Inwood Ink

Sorry I have been gone!

2007-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I am sorry that I have not been able to update the site in a while!

I am leaving on tour with a show for six months and won't be able to continue my Inwood adventures until I return in late May!

But keep exploring Inwood and don't forget to add Inwood Ink on myspace!!!

-Inwoodink

Inwood; A lack of self respect

2007-10-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

You see it everywhere. At it's best; overflowing from trashcans. At it's worst; simply thrown in the street with out a second thought. Litter. It is everywhere. Garbage is filling our streets and it isn't an accident. No- it is on purpose. Everyday Inwood residents with out any moral conflict, throw their garbage in the street.

The trash ranges from take out boxes, to beer bottles. Fast food soda cups, to half eaten fast food. It is disgusting and wreaks of a lack of self respect. Not to mention respect for the neighborhood, respect for your neighbors and respect for yourself.

It has become all too easy in a society that exists on an island like Manhattan, to forget about the impact our lifestyle has on the rest of the world. In a world where people go starving everyday and work endlessly to provide their families with the very basic necessities to simply keep living- New Yorkers and Inwood residents don't even have enough respect for their community to pitch in and throw away their trash properly-- not to mention even trying to recycle.

I think that it is time that we wake up as a community and as citizens in a country where we are free to choose how we live our lives- to make GOOD choices.

This "let someone else do it" attitude is awful. It is sickening and what is worse is the influence it has on young people. This problem will not solve itself. In fact it shouldn't even exist.

In Germany- for instance- the garbage problem got so bad, that they have now found a way to recycle almost everything on a daily basis. The also passed an ordinace to get rid of all redundant packaging. I.E.; Toothpaste doesn't need to come in a box when it is already in a tube. Their trash mostly consists of food waste- which is biodegradable. But it took their country an economic collapse to change their habits. What is it going to take us? Staten island is going to fill up sooner or later...

Already our country is facing some questions that will tell us whether or not we will continue to exist as a free nation- that is able to make its own choices. Currently we are demonstrating to our current government that we enjoy being sloths and pawns, and that we will gladly submit to their every whim if only they will baby us and run themselves and our lives for us. Are we really so lazy that we would rather live in squalor and filth than take charge of our communities and try to make our neighborhoods a better place to live for us and our children? We are telling our government with our apathy that we want our ability to choose how we live taken away from us.

In return our government tells us that it wants to keep us uneducated by cutting funding to schools- Our reply? Sure- as long as my taxes stay low.

In another answer to our apathy- we will clean up after your mess by hiring people with your tax dollars to do it.

Do you see where the problem is? This is only one example of the consequences of our apathy. It is in our own sick inability to throw away our trash properly that we have raised taxes on ourselves -which the city sees as necessary to keep us from burying ourselves in garbage. -Tax money which could be used for better things. I encourage you to take pride in your community! Love your neighborhood enough to walk the extra ten feet to that garbage container on the corner!

Quit twisting the screw on this community- throw away your trash, or better yet, RECYCLE! - it is disgusting and a detriment to the health, education and overall well being of your neighbors and children when you chuck your garbage in the street.

Have some self respect.

Review: Amy's Restaurant- Chinese and Asian Cuisine

2007-10-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

It has been recommended to me that in my search for GOOD Chinese food, I try "Amy's."

I went for a walk earlier today 'cause it is so nice out. I was looking for a place to buy a glow in the dark pumpkin to put in my window. Long story short, ended up walking down 207th street to hop on the train to go to Target cause none of the stores here had a light up one I liked. BUT on my way.... I passed AMY'S! I went in and got a To Go menu and here I am. No light up pumpkin- I decided it was a waste of money- but I am getting some Chinese food!

AMY'S RESTAURANT

586 W.207th st. New York, NY 10034

TEL: (212) 567-3175

FAX: (212) 567-3197

Open from 11am to 11:30 pm

It is 5:55 PM and I have just finished ordering the dinner combo 'Beef and Broccoli' Or L 11 for $6.50. It comes with your choice of chicken, vegetable or pork fried rice ( I chose chicken) and a can of soda. The lunch combo is a dollar cheaper, but not available after 4pm. Delivery is free and they accept all major credit cards. I also ordered Miso Soup for $1.75.

While I wait for my food to come I am flipping between my 12 channels. There is this new show on called "Gossip Girl." It looks like the OC has found its way to the Upper East Side. On channel 13 though is the documentary "New York Goes To War." I will probably flip between the two as they are both so extreme and the only other option is "Save the Last Dance." **quietly barfing**... Maybe I will just watch the news.. despite that there isn't a lot of good news these days.. Maybe they will do a feature on puppies that are being adopted by a chicken or something..

Wow,,, this is taking a while. It is 6:44pm. I called back.. they said " give me a few more minutes." ugh... really? I had such high hopes.

BUZZ!!!! Yay!!! The food is here! It only took an HOUR. It is 6:57.

ok.

It was a really long wait for that food. But here I am. Brown Paper Bag of Chinese food in hand.

And I open it.....

Crap. I should have asked for chopsticks. But it does come with utensils as well as duck sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and soy sauce. Lets hit the Miso!

eww.

Oh God. This is awful. It's like water. Geesh. The peices of seaweed are HUGE. and the tofu is all disintegrated. Bleh. I add the soy sauce packet to it. Bleh. Nope. I just wasted a $1.75. Hey Amy-- you need to fix the Miso. It's not workin'.

My friend who recommended Amy's said "They have the best CHINESE food in the area." Miso is Japanese... so I suppose it's like when you go to get a pickle at an Italian deli and it still tastes like a cucumber. So. Yea. It is gross-- Don't get it.

Ok. The beef and broccoli with chicken fried rice. There is a lot of rice in here, but not a lot of Beef and broccoli. hmm.. oh well. I have my own chopsticks -of course- and dive right in.

The beef tastes good. It looks healthy. It isn't SOAKING in brown sauce like some places do it. It is good. YAY! The beef is GOOD! The broccoli is fresh! BUT-- the food is almost room temperature because it took so long to get here. Sure the problem is easily solved by just walking in and getting take out, rather than delivery. But I didn't want to leave my house-- I got work to do here!

So, the beef and broccoli- the whole dish is just fine. It was just a little underwhelming. As is the chicken fried rice- it was good, but it just was a little too salty for my taste. I am full though now. I just wish that I had gotten more beef and broccoli and less rice. Even the crappy Chinese places give you almost equal portions. But this is the dinner special. It is cheap and maybe it is because of that they give you less.

On the menu you have options. You have the ability to choose Small, for 6.95 or regular for 8.95. I am sure both of those probably had a little more than I got with my 'dinner combo' size.

The chicken fried rice had a lot of onions in it. Some of the pieces of onion were pretty big too- not sure that I was into that. There was a good amount of chicken in there though and that made it nice. They also had some egg mixed in.

But really, the thing I am happiest about is that the broccoli was cooked just right. It was almost like they had steamed it. It was cooked just the way I like it. The broccoli was also very very fresh. No where near the blooming stage like at the other places up here.

So. Here is the scoop.

It took a long time to get here, but I liked most of what i got.

Honestly- I knew the miso soup was going to be pretty crappy. I just had this feeling. So just don't order that. If you want a lot of one thing-- don't get a combo- get the regular size from the normal menu and not the Combo menu.

Also- I got a fortune cookie. I had never gotten a fortune like this. It was pleasant and an actual fortune-- not just stupid sayings like "Patience is a virtue" or "peace is a state we should all live in." I can't tell you what the fortune was-- because it won't come true if I do. But just go to Amy's ( don't get the Miso) and get your own fortune.

This place IS worth the INK.

LONG wait. Good CHINESE food.

BAD Miso soup. OK prices

7.5 out of 10.

I will order from here again and see if it comes sooner. I will also try and order something more interesting, to see how they do at some of their own "Chef Specialties."

Oh- and Gossip Girl is Desperate housewives for high school kids-- right down to the narrator's weird voice.

Meh,, I'm going to go get a Freezee from the Bodega.

Sunday in the park with Santería

2007-10-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

So.
I, as do many other folks, jog in Inwood Hill Park, as well as Fort Tryon Park. The hills are huge and it is a great work out. Well- on one of my first jogs in the park I winded myself on a hill and had to take a breather -stopping at one of the outlooks. I paced a bit and walked around. I decided to go onto the little outlook and look over the edge.

Just then, I heard a crow in a tree, and I noticed about 40 crows all looking at me. It was creepy. Then I noticed they were not looking at me- they were looking just to the left of me. Glad that I wasn't the focus of their hungry eyes- I looked down and there on the ground was half of a chicken tied to a tree branch. Now I say half, and I mean it. There was half a chicken tied to a tree branch, and the other half was no where to be found.

I asked a friend about it, and he told me that some people practice Santería in the park after hours, and this was part of what they do. Well of course this prompted a bunch of research on my behalf as I wanted to understand exactly why I may be finding half of a chicken tied to a log on my morning run.

Well, now this morning I went running in the park and I came across two guys taking pictures of something. I slowed down to see what it was. This time it was a living chicken. A big fat red hen, that was kinda beat up and looked like it had escaped the other chickens fate.

I can only assume that these are from Santería rituals performed in the dark after hours. That, or the recent Renaissance Festival in Fort Tryon is short a few chickens......

But anyway...

From Wikipedia:

"Santería also known as "La Regla de Lukumi," is an Afro-Caribbean religion derived from traditional beliefs of the Yoruba people of Nigeria."

Now, this religion has faced much controversy over its practice of animal sacrifice. In fact, in 1993 the issue was taken to the Supreme court when animal rights activists targeted the group saying their sacrifices of animals were cruel.

On this subject Wikipedia then states;

"The Supreme Court ruled that animal cruelty laws targeted specifically at Yoruba were unconstitutional: the Yoruba practice of animal sacrifice has seen no significant legal challenges since then."

I do have to say, I'm not fond of thinking that up in a public park there are people killing chickens at night.

But I guess I am also a bit confused as to why the pieces of the bird or the entire bird would be left there in plain sight where people can find it...

But all the same- this is certainly an ongoing practice in the neighborhood, and if you see half a dead chicken on your morning run--now you know what one explanation may be.

So in the words of Sondheim;

"Into the woods to go to the [Renaissance] Festival-! Into the woods! Into the woods! Into the woods-Then out of the woods, And home before dark!"

Have a safe jog in the park.

New York City Department of Parks & Recreation:
General Park Hours; Parks: Sunrise to 1 AM, Playgrounds: 8 AM to Dusk.

UPDATE:

So I went running again this morning, and who should I find on the path in front of me by the Dog Walk? My little red hen. But she didn't look so good. A few days in the park had made her weak and she was just sitting on the asphalt path with her eyes half closed while lots of green flies swarmed her. It was awful. I came close enough to her that she became alert, but then she just closed her eyes again as if to say " there ain't a thing you can do that could be worse than what I already went through."
The fact is she will probably die in the park.
I couldn't really allow that, so of course I run home and call 311. Sylvia answers and I tell her all the info. Then she tells me it may take up to 5 days to respond. What?? Really? Five?!
Okay,, well that is about all I can do other than trying to take a hen home with me and nurse it back to health in my bathtub or something.

So. The red hen is still there. On closer inspection it looks like someone ripped her tail out. It's pretty awful. I hope she gets some help.

So yea. I couldn't find any of the park people there.. oh but get this.. FIRST I went to Fort Tryon's Cloisters museum and asked the security people if they could help with the situation and locate the park people. They said "We have nothing to do with the park."
While that is all well and good, and I respect that. I also think it is a slightly miserable and self defeating stance on the situation. For instance-- you have nothing to do with the park? Therefore, I assume that park has nothing to do with you? Ok. Say the park suddenly can't afford to have it's grounds kept up, and is abandoned to the same extent as Inwood Hill park. I think the cloisters would find themselves in a bit of a pinch when bum encampments spring up in the land around them that they have 'nothing to do with'.

That is a bit of a rant, but it just sounded so silly when it came out of his mouth.

So anyway-- some park person within the next five days will probably find the hen- dead or alive- and then probably euthanize it anyway. It's sort of sad.

Review: Capitol Restaurant

2007-09-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

I went here for breakfast a few days ago.

I usually like to eat at the Park View Cafe on Dyckman, but I figured it would be nice to try something different.
Capitol Restaurant

4933 Broadway, New York, NY
(212) 942-5090

So,, first things first. The place is called "Capitol" Restaurant. Now I don't know if they just chose the alternative way of spelling "capital" to be cute,, like when people spell 'shop' as "Shoppe" etc.. or if they named it for the nations Capitol , or if they named it after Jupiter's Temple in Ancient Rome; the Capitōlium on the Capitoline hill... but whatever the reason..

Welcome to the Capitol Restaurant.

I walked in and there was an older guy working. The kind of person that immediately gave you the impression that this was perhaps a family owned enterprise and he was the surly brother. So I sat, and had a tiny glass of water. The inside of the place is small and dark--and I immediately knew that if I had a hang over-- this is the place I would go. It is a bit like eating in a cave. Perfect for those times when you need sunglasses and a 'wet nap' everywhere you go after a heavy night of dancing and pumping yourself full of vodka.

So, I went,, and it has a really basic diner menu. I decided that I would go therefore; with the very basic diner options. I got wheat toast, scrambled eggs, coffee and some home fries-- or hash browns as some people call them.

The food was up nice and fast. But it didn't look like anything too exciting. I mean, it really was basic diner food. If i did go there with a hang over- it would be perfect because when you have a hang over you order the food cause you know you should, but you end up just having the coffee.

So, I mean. The food was fine. It sort of reminded me of the sort of breakfast a mom would make their kid in a rush except with out as much love put into it. I didn't like the hashbrowns.

The coffee was okay though and that made me happy.

Well,,I suppose the moral is- crash here when you need get away from the sunlight and don't go here expecting a sexy garnish for your nice cheap meal or an overwhelmingly upbeat atmosphere. The server tends to you when you need it, and leaves you alone while you eat.

The place is worth the Ink

6.5 out of 10.

The place is really basic and more of a hideaway than a food destination.

I would hold meetings here that need a quiet atmosphere.

UPDATE: NEXXUS SHOES; :-(

2007-09-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

Do we all remember the great story of Jason and the Argonauts?

A small quote from the story I find extremely relevant to my day today:

"Pelias jealously guarded his crown. He paid homage to all the gods but Hera, Queen of the Gods, and he consulted the Delphic oracle who who spoke this prophecy, "A hateful doom awaits you to be slain by the hand of the man with but one sandal."

Well-- Now I am that man with one sandal and these prophetic words give me the strength to bringith forth DOOM on NEXXUS shoes.

Yea.. remember the nice review I gave Nexxus shoes? I had gone, and bought a lovely pair of sandals from the store for twenty bucks ( see receipt).

I purchased them on the twenty-seventh of August. I have worn them a total of about.. oh seven times- not including trips to the mail box in the lobby in the morning.

Well, this morning when I put on my sandals to head to the mail box, I took two steps and felt something odd. My sandal had detached from my foot. I took another step because I wanted to give the sandal the benefit of the doubt. But no. The sandal had betrayed me. After searching for weeks to find a nice looking pair of moderately priced sandals/flip flops my dreams were smashed after only 3 weeks of owning them.

Upon closer inspection I could see that the fibers had actually separated after only a few wearings. They had not SNAPPED from a fall, or a misstep. They had literally come apart after only a few weeks. Its like when you buy jeans and the material sort of loosens up? Well that shouldn't happen with a sandal. Maybe after a year, or perhaps even a season of wear and tear.

But three weeks is a joke. Three weeks a is a rip off. Three weeks worth of wearing a nice little sandal and then having it come apart on a trip 25 feet to my mail box makes me take a trip back to Nexxus.

Yes-- OH YES.. I went back. -- I was very nice about it too. I said,, "Hi, you sold me these sandals and they fell apart after wearing them about 7 times or so." I showed him the receipt and he said "Yea, sometimes sandals like these break when you trip in them or turn your leg funny."

--I was not amused as I had not tripped in them or turned my leg funny on my way to get my mail.

I asked him what he could do about it, or if there was a way to fix it. He said "No- you have to throw it out- it can't be fixed ( he said as though he knew from experience...) and we only have seven days to do returns."

I thanked him and walked out of the store and here I am telling you all; Don't bother shopping at Nexxus shoes for your sandals. Go somewhere else. Unless you are the type who enjoys buying new shoes and then having them break at an inopportune time. Yea I didn't pay a fortune for them. But what bothered me is that you can buy ugly flip flops from Old Navy and they wont break for a long while.

I mean, my thinking was-- oh the toe stirrup is made of leather-- that will be nice and strong. Well, I was wrong, Somehow or other it looks like both of the tongs on the sandals either had been slightly lacerated by the machine that made them, or they are just for looks while the core (made of cheap fibers similar to the string on tea bags) is supposed to actually hold the sandal together.

Don't get me wrong-- Nexxus has cheap shoes and nice people working there. But I don't think that it is worth going back there when I now know what happens to some of the shoes they sell. Also- I looked up the sandal online. All the versions of Raggazi Sandals I could find only cost $9.99 at the most. I paid twice that much at Nexxus... ugh. What really stinks is that I knew there was a Payless shoe store I could have gone to just down the street on Dyckman..

Anyway-- Check back on the review I posted for them-- it has been updated.

Review: The Victorian House

2007-09-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Looking for fine furniture? A giant painting for your Inwood flat? maybe some classy scented candles?

Well-- then head on up to The Victorian House:

4961 Broadway
New York, NY 10034
(212) 304-0202

The store has two really nice window displays featuring modern furniture as well as a really classy Victorian setup.

Upon entering the store you leave the northern tip of Manhattan and emerge in a boutique that could be in SoHo or the Village. It isn't ridiculously over stuffed with furniture. It is tastefully displayed and arranged so that the pieces can be seen in full detail.

A few minutes after looking around I made my way to the back where they had a large bookcase filled with candles that had wonderful warm scents. Then I heard a little voice call out to me- "Is there anything you'd like to see?"

A woman from behind the counter leaned far over and smiled at me. "Just looking-- but thank you."

I continued on to look at these pretty amazing and really HUGE oil paintings of canals in Venice. They had really beautiful carved- not pressed- oak and cherry wood frames.

As can be expected in a place like this-- the prices are a bit steep. But you are paying for instant class.

The woman behind the counter didn't stalk me through the store like some people do in shops up here. She just went about her work and reading a magazine. It was so relaxing.

So- if you can afford to go and pick up a 70 dollar blown glass vase, want some really sexy furniture - Or just need to pick up some autumnal candles-- Go to The Victorian House.

9 out of 10.

There isn't anything like it up here that caters to this lifestyle that I know of yet- saves a trip downtown. But it is pricey.

Tip on movin' on up:

2007-09-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

I learned a few things when I first moved into the neighborhood. Firstly--- you do not need a broker-- though sometimes it helps.

What you do need is: to take a walk.

-Really.

Wander around the neighborhood and look at the buildings and if one catches your eye or if there is an area you like- here is what you do;

Look on the building for the sign that says which management company owns the building and rents the units.

It is usually not too far from the front entrance.

So say- you find a place and the Mgmt. company is... oh.. 'Prather Mgmt.'-- okay?

So, then you write down the number for 'Prather' or look them up and when you call them you say that you are a prospective renter. Then tell them your price range and how many bedrooms you are seeking and ask if they have anything available for you.

Often you will have to fill out an application-- but that isn't unusual at all.

Most places in Inwood will accept guarantors--so if you are fresh out of college and looking for a place- Inwood is 'it'.

Doing it this way is usually about 1500 dollars cheaper than using a broker- and even you are not a fresh faced college kid- 1500 dollars isn't usually just sitting around waiting to be spent on a broker who doesn't really do much anyway.

If walking isn't your thing-- there is always Craigslist. -- Rents are more expensive west of Broadway and get cheaper as you go towards the One train.

So take a walk and come visit the neighborhood- you may just want to stay.

9/11 Memorials in Inwood

2007-09-14T17:40:00.001-07:00

September 11th, 2001 affected so many people, in New York and around the world.

Here in Inwood I have found a few memorials erected in memory of those lost from the community on that day.

Next to the Church of the Good Shepherd on Isham and Broadway there is a small memorial garden and some beams from the site of the World trade center along with a circle of markers with the names and photographs of the men and women who lost their lives that day who were Inwood residents. Also- that side of Isham has been renamed "Inwood's Heroes of 9/11 Way".

There is also Bruce's Garden on Park Terrace East and 215th.

The garden is in memory of Bruce Reynolds- a port authority police officer who rushed back into the towers sacrificing his life to try and help those who were still inside.

If you know of any other memorials in the area to Inwood residents and would like to share them with the community please feel free to comment and tell us where they are.

Review: Tread Bike Shop

2007-09-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have a small story to tell...

When I was younger and lived back in Minnesota my parents gave me a bike. It was an amazing TREK bike. It was green and I took amazing care of it. It came with me when I went to college. It came with me when I moved to Brooklyn. But unfortunately while I was out of town with a show, my roommates decided to move the furniture around in the apartment and had the bright idea to put the bike in the hall way while they did this. They say they were not even ten minutes, and when they came to get the bike- it had been stolen.

Anyway- they figured that 150 bucks was enough to get me a new-used-bike.

I moved out of that place in Brooklyn and into my own in Inwood where I began to search for a place to get a bike for 150 bucks. I found; Tread Bike Shop.

I brought my money with me thinking they may have something used that I could get for about that amount. But they store did not. Instead they had REALLY nice nice bikes. Bikes far to expensive for me to purchase. So, I left but made a mental note that the place existed and to come back if i needed anything..

It was wise of me to do so because..

I went to my good friend 'Craigslist' where I found a great looking silver bike. I bought it for 120 dollars from a Chinese delivery boy who said it worked great and he had never had a problem. I tested it out in front of him and was satisfied with it. I was thrilled to finally have a bike back in my possession.

So, a week later I was riding the bike down the west side parkway-- which is really beautiful. I rode it all they way to the battery and on my way back up at 14th street; the pedals fell off.

Lucky for me i had brought two bucks with me just in case I needed to take a train home or got tired.. so I took the train back and the next day brought the bike to the Tread Bike Shop.

I walked my bike in and brought it to the back where they have a nice set up for fixing up bikes and such. I was immediately helped and my bike was fixed less than 10 minutes later and for less than 15 dollars. It was really easy and they were so nice.

So the next week I rode my bike down to the battery again, and when i was on my way back up- Both my tires went flat. I am planning on going back to Tread to get it fixed up.

So I don't really know what the moral of the story is...

Maybe:

Don't let your roommates touch your bike-EVER.

OR:

Be careful when you get a bike off Craigslist

But probably;

Go to Tread bike shop if you live in Inwood and need help with your bike.

Worth the ink

I give them a 9 out of 10.

-They don't sell used bikes.

But: they do RENT out bikes if i recall.

Tread bike shop is located off Dyckman street and Seaman.

250 Dyckman St
New York, NY 10034
(212) 544-7055
treadbikeshop.com

COMMENTS

2007-09-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone:

Thanks so much for reading the blog and thanks even more for the comments!

I really recommend that you all read the comments that do get posted beneath an article or a review- because so far they have all been extremely helpful!

Also- If you leave a comment asking about where something is because I have neglected to say where it is at, check back on it and I will have posted a post script telling you where you can find the shop, restaurant or other destination that is of interest to you.

So, keep on commenting and thanks for stopping by!

Kermit thanks you too.

REVIEW: Five Star Cleaners

2007-09-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

The washer and dryer in my building suck.

They are terrible, and I don't have the ability to baby sit my clothes for 6 hours while they tumble to near dry...

SO-

I take my clothes to be done at a laundromat where I can pick them up folded and dry.

First I tried to bring my clothes to LAUNDROMAT-- as seen here. But no one who was working spoke any English. But I wanted to see what they would do- So I gave them 10 pounds of laundry. When I came back later that day,, about 9 hours later-- it was all done.. but they charged me 10 dollars. I don't know if they did this because I am a non-Hispanic, or because there was a language barrier, or because they have ridiculous prices. But it pissed me off, and I won't ever go there again. It isn't worth the ink. Though they were nice about the whole thing, I am not about to haggle a woman who doesn't speak English. I just gave her the 10 bucks and took my laundry home. So.. to them I say; POO POO.

Okay.

Which brings me to my next destination for getting my clothes all nice and prettied up.

The Five Star Cleaners on Sherman and Thayer.

This place is your all in one clothes cleaner, dry cleaner, pants repairing, stain removing destination.

I go in, and there is an Asian lady reading a paper in what I think is Chinese. She smiles at me and ushers for me to bring the laundry hamper around to the scale on the other side of the counter so i can see how much it weighs and she can show me the price per pound. She then IN SPANISH calls to her employee to take the sack away. It was wonderfully cheap and I had same day service done on it. I came back that night and paid WITH CREDIT for clothes that were neatly folded and smelled like fresh oranges. I swear to God she must have thrown a few juicy oranges in with the rinse cycle-- it was great.

So firstly I learn that this lady is a smart cookie; she is tri-lingual.

Next, I brought in a pair of ripped up old jeans to see how she would repair that. I point to the crotch and told her that I would need that fixed up, she said sure, and to come back tomorrow morning to get them. I came back,,, and they were not done. She said come back at 5 pm and get them. I came back,, ---- they were not done. She said come back in the morning. I came back the next morning, and she had fixed the jeans in EXACTLY the place in the crotch I pointed to. Not the WHOLE crotch,, just the part I pointed to.

Now,, I know that it is good to never assume anything, but really my sweet little lady-- when someone wants the crotch of their pants fixed.... umm.. they really mean the whole thing,, not just half of it.

I asked her, and she said it would be 5 more dollars to do the rest of the crotch. I said, "oh no-- it's perfect! You did a great job fixing the part I pointed to!" I said this very sincerely and I meant it. Her stitching was wonderful, and has held up immaculately.

But as you can see this puts me in a bit of a pickle. I am too nice sometimes and let people get away with doing skeezy things like fixing half a crotch. So I made the best of it and fixed the rest myself. As you can see though, my repair work (on the left and center) is not nearly so nice as hers (on the far right,) and has fallen to pieces over and over. But now if i take it back to her she will probably laugh at me.. Hmmm.. Unless I take out the stitch work I did all together and let her do the whole thing again. This time i will wave my hand over the ENTIRE crotch when I tell her what to fix.

But anyway.. After that incident.. I didn't feel too comfortable bringing this woman my dainties and such to be cleaned. Luckily I went on vacation for a bit and when i got back and brought her laundry she asked me where I had been and told me " I appreciate your business." It was really sweet. I think she knew I had been slightly enraged by the pants incident.

So I still bring my laundry there. It always comes back smelling slightly orangey-- which I love. But they NO LONGER TAKE CREDIT CARDS. Even though they DO have a machine with which to swipe. They say it costs them more to do credit than cash. So unless you do a HUGE load for a family--- it's probably going to be a no go.

ALSO- they do do same day service.. but usually it is on their terms. This means that if you need your clothes THAT NIGHT-- make sure you tell them this, and ask; "What time can I get these tonight." And DON'T be an unreasonable DOUCHE bag and ask for them in 2 hours. Give them a good while to finish their job and do it right. You will be satisfied with the results.

So--

This place is worth the ink.

I give it a 7 out of 10.

( My old laundress used to tie up my underpants and socks with ribbon-- and the credit thing really was a buzz kill)

So visit the Multi-lingual lady at Five star cleaners-- She will appreciate your business.

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!

2007-09-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

LOOK!!!! A STRANGE SIGHT!!! No children.....

Hear that?

Do you?

It is the sound of silence.

Thousands and thousands of children returned to school the other day, and for the first time in 3 months, I went to bed with out the sounds of children screaming and jumping on the roofs of parked cars as if they were bed bug infested mattresses. No stupid white hatch backs with GIANT sub woofers blasting the same crappy Latin techno. No.

I slept from 12 am, straight to 12 pm. I woke up all on my own.

I did not wake up because of children trying to climb up the fire escape, and I did not wake up to the sounds of kids throwing glass bottles at the side of the apartment. Nope.

I just woke up.

Finally.. September has come.

Enjoy it-- I am.

Vacant Store Front

2007-09-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

So this used to be a Blockbuster? There is an ice cream shop here as well....

Hey Donald!

Yea YOU, Mr. Trump.

Why don't you come up here and buy this ugly little building?

Clean the gnats out of your weave, and buy this dump.

Rip it out, and put in a 60 story building complete with a giant TRUMP sign.

SOMEONE-- clean this place up.

To the residents who do not do so themselves;

Look, you had your chance, and now it is happening, people are saying..look at that dump up there just waiting for me. All nice and cheap because no one takes care of it. It is perfect! These last attempts at cleaning up your dilapidated buildings by painting over the cracks in the walls isn't going to work.

So- MR. TRUMP!

C'mon,, you can do it. I dare you. Buy the crapped out old Blockbuster/ice cream shop.

A SKYSCRAPER IN INWOOD?

2007-09-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Get ready---

This is the buzz among many in Inwood;

From the GreenbergFarrow website:

Broadway & Sherman, New York, New York400,000 square feet (50,000 square feet of retail, 150,000 square feet of residential and 120,000 of office and attached parking)Completion TBD.So it looks like Inwood has finally been discovered for the real estate gem that it is. What sits now at this intersection is an old parking garage--nothing I am too sad to be losing. But this structure certainly speaks of change in the area. I could tell that this neighborhood was beginning a process of gentrification when I moved here. The buildings on my street are all being renovated. There are little courtyards being built on what were ugly little cement entryways.

From Dictionary.com;
gen·tri·fi·ca·tion /ˌdʒɛntrəfɪˈkeɪʃən/ Pronunciation Key - [jen-truh-fi-key-shuhn] –noun
1.
The buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, thus improving property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.
2.
An instance of gentrifying; the condition of being gentrified.

Now while this is all fine and dandy for a little white kid who wants to be a lawyer. I on the other hand want to be an actor and have enough money troubles as it is. Thankfully my apartment is rent stabilized and won't go up much.
But honestly, many of the people here probably don't work in this neighborhood. Most of them probably are the people who have to work the minimum wage jobs downtown. These hard workers are getting pushed further and further out of the New York area. I don't know enough about affordable housing, but I know you simply cant throw a bunch of low-income residents in to one gigantic building. Crime rates spike in that geographic area and the neighborhood sinks in value. It would behoove this city to come up with- if they have not already- housing that is truly economically mixed. People of all incomes able to live side by side and hopefully all parties involved having enough self respect to treat the people around them well and maintain their residences. I do know that if this neighborhood does become gentrified, that the low-income residents are for the most part going to end up leaving. Where will they go? I suppose further up the 1 train.

I am however-- very excited about this building. I think it has some wonderful architectural elements and will give people a completely different idea about Inwood. But its creation was inevitable. Inwood sits right between the 1 train and the A train- the two BEST trains in Manhattan and the most consistent. Inwood is surrounded by park land and has a museum of unique antiquities that no other part of the city is able to claim. Also, we are one of the gateway neighborhoods for Jersey residents as well as New York residents to the north. Inwood is suited to become one of the most important residential and possibly commercial neighborhoods in Upper Manhattan.

Some people have already spoken of their interest. For instance, the new 28 story condo on Sherman and Broadway. But a much larger investment has been thrown around. This could all be horse shit gossip- but apparently Donald Trump and a few of his buddies are looking into buying up most of the real estate in northern Manhattan - specifically Washington Heights.

Hopefully they don't plan on making it their own little playground.

But in the meanwhile, I am happy to welcome this new building to the neighborhood. Maybe I will finally get that Starbucks..

Review: NEXXUS SHOES

2007-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Nexxus Shoes 168 Dyckman street.

So, typical me-I have a pair of crappy old flip flops that finally flopped out on me after a few years but still procrastinated till the end of summer to get new ones. I searched HIGH and LOW for a month for a store that sold a NICE pair of sandals/flip flops that were also NICE and CHEAP.
I spent most of the time looking on 8th avenue between 42nd and 34th- there are a lot of shoe shops there. But alas and alack---nothing seemed worth buying.

Finally one day wandering around the Dyckman Valley Neighborhood, I found NEXXUS.

I walked in and the older gentleman who was organizing the shoe racks greeted me. I quickly made my way to the back of the store where about 3 dozen pairs of very nice looking sandals and flip flops greeted me. Most of them honestly looked either too dressy for me, or were a little too odd. Whatever the case may be... I picked out a few pairs that I thought suited me.

The first pair was straight out of the bible--- and not very me. But the clerk was insistent that I let him get the sandals mate out of the back so I could walk around. -- They were comfy, but I am no Moses.

The second pair.. same story-- But I don't think I look very keen in a white sandal. There is something suburban house wife-ish about a white sandal.

The THIRD pair-- well, they were great! and I bought them. All of the sandals were 20 bucks. And I thoroughly enjoyed the process.

The store has lots of benches to sit on, and the workers were all VERY pleasant, leaving me quite pleased with my experience. The lighting was all florescent but at least there was a lot of it so i could really see the shoes. Some 'high class' stores have such dim lighting I could be trying on a dead puppy and not know it.

The clerk even cracked a few jokes with me about shoes, which I am sure don't exist outside the trade. I won't give them away, but he is a funny guy and I am sure if you go there he will treat you to a guffaw or two.

So it is a good store-- it had a good selection of most everything I needed and as you can see I got just what I was looking for.

UPDATE:
I did not get what I was looking for. The sandals broke after wearing them seven times or so. The fibers in the tong actually SEPARATED-- they didn't snap from a fall, trip or other self inflicted wound. They were just crappy shoes. It sucks cause the people there were so nice- they just happen to be selling a poorly made product. So,, i guess go for the ambiance and not for the shoes??... meh.

This cozy boutique is NOT worth the ink

I had given them an 8 out of ten before, but thats when I thought the shoes were going to be around for a while longer.

4 out of 10-- They sandals don't hold up to 7 wearnings. Just go to payless down the street.

SIGNS - and their true meanings....

2007-09-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

POSITIVELY NO BALL PLAYING ALLOWED

This is my favorite sign. It is usually surrounded by teenagers playing basketball with the lower rung of a fire escape. Or people playing hand ball-- and of course.. usually at 2 am.

Maybe the west side of Broadway is different... Maybe they don't have "No ball playing," signs to attract ball players.

**************************

OPERATION CLEAN HALLS: "In an effort to rid buildings within the precinct of unauthorized people trespassing within them for the purpose of narcotics sale/use, landlords request that the beat officer covering their building conduct vertical patrols within their building and remove persons loitering within the building who do not reside therein. To find out more about how your building can become a part of this program, contact your Community Policing Beat Officer at 590-5557. " - From the NYPD website.

All I have to say is,,, what a load of CRAP. There are non-resident trespasser children playing ball in my hallway all day screaming and having a KICK ASS time. Non-resident people use the apartment lobby outlets to plug in radios and car buffers. I often wake up and get my mail in the lobby and on my way will see cigarette butts and bottles of alcohol usually half full. This sign clearly indicates a safe haven for alcoholics that get cold and need to come inside to drink some more. Grrr..

**********************************************************************************

In fact the only signs that are truly enforced are the damn NO PARKING signs.

But that DON'T LITTER sign next to it is quite ignored.

Now.. yes,, this is a bitter little rant. But I DO like the idea of these signs meaning something. I like that they were paid for and put up with good intentions. What I don't like is peoples blatant disregard for their neighbors.

PLEASE:

-Clean up your trash

-Don't use the side of my house as place to play with your balls.

-And get the HELL out of my lobby.

Thank you.

Cell Phone Stuff

2007-09-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Look,, so there is pretty good service in the neighborhood. It is New York after all, and it would be ridiculous to not provide good service to so many customers all piled into a small area.

There are several authorized stores for different providers where you can get a new phone or an old one repaired. But mostly you are going to have to find chargers and the like at unauthorized smaller stores in the area. Not that you couldn't go down town a bit and find more, but I am interested in making this neighborhood self sufficient.

The only authorized Individual retailers of major providers I could find:

609 W 207TH STREET NEW YORK, NY (212) 567-8820--- AT&T

And

Dyckman between Broadway and Sherman has a nice clean store.

DIGITAL EXPRESS PCS INC.178 DYCKMAN ST. (212)569-3100----SPRINT

As for Verizon...

this was all I could find in the area....

POST OFFICES IN INWOOD

2007-09-02T19:02:00.001-07:00

Need to pay your rent?
Need some stamps?
Want to wait in line?
Don't feel like going to the UPS on Dyckman?
Here are our post offices!

US Post Office - more info »
90 Vermilyea Ave, New York, NY
(800) 275-8777

(Off 204)

US Post Office - more info »
4558 Broadway, New York, NY
(212) 942-0052

(off 193)

Typical of U.S. Post Offices there are lines sometimes, but I have never had any problems. Also, the employees at the Broadway location are very nice.

UPDATE: Vacant Lot on Dyckman and Broadway

2007-09-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

Aw, crap..A stop work order...

Well, if it was shady business then it probably wasn't going to be a Starbucks,, so this is our chance. WRITE TO STARBUCKS and ask them to put one in!!!

If it isn't a Starbucks it is fine by me I guess...I just want it to be something useful and enjoyable.

But now it will be a lot longer till anything goes in.

BOOOOOO USELESS WASTE OF SPACE IN MANHATTAN...

FIRESIDE PENTECOSTAL ASSEMBLY, INC.

2007-09-02T17:26:00.001-07:00

So, on my way to the park for a morning run I was given a flier by the local Pentecostal Church and stopped back and asked if i could take some pictures of their electronically amplified street preaching. They said yes- as long as I took another flier.

So, I have not attended a service here yet, but this is what i was handed and I suppose if you are looking for a church that shares your belief system, it will be a good indicator as to if this is the right place for you!

From the flier:
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN

1.What is the Bible?

The bible is GOD'S WORD. It tells us His law.

(here they show a picture of a book that says KING JAMES on the cover).

2. What is SIN?

Sin is breaking God's Law. Lying, cheating, cursing, stealing--NOT OBEYING GOD IS SIN.

3.Will God punish sin?

YES! Sinners will burn in hell FOREVER.

4. Can I save myself from hell?

NO! No one can save himself.

5.Who can save me from hell?

JESUS can, because he NEVER sinned.

6.Jesus died on the cross to pay for ALL your sins.

7.He was buried the he rose again on the third day.

8.How can I be saved?

"Believe in the lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31b)

9."....except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

10. TURN TO THE LORD JESUS. Ask Him to forgive you and save you.

So if this sounds like the church for you! check out the Pentecostal church on Thayer (199th stree) and Sherman behind the parking garage.

I don't care much for the preaching in Spanish cause I don't understand most of it and it is VERY VERY LOUD,, but sometimes they sing pretty songs in front of the church.

Nightlife?

2007-08-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

LOOK! IT'S THE REST OF MANHATTAN HANGING OUT AFTER DARK!

As a non Spanish speaking citizen of upper Manhattan, after dinner I am left wondering what to do with myself. Are there bars up here or anything to do for a 20 something non Spanish speaking guy?
I find myself having lots of movie nights and creating experimental martinis with friends. (The newest experient is a Ginger Apple Martini... strong but good.)

But other than what we provide ourselves with to do, I find that there is nothing else to do. It is really really boring up here after 9 pm.

The most unfortunate part about this entire situation is that it is too damn noisy in my neighborhood to go to sleep early if I choose to.

I end up heading down to Midtown or somewhere below that to hang out with friends and grab a drink. But like I have said before that leaves me in a bit of a pickle as to how I want to get home. Usually I do end up taking the 1 or the A running local all the way home. It is a pretty crappy ride all the way back up. But unless it is after 2 am you will usually have a good amount of company with you in the train car.

But really Inwood.. there is a lot of money to be spent if you would simply open a crappy little bar for us to spend it at. Maybe on the vacant corner-- a nice coffee house/cafe. Booze isn't totally necessary.

But if anyone knows where "it" is at in Inwood-- drop a comment. We'd all like to know..

Review: Japanese Outlet!

2007-08-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

I used to live in Hartford Connecticut-- and when I lived there-- they had an amazing market called A Dong. Now, while A Dong had all things Japanese, as well as some chinese and korean imports it was also the size of the Fine Fare. If you cram that all down and take out the food aspects of the A Dong Groccer. You would end up with 'Japanese Outlet.'
Japanese Outlet is a cute little little store on Dyckman street, near where it intersects Sherman.
The store is exactly what it says it is-- a Japanese Outlet.
It is sort of a Japanese version of a dollar store. When i went there I was in search of things to make the new apartment homey, and since a lot of my color scheme is black and red- many of the accents from a japanese outlet would fit right in.
But when I got there I found that they mostly had little things-umbrellas, balloons, and almost all of them Japanese imports. I ended up getting; 6 Magnets, and chopsticks.
The staff is really helpful. They didnt have any magnets out when i went by, and i asked the lady behind the counter if she had any in stock. She smiled and went out the back door, and up a flight of stairs and came back with a big bag FULL of different magnets. I got a couple of magnets featuring wine bottles, as well as a frying pan, and a birthday cake-- they all stick to my fridge very well.
Anyway. It is what it is, a Japanese outlet/random stuff store.
I fly by there when ever i need something a little different than what the 99 cent store on Dyckman can give me. Cause honestly, a lot of the things at J.O. are better quality than a normal dollar store. They also have some cute tea pots and stuff like that as well as some specialty items that you would only find in a Japanese store- Especially cookware items.
It is a very unique establishment in this part of town.
So definatley stop by and peek in.

For what it is, its pretty great-- and they sell fresh cut flowers out front.
Worth the INK- Its the only place like it up here.
7 out of 10.

Not that I have been to a lot of japanese outlet stores, but I didn'd find what I thought i would there, which was some japanese art to decorate the new place with. Sort of dissapointed. But I have a feeling they have different items in stock all the time-- all the more reason to pop by and see what is new!

**
The shop is between Sherman and Nagel on Dyckman street. Pop on by.

The Best Place To Breathe In Manhattan

2007-08-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

If you have not heard yet... Inwood is surrounded by parks.
It is so refreshing to get off the train and inhale. The air up here is just different. It isn't that thick, sugary, vomit-scented, times-square jello air. It isn't "the tide is obviously in and brought some used condoms up-stream" air. It is a clean scent that due to our elevation has somehow managed to keep all the 'New York' out of the breeze. So if you haven't yet-- just come up town, hang out at The New Leaf Cafe in Fort Tryon Park, have a glass of wine and BREATHE.

Review: Il Sole

2007-08-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is one of the only sidewalk cafes/restaurants in Inwood. It has an Italian menu-- which you can see HERE. It is at 233 Dyckman street.. I eat there whenever I want to have the experience of feeling like I am in the meat packing district but don't feel like taking the train. However, there are some differences between a sidewalk cafe in the meat packing district and our Inwood's lovely Il Sole.

It isn't a large restaurant- so getting a table quickly is no trouble really. Sadly though, if you sit outside chances are some fat guy or guys is going to ruin your evening by smoking a huge cigar. It seems the management has neglected to enforce the New York smoking ban in eating establishments. Also if you sit outside on a warm summer night, you will have a lovely view of the gas station in all its florescent glory. But these are easily remedied by sitting just on the cusp of the patio and the inside. Tadah-- no more glaring lights and much less of a chance for smoke inhalation during your supper.

Now to get on to supper- I started out with a Mojito- which was actually really excellent and relaxing. My friend ordered the chicken Francais and I had the chicken Marsala. Our waiter was wonderful. He was really personable and took our orders with a smile and brought the food very quickly. When it arrived though, I was disappointed to see that though we had ordered different things- they looked almost the same. They were thin pieces of salty sort of dry chicken with a small side of pasta with different sauces. I have to say that it was almost too salty to eat. I have no idea if this is typical of their preparation, but it wasn't pleasant-- but thankfully it was cheap. The menu-- if you haven't looked already is VERY reasonably priced-- and for the ambiance that you get with out the hassle of leaving Inwood it makes for a nice night.

I want to go back though and order something else. I feel like the chicken was an accident somehow, or they had run out of fresh cuts of meat and had to use precooked frozen chicken. I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. But by the second Mojito- I was kind of okay with the fact that the food wasn't absolutely delicious.

So.

Not worth the INK. But they make a good drink.

Il Sole is very cute for Inwood- but hasn't amused my taste buds yet.

6 out of 10.

Review: FINE FARE

2007-08-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

So I am a sometimes picky eater. I am a "foodie." I like to have the freshest produce when I cook, and I need the best cuts of free range organic meat if I am going to bother putting dead animals in my mouth due to guilt caused by my semi-vegetarian past. So that being said...

Welcome to your neighborhood grocer! The Fine Fare; located on Broadway just north of Dyckman. The Fine Fare is open 24 hours a day which makes it the only place really to grab a bite to eat in the hood after hours- ( though there is a 24 hour buffet on the corner of Broadway and Dykman--but i have not yet eaten there- food that sits that long makes me nervous....)

So Fine Fare! As you can tell, this is a unique store. It has a rather cheeky decor, and I hope to one day own my very own gigantic chicken to place on my roof.
So you walk in and in front of you is a small case of 'freshly made sushi.' I have eaten this, and it is exactly what you expect the only sushi north of 181st street to be... The rice is dry and I worry about getting sick from eating it, but only because to me dry rice means that the sushi has had time to get a bit of air on it which is not good for raw fish.
Raw food originated because the upper classes could afford the best cuts of meat and when meat is served extremely fresh in a raw state it is quite delicious and safe to eat. However, if sushi containing raw meat has sat out to the point of the rice feeling a bit dehydrated, I am sure that within that time it could have come to contain some not so happy bits of bacteria and such. BUT-- so far so good! No puking- and I am happy to say that I do still once and a while have sushi from Fine Fare at 10 pm ( it gets a bit dry after midnight.)

But lets break it down- Important things about the Fine Fare;
-Cheap Roast chickens pre-packaged and pre-cooked; 6 bucks.
-An okay deli with a nice side case of luxury items. I.E. Cheeses and meats and Pate, oh my!
-Pretty good selection of tropical fruits
-Fish and lobster in the back
-nice selection of veggies, but the quality isn't consistent.
-Sushi case
-Everyone is Bilingual, but all to very different extents and abilities.
-good selection of ice cream :)
-A poor selection of organic foods.

So those are things I think are important in the store. If you have questions about other things that you think are important- please comment on this blog and I will edit and add in the answer to your query.

Now for the not so happy portion of this blog...
When you are feeding your community it is your job to make sure that you are giving them food which is safe to eat.
On several really upsetting occasions I have felt as though the Fine Fare does not have it's customers best interest at heart.
The first incident- I was making pasta for some friends for a small dinner we were having, and I went out and purchased some Pasta sauce (aisle 1). When I got home, I opened it and the inside of the lid was COVERED in mold as was the surface of the sauce. I was mortified. I went back immediately with my receipt and walked up to the first employee I could find and popped the top open for them. Thankfully they empathized with me and told me to just go on back and get a new one and i didn't have to ring it up again or anything- just grab a new one and be on my merry way. The next jar was just fine. Phew.
The second incident..
I like Popsicles. A LOT. So, a friend and I went to get some "FEAR FACTOR PUSH UP POPS." Long story short; Melted icky old disgusting. While they were fear factor pops.. they were a little more frightening than I think they were intended to be. I called the customer service number and received in the mail a coupon for 6 dollars worth of any ice cream product from their company.
Well, I went back and picked out my ice cream, and then I also got another item bringing my total to; one free ice cream product, and some other products worth 6 dollars and 45 cents.
This is where language barriers suck. I tried to explain my coupon for free ice cream and the woman at the register just did NOT understand what I was trying to say, and I was really nice about the whole thing. So, at the end of all this, calamity and a few people helping both of us out--they only charged me 45 cents for everything. I tried to give her money in the correct amount for what i owed, but she wouldn't let me, and I basically walked out of the store with 6 dollars worth of free food, and one free ice cream product. What you can take away from this story-- is that the people at Fine Fare really are nice people and want to help you, sometimes it just doesn't turn out exactly how you expected though.
And the third and final,, sort of an incident---
Like I said- meat makes me sad. I like to eat chicken every now and again, but Fine Fare simply does not have good cuts of chicken. They look gross, and it is hard to find a cutlet that is not hiding a bone in it. Sometimes they don't even have boneless cutlets and so you have to resort to getting a breast with the rib plate in it. So, I usually just don't eat their chicken. The beef looks alright. But like i said-- the store is never stocked consistently so don't fall in love with anything for too long.
Now checking out can be a process- the lines can be long sometimes. But usually I can get in and out of the store in less than half an hour.

Ahem.. so anyway.
So yea..
"Fine Fare-- it isn't Whole Foods."

Icky lighting. Inconsistent stocking. A few luxury products.
Oh-- and they have some nice wine and beer.

Worth the INK- just cause you need to know what's up.
6 out of 10.
But it IS the best grocery store in the area.

This... is the other option...the "SELECTO SUPERMARKET" on Sherman...

*shudder*

Review: the UPS store

2007-08-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

I work as an actor and a writer, and i need to do things quickly and mail things often. Thankfully there is a UPS store here for me. They have Internet access for people who need to use a computer, and they have all the things you would expect them to have as a UPS store. The one thing they have which is an added bonus is; nice employees.

The staff is made up of two or three 20 somethings who all speak Spanish and English. But they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They all do their job very well, and do it quickly. UPS has all their prices set so there is never any confusion over what something is going to cost. The prices are all decent too- and it is right next to the subway station and the Fine Fare on Broadway and Dyckman (200th).

So if you need to make copies or cut an 8x10. Head over there- they will treat you well and help get you in and out fast.

Total INK!

10 out of 10-- Ive never had a problem and it is always fast.

THE EMPTY CORNER

2007-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

STARBUCKS STARBUCKS. PLEASE GOD LET IT BE A STARBUCKS.

So the south East corner of Broadway and Dyckman is vacant. I think that we need to fill it with something useful and wonderful and something that everyone should pass on their way to the subway in the morning. What better way to start your day than with a trip to Starbucks. So here is what I have done, and i urge you all to do! I have written several letters to Starbucks through their website. They have a section where you can request locations. How great is that?? So please if you want a Starbucks at 200th street-- visit the Starbucks website to help us get a decent cup of coffee in the morning. http://www.starbucks.com/

Review: Park View Cafe Restaurant

2007-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

My good friends who live west of Broadway and whom I used to stay with on visits, brought me to this restaurant when I was thinking about where to live in New York.

It is called the Park View Cafe Restaurant and it sits one shop in on the north side of Dyckman and Broadway over looking the Ring garden.

Sidenote..... The Ring Garden could be very very cute and wonderful. It is the only key garden in Inwood, but it is so full of plastic chairs and is always cluttered with garden tools and crap that it is so messy that no one would even bother to sit around in it when it is open. With a little professionalism on behalf of the gardens it could hit full potential and truly be the "gem" it is described as being by the Ring folks. Anyway.. back to Park View.

So, things to know about this place. It is a diner atmosphere with good light and great music. They play a lot of Cole Porter and 30's and 40's standards. The wait staff is sweet and attentive and know all the regulars.

But the thing you must know-- is that the food is EXCELLENT.

The menu is amazing, and goes above and beyond most menus because when they say "Greek burger," it truly is topped with the biggest piece of delicious Feta cheese you will ever eat. The presentation is always amazing too and the french fries are similar to Burger kings--- which in my book is sort of great.

My favourite thing to get there is a chicken sandwich. It is always well cooked and not chewy, and comes on a really nice piece of what i recall to be foccacia.

The coffee is always good too.

It is honestly hard to complain about anything.

I did order the buffalo wings once, and I don't really care for the way that they cooked them. They were not as meaty as I had hoped- but they were okay. The blue cheese that came with them was thick and chunky and exactly what it should be for diner buffalo wing fare.

So really, this place is amazing and comfortable to stay in for a while. Good service, nice music and tasty food. That is all i really need up here-- and i have not found that anywhere else above 180.

It is not 24 hours, but it does deliver. So if you are in the area, stop by and pick up a menu. You will not be sorry you did.

Totally worth the INK. 9 out of 10.

Horrible Getting Home

2007-08-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

As I had said in a former post- The A is not running up to Dyckman.

Well, I was having drinks with a buddy down in midtown which lasted till 2:30 am. So, we are all done and I am ready to hop on the 1 train to head up town.

I waited for the 1 train until 3:30 am.

It was horrible.

I should have known something was up when I saw an abnormal amount of people in the station. I waited at 50th street as three '2' trains went by, and finally took the fourth to 96th so at least I'd feel like I was making progress.

So. Let me tell you about the 2.

Firstly, the two goes to a part of town which many people consider "unsavory." So naturally the moment I get into the train car, a fight broke out between two drunk girls sporting their best muffin tops over the sides of their jeans.

Then--- as we passed oh... 72nd I think... A guy comes into out car with a big bag on. He announced he was selling two 40 oz. for twenty bucks and then went around whispering something about some other drugs that he was selling. Classy.

So I got off on 96th finally, and there is about oh,,, 400 people waiting to get on the one train, which has not showed up for an hour or more. There are about 10 cops waiting on the platform as well, perhaps to keep us from killing each other and falling off the crowded platform in the ridiculous heat.

People were passed out on the ground and if not committing to their exhaustion, then they were bitching loudly to whomever would listen. Some even bitched to friends who didn't exist.. crazy folks- love em.

I let myself start my lucid dreaming. I wonder about the mole people who I hear live in the subway. I wonder if they live above ground ever, or if they live under new york in a mutant village of outcasts like in a cartoon... I wonder if they eat the rats. Because if they do- they are actually very wonderful people- not that they are not anyway. But because they are an important part of the ecosystem which I learned about in 10th grade with Mrs. Kneeland. Mole people would keep the rats in control. I bet them rats are spicy.

So. Finally the train comes, and we all clap and fight each other for a seat.

The moral of the story is. Just take a damn cab. It is about 20 bucks but you go RIGHT UP the west side highway! And some cabbies take credit cards now.

But the one comfort I DO take in riding the crappy MTA with 400 people at 4 am, is that i was totally safe with all those people around. No fear of muggings. Woot Woot.

Review: Todo Barato

2007-08-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to TODO BARATO- Or as Alta Vista Babel Fish Translator informs me; ALL CHEAP.

These words ring true as I shopped for curtains for my new apartment.

I have pretty big windows, and was kind of mortified at the prospect of finding nice cheap curtains to cover them with.

I had tried target but wasn't happy with their selection of curtains, and then I was walking around the hood looking at what we had when I found this emporium of everything cloth. Curtains and rugs, and sheers- OH MY! It was great. So, i spent a good time looking at all the wonderful colors, and checking to make sure the seams were well made so it could endure the kind of torment all my personal belongings seem to go through. The people were very helpful and very personable, and I got two curtains for 15$ each, and two curtain rods for 10 each. They are pretty fricken amazing I must say.

The only problem with the store is that some of the curtains are a bit dated and overly textured. They seem a bit thick at first glance, but when you get them away from all the other intensely colored curtains, you can tell what they are really going to end up looking like.
The employees are bi-lingual, so as long as you speak English or Spanish you will be just fine :)So if it is curtains of any kind you need I TOTALLY think TODO BARATO is the best place to go. Target is a close second if you want to pay way more for something that may not look as good. But hey, check those tassels.. that is class :)

Todo Barato: Totally INK. and an 8 out of 10. -- I didn't fancy the shower curtains much.

The shop is on Dyckman between Nagel and Sherman-- near the Dunkin' Doughnuts.

Review: Nagle's Hardware

2007-08-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

Moving into a new place is never an easy thing to do. It always comes with lots of surprises. But thankfully I found Nagle's Hardware. This store is great. It is packed full of everything floor to ceiling you could almost ever need. But more than that- the people who work there are WONDERFUL!

I have needed the strangest things from metal piercing screws, to picture ledge hangers. But most recently-- Steel wool, and roach traps.

I was on the phone with my friend the other day when a GIANT roach crawled onto my bed. I had been in the apartment for quite a time and so his arrival was rather unexpected. Needless to say I did not scream like a girl. No, I stabbed it through the head with my handy dandy pen.

This did however prompt an entire assault on every corner, nook and or cranny of the apartment. But where did I turn in this time of need??? NAGLE'S HARDWARE! Located on Nagle and Thayer street (199th).

I went in and no sooner than i had stepped into the over crowded shrine to all things manly i was being helped by someone who immediately found me; Steel wool for any openings around pipes, ducts, or cracks, some INTENSE roach spray poison, and glue traps galore!

Well, to all those who helped me at the store-- I have not seen a ugly giant roach since. All dead.

Granted I don't think anything could live in the apartment after what I did to it. I basically bug bombed the place for 2 days and stayed with a friend till the fumes had settled.

But Yes, if you need to get something for any sort of handy project or home project-- look no further. Nagles is totally worth the INK. 10 out of 10.

Way to go.

Review: Splendid China

2007-08-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to find that my neighborhood was brimming with Chinese food take out joints. I think it is great to pop in to a take out place and hit them up for some beef and broccoli after a long day. Due to SPLENDID CHINA's close proximity to my apartment, I decided I was going to try their food first.

I walk in with a growling tummy excited for the cheap but savory food which I have grown to love. The restaurant has a small area for about 4 people to sit and wait for their food, or eat in if they do so desire. The two people behind the counter were Asian men in what appeared to be their very early 20's. I was excited to support the place as it was also the GRAND OPENING for SPLENDID CHINA! Lots of banners had been up ( they have been taken down since and now the restaurant appears as it does in this photo.

One of the young men came to the counter and asked how he could help me. I told him I would like some beef and broccoli-- which is very very moderately priced- and that Id like to try their wonton soup. Two of my favourite take out dishes. I waited about 7 minutes at the most at the one table when he came back and told me to choose what soda i wanted which came free with my meal. They had root beer so i was THRILLED. I paid for the food, which was very very cheap and felt heavy as a waddled home.

In the kitchen, like a kid on Christmas opening a box full of excited puppies, i unwrapped my food. I noticed first that they had not given me chopsticks... which I was disappointed in because I think chopsticks make everything taste better. Then I opened the Styrofoam container that was stapled shut. . The meat was weird looking and shriveled. It looked like it was made of the cheapest most fatty meat they could find. The broccoli was limp and pathetic looking. But no matter-- I was starving and couldn't wait to dive on in. I stabbed the fatty meat and put it my mouth and began to chew it. The brown sauce that is supposed to be the most delicious part of the meal and the primary flavour and marinade was underwhelming. The meat, as i expected was very very fatty, and didn't have the texture good beef should have. It was like eating hot wet dirty shoelaces. I began to salt the food in preparation to enjoy the broccoli. But sadly, it was not enjoyable. It felt and tasted like it had either been cooking all day, or frozen for weeks prior to its journey to my mouth. It was soft and tasted as though it had been about to flower or had begun to before it was thrown in a wok.

The rice that came with it was fine, it wasn't anything to call home about-- but on the plus side- there was A LOT of it. On the 'not so hot' side, there was more rice than there was B&B. So, I knew it wasn't going to be an awesome meal but i would end up full.

Next up, some wonton soup. The broth was nearly flavourless. Now understand me-- I am not a smoker, i have very refined taste buds and enjoy naming all the spices in any dish i know. But this was most certainly a diluted chicken broth with no added salt or seasoning. But the wontons floating in this yellowish water were not too bad. They were pretty doughy. Its as through the wonton dough prior to folding was not rolled thin enough. But they had a pleasant sort of taste and I was beginning to salt everything till it tasted like something at this point anyway.

But I shouldn't have expected too much. You see, it was about 6 bucks for all this, and i swear it must have been two and a half pounds of food. So, I ate, and was full. But couldn't think about keeping the leftovers for later- just not worth it.

So-- is SPLENDID CHINA worth the ink? or is it Rinky-Dink? on a scale of 1 to 10 Splendid china earns a 3. All that is guaranteed is that you will be full at the end of the meal- everything else seems a little to sketchy to count on.

UPDATE!!!

On the other side of the block is a Chinese restaurant... I went in,, got the same order, and had the same results. Now that i view to photos side by side i see why. Apparently someone has a monopoly on the Chinese food take out game in Inwood. NOT THRILLED. And not worth the ink. But I shall keep consuming Chinese take out till i find "THE ONE." ...stay tuned....

Trains in Inwood

2007-08-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

So-- The trains up here are usually great.

They run local on the weekends and local after 11 give or take a few minutes.
But the one issue up here is; often they will shut down the A train for a weekend from 207 to 168th street.

Now I woke up all refreshed and spunky this morning- in fact as i entered the A terminal at Dyckman I commented to myself on what a perfectly nice day it was- when suddenly I was greeted by several different people with sour looks on their faces. "You gots to to get on the shuttle- there aint no service."
So we all scamper as fast as we can to the corner by the park to catch the shuttle (Broadway and Thayer) cause we hear the bus coming.
Now, ladies and gentleman.. I do not mind a bus, they are great for getting across town and such when you need to go from 84th CPW to E 84th. But taking a bus down from 200th to 168 is a miserable thing. For some reason people like to request stops at ridiculously close intervals, so what should have been a 10 minute trip MAX, becomes a 20 minute trip.

Now when one has to be somewhere promptly- because if he is late it means he need not come at all -- it can make what was going to be a 25 minute trip into midtown into an excursion worse than a diarrhea induced panic attack.

So the bus finally reaches 168th and all 80 of us packed on it scurry down a little hole to get on the A train which is running local.

Thank God I am moderately neurotic and like to wake up all fresh and perky and get places early. Or I would have been at least a half an hour late where as I would usually be half an hour early. I was right on time.
So i suppose the moral of this story is that when you live so far from your place of work- you need to allow yourself an excessive amount of time to account for the MTA's inability to inform the public of train changes.

Oh that and apparently now there are tornadoes in new york city, and since the MTA cant cope with ANY AMOUNT OF RAIN... hail a cab when you it drizzles.

You can also find out more about service changes at the MTA website: http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/

Thankfully living where I do- You are never far from the 1 train as well. Which feeds into the Bronx and has a nice Target store just over the canal in Marble hill.

The 1 train is located at Dyckman and Nagel.

Just moved in

2007-08-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone-

So I just moved into a studio in Inwood Manhattan.

I started this blog so I could tell you just how it is up here in the "Hat" of Manhattan, the Singers Slum, the end of the A, the place I now call home. :)

Inwood is the area loosely defined as Manhattan above 190th street.

Some Historical Highlights

(source: The Encyclopedia of New York City)
1626: The Indians may sold Manhattan Island to Peter Minuit in Inwood Hill Park for trinkets.
1748: Dyckman Farmhouse was built by William Dyckman; burned down by the British, the house was rebuilt in 1783. Today, it is the last Dutch farmhouse in Manhattan.
1965: Malcolm X was assassinated while addressing a rally at the Audubon Ballroom.
1990: The Dominican Community in this area was the largest in the US.
1992: Guillermo Linares was the first Dominican elected to public office in the US as Inwood's City Council Member.
Today: Inwood Hill Park (196 acres) contains the last remnant of primeval forest in Manhattan.

But to those of us who live here it is where we come home to after a long day and a long train ride (on weekends and after 11- otherwise it is 20 minutes or so to midtown)

I live east of Broadway, and am a minority in my neighborhood. As a white non-Spanish speaking male, I have had a bit of culture shock since I have been here.

The way people communicate and spend their time here is so much different than anywhere in Manhattan.

There is a large sidewalk culture that exists in front of every building. In our building the super reigns as king over the sidewalk and all the kids who live here call him "Papi" or "Abuelo."

He has been great to me, and I can't quite tell if he thinks I am a total moron for not knowing Spanish and such- but he has always helped me out when ever i needed to install A/C or locked myself out.

BUT DAMN it is noisy.

People never go to sleep, and a lot of the people have very little volume control in this neighborhood. Since I don't speak Spanish well, I never know if they are yelling at each other because they are happy, or because they are angry.

Recently New York introduced "Silent Night." An operation meant to keep the city quiet in residential areas so people can get a little shut eye. All you need to do is call 311-- which i have done but it doesn't seem to do much.

After the first month here though, I did manage to somehow block out the noise. Most of it is conversation. But every now and again strange things will happen that are more disturbing than just noise.

The other night while walking home a group of about 25 10-15 year old kids were beating the crap out of this one little kid and his friend. But the kid kept coming back, and it was right out side my apartment. That was a 311 night... lol..

But mostly the neighborhood is good. The language barrier is sometimes annoying and I have been searching for a laundromat that will consistently charge me the same rate. But I like it enough. The main reason for moving here for me was the vast green spaces in the area and its relative distance from mid-town.

I have access to the top of the west side river trail, which is an amazing pedestrian and bike path stretching from Dyckman to the Battery. It is one of my favourite things about the area. That and Fort Tryon and Inwood hill park are amazing and unique sites in Manhattan.

The apartment is a good sized studio with nice thick walls, and a sunken living room. Ill try and post some photos at the bottom of this. The problem is is that it is noisy with a door that leads right into the main entry vestibule... - its not really a lobby, and its not really a hallway. But the kids play hand ball in it, and it echoes like in cartoons. It is basically a split level apartment. Technically it is the first floor, but there are people who live below me, so it is really a second floor apartment-- and it is nice to be off the ground a bit. But yea,, the noise sucks. SUCKS.

But anyway----

My goal is to take you on a journey around my neighborhood and let you know what it is really like for a little white kid living uptown.

So check back, and you will hopefully meet my neighbors and see what is up up in Inwood.This is the finished product after moving in. Cozy, huh? :)