BLOOD MONEY!
The Bronx Zoo has a contract with a local chicken slaughter house that delivers blood
on a daily basis to the zoo in order to feed the Vampire Bats. The blood arrives in five-pound buckets.
SPRING TRAINING?
On April 2, 1931, a crowd of about 4,000 entered Chattanooga Field to watch the Chattanooga
Lookouts take on the New York Yankees in an exhibition game. The crowd went into a frenzy when pitcher Jackie
Mitchell of Chattanooga, struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back-to-back. Oh, by the way, pitcher Jackie
Mitchell was a 17 year old girl!
YOU COULDN'T MISS IT!
In the 1920s, there was a funeral home in The Bronx called Ballard's Funeral Parlor.
The owner, a Mr. Ballard, lived right over the establishment. It was actually the only standing building on White
Plains Road between 216th and 217th Streets. Everything else was just empty lots. You couldn't miss
this place even if you wanted to.
WHY WEST FARMS?
West Farms is called West Farms because it lies to the west of Westchester Village
(Westchester Square) which actually existed even before the West Farms Village was established in 1663 by Edward Jessup and
John Richardson.
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
Way back in 1890, John A. Morris built the Morris Park Race Track. The
Belmont Stakes were first held there. In 1910, the race track was destroyed to build what is now the Morris
Park neighborhood.
ONE IN A MILLION
The population of The Bronx first reached one million people back in 1925!
EASTERN WHAT?
It was first called Eastern Boulevard. But on July 29th, 1942 the name was changed
to Bruckner Boulevard to honor Henry Bruckner who was Bronx Borough President from 1918 to 1933. Older Bronxites
still refer to this stretch of road as Eastern Boulevard.
THE LARGEST PARK IN NEW YORK CITY
No not Central Park. Pelham Bay Park is the largest park in New York City.
It has many great attractions. It has tennis courts, a wildlife sanctuary and yes, Orchard Beach.
FIRST TO GO PUBLIC
The Mixed School later named Morris High School was the first public high school in
The Bronx. It first opened its doors way back in 1897.
THE BOROUGH OF UNIVERSITIES
There are 12 colleges and universities in The Bronx. They are: Fordham
University, The Maritime College of the State University of New York (SUNY). There are also three branches of
the City University of New York (CUNY), Lehman College, Bronx Community College, and Hostos Community College.
There's also the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, The College of Mount St. Vincent, Manhattan College,
Mercy College, The College of New Rochelle, Audrey Cohen College and last but definitely not least by any standards, Monroe
College.
SITTING PRETTY
The Bronx is the only borough of New York that actually sits on the mainland.
THE TEFLON DON
John Gotti was born in the south Bronx. His family originated from Naples,
Italy. He began his criminal career as a gang leader in the Fulton-Rockaway Boys gang. Later as a
teenager, he became a member of Carmine Fatico's syndicate and got involved in auto theft, burglaries and related crimes.
In 1969, Gotti was arrested and found guilty of highjacking trucks full of all kinds of goods at JFK International Airport.
The rest as they say it's history.
NEW YORK HIGHLANDERS
Back in 1903, a man named Frank Farrell teamed up with a man named Bill Devery and
bought a defunct Baltimore franchise of the American League for the sum of $18,000 and moved the team to New York. The
team was originally called the "New York Highlanders", for their field's hilltop location in upper Manhattan.
In 1913, the team was renamed "The New York Yankees". Our Boys of Summer, The New York Yankees, have won 26 World
Series Championships to date!
JENNY IS FROM THE BLOCK
Jennifer Lopez born July 24, 1970, superstar singer, acclaimed actress and performer,
grew up right here, in the Castle Hill section of The Bronx. She later graduated from Preston High School on Schurz
Avenue. "J-Lo" began her great career as one of "The Fly Girl's" on Fox TV's sketch-comedy show, In Living Color.
Jennifer is the first Latina actress to demand a $1 million dollar salary and get it! Jenny, us true Bronxites
forgive you for "Gigli"! Congratulations on your marriage to latin singer Marc Anthony!
BRONX RIVER
This river was first called "Aquahung" by the Bronx's Native American inhabitants.
Later settlers named the Bronx River after Scandinavian farmer, Jonas Bronck. This river passes through Hunts
Point, Williamsbridge, West Farms and Soundview. It continues down by the New York Botanical Garden.
VIVA EL BRONX!
Only Miami-Dade County in Florida, boasts a higher proportion of Hispanic residents
than The Bronx. Forty-nine per cent of the borough's total residents are of Latino origin. The numbers
speak for themselves: Total Population - 1,332,650. Total Hispanic Population - 644,705. Hispanic
Households - 463,213. African heritage constitutes a shared element among Latin American and Caribbean cultures.
CEMENT? WHAT CEMENT?
The Bronx has more park space than any other borough! In fact, 24% of
the borough is park. And folks, that's without counting The Bronx Zoo, The New York Botanical Garden and Yankee
Stadium.
ORCHARD BEACH
It's an artificial shoreline that was originally constructed by former Parks Commissioner Robert
Moses. What he did as part of a two-year project in 1935 was have 850,000 cubic yards of brown sand and 350,000
cubic yards of white sand hauled in from the Rockaways and Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Its logistical placement on
the sound makes for calm waters and gentle rolling waves at Orchard Beach. Us locals like to call it
"The Bronx Riviera".
WE ARE BIG!
The Bronx has a nice size. It is 43 square miles.
OUR BUILDINGS ARE TALL
Tracey Towers on Mosholu Parkway are the tallest buildings in The Bronx.
One is 450+ feet or 41 stories. The other one is 400+ feet or 38 stories.
ALMOST THE TALLEST
Close behind Tracey Towers is River Park Towers. Almost 40 stories tall.
HOLLYWOOD LOVES THE BRONX
In the movie "Awakenings", with Robin Williams, the hospital you see there is Montefiore
Hospital. In the movie they call it Bainbridge Hospital. Montefiore Hospital is located on 211th Street
and Bainbridge Avenue.
THE BRONX LOVES HOLLYWOOD
Penny Marshall from Lavern and Shirley and who also played Oscar Madison's secretary in
"The Odd Couple" is from The Bronx. She lived on Villa Avenue by Bedford Park.
HIGH FASHION
Calvin Klein, the famous jean maker, perfume maker and fashion mogul is also from
The Bronx. He went to Dewitt Clinton High School. As a matter of fact, it is rumored that his mom
still lives in a Bronx condominium near his old high school.
MORE FASHION STATEMENTS
Ralph Lauren, another fashion mogul is also from The Bronx. Wow!
We certainly have style, man!
CHILDHOOD ENEMIES PERHAPS
John F. Kennedy, the U.S President killed in Dallas, Texas back in the 1960s, was
from The Bronx. He lived in Riverdale around 1927 for a short period of time. Ironically, the man
accused of killing him, Lee Harvey Oswald, lived in The Bronx around that early time too.
WE DON'T MONKEY AROUND
The Bronx Zoo is 265 acres. It contains the largest and most varied wildlife
in the country.
IS IT NEW YORK, NEW YORK OR BRONX, NEW YORK?
A section of South Riverdale which they call "Marble Hill", is actually part of Manhattan.
Imagine that! A river dried and the locals immediately extended their territories.
DANCE WITH ME
"Rap" music started in The Bronx. So did "Break Dancing", "Doo-op",
"House", "Hip Hop" and "Salsa"!
THE PIANO MAN
Billy Joel, whose real name is William Martin Joel, was born in The Bronx in 1949.
He became one of the most popular male recording artists of the 1970s and 1980s.
THE REAL BETTY BOOP
Helen Kane was born in the Hunts Point section. She grew up in Soundview.
She was a widely known singer with kewpie-doll looks and a doll-like voice. Nervousness led her to add the nonsense
phrase "boop-boop-de-boop" to her songs. She was later nicknamed Betty Boop. This name was soon applied
to a cartoon character that mimicked her style.
THE RAGING BULL
Jake LaMotta rose from the streets of The Bronx to become the light heavyweight boxing
champion of the world in 1949. His earnings made it possible for him to purchase a house on Pelham Parkway.
He lost his title in 1950 to Sugar Ray Ronbinson.
A BRONX SON TOO
Colin Powell grew up on Kelly Street in the Hunts Point section of The Bronx.
He graduated from Morris High School. After serving in Vietnam, he was named the National Security Advisor and
later the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he spent time directing the Gulf War. Mr. Powell was the
first African-American person to hold either position. He retired a four-star general only to enter politics a
few years later as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush.
TRAIN TRACKS
Collis P. Huntington made a fortune selling groceries to miners during the 1849 California
Gold Rush. If that wasn't enough, he later teamed up with 3 other guys and built the California Pacific leg of
the Transcontinental Railroad. At one time, he owned so many railroads that he could go cross-country without
ever leaving his property. He later bought the 33-acre Havemeyer Estate on Throgs Neck, where he lived until his
death in 1900. He is interred in a mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery. Huntington Avenue and
Collis Place bear his name.
THE POWER OF PRAYER?
On the night of May 20th, 1927, around 50,000 heads bowed in prayer at the same time
in Yankee Stadium. Was it a religious revival? Was it a sudden mass conversion? Actually no!
It was just a moment for sports fans to remember the Lone Eagle - Charles Lindbergh. He and his plane "The Spirit
of St. Louis", were about 300 miles at sea and still on course but nowhere near Paris as intended. Upon his arrival,
Lindbergh noted that he had been struggling to stay awake at the controls during the long flight. All of of a
sudden he felt that he was granted a mysterious burst of energy that helped him stay awake long enough to land his plane safely.
Was it coincidence or the power of prayer?
THE SULTAN OF SWAT
Born February 6th, 1895 in Baltimore, George Herman Ruth "Babe", would grow up to
become an American icon and a shining star in The Bronx! He was originally a member of the Boston Red Sox baseball
team. Babe Ruth was eventually traded to The New York Yankees back in 1920, in the most lopsided deal in baseball history.
The Red Sox got some cash and the Yankees got the best baseball player that ever lived! With Ruth in the lineup,
the Yankees became the powerful dominant team of the era, winning numerous championships. Boston became saddled
with "The Curse" that took them 86 years to break! The Bambino and the Sultan of Swat as he was known died in 1948.
