Watch the Sparks Fly

A lame duck Mayor and a City Council dramatically changed, as outlined in Sewell Chan’s NYT CityRoom blog entry, could make 2010 an interesting year in NYC politics. Council Member G. Oliver Koppell ran on a “Why change what’s working”-like platform. Let’s hope he (and the NW Bronx, obviously) don’t get steamrolled:

New York Region

Election Remakes City Council, and May Give It More Bite, Too

By SEWELL CHAN

Published: November 6, 2009

With 13 new members and the narrow victory of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Council may take a less accommodating role in governing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/nyregion/06council.html?ref=nyregion

La Dolce Vita

I’ve always wanted a Vespa. Think they’re so useful and, well, adorable. Maybe it’s from how I’ve see them buzzing about like a school of fish on Florence streets; perfect for city living. And I imagined driving one around Riverdale when we were looking for our place here. Forget RailLink, I’ll zip myself to the Spuyten Duyvil train station, where I saw this pink one parked.

Then, my bubble burst, my husband pointed out how steep the hill is going down to the Spuyten Duyvil station and noted I was probably going to kill myself. And he’s the practical one in our house, and usually right about these things.

Ah, but I can still dream of one. Maybe one day when we live on flat land? How lucky this Vespa’s owner is! Have fun!

(Btw: this picture looked clear on my phone when I took it. Sorry it’s a little fuzzy.)

Vertical Living

I like this house just listed today. It’s sorta a house/sorta a townhouse. 3 bed/3.5 bath at $499k. Nice price. Well-kept. Has great potential; like the open layout on the main floor.

Here’s the link: http://www.sothebysrealty.com/en/PropertyDetails.aspx?R=104207361&WT.mc_id=NYTimes

Condos Sold

Ran across a report that Realty company Massey Knakal sold a six-story, 39 co-op unit building on 3260 Netherland Ave. for $2.65 million. Cash.

I’m trying to think what project it is … anyone know? The place has 24 1 bd; 11 2 bd and 4 studio apartments. A new rental, perhaps?

Riverdale Runs Red

Not surprising, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg won big last night in our district. Check out this great interactive map from NYTimes: http://elections.nytimes.com/2009/results/index.html

Is the campaign closing up shop on Riverdale Ave. already? Haven’t been over that way today. Or maybe they paid for the whole month of November! Back to a sad, empty storefront on the Riverdale Ave. landscape soon.

Less than 17,000 votes were cast in our district … so low! That is beyond sad.

Missing Headlines

I took I giant step back from my computer this weekend (and I’m finding I’m enjoying being “off-the-grid” now and then). Here are some Riverdale-related news bits I missed while I was away.

A Riverdale woman sues Cablevision for $5 million for negligence, she says a subcontractor left loose wires in her Fieldstron Road home; she tripped over them and has never been the same. In NYDaily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/11/03/2009-11-03_woman_79_sues_cablevision_for_5m_after_suffering_stroke_and_broken_leg_in_fall_o.htm

NYPD detective and Riverdale resident with 22 years “on the job,” as they say, allegedly struck and killed a Kingsbridge woman while driving drunk: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/partying_dwi_cop_kills_bx_grandma_ZCMcn5z7L3gL4AFKaFAEPO?offset=16

Not sure why the Riverdale dateline, but author and City of NY and Pace University, Harvey Rosenfeld (a Riverdalian? I’m guessing so) has published a new book, Depravity, examining the lives of 16 serial killers in the 20th Century.  On PR Newswire: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS129222+04-Nov-2009+PRN20091104

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS129222+04-Nov-2009+PRN20091104

 

Picture This, 15

Happy Halloween! (ignore the Christmas candle inside ).

Kosher Cuisine @ The Y

A new cooking class is starting in Riverdale. Info quoted here, directly, from a Riverdale Y email:

Kosher Community Kitchen at the Y
Tuesday, November 10, 6-8 pm Too busy to make delicious healthy food during the week? Tired of cooking alone and making the same dishes over and over again?  Wishing that there was great healthy kosher take out food in Riverdale, but can’t find any? Fret no more.   The Riverdale Community Kitchen is a new program for people who would like to cook healthy and affordable food together on a monthly basis. We will meet at the Y and spend two hours cooking 4-5 dishes. Each participant will take home a respectable share of each at the end of the evening.    Come join the fun, meet new people, connect to the growing slow food movement, expand your cooking repertoire, and eat better than ever.   At the first session we’ll be making:

• coconut ginger soup
• sesame noodles
• barley-mushroom-edamame salad
• roasted carrots-parsnips-shallot salad and more.

Let’s put Riverdale on the food map together!   Please register in advance so we purchase the correct amount of food. Cost is $40 (and you’ll be taking home plenty of delicious wholesome food for your family!).  Click here to register.

View from the Porch

I really love the porch on this 1915 North Riverdale house.

The 4 bedroom’s price was lowered to $649k from the $698k price quoted on Robert E. Hill’s website. The house looks a little tiny (it reminds me of a Cape Cod cottage, especially with the second story balcony) and there’s a fair amount of work that needs to be done, but there are some early 20th century details that are just great to work around here, like in the dining room, shown here on the left. The kitchen needs to be completely redone and so does the backyard … but I am looking at this place with the idea that someone with the right eye could really add something special to the house. And keep in mind the house has a parlor and another sitting room and an unfinished basement, plenty of entertaining room to create. The rooms we see in the virtual tour show they need work, so I’m curious about the condition of the rooms they don’t show. But, the price isn’t a budget-breaker, so hopefully someone grabs this with the funds, will and ability for renovations.

I don’t like is that I have no idea where it’s located in North Riverdale. Here’s the listing: http://www.robertehill.com/house_list_neighborhood.asp?salerent=sale&Location=North%20Riverdale

(BTW: Love the virtual house tour, I really got a feel for this house you don’t see on other realty sites)

Special Needs Schools Fair Thursday on UWS

Saw a mention on insideschools’ site and thought I’d share it, the JCC Manhattan will host its annual Special Needs School Fair, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at 334 Amsterdam Ave. Educators from programs for  students in pre-K through 12th grade from all corners of New York City will be on hand to answer questions about the application process, tuition, their school’s philosophies and direction.Riverdale Nursery School & Family Center is the only local school I can see scheduled to participate.

For more information, call 646-505-5708 or click here: http://www.jccmanhattan.org/category.aspx?catid=2453&pID=1451