Geo-Quiz: The Bronx

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC doing this membership drive, we're breaking it up with some fun each day in the form of a New York, New Jersey geography quiz. Our guest quizmaster, who we will reveal the identity of, many of you know who he is, will be on the line in just a second. While we're waiting for that line to get hooked up, I guess I will tell you for just one brief minute since we have this delay about the place from which the babka comes, because we got a tweet from a listener that said, "What are the chances of WNYC sending a chocolate babka to Montana for a certain dedicated listener out there?"

The answer is yes, we can absolutely do that because Russ & Daughters' is the babka place. They call themselves New York City's premier appetizing shop since 1914. It's been a landmark New York City institution for that decade-plus that's been owned and operated by four generations of the Russ family. That's why Russ & Daughters, and yes, they deliver around the city and they also deliver nationwide. To that listener who tweeted, can we get one to Montana? Apparently, Russ & Daughters delivers anywhere in the country, and so there is that.

Now, we are onto today's New York, New Jersey geography quiz. We did Manhattan and Brooklyn in Queens last week. Today it's on to the Bronx. If you think you know the Bronx, my parents' hometown among everything else that it is, call in and take a shot at it. 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280. If you get two in a row, we'll give you a prize of a Brian Lehrer Show, New York City skyline mug.

Who knows where things are in the Bronx? You don't have to be from the Bronx to enter, call up and play at 646-435-7280, 646-435-7280. You can even be from Montana, and waiting for Russ & Daughters through, I don't know, refrigerated delivery or however they ship it, and want to take a shot at something from the Bronx. 646-435-7280. I am so delighted to welcome back as our guest quiz leader today, the outgoing Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr. Term-limited at the end of this year, so he is leaving office. I call him the president of the Bronx. President Diaz, thanks for being a quiz leader with us, and welcome back to WNYC.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Good morning, Brian, thank you for having me back. I really appreciate the fact that you're doing this. It helps to educate people about all of the wonderful locations, not only in the Bronx but throughout the city of New York. It gives us the ability to be able to highlight and brag about the wonderful history about borough

Brian Lehrer: As the calls are coming in for a president, I want to talk at all about your own Bronx roots? I had four immigrant grandparents who landed in the Bronx and raised my parents who met in the neighborhood as teenagers in the South Bronx. My first address in this world was on Echo place. How did your family wind up there?

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Well, my parents are both from Puerto Rico. My father was in the military and was honorably discharged. He went to go live in Brooklyn with  

some friends of his and worked at a factory at the Garment District. My mother came as a 10-year-old with my grandparents and her siblings from Ponte Point, Puerto Rico, they lived in Washington Heights. As a teenager, she also worked in the garment industry and that's where they met. When they started their family, like most Puerto Ricans at the time, they found their way to the South Bronx on a five-story walkup.

When I was born, I'm the youngest of three, they were able to convince then borough president-- Not convinced, but they went to their borough president Herman Balio, looking for bigger housing and we were able to get an apartment in more houses, public housing on the 149 Street in Jackson Avenue. That's my starter that I was born in public housing, went to PS 5, went to Gifted in town, state class to PS 31, graduated from Clark Junior High School, 149, and then went on to Lehman High School and then got my diploma from Stevenson High School.

Brian Lehrer: That is great. Now, borough president, we added a new first quiz question just this morning to honor the very sad Bronx note in the news this morning, the passing of son of the Bronx, Colin Powell from COVID complications at the age of 84 this morning, we are told, and I will set up the question first for a listener. Then we can talk a little bit about General Powell as the son of the Bronx. Let's say hello to our first caller, and it's going to be Sean in the Throg's next section of the Bronx. Hi Sean. You're on WNYC. Can you hear me?

Sean: Hi. Yes. Yes. I can hear you.

Brian Lehrer: All right. Well, thanks for calling up and playing. Here's the question. We are saddened to hear this morning that Colin Powell, four-star general, and America's first African-American Secretary of State and first African-American Joint Chief of Staff Chairman passed away. Since he grew up in the south Bronx, where he graduated from Morris High School, from what country did Colin Powell's parents, I should say. From what country did Colin Powell's parents immigrate? Now that you heard mine and the borough president's Bronx origin stories, from what country did Colin Powell's parents immigrate?

Sean: Jamaica.

Brian Lehrer: Jamaica is right. That is one right question and get another one right and you will win Brian Lehrer Show, New York City skyline mug. Borough president, you want to go on the next question for Sean?

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Sure. Hello. Good morning, Sean. Thank you for calling.

Sean: Good morning.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Name the 23-mile body of fresh water running through the Southern Westchester and the Bronx purchased by Jonas Bronx in 1639?

Brian Lehrer: Follow the line.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Body of running for the mug.

Brian Lehrer: For Sean and [crosstalk]

Sean: Bronx River.

Brian Lehrer: -Neck. The Bronx River it is

[crosstalk]

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President Ruben Diaz Jr: Ding, ding, ding. All right.

Brian Lehrer: When I hit--

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Can I just say this line?

Brian Lehrer: Yes, go ahead Borough president, go ahead.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Yes. Just so the listeners know, the Bronx River is the 23-mile body of freshwater that winds down through the Southern Westchester part of the state, and the Bronx. Jonas Bronx, a Swedish-born settler purchased the land in 1639. The river's original people were the Mohegans who lived and fished here, and in the 1600s, European traders came to track the sleek fat beavers for their fur.

Now, people are able to canoe safely on the Bronx River with the Bronx River Alliance and they still are slot available for October for this season. If anybody wants a canoe, all they have to do is go to bronxriver.org and they could appreciate the beautiful historic Bronx River.

Brian Lehrer: That is awesome. Sean, hang on. We're going to take your address so we can send you Brian Lehrer Show New York City skyline mug. Of course, was it during hurricane Ida or that your storm where it became hard to tell the Bronx River from the Bronx River Parkway [laughs] Anyway.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Both. I mean, we, we keep seeing that more and more, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Is this the Bronx River Parkway or is this the Bronx River? Raymond in the North Bronx is our next contestant. Hi, Raymond, you're on WNYC.

Raymond: How are you doing? Good morning?

Brian Lehrer: Borough president, hit with the next question.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Okay, Raymond, what is the largest park in the Bronx?

Raymond: Right. Pelham Bay Park.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.

Brian Lehrer: That's one. That's one. Wait--

Raymond: That's one.

Brian Lehrer: That's good. You are geographically lucky to get that question, but we don't ding, ding, ding unless he gets another one. Right?

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Okay.

Brian Lehrer: What's the next one you've got borough president.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Okay. Here we go. What historic figure made the oldest house in the Bronx's headquarters during a very significant war.

Raymond: Whoa [laughs] Whoa.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: I'll read it again.

Raymond: Oh man, [unintelligible 00:09:15] I'm thinking about [unintelligible 00:09:19] That's not my final answer-

President Ruben Diaz Jr: No, no.

Raymond: -but I don't-- [crosstalk]

President Ruben Diaz Jr: That's the correct answer.

Brian Lehrer: You got it in there. You said, General George Washington.

Raymond: Yes, sir. I'm honored to speak to both of y'all and you made me proud to be from the Bronx.

[laughter]

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Raymond: Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: Wait, hang on.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Brian--

Brian Lehrer: Hey, next I aspired to be from the Bronx, go ahead.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Yes. Just very quickly again for your listeners, the Pelham Bay Park is actually 2,772 acres. It's the largest park, and it includes Orchard Beach, commonly known as the Bronx Riviera. The second largest is van Cortlandt park, and then with regards to General George Washington, the oldest house was built in 1748 in the now, Van Cortlandt House museum. During the revolutionary war, General Washington hid out there and developed a number of strategies.

Brian Lehrer: Awesome. Now I said, not everybody who enters needs to be from the Bronx, so let's go next to Steve in Saffron. Steve, you're on WNYC. Hi there.

Steve: Hi.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Good morning, Steve.

Brian Lehrer: Not that far from the Bronx. Let's let's see. Exit 14 on the throughway Saffron. Did I get that right?

Steve: 14B.

Brian Lehrer: 14B. In the right range.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Close enough.

Brian Lehrer: Not that far from the Bronx. Maybe about 15 miles. Borough president, you have a question for Steve in Saffron.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Am I going with the question?

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Hello.

Steve: Hello?

Brian Lehrer: Did I lose your borough president? Yes, go on to the next question. You can do that.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: I'm sorry. What famous 19th-century poet and author, lived in the Bronx along the iconic Grand Concourse?

Steve: Edgar Allen Poe.

Brian Lehrer: That is right.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: That is correct.

Brian Lehrer: A name that came out of our previous caller's mouth as he was heading toward George Washington. You don't usually hear the two of them in the same breath.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Right, and of course we know that he came from Manhattan because his wife was suffering from what's known as tuberculosis today. They wanted to go and bring some good old country air, Brian, in the boogie down Bronx.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, so one more right for Steve in Saffron, and he'll win a Brian Lehrer Show New York city skyline mug. Borough president, go ahead.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Okay, there we go. This is a good one. What's the name of the largest development in the Bronx that was built on the site where a theme park called the Freedomland, you would say one stood?

Steve: Co-op City.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Ding, ding, ding. He is correct.

Brian Lehrer: Very good. Steve, you may be in suffering, but you know the Bronx. Hang on and we'll take your address off the air for that mug. Let's go on to Beth from the Bronx. Unless she wanted to say something about Co-op city or that old amusement theme park, Freedomland.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Right, it was called Freedomland. It was opened in the early 1960s. 400 acres of marshland. By 1964, the theme park was closed down to make way for the development of what we know today as Co-op City, which is the largest development in the Bronx that offers apartment ownership and is the home to 50,000 plus residents, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Awesome. Let's see if we can get

President Ruben Diaz Jr: I was also proud to help open up the first indoor mall, right down that footprint back in 2014. All right, we're ready for the next caller.

Brian Lehrer: All right. Let's see if we can give away one more mug, before we run out of time, Beth. Now, this is Beth from the Bronx. Now, Beth, does that mean you currently live in the Bronx or you're from the Bronx, like me?

Beth: No, I'm from the Bronx, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Okay, so let's see if Beth knows enough, still, about the Bronx to win a mug. Borough president, what you got?

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Once from the Bronx, always from the Bronx, but the question is Beth, what Bronx cemetery features a jazz corner, "Where famous performers are interred near each other."

Beth: I'm going to say Woodlawn.

Brian Lehrer: That is correct.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Yes. Correct. It's a 158-year-old, 400-acre cemetery. It's a national historic landmark, and it's the final resting place of many notables in jazz, such as Max Rose, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Lionel Hampton, and of course, even the queen of salsa [unintelligible 00:14:26]

Brian Lehrer: The first time we had Wynton Marsalis on the show, it was eight years ago, and what got him on, was that he was promoting the 150th anniversary of the Woodlawn Cemetery's jazz masters. How about that?

President Ruben Diaz Jr: He had a beautiful concert there at the cemetery. I

remember that. I was there.

Brian Lehrer: One more for Beth. Let's see if she wins a mug.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: By the way. I'm sorry. Let me just plug in the Woodlawn. If folks want to go, they can go on the website woodlawntours.org. Beth, here's the second question. What Bronx-born fashion designer made the polo shirt, a worldwide phenomenon?

Beth: Too easy, Ralph Lauren.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Yes, the correct answer [unintelligible 00:15:28]

Brian Lehrer: You're already won the mug, but here comes to bonus question, just for fun. Go ahead. This is going to lead us back into the bobka, by the way. Borough president, go ahead.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Yes, Beth, do you know Ralph's birth surname? Not Lauren.

Beth: Lifshitz.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Oh, ding, ding, ding, that's the bonus.

Brian Lehrer: That's right. You can't say that on the radio. Oh, I don't think I have the power to do that. If you can take Beth's con contact information screeners, I'm going to personally see that she gets a babka, in addition to the mug. Remember to get the babka into the mug with your coffee, because I've never done that, but Jacqueline [unintelligible 00:16:18] tells me it's really, really good that way. Borough President of the Bronx, Ruben Ruben Diaz, Jr. This was really, really fun. Good luck to you, whatever you're doing after you leave office at the end of the year. I'm sure whatever that is, we'll have you back on the show.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: I appreciate it. Let me just finish by saying our condolences go out to Colin Powell, General Powell's family, and our gratitude. He was a great Bronx ambassador. He's a Bronx boy that did well, and may he rest in peace.

Brian Lehrer: Did you know him at all?

President Ruben Diaz Jr: I got a chance to meet him several times. Once in 2010 was the first time I met him where we did the General Colin Powell condos, not too far from where he grew up, in the south Bronx over by Longwood. Then last year, we did a fundraiser for the children's museum and he was gracious enough to lend his name, to raise some money, so that we got the children's museum in the Bronx and we love and appreciate him for that.

Brian Lehrer: That's great. I'm glad that we talked about this, because these are the things that are not going to get into most of the press about Colin Powell. Those

good works in the Bronx, very much work worth remembering as he grew up there after his parents immigrated there from Jamaica. Borough President Diaz, thanks a lot. We'll talk.

President Ruben Diaz Jr: Thank you for the opportunity, Brian. See you soon. Bye bye.

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Much more to come.

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