to see how a Bronx Boy’s life is complicated, layered, and beautiful.
8) What was the biggest challenge in creating this project?
I think the biggest challenge was myself. I’ve had this idea for awhile now, but I always came up with excuses to wait. Even when the process finally began, I would be scared to film and once I got the courage up to actually film, I wouldn’t want to even look at the footage. I had to convince myself that this project didn’t have to be perfect, it just had to exist. I just had to get it out there for everyone to see.
Follow Adiana Rivera on her Instagram page., to stay up to date with the series.
Made by Eric Michael: Screen Printing in the Bronx
Q+A by Sabrina Hall / Photos by Dondre Green
Eric Michael is known for his screen printing work and studio of which he works out of in the Port Morris section of the Bronx. This past spring I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric. As a designer, I have an appreciation for screen printed work and the layers of work involved to create these pieces. You can read the full Q+A below:
Hi Eric, may you please introduce yourself:
Hey I’m Eric, owner of Eric Michael Screen Printing, based out of the South Bronx in Port Morris.
How long have you been here at the shop, and what made you decide upon opening in Port Morris?
I have been in this shop a little over a year now - but I have been screen printing in the Bronx for 6 years. I got priced out of my neighborhood where I grew on the East side of Manhattan, which was also where my first studio was.
This room [that we're in currently] was originally used for storage and my best friend suggested I move my operation here. I live about a mile away. I walk to work most of the time.
What has kept you in the Bronx?
I love the Bronx, I don’t plan on ever leaving the Bronx. I feel like it’s the last piece of real New York that’s left from when I was growing up. My neighborhood where I grew up is completely unrecognizable - the late 80s and and 90s were a completely different time. That is starting to happen over here a little bit. But there is still the essence and grit of New York that feels genuine.
A certain amount of down to earth-ness.
Yes, and realness.
Now that you have lived here for so many years and have this space - and can see all of the changes that are going on and happening. How do feel about your business here seeing all that has been changing and happening - has there been growth?
It’s been good being in this location. It’s brought new clientele and helped myself and my clients spark new interest in the arts that are happening in the Bronx. A lot of people have interest in keeping certain areas how they were -- authentic. Especially this area of the Bronx - it’s one of the last areas that hasn't been developed. For movie studios like Silvercup and HBO, it can be dressed up to look like any decade. I think that’s a big part of the reason why Silvercup just moved here.
What inspired you to create the Loew’s Theater Shirt. You mentioned earlier, it sold out, and it feels like it belongs to a certain generation. What makes it so special?
I really enjoy shirts that bring back nostalgic feelings. I did the Loew’s neon because it reminded me of Christmas time as a kid headed to Fordham Rd. My brand is my namesake and these designs are very personal to me. City Island also gives that warm feeling of family, celebration, summer time, because that particular neon is the first thing you see when you go over the bridge, so it brings up good feelings. I wanted to make that available to everyone.
What are some of your favorite Bronx areas?
I love the Northwest Bronx, where my first apartment was when i moved out my my families place. Of course, Mott Haven, where I currently live - I moved to the Clock Tower in 2012 and that is where many of my strongest bonds were formed. Some of my best friends and relationships are from that building. My girlfriend and I met there, my son was born the first year I moved to the building. The saying it takes a village to raise a child is so true, the building helped me raised my son. He was the first baby in the building, everyone knew him.
“I would like to be able to do my art full time, and be more selective about the printing jobs I take on. I’d like to do more mural work, as it helps the community, and brings people together. Each summer I try to paint a few pieces through the city.”
How do you maintain a sense of community?
At Bruckner Bar and Grill and Charlies, we all know each other. Everyone talks to one another, hanging out at the same places. Every Christmas at Charlie’s I have a holiday pop-up shop, which the whole neighborhood shows up for. Summer time has BBQ’s and garden maintenance days. That keeps everyone involved and engaged. There’s a real sense of community in our little corner of the BX.
Who orders your shirts and who are your clients?
Lots of local businesses. Lots of streetwear brands. People who are trying to get their names out there. I have built up a loyal following through word of mouth and it’s been effective. Most of my clients are artist, and so are their friends. They are rappers, musicians and in general a lot of people who are chasing their dreams. NY is the home of the hustle. That is why my business thrives. People in NY are always trying to make moves and t-shirts are a great way to do that. I have thought about moving the operation to LA, where it’s t-shirt season all year round, but the vibe is different.
How has Graffiti inspired you?
It all ties together - I would not be doing this if it wasn’t for graffiti. I needed a summer job when i was 18. At the time in 2001, trucker hats were all the rage. The foam domes, as we used to call them. My boys and I needed to work and we made those hats and used graffiti to make money. Then we expanded into sneakers which changed into airbrushing for tee shirts. After airbrushing it was a very natural crossover for me to then go on to screen printing. With the airbrushing I would spend an entire day on one shirt and I realized “hmm I should be thinking about mass production.” People were approaching me to do jobs - a job that would take me a week could then be done quicker with the screen printing.
I happened to be dating someone who got me a great book on screen printing and I taught myself everything I know. Started in 2004 and haven’t stopped since.
What are some of your goals for your business and yourself as an artist?
I would like to be able to do my art full time, and be more selective about the printing jobs I take on. I’d like to do more mural work, as it helps the community, and brings people together. Each summer I try to paint a few pieces through the city.
Made by Eric Michael is located at 789 E 139th St, Bronx NY.
You can find more of his work on Instagram
Visiting the Bronx Museum of the Arts: The Intersection of Anarchy and Architecture
Written by Tiffany Hernandez / Photos by Dondre Green
The definition of anarchism, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is “a political theory which is skeptical of the justification of authority and power.” The work of Gordon Matta-Clark which is currently on display at the Bronx Museum of Arts is intended to be the intersection of anarchy and architecture, an exhibition titled accordingly Anarchitect.
When one thinks of architecture, one often thinks of physical structures. Especially as New Yorkers, we picture the structures that envelope our everyday life – skyscrapers, apartment buildings, subway stations. Gordon Matta-Clark, as an artist, looked at those same structures and created work that contemplated how structured political systems, such as a local and/or federal government, influence the structuring of everyday physical spaces.
Walking into the Anarchitect exhibit at the Bronx Museum of Arts, the first thing that caught my attention was the paper cut outs of graffiti-covered subway carts wrapped around the exhibit rooms white walls. Below the wallpaper-like display were framed zoomed-in graffiti prints, leaving the location of the graffiti’s original placement ambiguous.
I have always had a special interest in graffiti art; it’s relationship with systemic structures, and our relationship with graffiti as Bronx dwellers. We see graffiti everywhere, on everything and I can only speak for myself, but I don’t think much of it on an everyday basis.
That being said, it was back in 2016, when I first read the words of Charles “Chaz” Bojórquez, in the March 2016 publication of Poetry that I began to think about the significance of graffiti in the lives of people who grew up and live in disenfranchised neighborhoods.
“If the city was a body, graffiti would tell us where it hurts”
That Bojórquez quote immediately came into mind when walking around the Matta-Clark’s exhibit, an exhibit where graffiti was displayed as art – graffiti displayed as work worth being framed. This quote is followed by the thought of my local subway station, the Kingsbridge station off of the D line, and the amount of times I’ve seen graffiti come and go through the years – painted over hastily and mostly carelessly with white paint.
And in contrast, I consider the graffiti lined streets of gentrified Brooklyn that tourists and transplants take selfies in front of them for their Instagram pages. It is with these two images in mind, the Anarchitect exhibit I am left with questions about who has the authority to decide what graffiti is covered and which is displayed. What structures – what social, political and economic structures – have a role in deciding what gets to stay and what gets to go in our neighborhoods? That question is not limited to graffiti – but expands to our local shops, apartment buildings and schools.
It is interesting to note that while Gordon Matta-Clark is on display in museums – the Anarchitect exhibit will be traveling to Paris, Estonia and Massachusetts after its stay at the Bronx Museum of Arts – the graffiti in the Bronx has continued to cover the structures of our borough. And faceless authorities continue to paint over what Bojórquez would call the bruises of our city.
That being said, Gordon-Matta Clark’s work is a portfolio worth being displayed. His work is politically charged and potent with social significance – holding a specific weight by being displayed within the walls of the Bronx Museum of Art in the South Bronx.
Gordon Matta-Clark’s work considered the relationship between what is constructed and what is destroyed. Besides graffiti, Matta-clark focused on the architecture that filled the South Bronx. As written as a precursor to the exhibit, speaking of Matta-Clark’s work with the demolished buildings of the Bronx, the exhibit wall reads “Like an urban archeologist he captured these remnants of by-gone habitation, peeling paint and residual wallpaper, evidence of the structure’s obsolesce as ‘home’.” It is through this description that we can begin to understand how physical structures such as an apartment building and abstract ideas such as the concept of home intersection, specifically for disenfranchised communities.
Throughout his work and throughout the exhibit, the common thread is turning abstract ideas on their heads. By looking at how destruction and abandonment interact with physical structures, populations and systemic structures such as a local government that leaves behind a whole borough to fend for itself, Gordon Matta-Clark demands us to look closely at the spaces around us. In turn, he asks his audience to consider the ways physical structures speak to the abstract structure of our everyday lives. From subway stations, apartment buildings and the skyscrapers around us, from graffiti in the Bronx and graffiti in Brooklyn, these spaces speak volumes for how our social circumstances are constructed and deconstructed.
If you’re interested in experiencing the Bronx in a new way, from the lens of an artist who brought attention to the aching bruises that filled and continue to fill the physical structures of our borough, I recommend visiting the Anarchitect exhibit, displaying at the Bronx Museum of Arts until April 8th, 2018. There, you can see for yourself, the intersection of anarchy and architecture from the eyes of Gordon Matta-Clark.