text by marianne gennari. graphic design by joy makon.photographs by paul katcher.© 2010 Big Apple Greeter 3/2010Big Apple Greeter1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007Phone: 212-669-8159 Web: www.bigapplegreeter.org

2010 Neighborhood Sponsor: NYC Small Business Services

The Big Apple Greeter Guide to

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Concourse Village

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home to yankee stadium, concourse village offers views of some of the finest

Art Deco architecture in New York. With buildings rooted in an historic past, the neighborhood

is also home to some very modern art and cultural venues as well as being an important

center for major league baseball in the United States. Concourse Village offers visitors not only

a sense of New York City history, but a view into a vibrant ethnic neighborhood.

Welcome to New York City!

Where is Concourse Village?Located in the South Bronx, Concourse Village is bounded by East 165th Street to the North, Park Avenue to the East, East 149th Street to the South and Jerome Avenue and the Harlem River to the West.

About Concourse VillageUntil the early 20th century, much of the Bronx was a bucolic area filled with farms and vast parklands. When the Grand Concourse opened in 1909, the area we now call Concourse Village was born. In 1917, the first subway station in the area was opened, initiating a housing boom among upwardly mobile Jewish and Italian families fleeing the tenements of Manhattan. In 1923, the original Yankee Stadium opened clinching Concourse Village’s place in sports history. By 1933, the population in the area had expanded so much that a second subway line and station were opened to accommodate the growth. Today, Concourse Village is recognized for its wealth of architecturally significant buildings, both residential and civic.

It’s Easy to Get to Concourse Village

by subway: 2, 4 or 5 trains to the station at 149th Street and the Grand Concourse. 4, B or D trains to the station at 161st Street—Yankee Stadium.

by metro-north: From Grand Central Station to the Yankees—153rd Street station via the hudson river line. On game days at Yankee Stadium, the harlem and the new haven lines also stop at the 153rd Street station and there are also shuttles available at Grand Central Station. Check the Metro-North website at http://www.mta.info/mnr/ for schedules.

by bus: Bus lines that service Concourse Village include the BxM4A, BxM4B, Bx1, Bx2, Bx6, Bx13, Bx19 and Bx55.

Attractions

When completed in 1909, the grand concourse was a means for wealthy Manhattan residents to travel

into the then-rural stretches of the Bronx. Today, the Grand Concourse is lined with significant examples of Art

Deco and Art Moderne residential buildings. The buildings between 730 and 1000 Grand Concourse spanning East 155th to East 165th Streets are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Grand Concourse Historic District.

the u.s. post off ice at 558 Grand Concourse at East 150th Street is one of

the most significant structures in the area. Enter the Post Office to see 13 murals created by Ben Shahn, the respected American protest painter.

The murals are entitled Resources in America and were painted by Shahn between 1938 and 1939 under the auspices of one of the New Deal art programs. They are considered to be among the finest existing examples of New Deal-commissioned artwork.

the bronx county courthouse aka the mario merola building at 851 Grand Concourse at East 159th Street is an excellent example of Art Moderne architecture. Housing several of the borough’s courts and civic agencies, the Courthouse is renowned for the quality and quantity of its exterior sculptures and its friezes. The interior of the building includes arched marble lobby entrances and vaulted elevator lobbies. On the ground floor, the Veterans Memorial Hall features murals of historical American scenes.

the bronx museum of the arts at 1040 Grand Concourse at East 165th Street is nationally acclaimed for its multicultural collection. It houses over 800 works primarily by artists from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Check their website at http://www.bronxmuseum.org/ for hours and a listing of new exhibits.

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the bronx county courthouse grand concourse

bigapplegreeter.org concourse village

The Big Apple Greeter Guide toConcourse Village

greeter’s secret: The Bronx County Courthouse is the first “green roof”

building to be managed by the New York City Department of

Citywide Administrative Services. The Courthouse is a designated city,

state and national landmark.

greeter’s secret: Designed by Louis Risse during the “City Beautiful” movement, the

Grand Concourse was modeled on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

The Bronx has the largest number of Art Deco buildings in the City. Don’t miss the park plaza apartments at 1005 Jerome Avenue at East 164th Street. When completed in 1931, this was the first Art Deco apartment building built in the Bronx and it is still considered one of the most beautiful examples of this type of architecture in New York.

Several parks in Concourse Village offer greenery in a very urban area. joyce kilmer park at the Grand Concourse and East 161st Street is strategically located between the Bronx County Courthouse and Yankee Stadium. The centerpiece of the park is the beautiful heinrich heine fountain aka the lorelei fountain which was restored in 1999.

macombs dam park at Jerome Avenue and East 161st Street contains the macombs dam fountain and the summit playground which is at one of the higher elevations in the area and offers fine views.

Home to one of the most successful baseball franchises in U.S.

history, the new yankee stadium stands at East 161st Street and River Avenue. The stadium houses Yankee memorabilia, including a “ball wall” of autographs,

as well as dining venues. To learn more about tickets and events during the baseball season, check their website at http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy.

Shopping

When you visit the bronx museum of the arts at

1040 Grand Concourse, make sure to stop by their gift shop to find exhibit-related items, DVDs, CDs and unique handmade jewelry.

Check out the artisan’s boutique, a Bronx Council on

the Arts effort to bring attention to original crafts created by Bronx artisans. The Artisan’s Boutique is part of the First Wednesday Bronx Culture Trolley Night and makes available for sale and commission the unique and original work of its talented members. For more

information, see the website at http://www.bronxarts.org/bcadc_artisian_institute.asp.

stan’s sports world at 850 River Avenue near East 161st

Street prides itself on being the #1 Yankees fan shop in the world. All of their merchandise is licensed and they offer an online catalog. Check out their website at http://www.stans-sportsworld.com.

When It’s Time to Eat

Family-owned since 1923, the yankee tavern counted among its patrons Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra

and Babe Ruth. Located at 72 East 161st Street near Gerard Avenue, the Yankee Tavern boasts an extensive menu and a large collection of Yankee memorabilia.

stan’s sports bar at 836 River Avenue near East 158th Street is full

of Yankees Posters and baseball cards, including one for Joe DiMaggio. Considered the home of diehard Yankees fans, check out the walls for caricatures of Yankee greats.

billy’s sports bar & restaurant at 856 River Avenue near East

161st Street was founded by Yankee great Billy Martin.

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joyce kilmer park yankee stadium

The Big Apple Greeter Guide toConcourse Village

bigapplegreeter.org concourse village

billy’s sports bar & restaurant

greeter’s secret: The New Yankee

Stadium incorporated

design elements of the original

1923 stadium to pay homage to Yankee history.

Billy’s serves both Greek and American food and prides itself on friendly service at a fare price.

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the dugout lounge at 880 River Avenue near East 161st Street offers weekend entertainment, a pool table

and a dance floor, in addition to a typical bar menu.

court deli at 96 East 161st Street and Walton Avenue near the Grand Concourse is close to the Bronx

County Courthouse and offers an extensive deli menu, including knishes and hot pastrami. The portions are generous and service is friendly.

the feeding tree at 892 Gerard Avenue near East 161st Street is a casual West Indian restaurant that

offers take-out as well as having a comfortable dining room. The restaurant is known for its jerk chicken as well as other Jamaican specialties.

sam’s soul food restaurant & bar at 596 Grand Concourse near East 150th Street offers southern-

style cooking including oxtail, ribs and cornbread. Take-out is also available.

molino rojo restaurant at 101 East 161st Street near Walton Avenue offers a relaxed setting for pleasant

dining on Spanish cuisine. Offering an extensive menu and daily specials, the restaurant prides itself on its service.

Culturehostos center for arts and culture at 450 Grand Concourse on

the corner of East 149th Street consists of a museum-grade art gallery, 367-seat theatre and 907-seat concert hall. The Center’s art gallery features works by multicultural artists and the performance spaces offer musical and theatrical productions. Check their website at http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/culturearts/ for a list of events and art shows.

pregones theatre at 571-575 Walton Avenue between East 149th

and East 150th Streets is a theatrical ensemble that presents original musicals and plays rooted in Puerto Rican/Latino cultures. It also offers space to performing artists from those cultural backgrounds. Check their website at http://www.pregones.org/ for a list of events.

Everyone likes a free ride and the bronx culture trolley offers just

that. Operating on the first Wednesdays of the month (except January and Septem-ber), the Trolley makes a cultural loop through the lower Grand Concourse and provides passengers the opportunity to ex-perience some of the area’s hottest cultural attractions. The Trolley and the scheduled attractions are free to riders. The adventure starts at 5:30 PM and riders are treated to such events as art exhibits, poetry readings, and live performances. For further infor-mation, check the website at http://www.bronxarts.org/culture_trolley.asp.

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and open to all visitors; offer greeter services as an individual or very small group experience (no more than 6 visitors); and are characterized by enthusias-tic, local residents who love their home city, love to meet people from around the world, and volunteer to conduct these visits.

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sam’s soul food restaurant & bar pregones theatre

The Big Apple Greeter Guide toConcourse Village

bigapplegreeter.org concourse village

Concourse Village

© 2010 Big Apple Greeter 3/2010