I was out exploring the Route 46 corridor several years ago from Budd Lake to the Delaware Water Gap and I visited a series of small farm stands along the way. RH Farm at 590 US 46 was one of the standouts that I visited .
It was not just the selection of fresh produce I saw on each of my visits in both in the Spring and Fall, but it was the selection of the variety of goods there was to purchase and the way they were displayed.
There was also a nice selection of freshly baked goods, arts and crafts items and plants and flowers all beautifully displayed like a boutique.
The inside of the farm
The selection of pumpkins in the Fall
I love the way they decorate the farm for each holiday. They decorated not just the selling space but other parts of the farm as well like the grounds and the barn area.
The display of holiday crafts and pumpkins
The holiday display of pumpkins and flowers
The Halloween decorations
They have a wonderful selection of pumpkins and gourds for the Halloween and Thanksgiving season.
The pumpkin display
Even their barn which looks like it is falling down looks picturesque. The property has such a unique feel to it.
The outside grounds
Both in the Spring and the Fall, the trip to both Budd Lake and the Delaware Water Gap are a real treat. What beautiful views.
The beautiful foliage in the Fall of 2025 by Budd Lake
.
The sun blazing in the Fall of 2025
The sun simmering on the lake at Budd Lake
The foliage by the lake
The views of the surrounding community in the Fall of 2025
Visiting the farm in the Spring:
Before I left Budd Lake I stopped at RH Farm stand, a small farmstand at 500 Route 46 West. I would spend most of my day exploring various farmstands along to way to see the selection and prices of the items. For the most part, everyone was charging New York City farmers market prices for produce. Some stand were charging $6.99 a pound for peaches and $12.00 for a small pie. I guess many of these people were hoping people from Manhattan were coming out for the day. I did find some decent prices but for the most part most of the stands were pretty expensive.
The entrance of RH Farms
RH Farm Farm Stand at 500 Route 46 West
This picturesque little farm stand has been in business since 2012 (I would have thought much longer) and offers an array of produce, gourmet products and flowers. I just thought it looked really nice. The prices are a little high though. Still quality does have a price tag to it.
The entrance of RH Farm Stand
The inside of RH Farms Farm Stand
The inside of RH Farms
The beautiful flower arrangement at RH Farms
The peaches and produce at RH Farms
4th of July display in Summer of 2024
4th of July display in the Summer of 2024. Uncle Sam looks on
Christmas display in the Summer of 2024
The plant display in the Summer of 2024
Their little cat welcome me with a couple of charming rubs to my legs.
History of the Farm:
(from the farm website)
RH Farms LLC is a local family-run Farm that has been producing delicious fresh products since 2012. We strive to make the most of everything the great outdoors has to offer. Our products are fresh from the field, so you can be sure you are buying the best quality produce. Come visit us with your family for a day of fun at RH Farms LLC.
We’re dedicated to providing a traditional farm experience to everyone in The Northern New Jersey area. Our crops, flowers and home furnishings bring visitors closer to nature while providing a memorable experience. We pride ourselves on our advanced farming methods so we can protect the environment while providing the community with only the freshest food. Contact us to learn more about our goals and missions.
The front of the Marshall Farm Market at 114 US 46
Sometimes you will pass a farm stand and you see the standard pumpkins, peaches and apples outside. When you pass Marshall’s Farm Stand in Delaware, NJ, you see a whole farm experience with orchards of fruit, corn fields and a property that is decorated for the upcoming Halloween holidays.
The side of the farm stand
The other side of the farm stand stocked high with pumpkins
The festive pumpkin sat on the roof of the building
The whole front of the farm was stocked with all sorts of early Fall produce, honey, jams and jellies and delicious baked goods including pies, cakes and rolls and their specialty, their mini Apple Cider doughnuts.
The fresh Jersey produce
The cream rolls and homemade pies, including apple, berry and Shoo Fly pies
The best is their mini Apple Cider doughnut. One bag of these and you are content for the afternoon. I can barely get out of the parking lot with indulging in one or two of them before my drive down Route 46 to the Delaware Water Gap.
The farm stands addictive Apple Cider doughnuts
These sugary delights are so good!
What I also enjoy is their delicious apple cider. I found out though that they do not make it in house but a farm close by makes it both for their farm and Marshall’s. It is sweet and very refreshing and only comes in gallon containers.
I love walking through the stand, walking past the pumpkin, produce and the crafts display.
The pumpkin display in the parking lot
After I put my purchases in the car, I walked around the farm, looking at all the decorations they had for the upcoming Halloween holidays. The farm has pumpkin picking, corn mazes and a hayride where the $5.00 cost includes along with the hayride a cup of apple cider and a doughnut. I could handle that.
The sign for the weekend hayrides
The witch sign in the parking lot near the Corn Maze
The witch painting at the start of the corn mazes
Ghosts decorating the field
The Corn Maze was still tall and green and I am sure led all around the property. Each part of the front part of the farm was decorated for Halloween festivities which would happen the next weekend.
The cemetery in the back of the farm stand
A horrible ghoul
All the Halloween decorations at the start of the hayride
The Halloween decorations in the back of the building
The Halloween poems on the decorations
The Halloween decorations
What I love about the farm in the farm in the Fall are all the beautiful colors and hues of the surrounding area.
Looking down Route 46 West/East
The sign on the other side of the fields
The decorations in the front part of the parking lot
Poems and riddles were on all the panels
There is a very warm welcome for Halloween
Don’t forget to visit the Delaware Water Gap just down the highway. The colors are amazing in the early Fall.
The sign for the park
The Delaware Water Gap in the Fall
The beautiful hues of the park
Visiting Marshall’s Farm Stand in the Spring:
Marshall’s Farm Stand 114 Route 46 West in the Spring months
Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
Talk about a step back in time. It reminded me of places I used to go to as a kid that have since disappeared with suburban sprawl. I toured around the stands with shelves of fresh jellies and honey, sauces and salsa and arts and crafts. I found a nearly empty shelf of pies and doughnuts and not a sweet roll in site. The girl working the register told me that everything sells out so quickly and they had baked a second batch of everything.
The signs leading to Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
There were three pies left and that was it of the baked good when I got there.
I did grab one of the last bags of cider doughnuts for the trip home and freshly made cider that you rarely see any more. Most of it is processed in big facilities now not at farms. Their doughnuts were outstanding ($4.75 for six). All but two got home with me as I munched on them on the trip through the Delaware Water Gap.
The Apple Cider doughnuts at Marshall’s Farm Market
The Apple Cider doughnuts are amazing here!
In 2021, I bought the same items again but after a big breakfast and then lunch, I only ate two of the doughnuts this time.
Marshall’s Farm Stand in the summer of 2023
The Fresh peaches and plums at Marshall’s Farm Stand.
I had a lively conversation about the upcoming election and trust me, this woman said a mouthful as most people were right before the election. In 2021, people were talking about the recent Governor’s election and Murphy seems in the doghouse with most of these residents. I said my good byes as quickly as possible. Politics is not something to talk about when buying food products.
Marshall’s Farm on a warm sunny afternoon.
At any time of the year, visiting Marshall’s Farm Stand is a treat!
The History of the Farm:
(from the Marshall Farm Market website)
Founded in 1920, by George Amer Marshall, Marshall’s Farm Market sells quality fruit, vegetables, and specialty foods. George W. Marshall ran the farm for many years and now the third generation of Marshall’s continues the tradition. Marianne Marshall Saponaro & her husband Nick Saponaro are on site daily to make sure customers have the finest products available.
A visit to Marshall’s Farm Market is like stepping back in time. Old time values of hard work, friendliness, service, and the finest quality are what you can expect. Many people return each year to purchase produce, gifts, specialty foods, outdoor furniture, meats, cheeses, pumpkins, and more.
Families visit Marshall’s Farm Market each Fall for the hay rides and the Halloween Hollow display. There is nothing better than a cup of apple cider on a cool Autumn day. All of the seasons are special on the farm. Stop in year round to see what new items have been added to the store.
The membership arrived at the NJ State Firemen’s Home to find the home decorated for the upcoming Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays. It seemed like yesterday we were up here for the Summer Barbecues.
The outside grounds of the NJ State Firemen’s Home
We had a lot to talk about at our October meeting with the Annual Convention behind us. There had been discussions on the Home and its expansion, renovations going on and the upcoming holiday season. I thought it was one of the best meetings we had in a long time.
The outside of the home decorated for the upcoming holiday season
Our fundraising has been coming along really well and we have exceeded our drive from last year. I think the word getting out about what we do and the Social media has been a huge help. We not only want to show our fellow fire companies where their money is being spent but how it is being spent.
We discussed also our upcoming reorganization breakfast at the Wyckoff Fire Department in November and the Annual Christmas party in December. Our Secretary, Tom Simpson discussed the gift this year and a planned lunch for both the staff and the membership. Everything is underway and planned for a great holiday season.
After the meeting was over, we joined the residents in the main meeting room where refreshments were being served and the entertainment had started.
Gigi entertained the residents on a stage decorated for the upcoming Halloween season
Gigi performed a series of Classic rock and Country music
Gigi performing the Patsy Kline hit “Crazy for you”
After ending her performance with ‘God Bless America’, we got up and introduced ourselves to the residents. We let everyone know about our upcoming Christmas party, which is always a huge hit with the residents and staff alike. We also we wished them well and for their years of service to the fire service, which they seemed touched by. Then we took our group picture.
The members of the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association
We ended the program with one of the employees of the home, Eleanor, singing with Gigi a heartfelt song., “I Believe”.
What I thought was interesting was one of the guys told me she had once been a backup singer to Michael Jackson. I thought that was really gift that this woman shared her voice and love for these guys.
It really was a wonderful afternoon and I want to thank everyone who made it possible. This is our gift to our fellow firefighters.
I visit Douglass Candies on the Boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ every time I am visiting for the NJ State Firemen’s Convention. The selection of homemade candies is like talking a walk through Mr. Wonka’s factory.
The inside of this delicious fudge shop
When you walk through the front do , you can see the workers making and cutting fudge. You can see how fresh their candy is and how it is packaged right in front of you.
The one product I really like at the store is their candy bars especially their milk chocolate. They are a bit pricy but a once in a while treat is a good thing. You can always taste the richness in freshly made chocolate and their chocolate bars are the best. Their taffy was delicious too when they were sampling it.
The delicious taffy and assorted candies
The decorated Candy Apples
Each counter has a different type of candy and even in early September, the store was being decorated for Halloween. This smiling witch greeted customers at the door.
The store decorated for Halloween
The store on a sunny day on the Boardwalk
This institution on the Boardwalk is a summer tradition for me and for generations of beach goers. The beauty and old fashioned feel of the store harks back to a time when quality and care still meant something and excellent customer service meant a warm welcome and a smile. Douglass Candies has both.
The History of the Company:
(from the company website)
Douglass Candies, Inc. is a fourth generation candy company founded in 1919. We are the oldest family owned business in Wildwood! Since our origin, we have been making the highest quality cream fudge, gourmet chocolates, and REAL salt water taffy giving us our slogan “We Make The Candy We Sell”. You might recognize us by our signature plaid box and trademark scotty dog. The plaid represents our Scottish/Irish heritage while the scotty dog was simply used because our founder, Charles Douglass, adored his scotty dogs. We pride ourselves on customer service, quality control, family, and tradition.
Our founder, Charles Douglass, was an exemplary citizen of the Wildwoods. He was a prominent boardwalk business man, hotel operator, chairman of the Wildwood outing committee, board member of the chamber of commerce, executive committee member of the New Jersey State Hotel Association, and president of the Wildwood Golf Club. Charles founded Douglass Candies in 1919 and opened up his first location at Wildwood Ave and the Boardwalk where we continue to do business nearly 100 years later!
Charles’ candy career began in Philadelphia where he owned a store in Rittenhouse Square. In 1905, Charles and wife Flora moved to Wildwood. They opened the Douglass Hotel in 1913 on Atlantic and Pine Avenues, followed by a small candy concession stand on Cedar Ave in 1917. After some success with the candy store, Charles moved his operation to the boardwalk at Wildwood Ave. The building was constructed by recycling an army barracks from Cape May, NJ. During his reign as President of Douglass Candies from 1919-1941, the business gained major popularity and success. It was doing so well, in 1922 Charles built a pavilion across from his business for customers to get out of the sun/rain and enjoy a nice place to relax. Recipes and techniques created over the course of these years are the basis of our recipes that we still use today.
Charles passed away peacefully in his home at the age of 77. Following his death, Charles’ brother Joseph took over the business. Joseph Douglass also began his business career in Philadelphia. He lived in the famous Lemon Hill Mansion in Fairmont Park where he ran a candy/ice cream shop. After seeing the success of his brother, he moved his family to Wildwood in 1919. Upon arriving, he opened a boarding house and restaurant on Cedar Ave. He later opened the Douglass Cafeteria on Oak and Atlantic Ave. The cafeteria specialized in homemade ice cream. Joseph also owned the Bellevue Hotel and Restaurant in Cape May Court House. Joseph took over Douglass Candies in 1941 and owned it for less than a year before passing in 1942.
Upon Joseph’s death, his beloved wife Minerva took over the business along with their three children; Charles, Harvey, and June. Minerva and June handled administration and the store front while Harvey and Charles took care of the production side of the company. Minerva and her children aided in the continued success to Douglass Candies. They even brought in a famous German chocolatier, Frank Steiner, to help perfect our techniques and recipes. Minerva died in 1969, followed by Charles in 1972. June then bought out Harvey, leaving her the sole owner of Douglass Candies. Harvey passed in 1983. His children, Joe and Charlie, went on to pursue careers in candy on the west coast.
In the late 1970’s, as the President of Douglass Candies, June took over all administration work and oversaw all production. Her only child, Barbara aka “Babs”, handled the storefront and helped Douglass expand during her time with the business. June worked into her late 70’s and passed away in her home in Wildwood Crest is 2003. Barbara ran the entire business herself from 2000-2013, at which time she passed it on to her boys, James and Jason. Barbara passed away in 2014.
James and Jason have continued the family tradition as fourth generation owners and have given the business new life. They are responsible for the addition of new product lines as well as expansion into Stone Harbor. They were incredibly proud to celebrate Douglass’ 100th year in business in 2019 and look forward to continuing the Douglass tradition for years to come!
The front of Frog Hollow Bakery in the summer of 2025
I was on a historical tour of the Gandy Farmstead up the road from the Frog Hollow Bakery and one of the Board members suggested we stop for a doughnut. I was fine with that and what I discovered about Frog Hollow Bakery is their warm, freshly made doughnuts are excellent. I had a Sugar doughnut that was still warm and was out of this world. I would have ordered more but I was going to have lunch later. When I returned a few weeks later, they had just closed for the afternoon and I had wanted to get one of their butter cakes.
The grounds of the bakery on NJ 50
This tiny bakery sits on a quiet part of Route 50 near a quiet lane at the intersection of Route 50 and Tyler Road.
I thought their sign was very clever
It’s a beautiful little place in the Summer of 2025
The front of the bakery has a nice seating area in a quiet garden and you can take your purchases and eat them out here. On a warm sunny afternoon, it is a nice place to stop for a snack. When it is warm out, they have this wonderful shaded area off to the side of the bakery that you can sit and enjoy your baked treats.
The even have a small series of tables to enjoy your baked goods
The bakery has all sorts of delicious goodies to choose from with cakes, cookies and twists. I was eyeing the gooey butter cake but the bakery only accepts cash and I did not have enough to get it. For the next trip I figured.
The inside of this wonderful bakery has the most interesting collection of wonderful treats
They also carry all sorts of breads and rolls and I forgot to ask the woman if this changes on a regular basis. They have a nice selection of artwork and tee shirts for sale.
The nice selection of gifts for sale inside the bakery
They have a nice area to dine inside as well
We took our doughnuts to the Gandy Farmstead Museum up the road which I was touring that afternoon. I got to enjoy my doughnut while on the tour of the grounds. These delicious fried doughnuts have a cake like texture and were still warm when we bought them.
Their fried Sugar doughnuts are spectacular
The store was also selling different variety of tomatoes outside the bakery I figured from the farm next door.
They even sell tomatoes and strawberries when they are in season outside the store. I am sure that there is more produce on sale when it is season.
I love the clever sign in the parking lot
The bakery does have limited hours and the only bad thing is that they close at 1:00pm, so you have to hurry to get there. It is well worth the trip.
I could not believe how fast the Summer came and went. It was like a blink of the eye. I had covered a lot of ground over the last three months that included many neighborhoods in New York City, many Upstate New York and New Jersey towns plus updating older blogs that needed some work. They needed new pictures and updates in the businesses I had featured in the past. A lot has changed since COVID.
I started Alphabet City just before the Labor Day Weekend and a lot has changed here since the 1960’s and 70’s. The whole hippie movement is now over only to be replaced by the current hipster movement where men are wearing knit head coverings in almost 90 degree and still wearing ‘man buns’ that are ‘so 2010’. To each his own.
Looking down Avenue C on a sunny afternoon
I just ignored everyone and started my walk on the Avenue’s of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is broken up that the closer you are to public housing the less gentrified it was on the block. The border seemed to be around 10th Street. The lower the street, the nicer the bars and restaurants.
The one thing I did notice about the neighborhood was the amount of community gardens that popped up in corners all around the blocks. This was the result of the community efforts in the 1970’s and 80’s that saved the neighborhood and what has made the neighborhood as desirable as it is now. It seems you can’t stop gentrification. Even so, these hard working gardeners are setting the tone for the neighborhood.
The signs of the times on top of the old tenements on Avenue C
The other thing I noticed about Alphabet City are the tagging and outdoor murals that line all the blocks. The people who creat this street art are so clever and creative. They really have an eye on color and design.
Some of the art cleverly tucked along the walls and columns in the neighborhood
Some of the art close by
I liked this design
The first of the Community Gardens that J toured that afternoon (they all seemed to be open the Saturday that I visited) was the Francisco ‘Pancho’ Ramos Community Garden at 709 East 9th Street. The garden showed the creative spirit of the people who volunteered there.
The sign for the Francisco “Pancho” Ramos Community Garden at 703 East 9th Street
(The History of the Park from its website)
The Lower East Side of the 1970s was a hard place with little green. Local residents noticed the abandoned, littered lot at the corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C and began to sow seeds and plants along the chain link and among the debris, and so the Ninth Street Community Garden & Park was founded in 1979. Today Pancho’s Garden hosts community events including music, art, and gardening workshops.
The pathways were lined with flower beds and some with vegetable gardens with the latest crops coming in. Here and there were pieces of artwork such as sculptures and paintings.
Walking through the gardens at the end of the summer
Following the paths
Walking through the flowering arbors
Some of the creative artwork that lined the paths
The raised flower beds
Some of the creative touches of the gardens
The Vegetable Gardens in full growth
Even the shed and play areas were colorful
This is what the community spirit of hard work and dedication can create in a neighborhood
Another interesting mural that I came across on the walls of the buildings
Just a reminder that the Alphabet City name is not a negative one anymore
The Alphabet Wine Company at 100 Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C)
Walking through Alphabet City today reminded me of years ago when I toured Bushwick in Brooklyn. The negative connotation of the name was now synonymous with ‘hipster’ cool. When I started to see signs like Alphabet Wine Company, you know times have changed for a neighborhood with not such a great past.
Passing the Lower East Side II still reminds you that public housing is a big part of this neighborhood
The next set of street art I admired was 15C Cultural Center building at 68 Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C). The shop was closed that afternoon so I got to see all the interesting art work on the metal gates.
This was on one side of building of the 5C Cultural Center at 68 Avenue C and 5th Street
Danielle Mastrion is a Brooklyn-born, New York City based painter and muralist who specializes in large scale, brightly colored murals. She holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design (Artist website)
This mural was around the corner dedicated to Puerto Rico
The changes to Avenue C start around East 10th Street as you leave the area around the public housing and walk closer to the areas that cater to a younger NYU/Pace student population. When I visited the neighborhood originally walking the borders of the neighborhood and even this evening, the bars and restaurants exploded with students whose first weekend in New York City was filled with excitement.
They chatted on their cellphones and yelled to their friends and acted like a scene in early ‘Sex and the City’ episodes. I can always tell when an out of towner is trying too hard.
The rebuilt section of Avenue C
I walked through my next community garden, Gustavd Hartman Square. Some of these patches of green were really small and just required a peek inside.
This plot of land, located at Second Street and Avenue C, is named for Gustave Hartman, a municipal court judge and philanthropist who spent most of his life in this neighborhood. Gustave Hartman was born in Hungary and immigrated to the United States with his parents while still a young boy. He attended P.S. 22 on Sheriff Street (now Columbia Street), the College of the City of New York, and received his law degree from New York University in 1905.
This plot of land, located at Second Street and Avenue C, is named for Gustave Hartman, a municipal court judge and philanthropist who spent most of his life in this neighborhood.
The growth of the garden needed a little pruning
I then started my walk back up Avenue C from the border of East Houston Street, which itself on all sides of the street has been knocked down and rebuilt. I have never seen a street go from shabby to chic more in the last fifteen to twenty years. Here the upper parts of the old Chinatown and Little Italy and the Lower East Side have merged with the Village. The lines have been blurred.
The changes to Avenue C start in the lower part of the neighborhood
The next set of public housing is the Bracetti Plaza
The next community garden I visited was the Secret Garden, a tiny park at 293 East Forth Street. Volunteers were hard at work weeding and planting while I walked around
Charlie Doves is a graffiti and fine artist from New York City’s Lower East Side, known for his work inspired by graffiti’s Golden Age and Japanese art. A master of his craft, Doves has moved from street art to fine art, fusing different techniques and styles to create a timeless body of work (Arts AI).
The Secret Garden Community Garden at 293 East Fourth Street
Alfredo Bennett, professionally known as The Royal “Kingbee” is a NYC artist. He was born in Harlem and raised in The Bronx in the early 70’s. He began his career painting graffiti on walls until gathering recognition and eventually being commissioned to perform his artistic abilities all throughout the city of New York. The artist went to JF Kennedy High School in the Bronx (BX 200 Artist.com).
The art was not just limited to the murals that looked more professionally done. The taggers showed their creativity on the closed gates of the businesses and the walls of the buildings around the Avenue.
Tagging art on Avenue C
Tagging art on Avenue C
The next community gardens I visited and one of the original is the Carmen Pabon Del Amanecer Jardin, dedicated to Carmen Pabon.
The sign for the Carmen Pabon Del Amanecer Jardin at
Carmen Pabón, ‘la madrina del Lower East Side,’ was a Puerto Rican community activist, gardener, poet and actress who founded a community garden as an urban sanctuary for children, local artists, Nuyorican poets and the elderly. Carmen helped thousands to create a better life for themselves and fed multitudes of Lower East Siders experiencing homelessness.
While a lot of the neighborhood is low rise and tenement housing, I stopped to admire this unique brick building at 116 Avenue C, with its interesting faces on all levels staring back at you. It reminded me of the many buildings I had passed recently in Lower Chelsea.
Each window had a demonist look in its eyes as you passed it. This building was built in 1900 (Streeteasy.com).
These menacing demons stare back at you from every window
I spent some more time cross crossing through more gardens admiring the work of dedicated gardens. The next I visited was the Flower Door Garden at 135 Avenue C.
La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez Community Garden was founded in 1976 by local residents and greening activists who took over what was then a series of vacant city lots piled high with rubble and trash. In an effort to improve the neighborhood during a downward trend of arson, drugs, and abandonment common in that era, members of the Latino group CHARAS cleared out truckloads of refuse.
Working with Buckminster Fuller, they built a geodesic dome in the open “plaza” and began staging cultural events. Green Guerillas pioneer Liz Christy seeded the turf with “seed bombs” and planted towering weeping willows and linden trees. Artist Gordon Matta-Clark helped construct La Plaza’s amphitheater using railroad ties and materials reclaimed from abandoned buildings.
What I liked about this particular garden was all the interesting metal work along the fencing. It popped all around the fencing like you were living in ‘Whoville’.
One of the entrances of the gardens
Walking around the inside along the paths
The whimsical ironworks on the top of the fencing
As I made my way back up Avenue C, J came across a small museum that I had never heard of before, the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space at 155 Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C).
The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space at 155 Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C)
The museum is a time capsule of information from the late 1960’s through the 70’s when the neighborhood had really hit rock bottom with the City’s almost bankruptcy. The neighborhood and its residents banded together to save the neighborhood and clean up all these empty lots of garbage and debris.
The entrance of the museum
The description of the museum’s purpose
The museum has pictures of the neighborhood at various stages of its development. There are the ups and downs of this section of the City and how its residents maintain it. The neighborhood has seen so much change and much of it due to the volunteers who keep improving it.
The inside of the museum
How the changes took place in Alphabet City
The masks and decorations that line the walls
The history of the neighborhood and its triumphs
After my trip through the museum, I continued the walk up Avenue C. Above 10th Street is was a little patchy but you can tell the neighborhood is getting better. I never felt unsafe walking around the ‘Alphabets’.
For the rest of my walk, I enjoyed the ‘open-air’ museum that the sides of the buildings offered me. There were many interesting murals to admire.
I think this one was in honor of the island of Puerto Rico by Artist Joel Chico
Joel Chico is an Actor, Writer, Director from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the creator of JMC Creative Endeavors, an artistic platform for his projects as a musician, poet, painter, photographer, and spiritual wisdom keeper. He is currently in the process of writing a poetry anthology, and his Cosmic Trilogy Feature screenplays (Artist bio).
Artist Antonio “Chico” Garcia is a New York City based Graffiti artist. He is well known in the neighborhood and has been featured in several periodicals (Wiki).
I saw this on the side of a Chinese restaurant
Then when I got to the top East 14th Street and I came across this mural on the side of a school PS 34 on East 12th Street and I admired the different styles of art in each panel.
The panel that lined the school created by artists from the Thrive Collective
Danielle Mastrion is a Brooklyn-born, New York City based painter and muralist who specializes in large scale, brightly colored murals. She holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design (Artist website)
I loved this whimsical school painting by artists Savannah Zambrano and Andrea Amanda
Savannah Zambrano is a freelance sequential artist that hosts workshops and panels, does face painting and caricatures, and works with Traditional and Digital Media (Artist Bio website).
The artists sign with the Thrive Collective
I loved this mural with the Puerto Rican flag by artist Miki Mu
Michela Muserra is an international muralist and illustrator based in Brooklyn. A graduate of Accademia di Bella Arti in her hometown of Foggia, Italy. The artist has worked as a teaching artist with Thrive Collective since January 2017 (Thrive Collective website).
I love this colorful display of positive behavior of Frank Ape by artist Brandon Sines
Artist Brandon Sines was exposed to many cultures while growing up simultaneously in New York City, Toronto, and Los Angeles. He mixes Pop Art’s mass culture, Surrealism’s private associations, and inventive paint handling to create dreamlike environments. His mark making ranges from experimental techniques to illustrative precision. Parts of the paintings are crystal clear, and other parts reach abstraction.
This was another great mural on the school but I could not find the artist
The piece of art that I noticed was as I was walking down East 14th Street and I came across this taggers work. To me it looked like a surreal ghost.
The piece of street art was East 14th Street
I turned the corner to Avenue B and started my journey down the street. Being closer to the colleges and further from the projects and around Tompkins Square Park, the vibe is different on Avenue B. The restaurants are a bit more expensive and there are more bars.
Walking down Avenue B
Walking through the neighborhood that offers so much to a visitor
I saw this ‘Love’ mural on one of the businesses
On the corner of Avenue B and East 13th Street I saw all this great street art on top of murals
As I continued the walk through this part of the neighborhood, I came across another series of community gardens that dot the street.
The Relaxation Garden was the first of the gardens I passed and this really had nothing to it. It looked like a garden waiting for something to happen to it.
The inside of the Relaxation Garden needs some TLC
I stared up at one of the buildings on Avenue B and this face from above was staring back at me. I thought this was really interesting but do not want to know how this artist did this without falling off the roof.
I thought this face staring back was really cool but I do not want to know how the tagger did this.
While I was walking, I stopped at the various restaurants and bars to look at their menus. I have to admit, they are not cheap. For a neighborhood known for poverty in its pockets, the places are pricy.
Passing the outdoor cafes on Avenue B
I then passed one of the community centers in the neighborhood and came across this series of panels. These were very retro 1970’s.
Panel One ‘Resist’
Panel Two ‘People Power’
Panel Three ‘Educate’
I thought they were profound and reminded me of works from the 1970’s.
Avenue B like Avenue C has its share of landscapers and gardeners and you see this in the creativity of the small community gardens.
The first one I walked through and admired was in front of the Trinity Lower East Side Church at 602 East 9th Street on the corner of Avenue B.
The Trinity Church Lower East Side at 602 East 9th Street
In 1839 German Saxon immigrants began to meet for worship in the home of a baker. By 1843 they were sufficiently strong to incorporate The Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession in the City of New York, since changed to Trinity Lower East Side Parish. In 1850, the congregation built a new church with four apartments below and a one-room school in the back. The present church was designed by Robert Litchfield and built in 1993. Dedicated on July 9, 1996, the facility includes a 100-seat chapel, community center and parsonage (Trinity Church website).
The gardens in front of the old church were a bit over grown but very colorful.
The fenced in garden in full bloom at the height of the summer
The one thing I like about this garden is how tranquil it was that day. Services were over so the church was quiet. It is the perfect place to just sit and think and relax.
Avenue B lines the eastern side of Tompkins Square Park and the park was alive with joggers, musicians, dog walkers and groups of college students stretching across the lawns talking, reading and sunning themselves. This is a far cry from the homeless camps of the early 1980’s.
Tompkins Square Park was extremely busy that afternoon
It’s fun to just walk through the borders of the park and see the neighborhood just conversing with each other. Community is not dead in New York City. Someone had tagged over this mural but I still thought it was interesting. The colors really stood out in the mural,
Romero, is a Korean and Spanish, first-generation American artist, and muralist . She is a New York City based artist. Her art is a contemporary representation, inspired by her mixed cultural background and layered complexities of the human experience. Her work is inspired by human emotion, identity, women’s empowerment, and New York City (Artist bio from website),
YouTube video on Artist Bianca Romero
Some of the community gardens are more creative than others. The next one I visited was the East 6th Street and Avenue B Garden at 84 Avenue B
The East 6th Street and Avenue Garden at 84 Avenue B
All the community gardens seemed to be open the weekend of my walk so I got to see all the gardeners at work. People were digging, pruning and cutting shrubs and trees and cleaning the beds of weeds and then composting.
History of the Garden:
(from the garden website
Throughout 1983 and 1984, garden members surveyed the site, drew up the plans for its optimal use, built over 100 4’ x 8’ plots and a large communal plot (“the Circle”), laid pathways, prepared for the installation of a fence, and laid out ornamental borders. In April of 1984, Green Thumb issued a one-year lease. Garden members were busy planting ornamental shrubs and trees. The Garden received important early technical assistance from the Citizens’ Committee, Green Guerrillas and the Trust for Public Land .
The welcoming French at the entrance of the Sixth Street and Avenue B Gardens
This was one of the larger community gardens and it was fun to stroll down the paths of flowers and vegetables and watch everyone hard at work.
The inside of the entrance of the gardens
Walking along the paths
The Vegetable gardens
The gardens at the height of the summer
The pathways in the gardens
The sitting area in the middle of the garden
The Weed Library and composting area
The tree has been part of this garden for years
I loved the ironwork along the fencing of the garden as I walked up Avenue B
The neighborhood reaction to a empty storefront in a gentrifying neighborhood
The garden was established in 1993/1994 soon after a building there was demolished. The building’s address was 194 Ave B which is also the garden’s address, but the garden’s entrance is at 546 E 12th St (NYC Parks/GreenThumb will eventually replace the garden sign. Down to Earth Garden, which changed its name on July 1, 2020 from Children’s Garden, is a Green Thumb community garden in the East Village/Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC.
We’re a small community garden, 1261 sq ft, on 12th St, by Ave B, southwest corner. However, we have been very active in composting (in combination with El Sol Brillante’s composting activities) since the fall of 2009
The flowering beds of the garden
The side beds
The artwork against the building was covered with vines and new growth
There was one last garden I visited but is was closing for the evening and that was the Vamps A Sembrar at 198 Avenue B.
The small Vegetable beds and visible art in the garden
The History of the garden:
(from the garden website)
The garden used to be two separate GreenThumb community gardens (Vamos A Sembrar and 200 Ave B Association Garden) until 2019, when they were combined as Vamos A Sembrar under the guidance of GreenThumb
This community garden had just closed for the afternoon so I could only see if from the fence. I could see the beds of vegetables growing. I really admired the artwork on the walls of the building. I will be returning on a future weekend to really explore all of these gardens, which I find are open on the weekends for the members and outside people.
I passed Pop’s Pizzeria at 223 Avenue B that I had eaten at when I walked the borders of the neighborhood. I had gotten at the restaurant late at night so I had not noticed the outside of the restaurant that evening.
When you look up above the restaurant, you see this Skelton painting smiling above the entrance.
The Skelton face that I did not see before when dining here on my last trip to the neighborhood
I finished for the evening around 5:00pm and went to get some dinner.
I checked Google and Avenue D Pizzeria which I had passed when walking down Avenue D was still open. So I walked down one of the side streets to give it a try.
The pizza selection was really good that night and the slices were reasonable at $1.50 for a Cheese slice and $2.50 for a Sausage slice.
The pizza selection that night
The hot food selection is $10.00 for a plate
The pizzeria also has a selection of hot entrees and sides at a reasonable price as well. There is no place to sit down anywhere near the pizzeria so I went back to Tompkins Square Park to eat my dinner. I found an empty bench and ate by one of the gardens.
My dinner that night in the park
I have to say that I was really impressed by the pizza for having to walk for blocks to eat it. The sauce was spiced so nicely and they loaded the sausage on the other slice.
After dinner I walked through the park and watched the bars and restaurants come to life. Most get a younger crowd of college students but there are a lot of family restaurants as well. I was amazed at the amount of kids who were dining with their parents that evening.
Admiring street art on the border of Alphabet City (I could not find the artist)
Since it was such a great night that I decided to walk around both Little Italy and Chinatown since they both border Alphabet City.
Walking around Little Italy on a warm late summer night
Outside the Cannoli King dessert shop a guy was singing Sinatra songs. I stopped to listen and this guy was really good. Everyone in the crowd was filming him.
Singing outside the Cannoli King at 152 Mulberry Street
It was fun to stand there and just enjoy the concert. The singer was wonderful!
The singer was great
Afree the mini concert was over, I continued my walk down Mulberry Street into Chinatown. Once upon a time there were distinct boundaries of Chinatown and Little Italy but they have become very blurred over the last twenty five years with gentrification affecting both neighborhoods.
I walked down Mott Street to Catherine Street and stopped at my favorite bakery that I know is always open late, Great Taste Bakery at 35 Catherine Street. I love the reasonable pastries and buns here and it is one of the last of the Chinatown bakeries that is still open late. This is also one of the few neighborhood bakeries left in a very gentrifying Chinatown. I come here after meals or just having dumplings up the road and finish here for dessert.
I love their Pineapple cream buns with some lemon tea at Great Taste Bakery
Since there was no place to sit down in here too I ate at one of the benches outside near the local park.
These buns are so good!
After all the walking that evening, you would figure I would be tired. There was something about the Lemon tea and the sweet bun that gave me a second wind and I walked from Chinatown to the Port Authority. It was such a beautiful warm night I figured ‘why not’? It was a beautiful walk up Broadway.
Admiring one of the old churches on lower Broadway on my long walk up Broadway to the Port Authority
Looking at Madison Square Park at night
It really ended up being a beautiful evening ing the City. For all its problems, the City really is magical at all times of the day. You just have to look at all the good things that people do that make this City better. Between the small mom and pop restaurants providing wonderful food to the community gardeners who make Alphabet City bloom, it really shows that New York City is bouncing back from COVID in its own way.
I have been shopping at Heights Flower Shoppe for many years for floral arrangements and gifts for the holidays. Ever since they moved from their smaller space further down the Boulevard to the new location at 209 Boulevard in a turn of the last century building (there are pictures of the building at various stages of downtown Hasbrouck Heights history on the wall), it has developed into a whimsical store of fresh flowers, beautiful arrangements, unusual knick-knacks, treasured holiday items and items from a local chocolate maker. When you want a gift that sways away from the standard present, you are sure to find it on the shelves of the Height Flower Shoppe.
Heights Flower Shop at 209 Boulevard at Christmas time.
What makes the story have such a nice feel is the way it is merchandised. Each of the tables and shelves of the store are created to be its own little display case. Everything is nicely arranged and not just plopped on the shelves. There are small stuffed animals next to frames or glittering trees next to hearts and bags of local chocolates. They are colorful arrangements that are pleasing to the eye.
Heights Flower Shoppe at The Open House in 2020
The store has won numerous awards for the window displays and at each holiday, they display an abundance of merchandise and props that showcase the event with much excitement to welcome in the holiday. Their windows have made them a member of the Hasbrouck Heights ‘Mayor’s Celebration Committee’ Hall of Fame.
The window display at Heights Flower Shoppe in 2024
Santa welcomes you to Heights Flower Shoppe in 2024
I recently attended the Holiday Open House at the store and that was amazing! The whole back counter was lined with small appetizers and platters of Christmas cookies. There was coffee, tea and “Library Punch” , which is fruit juice, lemon-line cola with sherbet. It is always refreshing and was a nice touch when doing your holiday planning and shopping.
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe during Christmas 2024
The hospitality at the store at the holidays is always welcoming. If it is a floral arrangement for a special event or small gift for a dinner party’s host, you are sure to find it at Heights Flower Shoppe.
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe in 2024. It is the land of Christmas
The Christmas 2021 Open House on December 5th was a pleasure. It is fun to enjoy the Christmas music and nibble on snacks as you walk around the store planning your purchases for the holidays for the home and as gifts. It is part of Hasbrouck Heights Holiday traditions in the Downtown.
Heights Flower Shoppe at the Christmas 2021 Open House
The Christmas display windows at Heights Flower Shoppe in 2021
The Christmas greeting at the 2021 Open House at Heights Flower Shoppe
The beautiful merchandise at the 2021 Christmas Open House
Whimsical Christmas merchandise at the 2021 Open House
The Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House/Merchant Contest:
For Halloween in 2022, I ran the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House Decorating Contest and we created a Merchant Division this year. Heights Flower Shoppe was our winner.
Heights Flower Shoppe decorated for Halloween 2022
We were impressed by not just the windows but also by the inside decorations and merchandising of the store. It just was so perfect for the holiday season and was the perfect store to ‘bewitch’ anyone who was decorating for parties and get togethers.
The decorated windows at Heights Flower Shoppe were impressive
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe at Halloween in 2022
Halloween decorations and delights at Heights Flower Shoppe
Chairman Justin Watrel with Merchant Winner and owner Ray Vorisek
Winner and Owner Ray Vorisek in front of the winning store
The store was very impressive for Halloween 2023 as well with ghoulish decorations and the displays of things that go bump in the night. Ray won the award for a second time in 2023 and I very proudly awarded him for a second time for his creativity and spirit of the holidays.
The display windows in 2023 for Halloween.
The boutique of Heights Flower Shoppe at Halloween 2023
The beautiful merchandise for Halloween and Thanksgiving in 2023.
Ray won the contest again in 2023. He is with Chairman (& Blogger) Justin Watrel Chairman of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House Decorating Committee presenting him the award.
The Two time winner in front of his store.
Heights Flower Shoppe becomes even more festive the day after Halloween when the whole store is converted into Christmas merchandise and becomes the ultimate Christmas shop. All the beautiful and festive items line the shelves waiting for people to take them home and decorate with them.
The outside of the store is so beautifully decorated
The inside boutique is laden with Christmas decorations
The entrance is full of elegant items for decorating
The side shelves are full of gift items and wonderful chocolates
In Christmas 2022, the whole store looked like a Christmas Fantasyland of beautiful gift items and a wonderful place to buy presents.
In Christmas 2023, the store is looking more and more like Christmasland with its boutique like displays and merchandise.
Heights Flower Shoppe in 2023.
Heights Flower Shoppe Christmas 2023.
Ray is the three time in a row winner of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House/Merchant Decorating Contest in 2024. His windows set the example foe merchants in our Downtown during the start of the holiday season.
The front of the Heights Flower Shoppe during Halloween 2024
The winning Merchant window in 2024
The close up look at the winning window
The close up look at the winning window
HHMA Chairman Justin Watrel with winner Ray Vorisek at Halloween 2024
Three time winner of the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association House/Merchant Decorating Contest in 2024
Ray always does a wonderful job with his windows during all the holidays and is impressive at Christmas and Easter as well. The store both inside and out are always decked out during the holiday season.
The blog on the Hasbrouck Heights Men’s Association Halloween House/Merchant Decorating Contest 2024:
The beautiful merchandise at Heights Flower Shoppe at Halloween.
The windows at Christmas time December 2023.
The front window of Heights Flower Shoppe in December 2023.
The inside of Heights Flower Shoppe in 2023.
Heights Flower Shoppe at Christmas 2023.
The Proposal for “Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Heights Flower Shoppe-We Keep Growing”:
When I needed to pick a small business to do a Marketing project on for my Business 101-Introduction to Business class, I wanted to keep it close to home as the Summer was winding down and did not want to travel too much to Paramus through all that traffic. So I approached Ray on this as I saw that he did not have much of an online presence nor a strong Digital Marketing display of all the wonderful things he sold in the store. We agreed to the things we both wanted to cover and we set the project up and I presented it to my class.
We were under a lot of time constraints just like the Summer One course in that we only had six full weeks of class, and we would miss two more days of class, so we were going to be rushing through this project. Funny though, this is what I told the students they will be experiencing for the rest of their lives. Last minute requests from both bosses and clients that you might have to achieve and finish in a weekend.
So I prepared the field trips. The first one was an optional extra credit trip the Thursday after I handed out the assignment and then the next Tuesday I met me students for a formal tour of Heights Flower Shoppe and then our Team lunch at Bella Pizza a few doors down. This is when the real work begins.
In a now in a class this quick, you do not have the time to goof around and I made my students fully aware of this. So I arranged the field trip with Ray and his staff, made sure that all my students attended and we started the tour of the store.
We started the tour with a discussion on the history of the store and Ray’s career in the flower business
The owner, Ray Vorisek, gave my students a talk first on the history of the store, his career as a florist and how the whole family participates in the business. Then he took us on a tour of the second floor that will be used for the new Christmas shop and bridal salon in the future. Then I let my students walk around and talk to the owner and his staff, who were working feverishly getting out orders that afternoon.
My students listening to Ray discuss the flower business
Ray explaining the assortment of flowers
My students touring the store and studying the merchandise
Our Team picture after the tour
The students had about a week after this tour to finish and present the project to myself and the owners niece, who would be working at the store as the rest of the family members would be away on vacation. We finished the visit in less than an hour.
As part of the tour, I took the students out for lunch five doors down at Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard for Cheese pizza and soda. I find that when a Team ‘breaks bread’ with one another, they gel together.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Our ‘Business Lunches’ are a way for the student consultants to get to know one another and start talking about the project in a more casual manner. There was a lot to discuss and it is easier over lunch with a few laughs.
The Special Events and Marketing Team having lunch
The Special Events and Marketing Team dining together
Members of the Marketing and Special Events Team dining together
Ray Vorisek and his daughter, Gabriella with our Senior Vice-President of Operations
It was a really nice lunch and I got to talk with Ray about some of the challenges of the business and catch up on ways he was promoting the business. Heights Flower Shoppe is a very successful business with a good following but the issue is that his core customer base was getting older and things like the way holidays were being celebrated were changing. It was going to be out job to tap into what the younger customers were looking for and how to reach them.
For the next ten days, my students worked hard, had challenges to overcome, co-workers who could be somewhat uncooperative and worked late nights to finish the project in time for our presentation on August 5th, 2025. I thought for a barely two week time frame, the student consultants did a wonderful job on the project and here is their hard work.
This was the commercial that the Marketing Team put together for store to promote it for the Digital Age:
The Commercial on Heights Flower Shoppe
The Team Presentation on YouTube
The Presentation was a huge success with both the Marketing Team and the Special Events Teams presenting their ideas with new logos, interesting Tik Tok and YouTube videos promoting the store and new special promotions such as ‘Children’s Bundles’ and holiday events highlighting Christmas, Easter and the Wedding season.
Ray’s niece, Nicole, attended the Presentation and gave us wonderful feedback on some of the ideas. Which ones were realistic and which ones would need more work. I do admit the students can be elaborate with the project and their ideas, but it is best to present all ideas first and then tailor them down to the clients budget and logistics.
The Corporate Picture for the Paramus Team-Heights Flower Shoppe with CEO Professor Justin Watrel at the end of the Team Presentation
After the Presentation was over, I hosted a small reception for both the students and our attending guests. I bake cookies, brownies and bring in snacks like chips, sodas and waters for the students and their guests for a job well. Our last time ‘breaking bread’ with one another for the conclusion of the project. It was a bit rushed but I think the Team did a great job.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Corporate reception for the Paramus Team
The next week before Final Exam, we had the Team Wrap up and each student discussed what they learned from the project. This is where I get my insights on the project and where I need to tailor my CEO skills. Just as much as the students learn from me, I learn so much from them as well. “From the students we are taught” from the ‘King and I’.
Then I presented my President of the Division her official Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Presidential hat, of which she seemed very excited to receive. It was a very difficult project to do in less than two weeks and she was up to the challenge. Respect well-deserved!
I finally finished walking Lower Chelsea which means that I have now walked 2/3 of Manhattan island. It has taken a decade to do this since my initial start but life does get in the way. I hope to all you readers you have been enjoying the journey.
The streets of Lower Chelsea took so much time because here in this corner and there in that corner I kept finding more interesting things I wanted to share with everyone. It makes this journey even more fun.
I started my journey in the Meatpacking District in the early afternoon of a glorious summer day. It was clear, sunny and warm and the perfect 80 degree day.
Ninth Avenue and West 14th Street
I started the walk on the corner of West 14th Street and Ninth Avenue, which was once all slaughter houses up until about twenty years ago. Some converted to clubs in the 1980’s and then funky shops and over the last twenty years has seen a change in upscale dining, shopping and living.
There are still meatpacking businesses and distribution centers on the edges of the neighborhood but I am sure that won’t last forever with the cost of real estate in this neighborhood. It’s just funny to see the meat distribution centers sitting across the street from stores selling $1000.00 leather jackets. In just a decade period, I have never seen a neighborhood change as dramatically as this one.
This was one of the scenes of “Sex and the City” where I saw the Meatpacking District change.
Once they featured this neighborhood in ‘Sex and the City’, it was already past trendy. Now most of the streets are lined with ultra chic and expensive stores. I have never seen so many stores lined next to the vestiges of meat wholesale businesses.
The edge of the Meatpacking District at the corner of West 14th Street and Ninth Avenue
Walking down Ninth Avenue to Ganesvoort Street seems to be one long Mexican restaurant. The street is lined with chain restaurants next to luxury condos. The cobblestone streets and plantings though give it a real picturesque look.
Walking down the cobblestone street of Ninth Avenue
Once you reach Gansevoort Street there is nothing left of the neighborhoods storied past
Looking down Gansevoort Street and its cobblestone look
Looking down Gansevoort Street seems like seeing a combination of what was old being converted to new plus a lot of new construction with very innovative design tucked in between. I love the hodge podge of architecture and how it all blends into the neighborhood.
Very whimsical street art along Gansevoort Street
The High Line Park ends on the edge of Ganesvoort because once upon a time these were the famous Washington Markets. The line was used to get produce and other foods transported out of the area.
The new Whitney Museum is at the very edge of the neighborhood and is a catalyst for tourists
When I was visiting the neighborhood for the second time to finish Hudson Street, I stopped at the Whitney Museum and found out that after 5:00pm on Friday nights, the museum is free for entry. That and being an NYU Alumni, I got in that night and was able to tour the museum and all the exhibitions for two hours.
On the very edge of Hudson River Park sits one of the few man made beaches in New York City , the Gansevoort Peninsula Sand Bluff that is part of the most southern part of Hudson River Park. This wonderful and relaxing park became my ‘go to’ spot when I wanted to relax after a long day of walking. The views are spectacular and if you can snag one of the lounge chairs either on the beach area or facing the Hudson River, it is even better.
Entering the park from Eleventh Avenue, the Gansevoort Peninsula Sand Bluff
The amazing artwork along the beach ‘Days End’ by artist David Hammons
This fascinating piece of art is entitled “Days End” by artist David Hammons. It looked like the shell of an empty building and struck a nerve as the sun started to set on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. It is an ‘Open Air’ sculpture that explores the history of the neighborhood (Whitney Museum). This sits right at the entrance of the park.
Mr. Hammons is an American born artist who studied at the Chouinard Art Institute (CalArts) and at Otis Art Institute. He is known for his Body Prints and sculpture work (Wiki/Artnet.com).
Underneath it is the amazing and very busy beach
The pathway along Hudson River Park
The beautiful plantings along the pathways
The colorful flowers in season in Hudson River Park
The very edge of the dock in the late afternoon looking over Lower Manhattan
The views from the dock section are fantastic and have the most breathtaking views of both Jersey City and Lower Manhattan. It really shows the growth of these areas for business and residential over the last twenty years.
The view of the beach with everyone looking so relaxed
The view looking up from Tenth Avenue
I rounded Gansevoort Street and walked down little 12th Street , which itself is making a lot of changes from business to both retail and residential.
Making the turn on Little 12th Street
The mural above Golden Goose at 812 Washington Street
The view of the High Line Park from Little 12th Street
I thought the front of 12 Little 12th Street was quite unique
Little 12th Street like most of the neighborhood is in transition right now. Stores and restaurants have been opening and closing in the neighborhood and right now there are quite a few empty storefronts. The effects of COVID are still being felt all over the City.
On the contrary though, the empty store fronts are producing some interesting Street Art on the windows and doors of these establishments. These were some of my favorites.
I thought this was amusing
This looked like something out of the movie ‘Just can’t Wait’
This artist I was seeing all over the neighborhood
I love the irony of politics
Interesting art
I loved the little cents guy
This work was really creative
There is all sorts of public street art like this all over the neighborhood.
Turning on to West 13th Street,, I saw the last vestiges of the Meatpacking and Distribution industries. Some companies are still holding on in the area and their buildings prominently display their signs.
On some buildings, the signs have been kept as a reminder to the areas past and house expensive stores. The neighborhood has not totally gentrified yet and still has a grasp on the food industry, probably catering to the local restaurants and hotels.
Turning onto West 13th Street is a small look into the neighborhood’s past.
The Meat distributors who still operate in the neighborhood are becoming less and less. The London Meat Company and the Weichsel Beef Company still stand strong with their building on Little West 12th Street. These companies are the last holdouts of the old neighborhood. I have a funny feeling with the land worth millions that this will be a luxury condo or hotel in about five years.
What I read about the Meatpacking District is that this area was zoned for the Food Wholesale Markets going back to a deed from the Astor family when they owned this area. This tiny section of the neighborhood is still on that deed and many of these companies still have long term leases. How long before the real estate industry buys them out is anyone’s guess.
The Collier company was a producer of high end books and magazines and produced the publications in this building to up until the 1960’s. The building was designed by architects Trowbridge & Livingston in 1901 in the Neo-Classic style (Daytonianinmanhattan.com).
Looking at the view down West 13th Street and its future in upscale shopping and residences.
The cobblestone streets on the corner of West 13th Street and Hudson Street
I took a long turn around the neighborhood and walked up Tenth Avenue from the park on Gansevoort Street and walked up this still seedy stretch of the neighborhood.
I have been seeing this artist’s signs all over lower Manhattan
The Gansevoort Market Meat Center is in a state of transition eight now located on 10th Avenue
Surprisingly, the building has become a haven for street artists. These were some of the works on the building that I thought stood out. It is like an open air contemporary art gallery.
I loved the cartoon like character of this work
I love seeing this artist’s work
This artwork I thought was unique
This was on one of the garage doors
This poster was prominently shown on one of the walls
The signs along 11th Avenue still remind you that this is an area of food distribution.
I never noticed this interesting piece of art on the Rivian Building at West 14th Street
To give both our longtime followers and those new to our brand a chance to connect with a distinct facet of who we are, we’re introducing yearly, rotating concepts that will come to life through immersive design, content, events, and programming. The first concept, “Adventure Is In Us,” tells the stories of people who embody this spirit in their daily lives, including real Rivian owners. While adventure is core to our brand, it doesn’t always mean scaling cliffs or going off-roading. It can also mean starting something new or pursuing a creative path. “Adventure Is In Us” is about celebrating that broader, more inclusive view of adventure and inspiring visitors to embrace it too (Rivian website).
The last block I walked was down the tiny stretch of Washington Avenue that was the ‘Avenue of extremes’.
The upscale shops across from the meat distributors
On one side you had the back of the meat distribution building and on the other side of the street were boutiques selling $1000.00 sweaters and jackets.
The changes in the neighborhood from manufacturing and distribution I staggering. The front of Louis Zucker & Company still stands guard at 830 Washington Street
The neighborhood still showing its grit with the Louis Zuckerberg & Company distributor across the street from ironically enough a new Shake Shack all underneath the High Line Park.
I loved the messages on the garage doors
The view of the transition of 9th Avenue and views of the Highline Park
The tiny cafe tables across the street from the meat distributors and right under the High Line Park
On the second day of the walk around the Meatpacking District, I finished the small corner around Hudson and Gansevoort Streets on the very edge of the neighborhood that it shares with the West Village.
I loved this colorful mural outside of Starbucks but I could not find the artist. I am not sure if it is independently painted or is a corporate painting by the store.
The change in the neighborhood at Hudson and West 14th Street
I walked down 10th Avenue again to see if any of the distributors were still open but they had closed at this time of the evening.
What is left of West Street off 10th Avenue on Gansevoort Street
I realized this is where my grandfather back in the 1930’s owned his garage in side the old Washington Markets. I had a lively conversation via text with my brother that I wished our family still owned the building what we might be worth today. He laughed and said where it stood is an upscale condo. To have a crystal ball!
In the late afternoon, as I was walking back down Gansevoort Street, I noticed that the Whitney Museum was having a free Friday night and I used my NYU pass to get in. What a breathtaking museum with interesting contemporary art and gorgeous views of the Hudson River.
I traveled floor by floor from the top to ground floor and explored the museum. There was a special exhibition with artist Christine Sun Kim, whose art reflects the artist’s view on being deaf. I thought her art told a good story on how she has been treated.
In works full of sharp wit and incisive commentary, artist Christine Sun Kim, engages sound and the complexities of communication in its various modes. Using musical notation, infographics, and language—both in her native American Sign Language (ASL) and written English—she has produced drawings, videos, sculptures, and installations that often explore non-auditory, political dimensions of sound. In many works, Kim draws directly on the spatial dynamism of ASL, translating it into graphic form. By emphasizing images, the body, and physical space, she upends the societal assumption that spoken languages are superior to those that are signed.
The Sun Kim exhibition
This exhibition surveys Kim’s entire artistic output to date and features works ranging from early 2010s performance documentation to her recent site-responsive mural, Ghost(ed) Notes (2024), re-created across multiple walls on the eighth floor. Inspired by similarly named works made throughout her career, the exhibition’s title, All Day All Night, points to the vitality Kim brings to her artmaking; she is relentlessly experimental, productive, and dedicated to sharing her Deaf lived experiences with others (Whitney Museum website).
One of the pieces of relatable art
Then I toured all the floors to see the different exhibitions of art and some of the restaurants and bars in the museum. Food here is very expensive.
The bar on the Eighth Floor
The American flag on the Seventy Floor
The picture of Gertrude Whitney , the founder of the museum
The view of the Hudson River from the Seventh Floor staircase
The lower floors had large scale pieces or were closed for the new exhibitions being mounted for the Fall. So I headed for the first floor to visit both the gift shop and restaurant.
The restaurant, as pretty as it is and as nice as the pastries look, is extremely expensive and I think $14.00 for an eclair is a bit much. I was there on a busy Friday night and no one was in the restaurant. Since it was a free night for patrons, they probably did not get their usual crowd. This is considering it was a lot of tourists and local New Yorkers that night.
The exhibitions will be closing in two weeks to prepare for the fall shows so much of this art will be moved around. What I like about the new Whitney Museum versus the old one on the Upper East Side is the openness and airiness of the galleries and balconies that over look the neighborhood. It feels more inviting and less confined and elitist as the old building. The new museum is so inviting and easy to view. I saw the whole museum in about an hour.
It was still sunny when I got out of the museum at 6:00pm and I went back over to the Gansevoort Beach again. It was clear, sunny with no humidity and a slight breeze, perfect to sit by the river and relax.
I first decided to visit the beginning of the High Line Park, that starts on Gansevoort Street which was once the center of the Washington Markets. They sent produce and farming items to places all over New York City.
The start of the walkway of the High Line Park at Gansevoort Street
Artist Brittany Marakatt-Labba is a Swedish Sami textile artist, painter, graphic artist, and a member of the Maze Group. She is a BA in Textile Art from the Art Industrial School. While Marakatt-Labba works with numerous types of media, it is primarily her narrative embroidery using motifs from the Sámi culture and mythology that she is known for around the world (Wiki).
The sign of sculpture “Urmodern”
The view of the High Line Park at 14th Street
The view of West 14th Street from the High Line to the Hudson River
The of West 14th Street border of the neighborhood, which is undergoing massive renovations
After exploring the remainder of the neighborhood and touring the beginning of the High Line, I finished my day relaxing by the Gansevoort Beach and sitting on one of the wooden lounge chairs by the Hudson River. There is nothing like the breezes and the views by the Hudson River.
The most southern part of Hudson River Park
Looking north to Little Island
Walking around the park with a view of the Hudson Yards in the background
The view of the skylines of Lower Manhattan and Jersey City
Enjoying a beautiful sunny day by the Hudson River
The one New Yorker who found the perfect spot in New York City
Video of walking along the pier
The Meatpacking District has so much to offer from interesting architecture to wonderful restaurants at funky street art, there is something for everyone here. You just have to walk around and enjoy the views.
Some much is changing in this neighborhood so we will wait and see what happens next.
The front of La Sandwicherie Chelsea at 239 West 15th Street
When I was walking the Lower Chelsea neighborhood streets, I passed the signs for La Sandwicherie Chelsea, a tiny little French Cafe concept in the more residential part of West 15th Street. Although I had already eaten at another restaurant for lunch, I wanted a little snack to tide me over as I finished walking and exploring the neighborhood. I saw the sign for the Crepes at $6.00 and I stopped to look at the menu.
While I was inside, the manager showed me the fresh crepe batter he used to make the crepes and how each is made to order. That made it even more tempting. I really liked the list of sandwiches that they had on the menu. The problem is that in New York the price of said sandwich is double of what it would be in Paris under the ‘formula system’. The ‘formula system’ in Paris is that a Boulanger (a type of sandwich shop) consists of a sandwich, drink and a dessert for a reasonable price as $10 euros about $11.00 in US dollars which is much more reasonable.
The inside of this cute little French cafe in the middle of Lower Chelsea
The ambiance matches the wonderful food the you will dine on here. When I was finishing my tour of walking around Lower Chelsea and found that I needed something to snack on before I finished for the evening, I headed back to the restaurant and all I could think about were the wonderful meals I had in Paris two summer ago.
The crepe menu
The sandwich menu
When I had seen the sign for the crepe, I had my heart set on one. So about an hour before they closed, I stopped in and had a crepe to finish the day. I swear, I have not enjoyed more than that crepe in the late afternoon to finish the day. I ended up getting one with sugar and filled with strawberry jelly. I also ordered a San Pellegrino with Orange and Pomegranate to drink with it.
The crepes are made right in front of you and on a cool day
The crepe was delicious
The food and service is excellent and the service so personable and the manager speaks fluent French so it adds to the ambiance. It is so interesting when the French tourists find this place and are so happy the staff speaks fluent French.
I was so impressed by the crepe and wanting to try the Ham and Butter sandwich on the baguette, I went back for lunch when I was finishing walking the Meatpacking District. I swear I am transported back to Paris when I enter the restaurant with all the French grocery items and the French music.
The panel right by the front door
I ordered my sandwich at the counter and enjoyed my Italian Orange soda while I was waiting for the sandwich to come to the table.
My Ham and French Buerre sandwich with a San Pellegino Orange soda
The sandwich was served on a chewy baguette with thick slices of French jambon (ham) and sweet beurre (butter). I loved the little French flag on the sandwich. I thought it was a nice touch.
The sandwich was so flavorful and brought me back to the lunches I had all over Paris at the Boulanger with their sandwiches and pastries piled high in the cases and the formula lunches.
The sandwich was picture perfect
And loaded with ingredients
Yum!
The manager could tell I was enjoying my lunch and we talked for a bit in English and French. He was telling about the cost of importing foods into the US from France and the prices he had to charge. I thought for the quality and the taste, it was worth the $11.99.
Before I left, the manager offered me a complimentary Ice Tea that they made homemade at the store. What made the tea so good was that it was infused with fresh lemons and mint. You could really taste the fresh mint.
The fresh Ice Tea at La Sandwicherie
I said my goodbyes in English and French and walked down West 15th Street back from trip to Paris via New York City.
I happily drank the Icd Tea on a hot day walking around New York City
La Sandwicherie Chelsea is part of a small chain of three locations in New York City, the others being on the Upper East Side and the other being in Brooklyn. Yet on this tree lined residential street in Lower Chelsea, you are brought back to the tiny neighborhood places in Paris, where quality and service still mean something.
The French grocery products
I plan on many trips back to the restaurant to try the other sandwiches and soups.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. logo of the Six Trees (based on the six founders of the company). Our Motto:
“A Tree grows from the strength of its roots and not from the top of the Tree” meaning that all employees opinions are noted and respected.
My boss contacted me after my Summer I class was done and asked if I could teach the Summer II class too with the same schedule After the success of our first class project, I said yes but with one catch. I had one less week to teach the class.
My first class’s final exam was on Monday and then classes started Wednesday. Because we met on Monday’s and Tuesday’s were the class days we would not meet until the next week and that fell on the Forth of July weekend so in the first two weeks of classes we met the first Tuesday of the second week of classes and that put us two weeks behind.
So on the third week of classes, we finally met with the full schedule. I had a lot of catching up to do. That being said, I had to get their Team project done and we were playing with time. I had to have at least two weeks to do the project and unlike the Critchley’s Candies project, I wanted to keep it closer to home.
The blog on the successful Critchley’s Candies Team Project:
I thought of three Merchants in Hasbrouck Heights that I thought could use some help with their Digital Marketing and Online presence. I talked with Roy Vorisek, the owner of Heights Flower Shoppe, who I have known for years and asked if he would partner with me this semester. I thought it might be a nice idea to promote one of our Merchants this time around. He loved the idea, but the only problem was that he would be leaving for a trip with his family before the Presentation and would not be returning until we finished class.
The Heights Flower Shoppe at 209 Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ (decorated for Halloween)
I was concerned that no one would be there to see the Presentation but he could send one of his family members who worked at the store so she could give her opinions. We then worked out of game plan of things he wanted to promote and ideas for Digital Marketing that the students could work on. I presented him all my ideas based on his needs in the store and then I presented the Team Project to my students.
The Proposal for “Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Heights Flower Shoppe-We Keep Growing”:
We were under a lot of time constraints just like the Summer One course in that we only had six full weeks of class, and we would miss two more days of class, so we were going to be rushing through this project. Funny though, this is what I told the students they will be experiencing for the rest of their lives. Last minute requests from both bosses and clients that you might have to achieve and finish in a weekend.
So I prepared the field trips. The first one was an optional extra credit trip the Thursday after I handed out the assignment and then the next Tuesday I met me students for a formal tour of Heights Flower Shoppe and then our Team lunch at Bella Pizza a few doors down. This is when the real work begins.
In a now in a class this quick, you do not have the time to goof around and I made my students fully aware of this. So I arranged the field trip with Ray and his staff, made sure that all my students attended and we started the tour of the store.
We started the tour with a discussion on the history of the store and Ray’s career in the flower business
The owner, Ray Vorisek, gave my students a talk first on the history of the store, his career as a florist and how the whole family participates in the business. Then he took us on a tour of the second floor that will be used for the new Christmas shop and bridal salon in the future. Then I let my students walk around and talk to the owner and his staff, who were working feverishly getting out orders that afternoon.
My students listening to Ray discuss the flower business
Ray explaining the assortment of flowers
My students touring the store and studying the merchandise
Our Team picture after the tour
The students had about a week after this tour to finish and present the project to myself and the owners niece, who would be working at the store as the rest of the family members would be away on vacation. We finished the visit in less than an hour.
As part of the tour, I took the students out for lunch five doors down at Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard for Cheese pizza and soda. I find that when a Team ‘breaks bread’ with one another, they gel together.
Bella Pizza at 197 Boulevard in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Our ‘Business Lunches’ are a way for the student consultants to get to know one another and start talking about the project in a more casual manner. There was a lot to discuss and it is easier over lunch with a few laughs.
The Special Events and Marketing Team having lunch
The Special Events and Marketing Team dining together
Members of the Marketing and Special Events Team dining together
Ray Vorisek and his daughter, Gabriella with our Senior Vice-President of Operations
It was a really nice lunch and I got to talk with Ray about some of the challenges of the business and catch up on ways he was promoting the business. Heights Flower Shoppe is a very successful business with a good following but the issue is that his core customer base was getting older and things like the way holidays were being celebrated were changing. It was going to be out job to tap into what the younger customers were looking for and how to reach them.
For the next ten days, my students worked hard, had challenges to overcome, co-workers who could be somewhat uncooperative and worked late nights to finish the project in time for our presentation on August 5th, 2025. I thought for a barely two week time frame, the student consultants did a wonderful job on the project and here is their hard work.
This was the commercial that the Marketing Team put together for store to promote it for the Digital Age:
The Commercial on Heights Flower Shoppe
The Team Presentation on YouTube
The Presentation was a huge success with both the Marketing Team and the Special Events Teams presenting their ideas with new logos, interesting Tik Tok and YouTube videos promoting the store and new special promotions such as ‘Children’s Bundles’ and holiday events highlighting Christmas, Easter and the Wedding season.
Ray’s niece, Nicole, attended the Presentation and gave us wonderful feedback on some of the ideas. Which ones were realistic and which ones would need more work. I do admit the students can be elaborate with the project and their ideas, but it is best to present all ideas first and then tailor them down to the clients budget and logistics.
The Corporate Picture for the Paramus Team-Heights Flower Shoppe with CEO Professor Justin Watrel at the end of the Team Presentation
After the Presentation was over, I hosted a small reception for both the students and our attending guests. I bake cookies, brownies and bring in snacks like chips, sodas and waters for the students and their guests for a job well. Our last time ‘breaking bread’ with one another for the conclusion of the project. It was a bit rushed but I think the Team did a great job.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Corporate reception for the Paramus Team
The next week before Final Exam, we had the Team Wrap up and each student discussed what they learned from the project. This is where I get my insights on the project and where I need to tailor my CEO skills. Just as much as the students learn from me, I learn so much from them as well. “From the students we are taught” from the ‘King and I’.
Then I presented my President of the Division her official Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. Presidential hat, of which she seemed very excited to receive. It was a very difficult project to do in less than two weeks and she was up to the challenge. Respect well-deserved!
mywalkinmanhattan 