Every season is special in New York City. Fall kicks off great layered fashion, winter ushers in the holiday celebrations, and spring blossoms with nature, all around the City. But New York City summers are unmatched, and the Bronx, in particular, comes alive.
More than half of the Bronx’s population identifies as Latino, so it’s a huge part of the culture that shows up in many ways—including street food. Warmer weather and later sunsets mean the vendors are out in abundance. On any given corner in the Bronx, you’re bound to see the iceman scooping any blend of flavors (coco and cherry are a classic) or the pastelito lady selling savory half-moon pies filled with beef, chicken, or cheese. Fresh fruit trucks set up shop by various train stations for morning or evening customers wanting mangoes, watermelon, or rambutan. My absolute favorite is the frio frio or piragua cart. This shaved-ice delicacy goes by different names depending on which Spanish-speaking Caribbean island you’re from frio frio (Dominican Republic) or piragua (Puerto Rico). Tamarindo is my go-to flavor, guaranteed to ease the summertime heat.
The Black community in the Bronx is just as prominent. As the birthplace of hip-hop and a long-standing home to genres like salsa, bachata, and merengue, the Bronx and its streets are filled with melodic beats, rhymes, and croons from artists spanning generations and styles. Like listening to a playlist on shuffle, you’re bound to hear Pop Smoke followed by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico. This catalog of songs is one of the many elements that reflect the cultural makeup of the borough, from the block with 1520 Sedgwick Avenue (renamed Hip Hop Boulevard in 2016) to Rogers Place (home to a popular mural honoring Big Pun). You could say that I am a blend of these worlds as a Black Dominican, flowing in and out seamlessly, something that is pretty common for many Bronxites.
Read more of Viviane Favor in this week’s edition of Vizion in print and online at https://scoopusa-pa.newsmemory.com
