The sign that welcomes you to this local breakfast and lunch establishment
I was visiting New Vernon, NJ for the annual ‘Pathways Tour’ that the Morris County Historical Board sponsor’s twice a year. While visiting the Tunis-Eckllis House around the corner, I passed the Village Green Deli, a popular local sandwich shop while driving through this small downtown area facing the Village Green. I made note of it as it was getting closer to lunch time.
After the tour, I stopped by the deli, read the wonderful TripAdvisor reviews online in the parking lot and headed inside for lunch. I really liked the vibe of this small town deli where the owners knew everyone by name and I felt like an interloper at a private party.
The inside of the Village Green Deli
The deli has that small town feel to it, with local art and sports paraphernalia in the walls. The woman who worked the register was greeting everyone by name and the guys that worked the grill seemed happy to see me.
Looking at the menu at the grill
I looked at the extensive lunch menu of popular sandwiches and some wonderful combos. You could even still get breakfast as I saw some of the guys at the counter devouring as I decided on what I wanted to order.
The deli has a wonderful selection of sandwiches, hero’s and other delicious sounding items.
There were so many things I wanted to try that day that it was hard to choose. Was it a breakfast sandwich with local sausage? The Thanksgiving ‘Gobbler’ sandwich with turkey, stuffing and cranberry relish, that sounded so good? I decided on an Italian hero sandwich with a selection of deli meats with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. The hero was excellent!
The Italian hero with a pickle
The sandwiches here are huge! One half of a sandwich a normal person could eat for lunch and save the rest for another meal. The sandwich was loaded with salami, bologna, ham, Swiss Cheese and fresh veggies. I could barely fit it in my mouth.
The sandwich was excellent
I was able to eat about half of the sandwich before I told myself I was finished and not to push anymore. I wrapped the rest up to go and went back to study the menu before I left. I definitely want to come back and try more. The food and the service were both excellent.
After lunch was over, it was such a beautiful sunny day and I walked over to the historic Green across the street and looked over the artifacts in the park. New Vernon is a very picturesque and beautiful little town.
The New Vernon Village Green in the early Spring
It was nice to have a place to walk and digest after that wonderful meal. It is worth the trip to visit this wonderful little deli in the small town. I really enjoyed my meal and the afternoon that followed.
The New Milford Village Green
I have to come back. There are so many sandwiches to try and I want to visit the Great Swamp which is a mile away. Until the next time.
Taking the number One subway back uptown, I continued my travels to 215th Street station right next to the Columbia complex and sports center. My journey took me to 10th Avenue from the tip of the island to West 220th Street to West 207th Street. For you folks out there they think the island of Manhattan is completely gentrified with upscale housing and businesses, you must visit this part of Manhattan. There is hardly a Gucci store on every corner.
This has got to be the most commercial area of Manhattan I have seen so far. Home to Time Warner repair trucks, the NYC Sanitation Department, the MTA Headquarters and the Knightsbridge Terminal it made for interesting walk. Between 9th and 10th Avenue from 218th Street to 216th Streets is the Knightsbridge Bus Terminal, which is the center of much action throughout the day.
Tenth Avenue near all the restaurants near the 207th Street shopping district
I then walked the length of 10th Avenue past the bus repair building and the Sanitation Building. This is a very busy place during the week.
The New York Sanitation Department is located from 216th Street to 214th Streets and it is best to avoid this area most of the day. It was quiet on the 4th of July. The only person I saw was a security guard and his dog, who was so happy to see someone he jumped up and down.
Walking past the Bus building on 10th Avenue
The MTA Facility and the New York Sanitation Department Facility take up most of the corner of this part of Manhattan
Passing the bus building and subway on 10th Avenue
This is how the City runs and its lined in a row
When I went back to tour the area later in the month, it was a whirlwind of action with garbage trucks going in and out of buildings and the place really smelled. It is not exactly an area I would recommend to tourists unless they want to see how the city really runs.
The intersection of Sherman and 10th Avenue
All along 9th Avenue are places to get your car repaired and washed. At the end of every street, there is a nice view of the river, but I would suggest holding your nose. From 214th Street to 207th Street, The MTA has their building behind high walls and barbed wire. 208th Street has a parking lot and a few truck vendors. Not much to see here and the operation is behind closed doors.
Walking Tenth Avenue near the 207th Street Shopping area
Parts of lower 10th Avenue are being gentrified as some of the former parking garages and repair shops are giving way to small more upscale restaurants. The area around the subway station at 207th Street is a bustling shopping area catering to the large Dominican population living on the Broadway side of Inwood with everyday stores, very reasonable and good restaurants specializing in Dominican and Spanish cuisine and several clothing stores. This area is slowly going through a transition as the neighborhood is starting to change to a younger, artier crowd.
As I walked both sides of both 10th and 9th Avenues, I visited places that I must have missed the first time or had been closed off at the time. I missed the 203rd Street sitting area just off 9th Avenue, which offers beautiful views of the East River.
The 203rd Street Sitting area park
This tiny park at the end of 203rd Street is not the most well maintained but it does offer respite to the rest of the neighborhood which has the powerplant, the bus and sanitation buildings off 9th Avenue. The views were amazing on this clear sunny afternoon.
Looking down the East River from 203rd Sitting area park
Looking up the East River from the 203rd Street Sitting area
The area on 207th Street leading into the Bronx has been rezoned and new luxury buildings have been built between 9th and 10th Avenue. They looked like they have not opened yet but at the end of Sherman Avenue, these will bring big changes to the this part of the neighborhood.
Changes coming to 207th Street with the rezoning of the area
Walking up 9th Avenue I passed many creative pieces of street art. This area of the neighborhood is mostly commercial but along the walls is some of the most interesting graffiti art in a row that I have seen in along time. It was like looking at one panel after another.
9th Avenue Street Art
9th Avenue Street art
9th Avenue Street art
9th Avenue Street art
9th Avenue Street art
9th Avenue Street art
9th Avenue Street art
10th Avenue Street art
9th Avenue Street at the subway stop
9th Avenue Street art
Walking back down Broadway from the tip of the neighborhood, you can see the whole shopping district on Broadway and then Fort Tryon Park in the distance.
Looking down Broadway in Inwood from 208th Street
I walked through all the middle streets of Sherman, Nagle, Post and Vermilyea Streets, which are lined with rows of brick apartment buildings on tree lined streets. Changes are coming to the neighborhood with a new luxury building on the corner of Sherman Avenue and on the edges of 207th Street as you cross the bridge to the Bronx. You can tell that this neighborhood is in a slow transition since my initial walk here in 2015.
My walk started with a trip down Nagle Street by the corner of Hillside Avenue and seeing the changes in stores and restaurants over the last ten years. Many of my favorite spots are gone while some have modernized with new customers coming in.
I then turned around and walked down Sherman Avenue and through the shopping districts of Dyckman Street and 207th Street, which have lots of reasonable restaurants and many street vendors.
Sherman Street at 207th Street shopping district
Sherman Avenue and 204th Street artwork
Eating homemade Pastelitos on Sherman Avenue and 207th Street
This small family food cart has some of the freshest and most delicious pastilitos that I had on my return walk to the neighborhood. They were also still warm. The husband and wife team that run this cart also have fresh juice which looked so good. When I finished walking all the side streets, I did a more detailed walk down the 207th Street shopping district.
Looking down 207th Street shopping district from Broadway
The 207th Street shopping district
The best part of this part of 207th Street is the local street cart vendors selling everything from Pastelitos (a kind of empanada) to fresh mango juice and shaved ice all for around a dollar. Visiting El Lina at 500 207th Street is a nice way to have a reasonable to go meal while you are walking around. It is one of the best restaurants for delicious Pastelitos.
Their fillings are generous, and the service is very friendly. It is one of the many restaurants that line the ‘restaurant mile’ on 207th Street. From the subway station to Broadway, it is interesting to look at the menus and peak in the windows of the many shops and dining establishments that line both sides of the street.
El Lina’s Pastilitos are delicious
Both the Chicken and the Beef are great and perfectly cooked
This vibrant section of the neighborhood hustled every day that I visited it and the subway stop is always busy. If you are looking for tourist spots and excitement, it’s not for you. If you want a true experience in Dominican culture and food, a trip to this part of Inwood is for you. It is not just the restaurants and shops that make the neighborhood, it is the interaction of the people in the neighborhood, the music, the conversations and debates and the overall life of the streets that make this neighborhood a neighborhood.
The street art in the neighborhood on West 204th Street
Don’t miss the interesting street art in the neighborhood. These taggers are very talented!
One of the taggers was sending a message of crime in the neighborhood (I think)
When you are in the neighborhood, take time to really walk through Inwood Park. I feel it is one of the best parks to visit in the warmer months. It is like New York City does not exist. This is a nice place to relax on a warm sunny afternoon.
Inwood Hill Park by the Hudson River. Walking through Inwood Park is like stepping back through time when there was nothing in Manhattan but woods.
Inwood Park
Inwood Park pathway
Inwood Park in the Spring
Walking through the paths
Walking through Inwood Park
At the end of the day, I was exhausted with all the walking and was trying to make a decision on what to do for dinner. I did not want to trek all the way down to Chinatown, I did not want to walk to 181st Street to go to a restaurant I wanted to try again and then I saw the lights to the Santos Gourmet Deli Grocery and decided to check it out.
Dinner that evening at the Santos Gourmet Deli Grocery at 4672 Broadway
I saw a bunch of people in Fort Tryon Park across the street playing a game (that ended up being Bingo) and decided to get a sandwich and have a late night picnic in the park. I looked over the menu and ordered my dinner, a Chicken Parmesan Hero. It was the perfect dinner at the end of the evening.
Chicken Parmesan sandwich
The sandwich was so good
The days are getting longer and I sat down in the park and ate dinner while watching this large group play bingo. More people watched and maybe they got the same idea as it stated to get dark, more people just sat in the park and watched the sunset.
Picnicking in Fort Tryon Park
Picnicking in Fort Tryon Park
I thought I would be done early but ended up staying in the neighborhood at nightfall. This is some of the changes you are starting to see happen with new construction and many new businesses surrounding them to cater to both old and new neighbors.
The new apartment building on the corner of Broadway and Sherman Street at night when I finished my walk of the neighborhood at the end of the day
I will keep revisiting to see more of the changes coming to Inwood.
Check out my other blogs on walking around the Inwood neighborhood:
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