Ed Garcia Conde
Dublin Core
Title
Ed Garcia Conde
Description
Eduardo Garcia Conde was born in Mott Haven in 1975, and goes by the name of Ed. He has two words of his last name as part of the Puerto Rican tradition — both his parents moved to the South Bronx from Puerto Rico before their 20s. Ed grew up as a single child and moved to Melrose at seven years old after his parents won a housing lottery for Christopher Court, which is right off the 149 Street-Grand Concourse subway stop. Although he left the South Bronx after graduating college — a goal that formed in high school — he gravitated back to Melrose for the community and life of the neighborhood. He is a former real estate appraiser and is now an active member of the large LGBTQ community in Melrose. But his main job consists of running his Welcome2TheBronx blog, which garners 100,000 to 200,000 readers per month. Since his blog aims to represent the whole Bronx, he spends a lot of time walking the borough to try showing an unbiased perspective of the Bronx. He wants to share narratives of the Bronx that most people do not see or hear. And now, here is his story from when he was growing up with the city still burning, to now as he fights with his neighborhood to avoid its gentrification.
Contributor
Ed Garcia Conde
Diamond Naga Siu
Language
English
Collection Items
Ed Garcia Conde stopping at a Melrose intersection
Ed Garcia Conde stood at the intersection of 149 Street, Third Avenue, and Melrose Avenue, a couple blocks from where he lives. Garcia Conde said Melrose was a village when it was first founded, and he still calls it such — most people who live in…
Puerto Rican Symbol Tattoos
Mr. Garcia Conde's tattoos are an homage to his roots in Puerto Rico. The one on the left is a Coqui frog symbol. The frog is native to Puerto Rico and symbolizes anything Puerto Rican. The one on the right is a Taino symbol of the sun. The Puerto…
Ed Garcia Conde Oral History Interview
Eduardo Garcia Conde was born in Mott Haven in 1975, and goes by the name of Ed. He has two words of his last name as part of the Puerto Rican tradition — both his parents moved to the South Bronx from Puerto Rico before their 20s. Ed grew up as a…
Book
Ed Garcia Conde recently received this book as a gift from a friend. Although relatively new, he said this book is special to him, since it epitomizes living through the roughest times in Melrose and the South Bronx.
Buddha Artwork
Ed Garcia Conde said he found this artwork on a piece of wood out on the streets to be thrown away. He rescued this image of Amitabha, who is the Buddha of Infinite Life.
Asthma Inhaler
Ed Garcia Conde said he developed asthma during his thirties, and while he has only ever used it twice, he panics if he ever forgets to bring it with him. Garcia Conde said his condition is indicative of the environmental crisis in the Bronx.
Branding Iron
Ed Garcia Conde received this branding iron, a family heirloom, from his grandfather. He originally did not know where to safekeep it when he got it after his grandfather passed away, so it now hangs in his kitchen.