Michelle Parker was sitting in the corridor of the seventh floor of the Bronx County Courthouse, reading a newspaper, when out of the corner of her eye she saw him walking in her direction. Dressed in a baggy suit and slip-on shoes, his hands cuffed behind his back, his braided hair hung limply from his head as he flashed a … Read More
Exactly one week before the Jewish New Year, Congregation Hope of Israel is almost completely deserted. With a Star of David adorning its front, the synagogue is tucked away between Yankee Stadium and the Bronx County Courthouse. The last Jewish temple on the Grand Concourse has been active since 1949 and was once the heart of a vibrant Jewish community. … Read More
In a worn-down building in a housing project in the South Bronx, two police officers sprint up the stairs to the fourth floor. In the dimly lit corridor, the two draw their 9-mm personal sidearms from their holsters and cautiously approach apartment F46. They knock on the door. “Who is it?” screams a voice from within. “Police!” they answer firmly … Read More
The first thing you notice at Morris Mesa Park is the noise. Located just above the Cross Bronx Expressway and just below the Grand Concourse, the sounds of screeching cars and honking horns fill the air. At the corner of Morris Avenue and 174th Street the noise and mayhem make it almost impossible to keep a conversation going. At ground … Read More
Levin Santos was sitting in his windowless office. The administrative aid at Columbia University’s Ophthalmology Institute on 165th street was composing an e-mail message to his boss. Just then, at 4:10 pm, everything went black. “It was pitch dark, I couldn’t see a thing,” recalled the 41-year old Santos, “I tried to feel around and find a phone to call … Read More