The up-and-coming Mott Haven section of the Bronx is welcoming new trendy restaurants and high-rise luxury apartments. Among them is Estela, which is home to many medical professionals.
Located at 445 Gerard Ave., Estela, is a two-building rental development on the waterfront of the South Bronx that opened its doors in May 2023. It has 544 units with 164 affordable apartments, 35,000 square feet of residential amenities, 4,000 square feet of combined outdoor courtyard space, screening, lounge and game rooms, 24/7 concierge service, a dedicated shared workspace, gyms with double-height ceilings, a yoga room and a pet spa.
All of this has attracted 38 residents in the medical field and 39 people who moved there from the Bronx. Tayler Edmond and Dominique Marshall are two medical workers who live in the building.
Edmond, a Home Health Nurse Practitioner and Bronx native, moved to Estela in October 2023. She has lived in Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Chicago, Phoenix and Harlem, but fell in love with the Boogie Down.
“NYC was always my favorite place,” she told the Bronx Times. “I always knew I wanted to end up here. I’m used to living in big cities, so this was right up my alley.”
Edmond, 29, obtained her master’s in nursing from New York University in May 2023 and has resided in Mott Haven for the past couple years with her fiancée Anthony Williams.
Prior to relocating to Estela, she and her fiancé were in a duplex nearby, but it was an old house and too big for them. They weren’t planning on moving, but heard about Estela and wanted to check it out. The couple toured the building and quickly fell in love, she said.
Edmond said Estela has a “homey vibe” and likes how it is close to the city and the subway.
“I like it (Estela). It allowed me to stay where my people are,” Edmond said. “Neither of us have ever lived in a luxury building. We always lived below our means.”
Marshall, 28, had never lived in NYC prior to beginning her dental residency at Bronx Care Hospital in June 2023. She graduated from the University of Maryland in May 2023 and after many friends and mentors went to work at Bronx Care she followed suit.
However, her search for a home was not easy. She made three trips to the Bronx, yet still couldn’t find anything she liked. Then out of nowhere she discovered Estela and instantly knew it was the place for her.
According to Marshall, everyone kept telling her to check out the burgeoning waterfront community of Mott Haven. Being on call four to five times a month and working long hours, Marshall needed an apartment that was affordable, close to her job and welcoming.
Estela checked all of those boxes, she said. She was a bit nervous about the move to the big city, but now feels right at home.
“I like the Bronx. Everyone seems very nice,” she said.
She told the Bronx Times it’s nice that many other medical professionals live at Estela. Mashall enjoys the programs Estela offers including cross fit and sip and paint and loves having a gym in the building. Plus, after a long day of work, she can go shopping in the city or out to eat on Arthur Avenue, she said.
“It was very nerve wracking trying to find a place,” she said. “I value my space and feeling comfortable in my home.”
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