Last Minute Northwest Bronx Shopping Guide

[Ed. note: This article appears in the latest edition of the Norwood News, which is out on streets now.]

By Layza Garcia and Alina Rodriguez

It’s that time of the year again to search for that perfect gift for your loved ones: brothers, moms, maybe even your 80-year-old grandmother. But what to buy? The decision-making process can be agonizing.

Worry no more. The Norwood News is here to help! After vigorously shopping throughout the northwest Bronx, from Gun Hill to Fordham Road, you can find some of the most diverse and special gifts just outside your door.

Walmart: Bronxites Love Us!

Retail megastore Walmart is once again eyeing the big apple for the site of a new store, and this time they've got research under their belt to fight off opponents. The company commissioned its own poll that surveyed 1,000 New Yorkers--the majority of which, the company says, would welcome a Walmart somewhere in the city.

According to the poll, Bronx residents want a Walmart more than folks in any other borough: 80 percent of those asked say they would support the retailer coming to the city, according to a press release.

Opposition against Walmart setting up shop has been fierce in the past, as critics often question the company's labor practices and argue that the retailer would hurt the city's small business community.

But Walmart polled them, too: according to the survey, 62 percent of small business owners asked said they favor the store based on the idea that it would help create jobs.

A few years back, a coalition of Walmart opponents teamed up with a number of Bronx community groups to fight the possibility of the box store coming into the neighborhood.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn had planned to hold a hearing this week to discuss the impact a Walmart could have, though the retailer says it has no announced project in the city yet. The hearing has been postponed until next month.

So what do we think? Does the Bronx want a Walmart?