Promenade is home to raccoons, tenants say

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Ongoing renovations at the Promenade Apartments in Marble Hill are drawing a mob of new tenants, but not the kind the management wants.

At least seven raccoons have moved into crevices around the 150 W. 225th building, according to residents. Some say there is a large green-and-yellow snake in the area, too.

“It’s like they own the area, they’ve been here so long,” said resident Deloris Jeffries. “I’ve seen the raccoons go up the steps from the top of the steps, and I’ve even seen a mother giving birth.” 

Longtime Promenade resident Freddie Espruell said he often sees the raccoons on a concrete pedestrian walkway bridging the apartment building and West 225th Street. During a recent visit to the address, he pointed out a hill where he says they live. 

“Late at night, they come out of that hole right there,” Mr. Espruell said. “Seven big ones come out of there.” 

Both Mr. Espruell and Ms. Jeffries confirmed hearing rumors of a large snake living in the area, though they have never seen it themselves. Residents claim the snake lives in a hole inside a large rock between the Marble Hill Metro-North station and the entrance to the Promenade.

Mr. Espruell said other residents recently made complaints about the snake, which he believes to be a python, to the Nelson Management Group, which owns the building with L + M Development partners.

“I’ve been here since January. I’ve never seen a raccoon and I’ve never seen a python,” said David DaSilva, the property manger at the Promenade. “It sounds like an urban myth to me.”

Mr. DaSilva confirmed in a phone interview that he had received complaints about a snake on Aug. 19.

“I was here [Aug. 19] and [residents] said there was snake out there by the rock in front,” he said. “If somebody tells me there’s a snake in the front of the building and that it’s been there for years, so I called the exterminator.”

Last week, Mr. DaSilva said the exterminator was yet to visit the Promenade but would be coming in several days.

Promenade, raccoons, python, Anthony Capote
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