- Short answer: Bronx Ice House is a bar and restaurant located in the South Bronx, known for its large outdoor space and selection of craft beers.
- Step by Step Guide: Building Your Own Bronx Ice House at Home
- Bronx Ice House FAQ: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting or Building One Yourself
- Top 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Iconic Bronx Ice House
Short answer: Bronx Ice House is a bar and restaurant located in the South Bronx, known for its large outdoor space and selection of craft beers.
Step by Step Guide: Building Your Own Bronx Ice House at Home
Are you a fan of beer and great company? Do you want to impress your friends with an impressive ice house right in your backyard? Well, it’s time to bring the Bronx vibe home by building your own ice house.
The Bronx Ice House is a legendary watering hole that has been around since the 1940s. It’s where soldiers came to drink their sorrows away after World War II, and punks dared each other for cold beers in the heat of summer. It’s famous not just for its drinks but also for its quirky style- outside was decorated with car parts while inside had rustic decor like old signs, license plates hanging on walls, classic bar stools made from tractor seats…you name it!
If you’re ready to build your own version of this iconic establishment at home, then follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Get Your Tools & Materials Ready
You’ll need some basic tools including gloves, eye protection goggles or glasses, earplugs or buds as well as marker pens or spray paints (optional). Some commonly used materials are wood planks (pressure-treated), steel studs/nails/screws/bolts/hinges/brackets/clamps/washers etc., roofing/shingle tiles/tar paper/felt/flashings (for roofing), insulation sheets/fiberglass/cellulose/polyurethane foam boards etc.
Step 2: Plan Your Design
Once you’ve gathered all the necessary tools and materials, sketch out a rough design plan according to your preferences. You can even get ideas online or seek inspiration from photographs.
Decide whether you want an open-air structure or one with walls/windows and doors; think about how tall wide you’d like it too be; consider factors such as ventilation slots/envelope seals/eaves/gutters/drainage systems/lighting fixtures/power connections etc.; choose colors/styles/grain patterns/textures for exterior cladding/interior lining/furniture/fixtures etc.
Step 3: Construct the Frame
The frame is the foundation of your ice house, so you want to make sure it’s sturdy and stable. Use steel studs or wooden planks as per your design specifications. Create a beam at the top which runs all across each corner; build rafters to support roofing material installed according again with plan accordingly.
Install braces (cross diagonals) to reinforce corners and walls/studs for strength while ensuring there is enough headroom on entrance/exit points.
Step 4: Add Roofing & Illumination
Once you’ve got your frame constructed, add roofing tiles( shingles/metal sheets/name patented panels like Onduline/durability-warranty ) & insulation- this keeps building dry and helps maintain an optimal temperature inside during summer/winter seasons. You may also want to install ventilation slots/windows on walls/ceiling/roof depending upon how air flows around where u live.
Similarly, think about installing lighting fixtures both inside/outside Ice House including ambiance sensors if needed/wanted!
Step 5: Enhance Your Décor
The beauty of having an ice house in your backyard is that you have complete control over its décor! decorate outside using unique flags/banners/signposts/customized signs emblazoned with ur own cool branding/logo showcasing family name!! Inside get creative by adding vintage photos/timbres/postcards/artifacts/collection starting from popular shot glasses coaster/souvenir cups (remember “tourist taxidermy” bringing back exotic animal mementos), bottle openers scattered throughout space!!
Conclusion:
Building an ice house in your backyard isn’t just practical -it’s a statement piece that can make every outdoor gathering memorable! With these simple steps, you can bring a little bit of Bronx Culture into your own slice of paradise right outside! Keep things traditional while still making customizations related towards what interests ya, so you can keep chill in style no matter how challenging life gets. Time to get started and cheers!
Bronx Ice House FAQ: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting or Building One Yourself
The Bronx Ice House is a timeless and fascinating piece of American history that continues to capture the imaginations of adventure seekers, boozehounds and urban explorers alike. Whether you’re planning on visiting one for the first time or looking to build one yourself, there are certain things you should know.
Here’s everything you need to know about the iconic Bronx ice house before embarking on your next chilly escapade:
What Is a Bronx Ice House?
A Bronx ice house is a structure built entirely out of natural materials such as wood, straw, bales or hay. The walls are thickly packed with ice until they become frozen solid – giving them their infamous nickname “ice houses.” These buildings were usually used for storing food during warmer months when it was difficult to keep perishable items from rotting in the heat.
Although these structures have long been associated with the bustling New York City borough after which they’re named, variations of this type of architecture have been developed around the world where snowfall and cold weather permit its existence.
How Are They Made?
Bronx ice houses typically consist of three parts: heavy timber framing; mud-and-thatch insulation layers; and internal packing material (usually wet sawdust). Finally, workers would chop blocks off nearby bodies of water during wintertime in order fill up the exterior gaps between logs—creating an effective layer protecting goods inside against external humidity. It’s important that building owners use appropriate insulation materials–such as moss or straw–and properly constructed foundations so that bricks do not rub together causing cracks throughout ensuing expansion and contraction cycles over time due changes in temperature & moisture content/saturation level within their surrounding environment overall seasonally across annual cycle lengths (spring thawing period versus winter freeze depths).
Why Were They Built?
During colonial times here in America prior mid-18th century industrialization boom especially East Coast colonies frigid temperatures sometimes made life pretty miserable due inability store stocks intact. Bronyx ice houses were invented to solve this very problem for colonists living close to New York City and intended as permanent structures suitable to house preserved perishables like food stuffs till needed.
Fast forward many decades, these frozen preserves became popular haunts of adventurous youths or leisure-seekers who fancied picnicking in these sub-zero environments during summertime hot spells when cold drinks seemed hard to come by – but gradually fell out use over time due electricity advent of being able freeze things at will without having required space waste so much acreage on extensive insulation capabilities that have relatively small storage capacities after amassing great requirements upfront cost investment for constructing one themselves.
Where Can You Find a Bronx Ice House?
Today, there are only two known surviving examples left: Wm. Beard’s Sons Company erected circa 1910 (now part of the property housing Hunts Point Produce Market) ,and another now owned privately one built in Katonah within Westchester County around mid-eighteenth century . While both buildings serve their respective uses–commercial storage versus residential–and bear unique histories worth engaging with visitors—proliferation new inventions such as electric freezer innovation relative recent times helped edge out more traditional methods keeping stockpile here East Coast majority US commerce grew too big exceed limited capacity availability within an physical envelope i.e. basic ground structure constructed solely reinforced by pre-petaled piles wood driven into surrounding soil foundation underneath systemized log-filled interlock concept securing all boards tightly together up top leading isolating parcel land accommodating it from outside weather elements incoming throughout winter seasons yearly…It can still be quite educational and entertaining experience visiting either site even though they may not longer function exactly alike experience does offer glimpse what used considered miracle refrigeration upon invention occurrence early modern era year’s past.
Can We Still Build Them Today?
Unfortunately few U.S residents have practical reasons today build them anymore! Consequently maintaining knowledge- base becoming extinct art form unless continues off sparse enthusiasts keeping tradition alive by belligerently purposefully freezing their old lakeside cabins for simpler storage activities recreational pursuits(ski lodges, ice-skating rinks with indoor bathrooms, etc.)return to basically natural materials classic building techniques. While the idea of Bronx icehouses may not be widely appealing thanks – in no small part to modern technology making them rather archaic – this symbolic representation of American ingenuity is still something special and should certainly be preserved whenever possible.
In Conclusion
While the days of pristine snow-covered fields interrupted only by majestic frozen vaults might be long gone and largely forgotten about too by most people now, there’s no denying that these structures were a critical invention needed at one time during our country’s (and world’s) early years to keep perishable goods from spoiling in summer when temperatures soared above acceptable refrigeration levels. Visiting and educating ourselves on how they’re constructed can provide us much better understanding environment led people toward optimal survival choices each respective era presented throughout human history overall- which brings greater insights potentially present day times as well or futures ahead into all natural resource-based techniques ingeniously harn
Top 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About the Iconic Bronx Ice House
The Bronx Ice House, located in the heart of Hunts Point, is an iconic establishment that has been a staple in the neighborhood for over 50 years. This no-frills bar and restaurant is known for its cold beer and delicious seafood, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Here are five facts you didn’t know about this beloved institution.
1. The building used to be an actual ice house
Before it became a bar and restaurant, the building was actually an ice house. From the late 1800s until the mid-1900s, ice houses were common in urban areas where refrigeration technology was still developing. They would store large blocks of ice that were harvested from nearby rivers or lakes during the winter months so that they could use it throughout the year to keep food fresh.
2. It survived Prohibition by selling “ice”
During Prohibition, many bars and saloons were forced to shut down because alcohol was illegal. However, some establishments found creative ways to stay afloat. The Bronx Ice House sold “ice” during this time, which everyone knew was code for beer! Because of their clever ruse, they gained a reputation as one of the best speakeasies in town.
3. Its seafood comes straight from Fulton Fish Market
One reason why people love coming to Bronx Ice House is for their fresh seafood dishes such as oysters and clams on half shell or fried clam strips— all which come directly from New York City’s famous Fulton Fish Market (recently moved out to Hunt Points.) Established back in 1937 at South Street Seaport District Manhattan then making its home base largest fish market worldwide here once again along Oak Point Avenue right near our very own landmark spot next door.
4 . It’s been featured on TV & movies including Orange Is The New Black
Over years ,the BxIceHouse has gathered quite following gaining national fame from support of its locals and celebrities alike. It’s been featured in many films, documentaries such as “The Sisters” alongside Orange Is The New Black leadman Pablo Schreiber who himself is a regular at the watering hole.
5 .It’s always expanding introducing Mexican Street food and Venues for private events
Over years continuous growth has seen the bar move to introduce traditional Mexican street food into their menu –Taco Tuesdays- , taking it up upon themselves to expand & revamp accommodating special occasions with event spaces amping things up just enough while maintaining that classic ice house feel.
So next time you find yourself looking for an authentic slice of history or fresh seafood stop on by Bronx Ice House!