Winner of Vol. 76, No. 3
the Pulitzer Prize
Thursday, January 1, 2026
What’s inside?
$1.00
Oh, what a year it has been
A look back at 2025 This week’s Press has a different look. It is devoted to a
A PRESS SPECIAL ISSUE
presentation of the
On the following pages, we’re sharing highlights of 2025, but first, Intrepid photographer Gary Jean-Juste braved rain, snow and cold to find out how our neighbors feel about the year to come, here are a few of their thoughts...
stories that people were talking about throughout the past year — from happiness to heartbreak, from frustrations
Kenny Key Mr. Key isn’t making any New Year’s resolutions this year. “I’m just hoping to make it through the year,” he said.
Bertolt and Ruymunda This married couple look forward to taking care of their newborn boy in the coming year. “We have this boy now, so we have to think of him mostly.”
to festivities, from landlordtenant disputes to celebrations of local resources, from protest to pageantry, and don’t forget fire and ICE. And don’t bother looking for What’s On pages or the editorial page, they’ve been preempted, but they will return next week.
Angelo and Tara Ortiz will not be missing the political climate of 2025 and hope that 2026 will be a year of inspiration and to be more present in life, rather than just chasing financial success. “Make more time for friends and family and take care of our bodies”
Mary Anne Connaughton already enjoys a healthy lifestyle with food and exercise but she looks forward to doing more self care. “I really enjoy, taking the time to have a day to myself in the city, going to the museums and trying new things.”
Diana Lopez and Priya Jain want to do things that make them uncomfortable in 2026, like going to therapy and reaching out to family members. “I’m just going to really fight for opportunities and put myself out there, trust myself,” said Priya, right. Ira Bethea “won’t miss 2025 but looks forward to a change in New York City government in 2026.
Mary Hamilton at left, above, wants to do a lot better at following her dreams and live in the positivity. “There’s always somebody out here that we can help. It’s really important if we help each other.” Rachel Brown’s New Year’s resolution is to treat herself better and to be kind to people. “A lot of wonderful things happened to me in 2025 so I’ll cherish those moments instead of missing them,” she said.
A2 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
Stories of the year
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RP: Carol Kessel asked, “We have stepped up police presence and even put the National Guard on the [subways] and yet a woman was still burned to death. What other ways can we (NYC) tackle crime in the subway?” Adams: So true. It’s so important and this is not a popular comment, but it is important for us to take our subway in the proper perspective. We are seeing record levels — it wasn’t since 2009, [excluding] the COVID years, that crime has been this low. Robbery last year was at one of the lowest records in the history of the subway system. We have over 4.5 million daily riders with an average of six crimes per day. These wellpublicized crimes play on our psyche and when you add it to the large number of people with severe mental health illness living on our subways, it just adds to the feeling of not being safe. We are doing the job of bringing down crimes, we just need to make sure our officers are moving around the system and interacting with people and providing situational awareness. And second to that, the perception is what’s driving us — these well publicized incidents where somebody is burned to death, somebody is pushed on the subway tracks, the clear correlation of that is severe mental health illness and that’s why we’re asking Albany to help us with passing the act that is going to give us the authority to do involuntary removal, we call it the Supportive Intervention Act. This would allow us to compel vulnerable New Yorkers walking the streets, yelling and screaming with no clothes on in the dead of winter. People need help — and I just don’t believe they should be on our streets causing harm to themselves and harmful to others. RP: Arlene Dross-Higgins asked, “Do you plan to keep your promise of pay parity for FDNY Emergency Medical Services? My husband is an FDNY EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic and New Year’s Eve in the Bronx. Even with overtime pay, we are struggling to make ends meet. You promised pay parity when you ran for mayor — will you fulfill this promise?”
RP: Joan Young asked, “Why are there no regulations on taking down scaffolding all over the city? There are locations which haven’t been worked on for a while?” Adams: We put in place, in a real initiative, under [DOT] commissioner Jimmy Otto to get sheds down — I hate ‘em, and it seems like they’ve been up as long as the buildings have been up. And, because there’s no real incentive, landlords have made a calculation that it is better to keep the shed up and it’s cheaper than doing the repairs. We have to change that — we have made noteworthy progress in our plan, and I think most notably is our enforcement. Over 7,000 sidewalk sheds that were up in July 2023 have been removed from the sidewalks. Part of the issue is that we don’t want to mix the two. When we see sheds up because construction is going on, that puts a big smile on our face because it shows growth in the city. When the sheds are up because people don’t want to do the repairs, that’s no good. But we also need the City Council to help us. We need them to pass legislation that would finally give DOB the ability to make repairs ASAP, so that these sheds won’t stay up for long periods of time. RP: Shelley Simpson asked, “If money wasn’t an issue, what would be your top priorities and what steps would you take to accomplish these tasks?” Adams: Everyone who knows me knows I have a prerequisite to public safety, I would drill down on how we will continue to drive down crime [in this city]. We have a decrease in crime — people point to 2019 levels but we’re moving in the right direction. Crime is compared year over year in actual stats. Now, we also have to deal with the perception of crime. There are more uniformed officers and having that omnipresence makes people feel safer. I would also invest more in intervention and youth programs . . . particularly young people who are more likely to be a victim of crime or participate in crime. I would also put more money towards innovation in using camera technology to rapidly identify people who commit crimes — we’ve seen the benefits of that based on some of the apprehensions the [NYPD] has made. I would also expand my sheriff’s department, who worked to close over 1,300 smoke shops, and I would love for us to do more in closing these shops. We’re also putting money back in the pockets of New Yorkers by clearing medical debts, installing high-speed broadband at New York City Housing Authority buildings, lowering costs of childcare and reducing the fares of Metro Cards. Editor’s note: this story was edited for length the full article is available at riverdalepress.com.
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Mayor Adams: This has been a project that has been on the drawing board for a long time. So many administrations have tried and were not able to get it done. Our allocation of $100 million coming from the governor, the reason it’s taking as long as it has to even give a clarity on the timeline is because we wanted real community involvement. [U.S. Rep Adriano] Espaillat was very clear about that, as was Councilmember [Pierina] Sanchez. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity — I did not realize how large [the armory] was, I believe it’s seven stories below ground. So, there’s a lot that needs to be done, but we’re excited about what’s going to happen.
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The first Friday of the New Year was an exciting time for The Press as we sat for a oneon-one interview with New York City Mayor Eric Adams. In the 16-minute interview, The Press asked questions vetted from the Riverdale NYC Facebook page where locals presented their own questions.
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Adams: First of all, I agree with her, not only have I witnessed the role of EMS and EMTs as the borough president’s senator and now mayor, I have witnessed what they have done even when I was in the police department. They are highly trained and highly qualified. My goal is to make sure we settle these contracts with a fair wage and benefit, and we have been successful in doing so. I’ve instructed the [NYC Office of Labor Relations] commissioner Renee Campion to do what’s right for these workers. I have to allow that process [contract negotiations] to take its place, and I look forward to standing in the rotunda at City Hall when we’ve reached an agreement.
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026 - A3
Stories of the year January 16
February 27
Amalgamated residents frustrated ‘Worst landlord’ bedevils tenants over indefinite cooking gas shut-off Barry Singer, owner By MICHELLE MULLEN
mmullen@riverdalepress.com
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Many residents at the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative have been unable to cook in their own homes for over a month. On Dec. 13, printed notices throughout the building alerted residents Con Edison would shut off the cooking gas to 55 units due to multiple leaks in the gas piping equipment found in the basement of the building. “Please be advised that the cooking gas service in building 6 was shut off indefinitely this afternoon by Con Edison,” read the notice by the property manager, Charles Zsebedics. Nine months prior, on March 13, 2024, several units in building 7 received the same notice of an indefinite cooking gas shut-off that has yet to be resolved. A spokesperson for ConEd cited the same reason for both. “It is now up to the building owner/property manager/landlord — the responsible party — to hire a plumber to make the necessary repairs and go through the process for getting cooking gas turned back on,” a spokesperson from ConEd told the Press in a written statement. “For those who rarely cook at home, the lack of gas service is unlikely to have a seriously detrimental effect on their quality of life. Similarly for families who tend to rely on their range cooktop, microwave, pressure cooker, and air fryer . . . a lack of gas service is probably not an insurmountable problem,” a Dec. 13 co-op management notice informed residents. Across the street, select units in building 7 at 80 Van Cortlandt Park South, have been without cooking gas for 10 months. Building 7 resident Daniel Mani has found the greatest inconvenience to be the lack of laundry in the building. Although the lack of cooking gas only affects specific
Photo by Izania Gonzalez
Barbara Hernandez is frustrated over the inconvenience and cost of new electric cooking equipment to feed her family. units, including Mani’s, the entire building is without laundry access and they are told to visit neighboring buildings for laundry use but Mani said he doesn’t have key access to other buildings and must contact security to get in, another inconvenience. Barbara Hernandez and her daughter Kayla Figueroa have been without cooking gas for nearly a month now with frustration only mounting. “This is very inconvenient. . . I’m wasting money buying stuff to be able to cook,” Hernandez said. While she said management gave her a counter cooktop, it didn’t work which left her still in need of cooking appliances. She has now purchased a slow cooker, a rice cooker, an electric skillet as well as a countertop burner to feed herself and three other adults living in her home. Hernandez has lived in the building for 28 years, but she’s never experienced anything like this before and it has led to her family eating out more often than she would like. Hernandez shared her fears that cooking gas won’t come back for over a year but if the problem persists, she may need
to consider moving out. Building 6 resident Mark Cutolo said the lack of cooking gas was the “icing on the cake” for his reason to leave Amalgamated Houses. Cutolo said with a recent hefty monthly maintenance increase, he is now paying more for fewer services. “We are supposed to be middle-class housing, but the prices are stretching the limit of what middle-class housing should cost,” he said. The board and management are currently looking to place new $6000 Channing Street Copper Company battery-operated induction stoves in the affected units. Management stands to receive a 30 percent rebate on the cost per stove, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz secured $10 million for the housing corporation last June. Charles Zsebedics hopes to use a portion of those funds for the new stoves. However, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, which is responsible for disbursing the funds, asserts the money can only be used for projects that improve or build upon the property.
With temperatures plunging into the low teens this winter, residents of 3021 Heath Ave. are enduring days without heat, often in mold-infested apartments plagued by leaks. The 2024 ranking of New York City’s worst landlords is out and property owner Barry Singer has been listed as the top offender. His Kingsbridge building is rife with hazardous conditions and many residents said their cries for help have gone unanswered. The city’s Public Advocate’s office publishes its Top 100 Worst Landlord Watchlist annually. Landlords are ranked based on the number of open and repeated violations as listed with the Housing Preservation and Development, or HPD. This year’s list covers the period between October 2023 and November 2024. Seven of Singer’s buildings, including 3021 Heath Ave., landed on the list. He racked up an average of 1,804 open violations across 119 units, with more than 270 stemming from the 26-unit property on Heath Avenue alone.
Visible disrepair The Press visited the building twice this month. Upon entry, a state of disrepair was immediately visible. Long cracks run through the peeling ceiling, some sloppily patched with plaster and the stench of urine fills the first floor. Johanna Greenberg’s topfloor apartment, where she lives with her 17-year-old daughter, 14-month-old son and two pit bulls, accounts for 17 violations. The one-bedroom dwelling has been riddled with problems since the family moved in from a shelter four years ago. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were unable to view the apartment before calling it home. “When it rains, this turns into a big bubble,” Greenberg said, pointing to a large, brown stain on the ceiling. “Every time
of 3021 Heath Ave. has been listed as the city’s top offender by the Public Advocate.
it rains, it gets a little bit bigger. The roof is leaking and they just don’t care.” Severe water damage was one of Singer’s most frequent offenses, with 19 violations for interior leaks and an additional six for roof leaks. In June 2024, HPD slapped him with a violation requiring roof repair to prevent leaks in multiple fifth-floor apartments, some of which have more than 10 square feet of visible mold on their walls. “About six months ago, they finally went to the roof,” Greenberg said. “They threw some tar and a tarp on it, but that didn’t help much. It didn’t solve the problem in my apartment.” The floor tiles in her apartment sport large cracks and chips throughout – as do many common areas in the building. She’s resorted to sticking bits of tape in her home on those to keep them in place. However, one of her biggest concerns is the lack of heat she and other residents often face, despite frigid temperatures and snowstorms this winter– and she’s not alone.
120 complaints Between October 2023 and November 2024, Singer’s residents filed more than 120 heat and hot water complaints across his seven buildings on the list, according to the Public Advocate’s office. By comparison, there were 832 heat and water complaints across all buildings owned by the worst landlords in New York City during the same period. The broken door to access the roof exacerbates the problem. Greenberg’s door often violently shakes from the gusts of wind coming through and
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By IZANIA GONZALEZ
she’s even seen snow fly into the hallway. “It’s freezing in here a lot. I had a newborn and was asking [management] to turn on the heat, but nothing. I had to get a space heater.” Portable heaters are one of the leading causes of winter house fires. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, they have been linked to an average of 1,600 residential fires a year, resulting in about 80 deaths. Singer also received numerous violations for fire escapes in need of repair and malfunctioning smoke detectors at the Heath Avenue building. In January, a four-alarm blaze broke out at Singer’s 3030 Heath Avenue building, although a space heater was not the cause. Despite this, while visiting 3021 Heath Ave., The Press observed the fire safety sign on the first floor, the only one seen in the building, was almost completely ripped off the wall, leaving only the first two lines of the notice visible. Over the past year, Greenberg has stopped paying her rent and will not resume payments until the issues in her apartment are resolved. One resident who spoke with The Press on condition of anonymity says they are considering taking the same step. “It’s already a hassle for me to walk up five flights with a stroller and a car seat, and then I come home to this mess,” Greenberg said. “It’s like they don’t care at all. The Press attempted to contact Barry Singer and 3021 Heath Ave. site manager, Daniel Caller but received no response to emails. Phone numbers provided by residents and the building’s superintendent went unanswered, with The Press being hung up on during one attempt. MGSA III LLC, the corporation managing the building, does not have any publicly available contact information. Editor’s note: Stories on this page were edited for length. Full articles are available at riverdalepress.com.
A4 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
Stories of the year March 20
March 27
Still demonstrating to support Ukraine By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Courtesy Clara Onorina
Participants chosen as suspects were provided with costumes to match the role, such as feather boas and lab coats.
Murder for a cause, a killer way to give back By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
An investigation into a murder on Netherland Avenue is kicking off on March 29. With no suspects in sight, authorities are requesting your help to crack the case – but there’s a twist. It’s all part of a game. Dust off your detective hats. Scott Cramton, the mastermind behind Murder Mystery Co. , or MMC, is sending his killer team to The Center for Ageless Living, transforming the space into a prohibition-era speakeasy in a gripping whodunnit fundraiser. Fans of Shark Tank may recognize MMC from the electrifying pitch that secured a sixfigure investment from horror enthusiast Jason Blum, in exchange for a 10 percent stake in the business. “I actually could not memorize my pitch,” Cramton told The Press. “And I didn’t. I had never fully been able to get through it memorized until the day of.” The immersive experience transports participants to a bygone era, where they must work together — and against each other — to unmask a rogue murderer through clues, bribes and lies. Since the Shark Tank episode aired in March 2024, the clue-style event has skyrocketed in popularity, adding names like Netflix to Cramton’s roster of clients.
Not an easy road The road to success wasn’t easy. Cramton credits more than two decades of hard work — and good fortune — for his rise to fame. Born with a severe cleft palate in 1980, a speech therapist told the Detroit native he could pursue any career — except acting or public speaking. Cramton defied all odds, enduring years of corrective surgeries and therapy, fueled by a drive to help adults reconnect with the childlike joy of play again. By 1999, he enrolled in Grand Valley State University’s theater program. Over the next several years, working in the haunted house industry was his bread and butter. But it wasn’t until 2002 that he would find his true calling — all thanks to a chance encounter. While strolling the streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cramton ran into an acquaintance who asked a question that would change his life: “My boss wants to do a murder mystery dinner, do you know anyone who does those?” He didn’t. But it was right up his wheelhouse. “I gave him reasons why I would be good at it like I had watched every episode of ‘Murder, She Wrote’ with my mom,” Cramton explained. “ We probably watched hundreds of hours of detective shows. Then when my dad got home, he would put on things like ‘NYPD Blue’ or ‘Hill Street Blues.’” With his first murder mystery event booked, Cramton turned to his roommate, Michael O’Hair for help. Over the next few years, they put on six shows a year with a team of 11 actors, each earning $20 a show.
Chasing dreams “I’m what you might call eccentric,” he said. “I just believe in trying to live your life to the fullest, chase your dreams, and do what you want to do.” In the company’s fifth year of chasing dreams, it finally caught a white whale.When a phone call from “Blair with McDonald’s,” came in, Cramton, was nearly sure it was a scam – until he realized it wasn’t. When asked if he did any private events, Cramton said yes, despite not knowing what a private event entailed or
how much it paid. He quoted Blair a $200 fee for his 11 — person team. The moment h e hung up the phone, he realized that at $20 an actor, he had forgotten to pay himself. At the time, Cramton was working 12 — hour days, five days a week, at Art Van Furniture. He estimates he only helped customers about two hours a day and spent the other 10 diving into the details of his murder mystery venture. In 2009, Cramton decided to go all in. He quit his job, hired a team of salespeople and scriptwriters. They were still working out of Cramton’s basement when a murder mystery Groupon took the business to new heights. Over the next decade, the team tirelessly worked to grow the business, eventually landing clients like the Houdini Estate, where they executed a large-scale, fully immersive murder mystery experience. In 2023, an email from Shark Tank appeared in Cramton’s inbox. Initially skeptical, he didn’t respond for months – until one day, he grew curious. Turns out it wasn’t a scam; Shark Tank was doing a Halloween episode and MMC was the perfect fit. This opportunity also led him to meet his now-fiancée, India Palmer. Hired alongside a small group of actors to play a maid in his pitch, the two like to say their first date was on Shark Tank. Cramton practiced his pitch everywhere he could and to anyone who would listen – even while in line for Disneyland rides. On show day, Cramton executed a pitch complete with clues, fatalities, and a few laughs from the investors. Even Mr. Wonderful cracked a smile. Once it was time to talk money, the rest of the actors exited the set, leaving just Cramton in the spotlight. Palmer said he spent about an hour on set with investors, but when the segment aired in March 2024, eight months after filming, it was cut to under 13 minutes. “He had such a sigh of relief when he came out [from the Shark Tank pitch room],” Palmer said. “I remember he did a happy dance. That’s just Scott’s personality, and he was just so thrilled about it.”
Sky’s the limit With Jason Blum as an investor — CEO and founder of Blumhouse production company — the sky was the limit. MMC now boasts more than 2,000 trained actors in 23 cities across the U.S. “From the moment he introdcued himself in the Shark Tank, Scott has impressed me with the passion for what he does, his creativity and his dedication to his dream,” Blum said. “Audiences are hungry for realworld, immersive experiences and Scott is leading the field.” These days, Cramton and Palmer’s focus is on the business side of MMC, although they still enjoy the occasional on-stage role. Most recently, the powerhouse pair organized an event at South by Southwest, creating an immersive experience for the new movie, “Drop.” “I’m getting to do some of the stuff I really wanted, which is these more eye-level experiences that are more promotional and allow us to be more experimental,” Cramton said. MMC performs thousands of shows a year, like the murder mystery dinner at the Center of Ageless Living on March 29. Sales from this 21+ experience are going to Riverdale Senior Services’ programs, including mental health services. When asked about the RSS event, Cramton said seniors are an important demographic to him. “We don’t stop playing because we get older, we get older because we stop playing,” Cramton said, reciting his favorite quote.
In February 2022, Russia launched a massive and deadly invasion on Ukraine. Every Sunday since, a large group of Ukrainians have held quiet protests outside the Russian Mission to the United Nations along West 255th Street. Spawned by the intense talks between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy on Feb. 28, North West Bronx Indivisible —- a local grassroots group focusing on democracy — launched a rally on March 23. In solidarity with the people of the war-torn country, about 150 people gathered to voice their derision at the ongoing crisis and the United States’ involvement. “When Trump tried to bully Zelenskyy in that meeting, I was just so furious, I was livid,” Helen Krim told The Press, Riverdalian and rally organizer. In the meeting, the presidents spoke on how to end the war, a reignition of the original conflict between the two countries dating back to 2014. A possible ceasefire was discussed, when Zelenskyy expressed doubt due to Russian President Putin breaching a ceasefire contract in the past. A little more than a decade ago, Russian-backed forces launched an assault on Donetsk Airport in eastern Ukraine — a breach of their ceasfire agreement signed 23 days prior. On March 25, the two Eastern European countries agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea. “The Russians can’t just sweep it under the rug,” Yuriy Yanovski said, who emigrated from Western Ukraine more than three decades ago. “We have to remind [those at the Russian Mission] that people are being killed because once [the war] goes longer and longer, people forget.” Yanovski is one of dozens of immigrants who gathered by the ominous compound every Sunday for the last three years. It’s where he’ll be every week-
Photo by Michelle Mullen
U.S. veteran Pasqual Depetris (l.) and Yuriy Yanovski shook hands and were all smiles meeting for the first time at the rally on Sunday. end until the war ends, waving a blue and yellow flag. The group proudly belted out the national anthem of their homeland, hoping to carry the sound into the confines of the Russian Mission. Occasionally, a chant of “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine,) broke out, a symbol of their unwavering patriotism. Although many weekly rallygoers are fluent in both Ukrainian and Russian, not a peep of the latter was spoken. One particular attendee got visibly hostile and verbally abusive when she heard someone in the crowd speaking Russian. “I have a lot of Russian friends before, even from [the Mission],” Zhanna, who chose not to share her last name, said in her thick Ukranian accent. “First friend called my husband three weeks after war start. Not first day, three weeks. My husband didn’t even answer. Friend never called again.” Still, a 2022 poll from the Suffolk University Political Research Center found 87 percent
of Russians living in the U.S. denounced Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Eight in 10 wanted the president out of office and seven in 10 wanted him charged with war crimes. That same year, NPR shared photos of Russian Somavar Restaurat and Piano Bar in Manhattan with a Ukrainian flag in its front door and a sign reading, “Stand by Ukraine. NO WAR.” Despite Russians standing with Ukraine, news outlets like CNN reported on restaurants like the iconic Russian Tea Room in Manhattan, facing backlash and a significant drop in sales in response to the escalating conflict overseas. This came as Russian food and beverage products were boycotted around the U.S., including imported vodka. Zhanna, who spoke with tears welling in her eyes, is also missing friends from the crowd. She and other protesters told The Press that Ukrainian refugees who fled to the U.S. have ceased attending the rallies for
fear of deportation. On March 6, President Trump announced he was considering stripping the temporary legal status of about 240,000 Ukrainians granted entry to the U.S. under former President Biden’s administration. Weeks after the announcement, Trump revoked the legal status of more than 500,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela on March 22. It’s a narrative that’s led to a change of heart among previous Trump voters, although some already turned their backs after Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House. “I was supportive before. I was hope that Trump really strong, and he was not going to protect Putin,” Stanley Mienychuk said, a friend of Zhanna’s with an equally heavy accent. “I was hope he would say, ‘Hey, I am the president of biggest country in the world,’ but no, looks like Trump not with us, unfortunately.”
April 10
Photo by ET Rodriquez
The Van Cortlandt Jewish Center’s sanctuary will remain in place while a new structure is built around it.
Jewish Center finally agrees to sell By ET RODRIGUEZ newsroom@riverdalepress.com
After years of back and forth and much lamenting by locals, the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center has sold 3880 Sedgwick Avenue to Barone Management for $4 million. The lease agreement went into effect April 1. The center took a vote amongst its members – 32 to 10 -- and there was much he-said/ she-said on both sides. Members claimed they didn’t see the contract before voting, while the center’s president Stuart Harris said, “no one asked.” “I just want to know if we’re getting a fair deal,” Louise Salant said, life-long member who was grandfathered in by her parent’s long-term membership. “Once the contract is finalized, it should be the fiduciary duty of the chair to present the contract to the membership. Otherwise, one could say that the membership has voted to approve a contract they have not seen.” According to the NYC Department of Finance, an estimated market value for 20242025 was listed at nearly $7 million. But according to Harris, the amount the center sold for was the best deal they could get. Plans for the new property,
with an unknown completion date, include holding temporary space for the South Bronx Classical Charter School network. The school’s permanent home at Kingsbridge Terrace is expected to be completed in two to three years, but while it inhabits 3880 Sedgwick Ave., it displaces the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s childcare facility. Several requests for comment from the community center went unanswered. While a new 5,000-squarefoot synagogue will be built along Stevenson Avenue, the old one will remain, “ensuring the congregation has a place of worship at all times.” The Press toured the space and noticed leaks and ceilings in disrepair, along with carpeting which, “probably hasn’t been replaced since this place opened,” Harris said while walking through the center, pointing out damage in the infrastructure. The Center was founded in 1927 in an apartment building, moved to a converted mansion on Gouverneur Avenue in 1946 and landed at its current home on Sedgwick Avenue in 1965. It once saw membership upwards of 600 individuals, but that number plummeted to well below 100, attributing to lack of funding and resources.
The NYC Department of Buildings website cited a Class 1 violation at 3880 Sedgwick Ave., defined as “immediately hazardous” and “demanding immediate action.” The website also stated civil penalties are due on the building. “We just don’t have the money to fix it,” Harris added. Before selling to Barone Management, Van Cortlandt Jewish Center was in talks with Innovative Development and Construction, who purchased a good chunk of land in the neighborhood. Plots include 3874 Sedgwick Ave. where the Van Cortlandt branch of the New York Public Library once stood and 67 Stevenson Place, former home of the Denishawn House, listed on the city’s LGBT historic sites project. Both are now literal dust in the wind as construction is underway. “They are cutting down mature trees, the whole area is being destroyed, very sad,” Gary Axelbank told The Press. The T.V. personality who hosts Bronx Buzz and lives across from the Jewish Center, has long advocated, along with the community board and members, for a sustainable and fair developer of the area. Innovative Development sat in on several community board 8 meetings where they faced scrupulous scolding by the
chair of the board’s land use committee, Charles Moerdler for their illegal removal of tress within the Special Natural Area District confines. “Trees are being demolished and typography is being changed without any DOB authorization,” he said at a meeting last December. “This is the first time in many years that I’ve been on this board, in which [property contractors and owners] are violating the building code by constructing and demolishing, without a Department of Buildings permit or filing.” Hopes are Barone management meets the expectation of its residents as it is touted as a company specializing in the development of school buildings. “I hope the new synagogue, if built, would be able and willing to include communitybased Jewish organizations like JASA,” added Salant. The Jewish Association for Serving the Aging was once housed at the center, but against popular belief, the Jewish Association which relocated to 231st Street said they moved on their own accord. Teh Attorney General’s office has yet to approve of the final sale before Barone Managaement canbreak ground.
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026 - A5
Stories of the year April 10
May 29
Rediscovered WWII love letters reveal a poetic fiancés devotion By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Feds withhold funding for Van Cortlandt Park Alliance By STEVEN GOODSTEIN newsroom@riverdalepress.com
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump made significant federal funding cuts in education, health, foreign aid and most recently, federal funding grants for local organizations. With the withdrawal of $12 billion in federal funding grants by the administration, several Bronx organizations which were expecting almost $2.3 million – including Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Bronx River Alliance, Bronx Is Blooming and Nos Quedamos – are affected as a result. The four Bronx-based nonprofits were expected to receive nearly $2.3 million in total, but agreements for the funds were revoked on March 24. Christina Taylor, deputy director of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, said the funding in past years has allowed the alliance to run youth internships, which put money in the pockets of young individuals from the Bronx while they learned about their local environment. The alliance operates out of 80 Van Cortlandt Park South and was formed through a merger of two earlier organizations -- the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park and the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy. Founded in 2019, the organi-
zation aims to preserve and promote the ecology, recreation, cultural arts and history of the city’s fourth largest park. Fortunately, it already received $75,000 in grant funding earlier this year to help with its Garden 2 Market paid internship, providing high school students with education in horticulture and culinary arts. They also offer a Green Scholars internship which teaches participants how to build shelters along with other outdoor and camping recreation activities. They also offer Urban Ecology Teen internships to educate high school students preparing for college degrees and careers in environmental fields. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance is not a plaintiff in the federal lawsuit brought by other Bronx groups. “We already got our [$75,000 grant] for this year and every year the amount of funding is different, but of course it’s still something we’re worried about,” Taylor added. “We don’t know how much funding we are set to receive in the future. We are equally disgusted that the short-sighted actions of this administration will force organizations to cut their programming so they cannot hire deserving young people as planned.” Taylor added the administration’s burn-it-all-down meth-
od of eliminating federal grants for small organizations does not make a better or more efficient government. “It makes a mess — and, as always, the ones who suffer are the good people of the Bronx and their families,” she said. In response to the federal administration’s funding freeze, the Bronx River Alliance joined nonprofit organizations from 22 other states in filing a federal lawsuit on April 1 “to ensure these programs and their funds have served their purpose, have strengthened communities and protected the environment.” It works to restore the 24mile Bronx River corridor which runs throughout the center of the borough and ends in northern Westchester County. In his March 28 press conference highlighting Trump’s assault on the health and well-being of the Bronx, Rep. Ritchie Torres added the federal funding freeze is an assault on the safety and future of all communities who depend on these organizations. “The denial of critical investments in clean water and community resilience is indefensible,” Torres added. “I stand with these groups in demanding that these essential funds be restored immediately so that the people of the Bronx are not left behind.” Editor’s note: this story was edited for length the full article is available at riverdalepress.com.
June 26
Juneteenth celebration reimagines Vannie’s hidden burial ground by MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Deep rhythms of West African drumming kicked off the fifth annual Juneteenth celebration in Van Cortlandt Park, a short walk away from the Enslaved African Burial Ground hidden just out of sight. Hosted by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and the Bronx Arts Ensemble, the evening paid tribute to the day Union troops arrived in Texas, June 19, 1865, informing the last slaves they were free despite the Emancipation Proclamation having been signed two years prior. For many in attendance, the celebration symbolized a spiritual connection to those who once toiled over the very land in which they now lie. “Even if we don’t know their names, we want to give them community,” Ashley Hart Adams, the alliance’s art integration strategist, said. “Through honoring them, we honor ourselves.” Van Cortlandt Park was once a sprawling colonial plantation owned by Jacobus Van Cortlandt, a two-time New York City mayor, whose wealth was tied to the transatlantic slave trade. Until 1821, slaves were the foundation of daily life at the estate, facing relentless labor in grueling conditions. They endured long hours under the sun, working in corn and wheat fields. They ground grain through the grist mill, a laborious and physically demanding task. They hauled timber and stone to construct the Van Cortlandt House in 1748, now a museum. This year’s holiday celebration marked a significant step in the alliance’s grant-funded initiative. First announced in April, “Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground” will transform the site — largely unmarked and notoriously
Grade school friends The lovebirds were both born in 1923 to Jewish families in Brooklyn. They met in grade school at the Yeshiva of Flatbush and were inseparable by the time they were 10. Over the years, their blossoming friendship bloomed into a budding romance. Eiferman couldn’t say exactly when their dynamic changed — only that it happened whenever their “hormones kicked in.” By the time they reached their final year of college in 1943 — Eiferman at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Robbins at Yeshiva University – the U.S.was deeply entrenched in WWII. “He was an extremely ethical, spiritual individual,” she explained. “He said ‘I can’t be an objective observer of what’s going on in Germany. To my people. I have to take a more active role.’” In the spring of 1944, Robbins relinquished his deferment. The night before enlisting in the Army, he wrote a poem titled, “Wait for Me, World.” Eiferman still remembers their farewell with painful clarity, down to the gut-wrenching feeling that loomed over her as they parted on a subway platform in Washington Heights. She boarded a nearly empty train home, with only an elderly woman sitting quietly nearby. “I burst out crying hysterically and this woman came over to me and said, ‘Can I help you?’” she recalled. “I said, ‘nobody can help me now.’”
Letter after letter
Photo by Michelle Mullen
Baba Don Babatunde Eaton utilized the bells during libations, wrapping them around his drum. hard to find — into a place of reflection and public memory. “This isn’t about creating a memorial,” Stephanie Ehrlich, executive director of the alliance, said. “It’s about redefining what remembrance can look like.” The project, a collaboration with the Design Trust for Public Space and the nonprofit Liminal sp, looks to preserve the grounds as a place where past and present can coexist. On Juneteenth, members from both groups set up shop under a small tent outside the Van Cortlandt House Museum, handing out QR-coded flyers linked to a survey. In it, visitors shared their vision for the storied grave site. “We’re asking people to tell us how they move through the space physically, emotionally and ancestrally,” said Immanuel Oni, co-founder and co-director of the Liminal sp, “What should you feel here? What should welcome you? What should you hear?” To strengthen community engagement in the initiative, the alliance has hosted a range of cultural public programming. Last month, it spotlighted the art of percussion with an African Dance Workshop set to the
beats of West African drums, like those echoing through Van Cortlandt Park on Juneteenth. “Slaves couldn’t speak freely, so the drum was their voice,” Baba Don Babatunde Eaton, a master percussionist with the Bronx Arts Ensemble, said. But the sound, Eaton noted, wasn’t always welcome on American soil. Enslaved Africans were once prohibited from drumming altogether. Under the Negro Act of 1740, slaves were barred from playing drums, horns and other instruments that could signal rebellion. But it was the belief in rhythm as a form of healing that echoed in the evening’s final ritual: a libation led by Eaton himself. As he poured water onto the ground, he spoke directly to the ancestors. “Libation slows down the gateway of the soul with this offering of light and water,” he said in the ritual. “Remembering them, honoring them, blessing them of all the pain and injustice they received. Through our voices, they can hear. Through our deeds, they can be free.” Editor’s note: this story was edited for length the full article is available at riverdalepress.com.
After reporting to Camp Upton on Long Island, Robbins was sent to Camp Wheeler in Georgia for basic training. There, he crafted letter after letter, writing Eiferman at least once a day. At the time, she went by her maiden name, Berlinger. Each correspondence closed with words of unwavering devotion.
Courtesy Deborah Eiferman
Aside from an old school photo from the 30s, this is the only photo Deborah Eiferman has with Jerry Robbins. “Remember that I am completely, passionately, irrevocably in love with you;” “I adore you Deborah Berlinger, more than I ever loved before or will ever love again; “Have I written out recently how much I dream of you constantly — how life seems worthwhile only because of you?” Among the letters Eiferman treasures most, is one sent just a couple of months into training. In it are words brimming with hope — and a marriage proposal. “The things I live by are peace and freedom and friendship and good books and sunshine and writing, and most of all the the love of the girl I adore,” he penned in one letter.
Frontline soldier On the morning of December 24, 1944, her fiancé took off for the frontlines. Private Robbins was one of more than 2,000 American reinforcements shipped to regions of Belgium, Luxembourg and France to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, the last large-scale German offensive in western Europe. The troopship was set to cross the English Channel en route to the French port of Cherbourg. Just five-and-a-half miles from its destination, disaster struck. A torpedo launched by a German U-boat struck the rear of the ship, sending water rushing into its lower compartments. The SS Léopoldville was sinking. Its 14 lifeboats could hold only about half of those on board, many of whom had little to no training in evacuation procedures. Masses of servicemen plunged into the icy waters. Hundreds died of hypothermia or drowned. Others were crushed by an allied vessel assisting with rescues. Jerry Robbins was among nearly 800 Americans killed in the Christmas Eve catastrophe. He was 21. “I found a letter that said, I don’t want to die before I have a chance to live,” Eiferman shared. “And he did. I look at the bottom and it says aboard ship, Dec. 22, 1944. Three days before he died. And the poem he wrote on it was ‘If I Should Die, Oh God.’” Eiferman said she never mourned her late fiancé.
Mourning was focused on death, tragedy and her “shredded future,” she noted. Instead, she moved on. She collected reminders of Robbins and sequestered them away in the cardboard box, where they sat forgotten, aging alongside her. After his passing, the war now over, she sparked a relationship with an army man who himself knew of Robbins, from his time in the service. Before that, they had served as codirectors of a youth group together. In 1948, she married Irving Eiferman, a practicing lawyer. Over the next 64 years, she admits, she never once thought of Robbins. But Deborah loved her life with Irving, who never failed to slip words of gratitude and love into their conversation daily. The two had three children, two girls and a boy – now adults with their own children and grandchildren. Irving died in 2012 at 92.
A daughter’s help In 2024, her daughter, Leora, offered to help clear out a room used for storage in Deborah’s Riverdale apartment. About 40 minutes into spring cleaning, Leora walked up to her mother with a cardboard box. Scrawled on the lid were the words, “Go Through.” Since uncovering the letters, Leora and her husband have transcribed and digitized each one. “I am aware that I am blessed and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” she expressed to The Press. “I had a wonderful life with Irving, but I want to give one of the gifts back. Jerry never, never had a chance to live. And he had so much he wanted to live for.” In 2015, Eiferman authored the memoir, “My Extraordinary Life.” She is now working on a new chapbook featuring Robbins’ poems and naming him as a posthumous author. When asked for the secret to a long life, she answered without hesitation. “Gratitude,” Deborah stated. “Gratitude for every blessing I have been given. For every person I loved and who loved me.” She hopes the world will love Robbins, too.
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Federal grants previously allocated to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance help provide youth internships, such as Urban Ecology Teens and Garden 2 Market which educate high school students preparing for careers in environmental fields.
For roughly 80 years, hundreds of letters laid untouched in a cardboard carton, following Dr. Deborah Eiferman from home to home. Tucked away on closet shelves and in basement corners were pages inked with the fervent longings of a young soldier madly in love. Last year, at 101, Eiferman unsealed the box for the first time in decades. Inside it, she found bundles of postcards, poems and yellowing letters, each stack neatly wrapped in red ribbon. Line after line, penned long ago by her childhood sweetheart, overflowed with declarations of burning desire. As she read through them, she felt herself swept back into the past — falling in love with Jerry Robbins all over again. “He hoped to be a wellknown poet,” remarked 102-year-old Eiferman. “I realized my purpose in living this long is to see his material published someday. I have lived this long because I have a job to do.”
A6 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
Stories of the year July 17
June 12
Wave Hill celebrates 60 years of nature, history and community BY MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
GARY JEAN-JUSTE photos
Ellen Brown, 87, relies on rides from her son for day-to-day tasks because of Access-A-Ride’s unreliability.
Access-A-Ride is failing seniors By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalpress.com
Last month, eighty-six-yearold Ellen Brown waited in her wheelchair inside Riverdaleon-Hudson Funeral Home, the June heat pushing 100 degrees. She had booked an Access-ARide to pick her up from her daughter’s wake more than a day in advance. It never showed. Brown spent hours in limbo, stuck in a maze of phone calls with customer service before another vehicle was dispatched. Unfortunately, Brown’s experience isn’t unique. Across the greater Riverdale area, older adults face increasingly unreliable transportation services, making it difficult to reach medical appointments, shop for essentials or stay socially connected. According to Community Board 8, one in five residents in the district is over the age of 65, a 53 percent increase since 2000. For the many seniors who don’t drive and can’t afford private rides, these gaps pose a significant threat to their independence. “It was surreal,” Brown said. “Like I didn’t matter.” For years, the board has urged the city to fund new vehicles and expand services that help older adults reach doctors, grocery stores and community centers. For fiscal year 2026, senior transportation needs ranked fifth among the board’s Capital Budget Requests, up from 16th last year. Although the Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates Access-A-Ride, the New York City Department for the Aging also funds alternative transportation options, providing rides through a network of Older Adult Centers and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, or NORCs. A NORC is typically a complex where many longtime residents have aged in place. Among the department’s recipients is Riverdale Senior Services, also known as The Center for Ageless Living, which has a single 16-passenger minibus that is in constant need of repair. It’s not uncommon for the wheelchair lift to fail.
Canceled pickups The center’s executive director, Tina Cardoza-Izquierdo, said the lack of a reliable vehicle significantly impacts its members, all aged 50 and up. “We’ve had to cancel pickups, especially for members who use wheelchairs,” Cardoza-Izquierdo said. In the last fiscal year, Riverdale Senior Services completed 241 round trips. But when the van is at capacity or out of service, there are no alternatives. The Riverdale Y’s New Beginnings NORC program is in a similar bind. Reserved for adults ages 60 and older, New Beginnings’ offerings are similar to those at Riverdale Seniors Services, including hot meals, transport to doctors’ offices, pharmacies and access to social workers. New Beginnings director Sharon Asherman told The Press that city funding hasn’t changed in years, even if their expenses have ballooned. The day program utilizes two vehicles, one 2012 model and the other from 2015, both nearing the end of their usable life. The department for the aging lists the cost of a new minibus at $75,000. That price is far beyond what either program can afford, particularly with New Beginnings’ need for two new vehicles. A spokesperson for the department of aging said the total citywide budget for transportation for fiscal years 2024, 2025 and 2026 stands at $262,000. The effects ripple out quickly. Many who rely on Riverdale Senior Services and New Beginnings live alone, on fixed incomes and cannot navigate the steep hills or crumbling
sidewalks of greater Riverdale safely. Even a short walk to the bus stop can be a hazard. The problem has worsened since the sudden closure of the Knolls Crescent Rite Aid this month, once a critical resource for the neighborhood’s seniors. Now, the closest options, a CVS and Walgreens on Johnson Avenue, are nearly a mile away. “You try doing that with a walker,” said Ruth Greenfield, a Riverdale resident of more than five decades, and a Riverdale Senior Services member. She continues to use AccessA-Ride for her medical appointments, but has learned not to depend on it. While undergoing breast cancer treatments, she was often left waiting more than an hour after chemotherapy — exhausted and uncertain when her ride would come. Now in her 80s, Greenfield said she builds in extra time for every trip, planning around the possibility the van may not arrive at all.
Frustration The MTA’s own data reflects that frustration. As of spring 2024, only 64 percent of AccessA-Ride users reported satisfaction with on-time pickups. More than half said reliability and flexibility, including the ability to modify a trip the same day, still need improvement. The solution, Asherman said, is funding transportation for older adult community centers. “When our wheelchair lift isn’t working or the van breaks down, people don’t get to go,” she said. “Some of them are scared to take Access-a-ride, and that happens more than people realize.” For many, staying home means missing more than a class or lunch. It may mean going without the only hot meal of the day, or going days without social interaction. Riverdale Senior Services offers limited group trips to Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Stew Leonard’s. New Beginnings will sometimes take riders to Ridge Hill in Yonkers or nearby medical offices. But demand far outpaces supply. Cardoza-Izquierdo worries most during heat waves. In extreme temperatures, if AccessA-Ride runs late or fails to arrive, she said the consequences can be life-threatening. “Seniors waiting outside in 95-degree heat, often with medical conditions; that’s not a delay, that’s a crisis,” she said. Public transit is an option for some older adults, but those facing mobility issues still fall through the gaps. However, the city pledged to make more subway stations ADA accessible by 2029, aiming for more than 50 percent compliance. But in greater Riverdale, where subway coverage is limited and hills are steep, that goal feels distant. Asherman sees it as a matter of dignity. “When someone loses access to reliable transportation, they lose the ability to live independently,” she said. “It’s not just a ride, it’s their connection to the world.” As for any hope on the horizon for new vehicles for the senior centers, it is bleak. “At present, there is capacity for all the transportation providers in the Bronx, including Community District 8,” a spokesperson for the department of aging said. “We encourage older Bronxites to learn more about NYC Aging’s transportation program and other services we provide.” Ellen Brown now avoids Access-A-Ride whenever she can after being stranded for hours after her daughter’s funeral. The experience shook her confidence in a system that was supposed to support her. “I was just trying to get home,” she said. “That’s not too much to ask. Editor’s note: this story was edited for length the full article is available at riverdalepress.com.
The lush grounds of Wave Hill were alive with celebration in honor of its 60th anniversary. Since opening its gates in 1965, Wave Hill has served as an urban oasis for visitors from all walks of life. But there’s more to the site than the florals that meet the eye. Over the past six decades, it’s flourished as a hub for cultural and artistic expression — and a leader in environmental education in the Bronx. But long before it grew into the treasured 28-acre park it is today, it was a private estate. The historic Wave Hill House, and those who called it home, are central to the park’s legacy and mission. Among Wave Hill’s famous guests were author Mark Twain in the early 20th century, and conductor Arturo Toscanini in the mid 40s. In the 1950s, the then English Queen Mother briefly stayed at the residence while visiting New York. The fieldstone structure was completed in 1848 for lawyer William Lewis Morris and his family, who dubbed it the Wave Hill House. By 1886, the land on which it stood was in the hands of new owner, Charles Appleton, a prominent publisher who ran in the same circles as scientific trailblazers like Charles Darwin. Appleton rented the property to several tenants, including the family of a young Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1870s. As president, Roosevelt later established the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to protect the cliffs overlooking Wave Hill from across the Hudson River. The home’s final owner, J.P Morgan partner George Walbridge Perkins, took control of the land, as well as the neighboring Glyndor property, in 1903. In 1960, decades after his death, Perkins’ family donated the estate to the city under the condition it would be a “public garden and cultural center,” not a university research station as the city intended. In the following years, the institution grew into a breeding ground for environmental stew-
Courtesy of Ngoc Minh Ngo
Wave Hill offers spectacular gardens and views of the Hudson and Palisades. ardship and artistic innovation, shaping generations of eco-warriors and creatives. “This place was integral in solidifying my identity as a scientist,” Tatyana Graham, a former Wave Hill intern, said. “It completely changed my perspective on science in the Bronx and set me on a path where I knew, ‘okay, I’m gonna do environmental.’” Graham joined Wave Hill’s Woodland Ecology Research Mentorship program in 2015. The 14-month course for high schoolers combines hands-on ecological work with academic research led by experts in the field. It’s one of three rigorous summer youth programs offered, including one of the city’s oldest environmental internships, the Forest Project, which teaches students conservation and restoration skills through tasks like trail building, invasive species removal and river shore clean up. “These young people are our future,” Ray Oladapo-Johnson, Wave Hill’s president and executive director, said. “As we face a rapidly changing climate, they’re the ones who are going to ensure we treat our planet in a responsible way. We’re train-
ing and exposing them early so they have a head start.” Most participants in Wave Hill’s youth programs are Bronx natives in Title I schools, which receive federal funding to support low-income students like Graham, an alum of P.S. 81 and Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy. These internships offer invaluable access to science education and green careers in a borough often overlooked for such opportunities. Equity and accessibility have long been guiding principles at Wave Hill, and Oladapo-Johnson has prioritized making the garden more physically, financially and culturally accessible. “Making sure we provide programs that accommodate families and are affordable or completely free is important to me,” he said. “It should be accessible to all levels of people, whether you’re an extremely affluent individual or somebody who is young, working or finding your way in life.” While wheelchair rentals and mobility assistance vehicles are available, much of the park remains difficult to navigate due to its sloped terrain and natural surfaces like gravel and wood chips. Only the Wave Hill House, visitor center, and Glyn-
dor House, which serves as an art gallery, are ADA-compliant. But change is on the horizon. Plans are underway to introduce an elevated walkway to the aquatic gardens. OladapoJohnson noted braille signage and expanded language services are some of the future changes you can expect. The nonprofit is also making its cultural programming more inclusive. In recent years, it added a Juneteenth celebration and Pride Month events. Last year, Wave Hill hosted a Day of the Dead celebration to mark a major Latin American holiday. That event was organized in partnership with Literacy Community, a group with a strong presence in the largely Spanish-speaking Kingsbridge area. For Kimberly Cisneros-Gill, Wave Hill’s education director, the Day of the Dead event was a highlight. “It brought in a lot of firsttime visitors,” she said, noting the particular interest in the bilingual programming offered that day. As Wave Hill celebrates another milestone, it pays homage to its deep-rooted history — and a more accessible, inclusive and sustainable future.
August 7
75 years of getting cool in the pool BY MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Riverdale Neighborhood House, RNH, pool, a space that has quietly shaped the fabric of its community for generations. When it opened in 1950, the Bayard Dodge Jr. Memorial Pool was the first public pool of its kind in the Bronx, born out of an effort to turn a private luxury into a shared refuge. It started as a grassroots project sparked, as the story goes, by a sweltering summer afternoon when local children hopped the fence of the Dodge family’s private pool. According to the RNH Director of Community Engagement and Development Emma Pollack, rather than punish the kids, the family helped launch a campaign for a pool everyone could use. The Dodge’s donation, offered in memory of Bayard Dodge Jr., who was killed in action during World War II, was joined by contributions from families across the neighborhood. To keep locals informed and engaged, a newsletter called Neighborhood Notes — which would later grow to be The Riverdale Press — circulated updates, encouraged donations, and built support for what would become one of the area’s most enduring public spaces. In the spring of 1950, the pool’s fate was still uncertain amid a citywide water shortage. However, geologists using old topographical maps discovered an underground source just 12 feet below the surface. The find cleared the way for construction to finish on time. Dedication day, June 24, 1950, drew elected officials, clergy, civic leaders and hundreds of neighbors under “bright blue skies and warm sunshine,” according to The Press’ coverage of the event. Unfortunately, the symbolic
Photo by Gary Jean-Juste
A new generation enjoys the Riverdale Neighborhood House pool . turning on of the water was skipped so painters could finish in time for the Day Camp opening on July 1. That first weekend, “attendance… reached 640,” and the inaugural swimmers were Hunt and Henry Howell, “joined by their parents before the afternoon was over.” It quickly became more than a place to swim. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the pool was a social centerpiece. RNH’s archival documents report the pool logged more than 21,000 visits in its first 66 days. “The pool was not just a place where people went swimming, got suntans and stuff,” said Bernard Stein, whose father David Stein launched The Riverdale Press. “It was a social venue. They had a show, it was the Aquabells, young women in bathing suits performed a sort of synchronized dancing and movements in the water.” For local kids, the pool was stitched into the rhythms of daily life, serving as a critical
part of the day camp program and after-school offerings. “We would get on the school bus with our bathing suits and towels and go directly to the pool after school,” said Richard Stein, Bernard’s brother. “There was no air conditioning in the schools in those days.” The Riverdale Neighborhood House campus expanded around it, with P.S. 81, a baseball diamond, tennis courts and public recreation areas creating a shared space. In the years since, Riverdale has grown more diverse, and the pool’s programs have evolved in step with its changing community. Today, a family season membership costs $1,400 – a steep increase from the original $25 in 1950, equal to about $320 today. But RNH has introduced initiatives to keep the pool accessible to more people. “Our real goal is to try to make the pool not just like a community resource and a place where anybody can come and enjoy a day at the pool, but
also really think of it as a vital resource for people’s well-being,” said Pollack. “One in four New Yorkers don’t know how to swim… and when you look at communities of color, that rate rises drastically.” A Learn to Swim program launched in recent years offers lessons to children and adults for as little as $1.50 per session. Over 450 participants participated in its first month this summer alone. The program, she notes, is about more than just swimming. “When I think about what this pool has meant over the years, I think about how people found their neighbors here,” she said. “There’s something so old-fashioned and historic about hanging out by the neighborhood pool.” Riverdale Neighborhood House also began hosting Community Thursdays to expand access further, offering discounted day passes that regularly sell out. Lifeguard certification courses were added to address an ongoing citywide staffing shortage.
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026 - A7
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A8 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
Stories of the year August 13
September 3
Connecting Holocaust tragedy to U.S. immigration crisis
Rabbi Greenberg weighs in on Gaza
By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Over 150 people joined outside Seton Park to honor Jewish refugees aboard the MS St. Louis, a ship turned away from the U.S. and Cuba in 1939, forcing many back to their deaths in the Holocaust. Organized by Bend the Arc Riverdale, the Aug. 11 memorial was not only a remembrance of that dark chapter, but a reflection on today’s immigration battles nationwide. One by one, speakers drew parallels between the St. Louis tragedy and the plight of migrants and asylum seekers turned away from the U.S. border today. The evening opened in song, voices rising in unison, “Peace, peace, peace. Our voices are louder. Our bodies are stronger. We will tear through the streets.” Cheryl Paley, a longtime member of Bend the Arc, then stepped forward to welcome the crowd. “We gather today to bear witness to this denial of humanity by the US government and to honor the passengers on the MS St. Louis and all immigrants and asylum seekers in our history,” she said.
Fleeing the Nazis The MS St. Louis left Hamburg, Germany in May 1939 with 937 people on board, most of them Jews escaping Nazi persecution. Passengers carried landing certificates for Cuba, but just days before arrival, the Cuban government — under pressure from domestic unrest and rising antisemitism — revoked them. For nearly a week, the ship idled in Havana Harbor, close enough for passengers to spot relatives waving from the dock, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. When Cuban authorities ordered it to depart, Captain Gustav Schröder steered the German transatlantic liner toward the Florida coast. From the deck, passengers could see the lights of Miami, a glimmer of safety just beyond reach. Although cables and telegrams pleaded with the Roosevelt administration for permission to dock, none were answered. The U.S. Coast Guard patrolled alongside, ensuring the ship would not attempt to land. With no port willing to take them, the St. Louis turned back across the Atlantic. Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to accept its passengers — but within months, Nazi forces had swept across much of Europe. “In refusing the 937 Jewish refugees asylum, our government was complicit in their being sent back to Europe, where over one quarter of them died at the hands of the Nazis,” Paley explained to the somber crowd.
At the memorial, there was music and prayer, but the ritual at the heart of the event came from a candlelighting to honor both the victims of the past and those caught in the web of present-day immigration policy. “Every generation has an obligation to fight for justice,” said Susan Werbe, a member of Bend the Arc. “This is our moment to stand with immigrants.”
Who is welcome? Faith leaders from across the city stood alongside advocates and elected officials. They spoke about how laws are written and rewritten to define who counts as welcome and how policy choices carry consequences as irrevocable as any ocean crossing. State Senator Gustavo Rivera urged those present to act, warning that “if we do not take steps now, we risk becoming complicit in injustices our grandchildren will one day ask why we allowed.” Others spoke from lived experience. Suhail Hammedi, who once sought asylum in the United States, described selling everything to escape danger in his home country, only to see others now stranded outside the U.S. border. “Thousands have been waiting for years only to have their asylum denied,” he said. One of the organizers, Madeline Ritter, reminded the crowd that Bend the Arc’s mission was rooted in making those connections tangible: pressing for laws that protect immigrants, organizing campaigns and refusing to allow fear to dictate policy. “The St. Louis is not just a story in a history book,” she said. “It’s a warning.” The event drew more than the politically active.
About connection
By OLIVIA YOUNG oyoung@riverdalepress.com
A noted rabbi who formerly served at the Riverdale Jewish Center is calling for moral clarity amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in an open letter. Rabbi Dr. Irving “Yitz” Greenberg was among 85 Orthodox Jewish leaders to sign the statement titled “A Call for Moral Clarity, Responsibility, and a Jewish Orthodox Response in the Face of the Gaza Humanitarian Crisis.” Published on Aug. 18, it comes nearly two years after the start of the Israel-Hamas War. On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and taking 250 others hostage. In response, Israel launched a ground and air operation that has now killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, according to a July 26 update from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The United Nations-backed panel of food experts announced famine in Gaza City for the first time on Aug. 22, calling it “man-made.” On Aug. 27, Reuters reported Israel asked the panel to retract the report, calling it “deeply flawed.”
Condemning Hamas The 600-word “Call for Moral Clarity” repeatedly condemned Hamas but urged Israel to assume “its share of the responsibility for the profound suffering of Gaza’s civilian population,” prevent further harm in the region, and uphold traditional Jewish values. The letter was written by
Rabbi Yosef Blau, a former religious leader at Yeshiva University in Manhattan, who circulated it to other rabbis. Some, including 92-year– old Greenberg, were members of Torat Chayim, a group that promotes progressive, Torahbased values. It opens by stating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one of the most severe in recent history. While Hamas has “shown a cynical disregard” for Palestinians, Israel’s two-year military campaign has “devastated Gaza.” The text cited the rising death toll and halt of humanitarian aid. “We affirm that Hamas’s sins and crimes do not relieve the government of Israel of its obligations to make whatever efforts are necessary to prevent mass starvation,” the letter said. Greenberg lived in Riverdale for 60 years before moving to Jerusalem. As a rabbi, author and teacher he became a prominent figure locally and beyond. “The letter was aimed at the government and people in Israel who want a harsher policy,
Criticizing Netanyahu It also criticized Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying his lack of post-war vision has allowed extreme voices in government to advance disturbing proposals, such as “the forced ‘voluntary’ exile of Palestinians from Gaza and the sacrifice of remaining Israeli hostages in the pursuit of an elusive ‘total victory.’” The remainder of the statement calls for a voice rooted in Jewish values of justice and compassion. It cites the belief that all people are created “b’tzelem Elokim,” or “in the Divine image,” saying that allowing a population to starve contradicts this teaching. The letter reemphasizes the obligation to support policies that protect human dignity, provide
humanitarian aid when possible, and speak out if government actions conflict with the Torah. It concludes: “The future of Israel depends not only on its military strength but on its moral clarity. Let us be resounding voices for justice, righteousness, and peace for all people — even and especially in the hardest of times.” “It’s absolutely clear, no matter what the sins of Hamas, that the Israeli government has a moral responsibility — and from a Jewish point of view — to be concerned about the Palestinians and their hunger, just as much as it would be about any other group,” he said. After “A Call for Moral Clarity” was published, it drew significant media attention. Some outlets noted the rarity of Orthodox rabbis speaking out, since they tend to lean politically right-wing. Others disagreed with the stance. An op-ed in the “Jewish News Syndicate” called the letter “shameful” and a public act of “desecration of God’s name.” On Aug. 25, the Coalition for Jewish Values published a rebuttal letter titled “A Rabbinic Response to a Misguided ‘Call for Moral Clarity,’” with 162 signatures. “A Rabbinic Response” argued that Hamas, not Israel, is responsible for Gaza’s suffering. It rejected most claims in the original letter, saying it misrepresented the war. The rebuttal stated: “True moral clarity requires recognizing the root of this crisis is Hamas’s evil intent, and that genuine peace requires the eradication of the threat posed by Hamas.”
September 10
Fire keeps merchants in the dark By MICHELLE MULLEN
Neighbors wandered in from nearby streets, lingering along the edges. People introduced themselves to strangers. It was as much about connection as it was about commemoration — a shared understanding that memory is not passive. The politics of the present cast a long shadow over the evening. Detention centers have grown, asylum rules have tightened and immigration enforcement has intensified. The forces that barred the St. Louis — fear of outsiders, economic unease, political caution — still shape today’s debate. The electric candles, eight in all, shone through the speeches. When the last remarks ended, there was no applause, only the soft shuffle of people moving toward one another, exchanging names, stories and eager promises to return at the next rally.
Courtesy of Yctorah.org
RABBI YITZ GREENBERG
and to people in the religious community who… out of anger, feel you can violate democracy and rights of others,” Rabbi Greenberg told The Press. In the 1960s and 1970s, Greenberg was a congregational rabbi at the Riverdale Jewish Center and co-founded the Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy, as well as the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. He later helped establish the United States Holocaust Museum, serving as chairman in the early 2000s. According to the letter, anger toward Hamas has turned into suspicion of all Gazans as “future terrorists,” while “extremist settler violence” in the West Bank has caused civilian deaths and forced displacement.
mmullen@riverdalepress.com
For more than a week, a stretch of businesses in Central Riverdale has been operating in the dark — literally. A transformer fire on West 235th Street the night of Sept. 2 knocked out electricity to a shopping center between Johnson and Oxford Avenues. While a few storefronts have managed to stay open with costly generators, others were forced to close for days. Some, like Moss Cafe and Liebman’s Deli, remain shuttered. Aladdin Cleaners owner Judy Lee — who has run the shop for 25 years — had no choice but to turn away customers since the morning after the fire. With washers and dryers idle and the motorized belt that holds hundreds of pressed garments frozen in place, even customers hoping to collect finished clothing must wait.
The loss of income has been steep. In a typical week, Lee said, the store brings in at least $1,000 a day. “It’s hard,” she said. “I have to pay the landlord and then the electric and the employees.” To fulfill existing orders, she drives loads of clothing to a friend’s dry cleaning business in New Rochelle, a task that requires multiple trips each day. Around the corner, Key Food — the only supermarket in Central Riverdale — has also been hit hard. “[The biggest challenge] has been just trying to clean up and have the store in operating conditions in the dark, working with spotlights we brought in,” store manager Vinny Gomez said. In the days after the fire, employees rushed to empty refrigerators and deli cases, filling five 30-yard dumpsters with spoiled food. Gomez estimated the loss to be more than $2 million. The store reopened on Sept. 8 with generator power, but he
said it will take several more days before shelves are fully restocked. Regal Pharmacy also relied on a generator that, pharmacist Robert Newman said, costs hundreds of dollars a day to keep running. Still, he considers it better than the alternative. “We had no phones for the first three days because we didn’t have a generator yet,” he said. “All calls were routed to my cellphone, and it was one call after the next.” He worked by flashlight and lantern, handwriting labels when the pharmacy’s printer would not run. With no online system, which typically handles 200 orders a day, Regal was left to catch up when it finally came back online on Sept. 6. Newman said he faced a backlog of more than 400 orders. Some business owners improvised. At Riverdale Vintners, the first shop on the strip to reopen, the owner turned to his
Volvo SUV to power the store. The cause of the fire remains unclear, according to Con Edison. The electric company told The Press the blaze left equipment inside the building that houses the shopping complex damaged. The landlord of the shopping center alleges Con Edison’s wires caught fire and burned out the cables beneath. Still, Con Edison told The Press that power can only be restored once the landlord hires an electrician to repair the damaged equipment on his property, after which the energy giant can step in. In the meantime, business owners said they have been left in limbo, with little communication from either the utility or the landlord. Several told The Press they have been unable to reach the latter and only land on voicemail. Editor’s note: this story was edited for length the full article is available at riverdalepress.com.
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026 - A9
Stories of the year October 2
Kennedy student denied asylum, faces deportation By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
On Sept. 23, a New Jersey immigration judge denied asylum to Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras, a John F. Kennedy Campus student now held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, detention for more than four months. The ruling ordered his deportation, setting into motion the possible removal of the first known New York City public school student to be taken into ICE custody during President Trump’s second term. Contreras was arrested on May 21 after showing up for a mandatory immigration appearance at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. The 20-year-old’s lawyers at the New York Legal Assistance Group, NYLAG, have 30 days to appeal the decision. “Dylan’s team of legal advocates are already preparing to appeal this decision, intend to push for his release on bond, and will continue to fight tirelessly to exhaust all potential legal avenues to bring him home as soon as possible,” said NYLAG attorney Lauren Kostes. Contreras fled Venezuela last year, entering the U.S. in April 2024 using the CBP One app, a Biden-era humanitarian program designed to provide safe passage to migrants from unstable countries. However, recent shifts in federal policy have futher complicated his asylum case. Ear-
Photo by Michelle Mullen photo
Activists with nonprofit ROCC NYC showed their support for Contreras at a Riverdale rally. lier this year, President Trump revoked legal status for anyone who used the program to cross into the country. Once in New York, Contreras reunited with his mother and younger siblings, and enrolled at ELLIS Preparatory Academy, a transfer high school for recently arrived immigrants. ELLIS principal Norma Vega recalled her time with him, reminiscing on better days. “It infuriates me ... this young man would be in my office almost every day with his purple hair and invited me, ‘Miss you want to go play Uno?’ and we would sit in the hallways playing,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. Having been granted work
authorization with CBP One, Contreras took up a gig as a parttime delivery driver, putting paychecks toward moving the family out of city-run shelters. “Dylan was punished for doing the right thing,” said Kostes. “After following his immigration obligations, he was kidnapped by masked men, ripped away from his family, imprisoned in inhumane conditions for months.” The federal government disputes Conteras’ legal standing. On May 27, the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, posted on X: “Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras is an illegal alien from Venezuela … Biden ignored the law and chose to release millions of illegal aliens
… without a notice to appear before an immigration judge.” Contreras’ lawyers strongly reject that claim. They say he entered legally, filed for asylum on time and attended every required hearing. In the eight days following his arrest, DHS transferred him through four detention centers, including facilities in Texas and Louisiana, before placing him in Pennsylvania’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center. It is the largest detention site in the Northeast. Contreras’ lawyers say ICE repeatedly misrepresented his location during these transfers, delaying communication with his legal team. Strong community support
was visible on Sept. 29, when more than 150 people gathered at West 235th Street and Johnson Avenue in Riverdale to call for his release. Organized in just two days by nonprofits Northwest Bronx Indivisible and Bend the Arc, the rally drew neighbors holding signs and chanting, “This is what democracy looks like” and “Free Dylan Now.” “We got the hearing, but unfortunately, the result was not favorable,” said Daniel Guenzsberger of Northwest Bronx Indivisible. “By taking part in this protest, it’s a political statement, but let’s not forget that this is also a personal statement. You are sending a message to Dylan that his neighbors are here for him.” Activist Power Malú of ROCC NYC joined others holding a banner that read “Free Dylan.” Organizers handed out pre-stamped postcards addressed to his detention center. “He needs to know that he’s not alone, and your postcards will make a difference,” Guenzsberger told the crowd. “They will also make a difference in how he is treated inside. His jailers need to know there are people on the outside paying attention.” At the rally, State Sen. Gustavo Rivera denounced Contreras’ arrest as unjust and described the administration’s enforcement strategy as a baitand-switch. “The Trump administration said they were going to identify
dangerous criminals and deport them,” Rivera said. “That is not what they’re doing. They’re taking our neighbors, our friends, our kids. And so we will continue to stand up for him.” Unfortunately, Contreras’ case is not unique. Students at other New York City schools have also faced detention or removal. In August, a 6-year-old year Queens student was deported to Equador. Later that month, a 20-year-old Brooklyn student was detained and sent to a Pennsylvania detention center, where he continues to be held. Kostes warned that the court’s decision to the deny Contrera’s asylum claim reflects deeper systemic failures. “It reflects the broader moment we find ourselves in and the deeply flawed and unjust system we’re forced to navigate,” she said. “For those who need justice most, it often remains out of reach due to cruel policies and systemic injustices that cause real harm.” Since mid-May, the Department of Homeland Security has pursued a new enforcement strategy: moving to dismiss cases in immigration court in order to initiate expedited deportations. ICE officers have been stationed in lobbies, hallways and elevator banks of immigration court buildings, ready to arrest individuals leaving their hearings. Editor’s note: this story was edited for length the full article is available at riverdalepress.com.
October 23
In Manhattan streets and Seton Park, Riverdale says ‘No Kings’ By OLIVIA YOUNG oyoung@riverdalepress.com
Riverdale residents joined thousands of other New Yorkers in the Oct. 18 ‘No Kings’ protest, a nationwide series of demonstrations against the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration. Some headed to Times Square — with 100,000 other people, according to police — and others stayed local, joining about 600 of their neighbors at Seton Park. The New York Police Department said protests in the city were peaceful, and no arrests were made as of Oct. 18, 3 p.m. Across the country, the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, and other protest organizers estimated seven million people took to the streets for No Kings. Put together by over 200 progressive organizations, this is the second large-scale No Kings protest. In June, the demonstrations drew five million people across the United States, according to the ACLU, and nearly 20 from Riverdale. This time, dozens of resi-
dents packed shoulder-to-shoulder in Midtown Manhattan, holding signs that read “Protest is patriotic” and “There is nothing more American than standing against Kings,” to name a few. They smiled alongside their neighbors, cheering together in between chants of “Show me what democracy looks like.” Eighty-two-year-old Lynda Paull has taken part in marches for six decades, stretching back to the Vietnam War. But, the current administration incites a new kind of fear, she said. “There’s never been a time like this, ever in my lifetime … where I felt truly deep in my chest, in my heart, we are losing democracy,” Paull said. Another longtime activist, Dan Guenzburger, is a member of grassroots group Northwest Bronx Indivisible. He also protested at No Kings in June. “Vietnam War protests made a difference,” Guenzburger said. “They started small, and they increased until they started to impact public opinion. That’s why we’re here. We have got to mobilize the country.” Back in the Bronx, 600
Photo by Michelle Mullen photo
Riverdalians like Frank Levy, right, carried hand-written or printed signs in Manhattan. residents — from children to seniors — flooded Seton Park. Kids blew bubbles, darting in between clusters of people, while adults waved signs, echoed chants and joined together in song. Some gravitated toward the center of the group, where Marcelo Lopez, president of the Unity Democratic Club, led
calls. He held a microphone in one hand, and used the other to keep a large speaker steady atop his head. In between speeches from community leaders, Indivisible member Helen Krim, led renditions of songs such as “We Shall Overcome” as residents sang along. A small band accompanied her on guitar, drums and
tambourine. “The most important thing for the community is to know other people are there with you,” said drummer Jerry Kisslinger. “I really wanted it to be not just a peace rally, but an energy rally, a resistance rally — something that would give people confidence to stand up for what they believe in.”
Danielle Herbert-Guggenheim, an educator, said she was heartened to see so many from the borough involved in activism. “I grew up in the Bronx at a time where we are not good if our neighbor isn’t,” she said. “What’s happening with the immigrant community can easily happen to the Black community, to the LGBTQIA+ community.” Elected officials U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, and Council Member Eric Dinowitz, also made an appearance at the rally. Allison Gervais and Nate Ethier, Riverdale residents of three years, joined the protest with their dog Quinn. Gervais cited a rollback on women’s reproductive rights, while Ethier called for stronger separation of church and state. “I like to see people come out of situations like this with a renewed sense of the value and urgency of democracy,” Ethier said. “Democracies collapse all over the world throughout the course of history. People think it can’t happen here. It can happen here, and people need to protect it.”
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A10 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
Stories of the year December 16
November 12
Firefighters battle two-alarm blaze
Mamdani edges Cuomo among local voters in mayoral contest
By MICHELLE MULLEN
By OLIVIA YOUNG
mmullen@riverdalepress.com
Thick plumes of black smoke blanketed parts of North Riverdale on Dec.12 as crews of New York’s Bravest battled white-hot flames sweeping through a derelict home. Reports of the fire at 5501 Palisade Ave. came in at 9:32 a.m., according to the FDNY, and it took more than four hours to get under control. Yet, the incident is shrouded in mystery. The roaring blaze broke out in the basement of a deserted building which sat empty for years. Neighbor Lara Holtz, who lives just up the hill, recalled smelling smoke that morning and initially believed it was coming from a nearby resident lighting a bonfire. “[Then] I saw smoke from the roof,“ she said. “It’s really strange. The house has been empty for a long time, so it’s definitely unusual.” Deputy Fire Chief Jeffrey Facinelli of FDNY Division 7 was among the first to arrive at the scene of the one-alarm fire, which quickly spread to other floors of the five-bedroom, fivebathroom dwelling. “It took a second-alarm assignment of firefighters to come extinguish the fire,” he told The Press, surrounded by more than 100 first responders crowding Palisade Ave. As the morning bled into afternoon, crews faced a series of obstacles. The deputy chief pointed to the nearest hydrant — just opposite the home — as presenting one of the earliest hurdles. “We found it was out of service, so we had to go to the next hydrant much further away to get to a water source,” the 24year FDNY veteran said. “So that all led up to a delay.” The Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP, was called to the scene to investi-
oyoung@riverdalepress.com
Photo by Michelle Mullen
“Firefighters formed a line while returning a long hose line to the engine, draining remaining water before folding it onto the engine’s hosebed.” gate, adding he plans to file a report with the city.
DEP begs to differ However, a DEP spokesperson offered The Press a different perspective, saying officials checked the hydrant and found it “is in service and functioning properly.” Additionally, the agency said, a DEP supervisor and crew at the scene “were not alerted to any water supply or pressure issues.” Perched on a cliffside, the home overlooks the Hudson River, offering sweeping views of the New Jersey Palisades. Its location, coupled with Friday’s frigid temperatures with a high of 34 degrees, made it especially prone to gusty waterfront winds that fanned the flames. “We had to have companies coming for relief because of the cold weather and everything,” Facinelli said, adding that the frigid weather also posed a slip hazard.“Companies only operate so long [before] we bring in new staffing to replace them.”
The historic Victorian home was previously inhabited by Alice and Stuart Boynton, who purchased it in 1997. It was put back on the market in 2016, three years after Alice’s death. Originally listed at $3.2 million, the property reached its peak asking price of $6.9 million in 2019 – less than a year after Stuart died at 90 years old.
On and off the market Robert Boynton, the late couple’s son and executor of the estate, sold it to Palisade Rose LLC in late 2022 for $3.3 million. The Westchester-based company is tied to real estate consulting firm Carlyle Development Services. Records from the New York City Department of Buildings, or DOB, name Carlyle’s chief executive officer Abdi Mahmedi, as the owner of the Palisade Avenue dwelling. However, Zillow shows it back on the market in fall 2023 for $1.95 million – 41 percent less than Mahmedi paid. The
listing was pulled and re-posted five months later, before being withdrawn for a final time in Aug. 2024. It has not been up for sale since. The long-neglected building has been empty since at least 2022. Left to waste away for years, the unoccupied home is blighted with plywood sheets blocking its entrances and windows. These barriers presented a significant challenge to firefighters. As the fire intensified, flames climbed up the first and second floors and the attic before engulfing the roof.
No one was hurt There were no injuries reported and no one was inside the home when fire crews arrived. Several FDNY officials at the scene surveyed the site. They have launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze. Both Mahamedi and Carlyle Development Services did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
December 22
Land sale could save K’bridge church By MICHELLE MULLEN mmullen@riverdalepress.com
For years, the Church of the Mediator teetered on the edge of closure, its congregation dwindling and maintenance needs mounting. But with a plan to sell part of its one-acre Kingsbridge property nearing a deal, the “Little Cathedral of the Bronx” could be safe from demolition. Inside the grandiose structure, stained-glass windows cast bands of color across the sanctuary — but the walls tell a different story. Paint has peeled down to raw brick, plaster hangs in wide sections and wooden panels have warped from years of humidity and leaks. During storms, volunteers line up buckets and pans along the aisles to contain water dripping from the failing slate roof. Parishioners had long understood how fragile the situation had become. “We just try fix things as they happen,” recalled Rufus Sadler, the church’s senior warden for decades.
No savings The building, he said, had no savings and no plan for large-scale repairs. When leaks worsened or wiring failed, volunteers improvised. “Whatever money we had was just spent over decades,” he said of the last time Mediator sold land, in the late 1990s. This spring brought a turning point for the house of worship. With help from architect and preservationist Steve Byrns, the site secured a place on the Preservation League of New York State’s “Seven to Save” list — a designation that brought renewed attention to the century-old sanctuary on West 231st Street. The listing introduced new visitors to the church’s architectural significance, an early 20th century stone building designed by Henry Vaughan, the noted Gothic Revival architect whose work also appears at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan. Inside, visitors encountered a sanctuary filled with vibrant Tiffany windows and George Tinworth terracotta friezes. Alongside them plaster sags andand the unmistakable signs
File photo
The Church of the Mediator has been called “The Little Cathedral of the Bronx. of prolonged water intrusion. The contrast, Byrns said, was impossible to ignore. “When I went to a service, you know, the church is a wreck inside,” he said. “There are little pans all over the church collecting rainwater. Some of the woodwork is buckled.” For years, as finances tightened and deferred maintenance grew, the Episcopal Diocese of New York began discussing whether the parish could survive at all.
No demolition Still, Byrns rejected the conclusions of earlier consultants who believed the only viable redevelopment path required demolition. “The structure is sound,” he said. “I mean, the stone is really good stone this is not like $30 million the diocese quoted.” Instead, he began studying the church’s property, a full acre of land with the sanctuary positioned at the center. “What could you build on the side of the church?” he asked at the time. The answer, he believed, was the southern portion of the lot, a section that would not block the tower or major stained-glass windows. “My instinct was to try to keep that open,” he said of the more prominent façades that define Mediator’s presence on the street. To test the idea, Byrns as-
sembled a volunteer team: a real-estate consultant “who was very moved by the beauty of this building,” and an architect experienced in affordable housing. Their feasibility study showed that a modest residential development on the south end could generate enough revenue to address immediate repairs and establish a long-term endowment. A slate roofer he knows has offered a deeply discounted rate simply after assessing its conditions, with Byrns saying “he just felt so sad for this church.” “We are now in reasonably serious negotiations with one of the developers,” Byrns said, proposing to channel part of the money into urgent structural repairs — namely the roof, which has been patched repeatedly for more than two decades. The remainder is to be set aside for future funding needs.
Rethinking possibility As negotiations progressed, parish leaders began to rethink what was possible. Vestry secretary Carol Burnett said the church had spent years hearing that its building could not be saved. But Byrns’ plan, anchored in architectural analysis and a clearer financial model, shifted that perception. “All the naysayers were saying, ‘No, this building is hopeless,’” Burnett explained. “Once we invited Steve in, he
became very enthusiastic. His whole perspective was my resource is going to be for saving this building.” The potential development does come with tradeoffs. New housing on the south side could reduce natural light in the sanctuary — a detail Sadler acknowledged with mixed emotions. “I like the light that comes in,” he said. “If there’s a building behind there, you’re going to have artificial lights behind it.” But he also noted the stakes. “The long-term viability of the church is the most important thing.” Beyond the roof, the electrical system needs attention, its wires are wrapped in cloth. The plumbing will eventually need replacement too. But with a completed sale and a functioning endowment, the Mediator could phase those projects in responsibly for the first time. Burnett said the mood inside the congregation has already shifted. “Now the powers that be believe in us,” she said. “It’s changed the attitude in all of us. Now we can work and build, and we’re very positive to what great things we can do in 2026.” Sadler shares that guarded optimism. “Something will happen,” he said. “I think we’re gonna have to sell it. But the building itself is in good condition. It’s got good bones.”
Zohran Mamdani is New York City’s next mayor-elect after a decisive victory — but in our area the vote was very close. The Democrat nominee won the citywide vote on Nov. 4 with just over 50 percent against opponents Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani led Cuomo by about 9 percent, a contrast from his 2 percent advantage locally. Out of 26,812 votes cast for the three leading candidates, Mamdani garnered 48 percent while Cuomo was close behind at 46 percent. Sliwa had 6 percent of the vote, according to data collected from The Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Kingsbridge: Mamdani
Mamdani won over Kingsbridge with a 20 percent lead over Cuomo, making it the mayor-elect’s most popular neighborhood in the northwest Bronx. In total, Mamdani had 57 percent of the votes and Cuomo had 37 percent. Sliwa had a bit more leverage at 7 percent.
Kingsbridge Heights: Mamdani
Kingsbridge Heights also leaned heavily toward Mamdani, with 13 percent lead over Cuomo and a total of 53 percent of the votes. Cuomo had 40 percent and Sliwa had 7 percent.
North Riverdale: Mamdani
Mamdani won North Riverdale by only 3 percent, with 47 percent of the votes compared to Cuomo’s 44 percent. It was also the neighborhood with the highest ratio of votes for Sliwa, at 9 percent.
Riverdale: Cuomo
Cuomo took his largest lead in Riverdale at 9 percent, gathering 52 percent of votes. Mamdani trailed behind at 43 percent, and Sliwa at 5 percent.
Fieldston: Cuomo
The former governor also found victory in Fieldston at 50 percent, compared to Mamdani at 45 percent. Sliwa had 5 percent of the votes.
Spuyten Duyvil: Cuomo
Spuyten Duyvil leaned toward Cuomo by 8 percent, giving him 51 percent of total votes and Mamdani 43 percent. Once again, Sliwa landed at 5 percent.
Marble Hill: Mamdani
With the exception of a small pocket near the east side of Marble Hill that leaned Cuomo by 1 percent, Mamdani won the area by 19 percent, with a total of 57 percent of the votes. Cuomo had 38 percent, and Sliwa had 5 percent.
December 10
Cora Weiss activist for peace and civil rights dies at 91 By OLIVIA YOUNG and MICHELLE MULLEN oyoung@riverdalepress.com
Cora Weiss, whose Waldo Avenue home served as headquarters for her efforts to promote nuclear disarmament, protest American involvement in Vietnam and forge a world without war, died on Dec. 8. She was 91. Weiss’s dedication to human rights sparked in ninth grade at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, where she became more aware of inequalities facing women and people of color. She would go on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Later in life she served as executive director of the African American Students Foundation, which helped fund the Airlift to America — a project from 1959 to 1963 that brought over 800 East African students to the states for education, including President Barack Obama’s father . During this period, in 1961, she moved to Riverdale with her husband Peter, an advocate as well as an attorney, and their children. Weiss became involved at the Riverdale Neighborhood House, and soon a fellow Riverdalian told her about an activist group demonstrating against nuclear weapons testing called Women Strike for Peace. Local members started studying strontium-90, a radioactive chemical element found in nuclear waste and fallout that causes cancers in the bone, bone marrow and surrounding soft tissue. The group sent samples from their own children to be tested, and many came back positive for containing the element. The finding gave them credibility, and the first outlet they took it to was The Riverdale Press, run at the time by founders David and Celia Stein. “What I’m sure most people will remember is her energy,” former editor Bernard Stein said. “She was boisterous, loud, indefatigable.” She continued her efforts with racial justice, and was active in the 1960s protests against Riverdale real estate agents who were steering minorities away from local apartments . Robert Rubinstein, honorary vice president of Kiwanis Club of Riverdale, described Weiss as someone who was “doing good things and making this a better world.” Rubinstein’s wife, Barbara, met Weiss when the two were little girls. They fell out of touch until Weiss moved to Riverdale and became involved in the neighborhood. “She was extremely bright and very progressive,” Barbara said .”You couldn’t keep her quiet. She knew what she believed in and she was very vocal about it.” Weiss, along with Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. and Riverdale residents such as Theodore Kheel, Frank Montero and Clarence Jones, helped found the Gandhi Society for Human Rights, a civil rights organization. She was also a prominent leader in the anti-Vietnam War movement and made trips to North Vietnam to carry letters from American prisoners of war, POWs, to-and-from their families. At the time, President Richard Nixon was using uncertainty about the number of POWs in Vietnam as an excuse to delay withdrawal from the war. So, Weiss cofounded an organization called the Committee of Liaison with Families of Servicemen Detained in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and worked with journalists to compile a list of POW names. She presented the list at a Congressional hearing in New York, later writing in an essay that appears in “Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War” that “a hush went over the room as people in the audience gasped.” Not only did it show ordinary citizens were able to obtain information the government couldn’t, but it contested a justification to continue the war, she added. In 1996, Weiss founded the Hague Appeal for Peace, a coalition of human rights, disarmament and global justice organizations. As president, she led the 1999 Hague Appeal for Peace Conference in the Netherlands, marking the centenary of the First Hague Peace Conference. It became one of the largest civil-society peace gatherings, welcoming roughly 10,000 scholars, delegates and activists from more than 100 countries. It culminated in the Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century, a comprehensive plan promoting stronger international law, disarmament, conflict prevention, and a commitment to global education. What came out of the conference would set in motion her first Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2000, with others to follow in the coming years. In 2004, the seasoned activist finally received the Golden Dove of Peace, awarded the prize for her work in peace building and human rights — particularly in women’s rights. “It was one of my most humbling moments,” she told The Press in a 2004 article chronicling her achievement. “When you honor me, you honor the thousands of members of the International Peace Bureau and the Hague Appeal for Peace.” Weiss’s husband Peter passed away in November. She is survived by her son, Daniel, daughters Judy and Tamara, five grandchildren, and brother Reed Rubin.
THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026 - A11
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A12 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
HOME OF THE WEEK Terhi Edwards of Douglas Elliman
Seven-bedroom Wave Hill home blends nature and luxury
T
NOTE: Each week’s featured home is chosen at random from among houses and apartments offered by Riverdale Press advertisers. The opinions expressed are those of the advertiser and not The Riverdale Press news department. For further information, write to advertising@riverdalepress.com.
ucked away on a private cul-de-sac in Riverdale’s prestigious Wave Hill section, a stately residence at 4725 Independence Avenue offers a rare combination of scale, privacy, and natural beauty. Priced at $2,695,000, the home features seven bedrooms and seven-anda-half bathrooms on a sprawling 100-by-110-foot corner lot bordered by a gently flowing stream. Two footbridges crossing the stream lead to a setting that feels secluded yet connected to the surrounding neighborhood. Inside, the home opens with a sweeping center hall that establishes a sense of grandeur. A living room with a wood-burning fireplace and French doors opens directly to a dining patio and level lawn, while a formal dining room provides space for larger gatherings. The kitchen serves as the heart of the home, anchored by a large center island, quartz countertops, and three sinks. High-end appliances
include two Sub-Zero refrigerators, a six-burner Thermador range, a Bosch oven, and two dishwashers. Nearby, a family room offers comfortable everyday living, while a separate den with a full bath can function as a first-floor guest suite. Upstairs, the primary suite includes a windowed dressing area with three closets, a private roof deck, and a spa-like bathroom with radiant heated floors and a whirlpool tub. A finished walk-out basement adds a recreation room and a private office. Outside, the property offers two multi-car driveways, an attached garage, and a landscaped yard surrounded by greenery. The location provides convenient access to Riverdale Country School, SAR Academy, Wave Hill’s gardens, and Metro-North service into Manhattan. Rooted in classic 1940s architecture and thoughtfully renovated, the residence stands out as one of Riverdale’s most distinctive homes..
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THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026 - A13
VillanoVa HeigHts, inC. JoHn Fitzgerald, Broker (914) 613-5510 REnt $22,000.00 - $34,000.00 Mo. SALE $4,250,000 - $7,750,000
5020 Grosvenor Avenue
Designer: Hans Roegele, Architect House: 10,100 S.F. / Lot Size: 30,353 S.F. 7 Bedrooms / 6 full Baths / 2 Half Baths 3 Car Garage / Elevator / Pool
15 Country Homes V illanoVa HeigHts 20 Minutes to Midtown
Legal Notices Legal Notice NOTICE OF FORMATION OF 36QUANT LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/24/2025. Office location: Bronx County. SSNY has been designated as the agent upon whom a process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/ her is 445 West 240th Street, 5m, Bronx, NY 10463. The principal business address of the LLC is 445 West 240th Street, 5m, Bronx, NY 10463. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. 4167
2014 HOND vin 19XFB2F89EE265379 re: N TENEZACA 2015 CHEV vin 1GNKVGKD3FJ226613 re: Z BEICKERT 2012 DODG vin 1C6RD7LT0CS168408 re: C CASTRO 2018 VOLK vin 3VV0B7AX5JM059494 re: T MORRIS 2020 HYUN vin 5NPEH4J27LH006214 re: K CALDERONMARTINEZ 2012 RAM vin 3C6TD5DT6CG206269 re: M GUITIERREZVELASQZ 2007 TOYO vin 4T1BE46K27U556464 re: K ENGELEIT 4168
Legal Notice The following vehicles will be sold on Wednesday, 01/21/2026, at 9:30 am at Insurance Auto Auctions, 39 Stone Castle Road, Rock Tavern, NY 12575. New York State Garageman’s Lien Law: 2014 HOND vin 5FNRL5H46EB116945 re: M ZAFIR 2019 MERC vin WDDZF4KB9KA531292 re: D SMITH
Legal Notice NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF BRONX, DOWNEY SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, F.A., Plaintiff, vs. JUAN MUNOZ, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on August 6, 2010, an Order to Appoint Substitute Referee to Conduct a Foreclosure Sale
duly entered on August 25, 2016, a Decision and Order duly entered on June 2, 2023, and an Order Extending Sale Deadline and Amending Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 7, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Bronx County Supreme Court, Courtroom 711, 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451-2937 on February 2, 2026 at 2:15 p.m., premises known as 456 East 134th Street, Bronx, NY 10454. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Bronx, County
of Bronx, City and State of New York, Block 2278 and Lot 36. Approximate amount of judgment is $431,494.97 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 380878/2008E. Leticia Arzu, Esq., Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 193333-2 4169 The deadline to place a Legal Notice in The Riverdale Press is Monday at noon. For further information call 718-543-6200 x. 379 cortiz@riverdalepress.com
Need to Publish a Legal Notice? Publish With Confidence in The Riverdale Press The Riverdale Press accepts and publishes all legal and public notices in full compliance with New York State legal requirements. For decades, we have served as a trusted source of public information for the Bronx community, providing reliable, verifiable publication for official notices of record. We publish a wide range of legal notices, including but not limited to: • LLC Formation and Business Notices • Court and Judicial Notices • Municipal and Government Agency Notices • Public Hearings and Public Bids • Foreclosure, Probate, and Estate Notices • Zoning, Planning, and Environmental Notices Why Choose The Riverdale Press? • Established Bronx newspaper of record • Consistent publication and clear deadlines • Affidavits of publication provided promptly • Local customer service and competitive rates Place Your Legal Notice Today Let our experienced staff guide you through deadlines, formatting requirements, and placement to ensure your notice is published correctly and on time.
Call: 718-543-6065 ext. 379 Email: Advertising@riverdalepress.com
A14 - THE RIVERDALE PRESS - Thursday, January 1, 2026
TrebachRealty.com
718.543.7174 Pr Ic e
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FieldstoN Web #839 4-bdrm, 3-bath modern home with living room with WBFP, dining area and eat-in kitchen with peninsula. $1,750,000
estate area Web #855 7-bdrm, 5.5-bath newly built house with open-plan living rm, dining rm, centerisland kitchen and patios. $2,295,000
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FieldstoN Web #844 Classic & Elegant 4-bdrm, 3.5-bath with abundant French doors leading out to expansive front terrace, a stone patio, an open, shady side porch and a level grassy yard. Living room with WBFP, formal dining room and eat-in kitchen. $1,895,000
south riverdale Web #858 Stone and Stucco house with 4-bdrms, 3 full & 2 half baths, stone wood-burning fireplace in living room, sunroom, formal dining room and renovated kitchen with marble countertops, private driveway and attached 1-car garage. $1,195,000
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FieldstoN Web West oF parKWay Web#1053 #867 Classic and spacious 3.5-bath house onseparate half an lots). acre This property consists 4-bdrm, of 2 dwellings on amediterranean nearly one-acrestyle double lot (2 with front terrace main and wraparound striking curved There is a 4-bdrm house (built patio. in the Center 1950’s) hall plus with a 2-bdrm guest housestaircase, (built in decorative archways, LR with backyard WBFP and wood beamed ceiling & FDR. $3,950,000 $2,750,000 the 1920’s) with an impressive that is level and grassy.
FieldstoN Web ceNtral riverdale Web#1014 #865 Spacious & renovated 6-bdrm, 6.5-bath brick house with wall of sliding doors spanning New Contruction 2-family Townhouse. 4-bdrm, 2.5-bath duplex with open-plan living the entire back of thekitchen house to andining inviting wraparound open plan living rmgrassy with room, center-island and room with doorpatio, to deck leading to level WBFP, center-island familyprivate rm, pool and level,and grassy yard. $3,550,000 backyard over 1-bdrmkitchen, unit. C/A/C, driveway 1-car garage. $1,275,000
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West oF parKWay Web #1043 south riverdale Web #871 south riverdale Web #872 Restored classic 6-bdrm, 3.5-bath, colonial with large porch, patio, level, Spacious 4-bdrm, 2.5-bath houseNew withEngland Three vacant lots with R2 Zoning and grassyroom yard &with spectacular river views on private cul-de-sac. 4-bdrm, Features 2.5-bath, 3 WBFPs,stucco, FDR, living WBFP, formal dining Single-family renovated eat-inkitchen. kitchen, butlers pantry & finished attic with family rm. $3,495,000 room and eat-in $1,800,000 Tudor-style house. $3,000,000
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FieldstoN ceNtral riverdale Web Web##1048 859 Bright housebrick overlooking 4-bdrm,4-bdrm, 3-bath4-bath detached house an pond onliving a private withidyllic high ceilings, room cul-de-sac with brick with wood-burning WBFPa & formal diningfplc. room.$1,995,000 $975,000
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West oF parKWay Web #846 Spacious 3-bdrm, 2.5-bath house features a living room with bay windows and marble WBF, dining room with sliding glass doors to large level backyard, eat-in kitchen, MBR suite & den with a wet bar. 2-car garage plus plenty of off street parking. $1,599,000
Web FieldstoN Web ##1033 852 Charming3-bath 3-bdrm, 3-bath with 3-bdrm, house withhouse 2 MBRs, deck & inpatio privateFDR, cul-de-sac. WBFP livingon room, eat-in Featuresand FDR & room. WBFP. $1,195,000 $1,725,000 kitchen family
1042 West oF parKWay the parKWay Web Web## 856 Brand new renov 4-bdrm, 4.5-bath brick New construction 8-bdrm, 7.5-bath house with FDR, family rm hall, with double WBFP home 2-story center and center-island kitchen. $2,295,,000 height great rm w/ fireplace. $4,495,000
WestcortlaNdt oF parKWay Web #869 964 vaN crest Web Newly restored remodeled historic Spacious 7-bdrm,&3-full and 2 half bath 6-bdrm, 6-bath two-house comboyard on over Tudor-Style house with grassy on three-quarters acre. double lot alongof treeanlined st. $3,450,000 $849,000
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FieldstoN Web##1001 804 North riverdale Web 4-bdrm,3-bdrm, 3-bath 1.5-bath stucco &brick stone home. Classic house w/ Livingfoyer, roomLRwith WBF,facing formal dining entry w/ west windows, room windowed and eat-in kitchen. FDR, kitch & deck.$1,499,000 $799,000
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West oF parKWay Web FieldstoN Web#1054 #821 Grandproperty and classic 8-bdrm, tudor revivial-style mansion house, This consists of 6.5-bath two dwellings on a half acre doublewith lot.guest There is a office cottage,main patiohouse & level,plus grassy yard on cul-de-sac. 2 walk-in coat closets, WBFP in 5bedroom a 4-bedroom guest house with an indoor swimming livingand rm &a mstr bdrm, FDR, center-island kitchen & finished basement. $3,995,000 $5,300,000 pool hot tub.
North riverdale Web## 816 FieldstoN Web 1050 3-bdrm,& 2.5-bath, detached house w/ Classic bright 4-bdrm, 3-full, 2-halfLR w/with bayawindows & wbfp, w/ bath grassy front yard,FDR inviting slidingdeck glass& doors deck.$1,995,000 $699,000 dining pvt reartopatio.
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North riverdale Web##853 Web 1051 3-bdrm,spacious 1.5-bath brick 6-bdrm, house picture Bright, & renov 4-bath window living deck room,and renov kitchen with frontinporch, grassy yard andquiet unfinished basement $1,650,000 $695,000 on leafy cul-de-sac
KiNgsbridge Web villaNova heights Web #854 #997 3-bdrm,6-bdrm, 1.5-bath6-full, semi-attached Grand 3-half bathhouse. with FDRinw/LR, French to the rear fplc FDR, door familyout room & large deck &island yard and renov kitch.$6,750,000 $719,000 center eat-in kitchen.
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south riverdale Web## 805 villaNova heights Web 1039 4-bdrm,&3.5-baths, Tudor-style Elegant Gracious 5-bdrm, 5-full, house 3-half with with living room with FDR, WBF,C/A/C, FDR, bath LR with fireplace, updated & kitchen & study. $1,395,000 elevator in-ground pool. $6,750,000
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FieldstoN Web#1009 #848 south riverdale Web Rare 7-bdrm, opportunity vacant of over Spac 4.5-bath w/ land backyard oasisa third of answimming acre with R1-2 build featuring pool,Zoning decks,topatio, exactly & thelevel house you lawns. need. $2,295,000 $1,200,000 garden grassy
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WaveoF hill area Web##827 West parKWay Web #1022 FieldstoN Web 1034 Sprawling Estate2-half-bath of over three-quarters of an acre with plans a 14,000-Sq. Ft. 7-bdrm, 5-bdrm, 2-full, colonial-style Renovated & for spacious 4-bdrm, 4.5-bath 8-full on anda 2-half Independence Avenue. the an farinviting end of the property house doublebath lot ofmansion approx at a third of brick houseAtwith wraparound there a seperate 2-carpatio. garage$2,900,000 with a 1-bdrm guest asking an acreisw/ wraparound patioapt & above. a level, grassy yard. $3,125,000 $2,575,000
North Web Northriverdale riverdale Web#1041 #851 Classic 4-bdrm,3.5 3.5-bath brickand & stucco stone Renov 4-bdrm, bath brick colonial housecustom w/ stonebuilt-ins WBFP, FDR, eathouse with in living in kitchen finished room, FDR&and openbsmnt. kitchen.$1,199,000 $949,000
FieldstoN Web#1015 #632 West oF parKWay Web 5-bdrm, 5.5-bath house with spacoius Spac 5-bdrm, 2.5-bath contemporary living on room, dining home 1.2 acres withroom, decks,den lawnsand & center island $2,495,000 stream on pvtkitchen. Cul-de-Sac. $3,475,000
co-ops, condos and REntals
house For reNt NeW exclusive NeW exclusive
5410 NetherlaNd Web #cc753 FieldstoN viciNityave Web #rr871 5355 heNry hudsoN prKWy #cc634 Spacious &1920’ updated 2-bdrm, co-op Picturesque s 3-bdrm, 2-full 2-bth and prewar Updated Jr-4 with with indoor sunrise parking, balcony, separate room,wood windowed archways, refinished 2-half bathdining house with burningkitchen, livingdecorative room, dining room and eat-in hardwood floors and area. traditional moldings. $365,000 fireplace in LR & dining $6,500 baseboards kitchen. and No Board Approval. $279K
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4705 heNry hudsoN pKWy Web #cc755 3530 heNry hudsoN Web #cc628 Luxury 1-bdrm withparKWay spectacular river view, sunset balcony, swimming Huge 3-bdrm convertible 4, 2-bath at the Parkway House. Low floor, enormous pool, doormen and parking availability. Open living and dining room, living room, high ceilings, windowed dining area, windowed eat-in kitchen with windowed kitchen, wood floors and central air-conditioning. $275,000 granite countertops, balcony, 24-hr doorman. $649,000
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601 3800 blacKstoNe ave Web Web #cc754 #cc630 5715KappocK mosholust ave Web #cc635 SpaciousL-shaped & renovated 2-bdrm,Postwar 1.5-bth with2-bdrm, part-time2-bath doormen. Features an entry duplex penthouse Bright 2-bdrm hall; living door to balcony; renovated withwindowed 3 privateand roof terraces,kitchen, bright Co-op withroom hrdwdwith flrs,glass South & West masterTop bdrm with powder & 2nd bdrm withW/D corner windows. $395,000 kitchen, and C/A/C. $709,000 expos. floor corner unit.room $249,000
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290 West 3875 Waldo232Nd ave. st cc636 290 West 232Nd st cc752 cc631 Spacious & bright 2-bdrm a balcony3-bdrm, and leafy1.5-bth open Charming 1-bdrm with withSpacious views.foyer, Features a entry hall, living room, kitchen & entry sunken living rm corner unit large with open views, area. kitchen. Storage area & bicycle room &dining windowed $295K living rmin&building. kitchen. $330K $425K
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FieldstoN vic. rr641 3725 heNry hudsoN parKWay cc757 555 KappocK st cc605 8-bdrm, corner 6.5-bath,unit. 10,700+ sq. Spacious and bright floor 2-bdrm Features Bright 1-bdrm with top dining ft. Multiple porches, an entry/dining foyer, eat-in updated bath &swimming 6 closets. area, C/A/C, Hudson Riverkitchen, pool. 4-car garage.courts. $23,500/mo Bldg and features doormen, basketball & pickleball $300K view 24-hr DM. $179K
house For reNt house For reNt exclusive
FieldstoN rr655 FieldstoN vic. rr642 3616 heNryvic. hudsoN prKWy cc743 Grand & 8-bdrm, 6.5-bath, 2-bth 6-bdrm, 7,500 living sq. ft. Spacious bright 2-bdrm, with3.5-bath, entry foyer, 10,700+with sq. ft.picture Private swimming house w/ galley Expansive wraparound room window, updated kitchen, dinpool.area 3-carwith garage. $17,500/mo porch pool. space. $22,500/mo ing door to balcony & great&closet $475K
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West oF parKWay - Luxury 2-bdrm, 2-bath with balcony, $3,595/mo doorman, tennis courts and fitness room. West oF parKWay - Luxury renovated 2-bdrm, 2-bath $3,395/mo with doorman, tennis courts and fitness room. West oF parKWay - Luxury spacious Jr4, balcony, 24-hr doorman, health club w/ pool. 1 month free rent $2,925/mo West oF parKWay - Luxury 2-bdrm, 2-bath, 24-hr doorman, pool & tennis courts. 1 month free rent $2,795/mo exclusive views. West parKWay ave - Luxury large 1-bdrm with river cc711 3935 oF blacKstoNe $2,725/mo 24-hr doorman, gym w/ pool. 1 month free rent Spacious 2-bdrm, 2-bath corner unit with sunrise & river 1-bdrm with balcony, doorWest parKWay - Luxury views. oF Mstr bdrm suite, spacious central foyer, 12-by10-ft. tennis dining courts area, lots clsts & 24-hr DM.$2,295/mo $450,000 man, and offitness room. West oF parKWay - Luxury studio in 24-hr doorman building with pool and tennis courts. 1 month free rent $1,850/mo
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West oF parKWay - 3-bdrm, 2-bath, w/ balcony, L-shaped LR/DR area, DM, fitness room, private playground and childrens recreation room. Dogs OK. Indoor parking available. $515K West oF parKWay - 2-bdrm, 1.5-bath, w/ balcony, L-shaped LR/DR area, DM, fitness room, private playground and childrens recreation room. Dogs OK. Indoor parking available. $420K North riverdale - Renovated Jr-4 with entry foyer living exclusive room, dining room and 3800 blacKstoNe avewindowed eat-in kitchen. $299K cc630 Contemporary 2-bdrm,-2-bath penthouse with ceNtral riverdale Newlyduplex renovated studiocondo featuring privateflrs roofwith terraces, laundry andand indoor parking. $185Ka hrdwd seperate kitchen sleeping area.Features bright kitchen with granite countertops, dining area & C/A/C. $699K
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3800blacKstoNeave cc692 2500 JohNsoN ave cc724 4455-65 525 Westdouglas 238th stcc622 cc748 3755 hh pKWay - the imperial - Walk-in level doctor’s Spacious Townhouse with Spacious 3-bdrm, 2-bath Bright, stylishly renovated Elegant and spacious prewar $360K 3-bdrms, office and 21-bdrm exam rooms. 3.5bths, sunken condowith withreception balcony area , indr w/ sunrise balcony, gem: “Classic 7” (4-bdrm, WBFP & patio. $1.699K Office Space Available. North parking riverdale & laundry. -$649K river vu, pool & $1,500/mo DM.. $399K LR, 3-bath) co-op. $750,999
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5355 hh parKWay 2501 palisade ave cc629 cc715 Renovated2.5-bth Jr-4, living room, 3-bdrm, riverfront dining room eat-in kitch. duplex with& wraparound No board approval. $299K deck & water vus. $1.198K
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3755 parKWay 2500 hh JohNsoN ave cc623 cc744 Spacious with entry Bright and1-bdrm spacious 2-bdrm. foyer, 3-bdrm), living room, (Conv 2-bathrenov with kitch & dining area.$575,999 $199K balcony & DM.
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3103 FairField 4555 hh prKWyave. cc619 cc751 Sunny &1-bdrm, drmn, Spac, updatedPT3-bdrm, entry foyer, living 24-hr. room DM and 2-bath w/ balcony, windowed & indoor EIK. parking. $169K $595K
house For reNt house For reNt exclusive
West oF parKWaystrr865 West oF parKWay cc720 rr704 601 KappocK 4-bdrm (+&attic bd), 2.5-bth. Charming Spacious renovated 1-bdrm corner4-bdrm, unit 3-bth. with Living eatLiving rm w/ wbfp, FDRroom & cen- with roompicture w/ fireplace, eat-in kitch & in kitchen, living window, dinter island $4,200/mo basement. ing foyer,kitchen. windowed bath, finished DM and pool.$6,900/mo $199K
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3601KappocK JohNsoN street ave. cc587 2621 palisade ave. cc741 cc592 555 Jr-4 (conv. Walk-inand levelspacious doctor’s office Bright 2-bdrm,Spacious 2-bath with 24-hr 2-BR) doorentry hallofand with seperate entrance and with men, swimming pool, sunset view balcony, with a glimpse the windowed receptionRiver area.and the $295K Hudson Palisades in the kitchen. distance. $425K $367K
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JohNsoN aveNue 3-bdrm, 1.5-bath with $2,700/mo yard in multi-family house. West oF parKWay - 1-bdrm with dining area doorman and fitness room. Dogs OK. reNted $1,795/mo
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3636 rd cc632 290 West 232Nd st cc626 4499FieldstoN heNry hudsoN parKWay cc742 Renov studio with sep kitchen 2-bdrm with with entryan foyer, Spacious 4-bdrm, 2-bth conv into a 3-bdrm entry & sleeping Sponsor unit, rmliving room, kitchen, dining foyer, openarea. living and dining combination with doors to no approval. $175Kkitchen area and balcony. theboard balcony and renovated bathrooms. $329K $499K
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3103 palisade FairField ave ave cc755 cc621 2621 Spacious 3-bth Spac Jr-4 w/ 3-bdrm, open-plan living w/ can open plan &corner diningunit rm that be used living &room dining as a guest orrm. den. $539K $425K
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3205 arliNgtoN 3530 hh prKWyave cc633 cc749 Contemporary 3-bdrm, 2-bth Updated & spacious 2-bdrm. w/ southern balcony, (Conv 3-bdrm), 2-bathlndry with in unit & indr prkg. entry/dining foyer. $725K $599K
Trebach Realty, Inc. • 3801 Greystone Avenue, Riverdale Open 7 Days • www.TrebachRealty.com