Category Archives: Visiting a Museum in New York City

Day Eighty-Eight: Walking the Border of Yorkville/Carnegie Hill: East 96th Street to East 84th Street and from Fifth Avenue to FDR Drive August 25th, 2017 (again on June 8th, 2024 and July 21st, 2025)

August 28, 2017Cheap Spanish Restaurant for Budget Minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Rim of the Island of Manhattan, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Exploring Yorkville/Carnegie Hill/Upper East Side, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Spanish Restaurants for the budget minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, Walking on the Upper East SideAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, Carl Schurz Park, Central Park Conservatory Park, Central Park Reservior, diningonashoestringinnyc, Dorrain's Restaurant, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper East Side, Exploring Yorkville/Carnegie Hill, Gracie Mansion, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Moe's Grocery, MywalkinManhattan.com, The Upper East Side, Upper East Side, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walk Manhattan, Walking in Manhattan, Walking Manhattan, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

I finally got out of Harlem and into the Upper East Side. This area is the border neighborhood between East Harlem and the Upper East Side (or as people used to say before gentrification of the Island of Manhattan, the Upper Upper East Side). Most people consider anything below 98th Street on the East Side of Manhattan and East of Central Park as the Upper East Side. However, you call it, you are now out of Harlem.

Walking along York Avenue

The mood of the area is even different. It was like when I was crossing 155th Street from Washington Heights to Harlem months before. The mood of the area and its residents starts to change. It becomes the Woody Allen Upper East Side. Again just like Manhattan Valley on the West Side, there is still a very 70’s and 80’s feel to the neighborhood. It’s got a more a middle-class vibe to it and watching the kids at play you can still see that independent streak in them.

The Isaacs and Haynes Houses on the border of the Upper East Side

John Haynes Houses at 1780 First Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_Towers

Click to access Holmes%20Towers.pdf

The John Haynes Holmes Towers sign

There are none of the expensive restaurants and boutiques that you see below 80th Street. The feel of the businesses is more local. Even the Isaacs Housing complex looks more upscale then the projects a few blocks up and their residents have their own security watch (the guy asked me what I was doing there and no one ever asked me anything when I walked through the projects before).

The Isaacs Houses just south of East 96th Street

The sign for the Isaacs houses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaacs_Houses

The walk along FDR Drive esplanade has some view. The shore line of Queens is really changing. There is a lot of development around the East River and what a beautiful view of the river and the rising skyline in the background. The esplanade stops around 90th Street for renovation and then continues once you pass Gracie Mansion.

The Queens shore line in the summer of 2025

The new luxury housing that dwarfs the public housing

Carl Schurz Park (See review on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com), where Gracie Mansion is located is a nice place to just relax and watch the boats pass by. You get the nicest views of Ward-Randall Island and of Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island (I never knew there was a lighthouse over here). The developers are creating a new ‘Gold Coast’ along the Queens-Brooklyn riverfront.

Carl Schurz Park in the Spring

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/carl-schurz-park

Carl Schurz, a statesman during the Civil War

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Schurz

It was nice to just relax and watch the water. The kids are in full force at this park like many parks around the city and it looks like they are trying to enjoy their last days of freedom before the school years starts in two weeks. Kids were playing basketball, Frisbee, roller skating and just chasing one another. It was nice to see kids not using cellphones.

Carl Schulz Park near the border of East 84th Street

Even the entrance to the park is fancy

The views from the river esplanade

The view of the gardens on the esplanade

The homes along this part of Manhattan were a combination of brownstones and prewar apartments but all along the Avenues, you are seeing more and more new construction. All sorts of new apartment and office buildings are being built along First, Second and Third Avenues. The businesses are more local than chains, giving you a peak at time before the late 90’s exploded with the chain stores all over Manhattan. It is funny that I remember a time everyone in the city complained that the chains would not even come to the city now in 2017 they complain that they are taking over the city.

The border of Yorkville, 84th Street, is lined with many brownstone type buildings and private homes along with a series of small restaurants and shops worth exploring. Many are businesses that have been open for years such as Dorrian’s Red Hand Restaurant at 1616 Second Avenue since 1960. It harks back to when the Upper East Side was the land of preppies.

Dorrian’s Red Hand Restaurant at 1616 Second Avenue

https://www.dorrians-nyc.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5021112-Reviews-Dorrians_Red_Hand_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The burgers here are fantastic

When you reach Fifth Avenue, the area between 84th Street and 96th Street is lined with museums giving name to ‘Museum Row’ starting with the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the corner of 84th Street passing the Jewish Museum, Guggenheim Museum, The Ukraine Institute of America and the Neue Museum, which will be fun to explore. Many of the smaller museums of the city line this area as well so I passed names I had never heard of before considering my many trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (I discuss all these museums in later blogs and in VisitingaMuseum.com).

The ‘Museum Mile’ Museums in Yorkville/Upper East Side

The Cooper-Hewitt Museum at 2 East 91st Street

The Jewish Museum at 1109 Fifth Avenue

The Guggenheim Museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue

The Neue Gallery of Art at 1048 Fifth Avenue

The Ukraine Institute of America at 2 East 79th Street

At 91st and 5th Avenue along the wall of Central Park is a memorial to W.T. Stead, a journalist who died in the Titanic. He was a English journalist best known for being an investigative journalist, better known as a gossip columnist. The funny part of his going down in the Titanic is that he had written that he might die in a drowning and wrote two fictional articles before the tragedy about ships colliding at sea and another about a ship that sinks without enough life boats to save everyone. Maybe he just saw his fate. He was into spiritualism, which was fashionable at the time and maybe someone hinted to him.

W.T. Stead Memorial

William Thomas Stead

https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Thomas-Stead

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._T._Stead

Mr. Stead’s memorial is one of many that line Central Park that most people don’t even notice. The park is loaded with statues and memorials that most New Yorkers just pass by without a moment’s notice. It makes one wonder why they would put this here. The memorial was designed by artist George William Frampton with the marble sculpture designed by architects Carrere & Hastings, a firm known for their Beaux Arts style.

George William Frampton is a British artist who came from a family of stone carvings who studied at the Lambeth School of Art and the Royal Academy of School. He believed in dynamism and physical realism in sculpture. His most famous work was “Peter Pan” in Picadilly Square in London (Royal Academy of Art/Wiki).

https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-James-Frampton

There are glorious views of the reservoir at 90th Street and 5th Avenue that you should not miss. Just walking in the park to see the gardens is worth the trip inside Central Park. Most of the gardens are still in bloom and the park is loaded with tourists milling around the waterfront.

The entrance to the Central Park Reservoir

The Memorial Dedicated to Mayor John Purroy Mitchel in the front of the entrance to the reservoir

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1045

The Mitchel Memorial Committee retained architects Thomas Hastings and Don Barber to design the expansive granite stele and commissioned German-born sculptor Adolph Alexander Weinman to design the gilded bronze portrait bust of Mitchel (NYCParks.org).

Artist Adolph Alexander Weinman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Alexander_Weinman

Artist Adolph Alexander Weinman was a German born American artist who studied at Copper Union and the Arts Student League of New York. He was known for his famous sculptures around the United States (Wiki)

Mayor John Purroy Mitchel, the 95th Mayor of New York City (1914-1917)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Purroy_Mitchel

The views of the reservoir are breathtaking and it is hard to believe this is right off Fifth Avenue.

Central Park Reservoir at Fifth Avenue and East 90th Street

https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/reservoir

Walking up 5th Avenue along the park at 96th and 5th Avenue, there is a statue of Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen in a small enclosure on the edge of the park before you enter it. This bronze, life-sized sculpture is a self-portrait of the esteemed Danish sculptor and was dedicated in Central Park in 1894. It is the only statue of an artist displayed in the parks of New York City and honors a titan in his field who had broad influence in sustaining the classical tradition in art. This statute is a bronze version of the original that’s located in Copenhagen (NYC Parks Department-Central Park/Wiki).

Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen statue

Artist Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/1543

https://biography.yourdictionary.com/bertel-thorvaldsen

As I was walking across 96th Street to finish the upper part of the neighborhood, I had a sudden craving for a sandwich and walked up to Moe’s Grocery Inc. at 1968 Third Avenue, which I had eaten in before (See review on TripAdvisor & my blog, ‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com’). They have the best special, a chopped cheese on a hoagie roll and a Coke for $3.00. Ever on the budget, their chopped cheese rivals Haiji’s (Blue Sky Deli) up on 110th Street.

Moe’s Grocery (now called Third Avenue Deli/Grocery) at 1968 Third Avenue in East Harlem, the best lunch specials

Moe’s Grocery Inc. (1968 Grocery Inc./Third Ave. Deli) 1968 Third Avenue New York, NY 10029

I thought I had asked for lettuce and tomato on the sandwich so add another $1.50 to it but when I sat down to eat it at the park at 96th Street, they were not on it. I was a little pissed at paying for something I did not get but the sandwich was so good, I did not mind. It is worth the walk up a few extra blocks to 108th Street for the sandwich. You will also see the distinction of the neighborhoods just by crossing 98th Street (See the previous walk in East Harlem). The sandwich is so loaded with beef and gooey cheese that it makes the nicest meal during this long walk and nothing is better than a Coke on a hot day.

The Third Avenue Deli’s Chopped Cheese is excellent.

I ended this part of the walk by rounding East End Avenue and relaxing at Carl Schurz Park, which is a true delight. What a beautifully landscaped park with paths of picturesque gardens and statues and active playgrounds with screaming children.

The gardens in bloom in the park

The nice part is the bathrooms here are decent and you have a working water fountain, with lots of cold water. It was fun to explore the paths going up and down the landscaped paths.

Carl Schulz Park at East 86th Street and East End Avenue

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/carl-schurz-park

The front of the mansion in Carl Schulz Park

Security is heavy at the northern part of the park where Gracie Mansion is located, the mayor’s residence. There are NYPD cars all over the place so try not to dwell too long in this area not to get the attention of the police officers. You can’t even see the mansion anymore because of the fencing around the house. This was the former summer residence of Archibald Gracie, a well-known Scottish born, American merchant, who was partners with Alexander Hamilton.

Gracie Mansion in Carl Schulz Park in the summer of 2025

https://www.facebook.com/graciemansionconservancy/

https://www.graciemansion.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136688-Reviews-Gracie_Mansion-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/gracie-mansion/

Gracie Mansion from the front porch

He built the house in 1798 as a summer home and entertained the elite at that time in Manhattan, including John Quincy Adams. Gracie’s daughter Eliza Gracie-King was one of the great social leaders at the time until Mrs. Astor took the throne during the ‘Gilded Age’. The house was sold in 1823 to pay off debts owed by Mr. Gracie and it was bought by New York City in 1896 due to back taxes by the then owners.

The Gracie Mansion Gardens

It has been used as a concession stand for the park as well as the first home of the Museum of the City of New York. In 1942, the house was renovated and became the residence of Florio LaGuardia, the Mayor of New York and thus became the residence of future New York City mayors NYC Parks Department).

Archibald Gracie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Gracie

I had taken a tour of the mansion years earlier with the Cornell and Harvard Clubs when we had a historical tea at the house. Mayor Bloomberg did not live in the house at the time, so it was used primarily for entertaining. We had a wonderful afternoon tea at the at the house and then a formal tour of the public rooms and gardens. It has the most amazing views of ‘Hell Gate’, a bend in the river along the esplanade, that has some of the roughest waters in the East River. The house does get a nice breeze.

The inside of the Susan Wagner Ballroom

The Bayard Mantle in the Susan Wagner Ballroom

After a long rest on the benches outside the park, I walked over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to spend the rest of the evening. The Met, as it’s called, is open until 9:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so you get to listen to the music in ‘The Balcony’ restaurant or just tour the galleries.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue

https://www.metmuseum.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105125-Reviews-The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art-New_York_City_New_York.html

The fountain outside the Met is pretty amazing

It gave me a chance to see the Greek Galleries again and walk around the Central American exhibitions. It is so nice to walk in the galleries when it is not busy. It was a nice way to end the evening.

The Greek Galleries at the Met

https://www.metmuseum.org/departments/greek-and-roman-art

The Cycladic Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the first floor.

The Met’s Greek Galleries are amazing and have so many beautiful items on display.

There is a lot to see and do in Yorkville/Upper East Side

Please check out my other blogs on Yorkville and the Upper East Side:

Day Ninety: Walking the Streets of Yorkville/Carnegie Hill/Upper East Side:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/6562

Day Eighty-Nine: Walking the Avenues of Yorkville/Carnegie Hill/Upper East Side:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/6460

Places to Visit:

Gracie Mansion

East 88th and East End Avenue

New York, NY 10028

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/gracie/about/about.page

(212) 570-4773

Open: Mondays only: 10:00am, 11:00am and 5:00pm for tours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136688-Reviews-Gracie_Mansion-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2182

Carl Schulz Park

East 84th to East 90th Avenues & East End Avenue

New York, NY 10028

https://www.carlschurzparknyc.org/

Open: 6:00am-12:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d312015-Reviews-Carl_Schurz_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2714

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

1-800-622-3397

https://www.metmuseum.org/

Open: Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-5:30pm/Friday & Saturday 10:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105125-Reviews-The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Central Park Reservoir

86th- 96th Streets in Central Park

Open: When the park is open

http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/reservoir.html

Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum

2 East 91st Street

New York, NY 10128

(212) 849-8400

Home

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm

Fee: Adults $18.00/People with Disabilities & Seniors $10.00/Children Under 18 Free/Students $9.00. Check the prices online as they change.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106188-Reviews-Cooper_Hewitt_Smithsonian_Design_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3246

Jewish Museum

1109 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10128

(212) 423-3200

https://thejewishmuseum.org/

Open: Monday-Tuesday 11:00am-5:45pm/Wednesday Closed/Thursday 11:00am-8:00pm/Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-5:45pm

Fee: Adults $18.00/Seniors (over 65) $12.00/Students $8.00/Children under 18 Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106187-Reviews-The_Jewish_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3252

The Guggenheim Museum

1071 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10128

(212) 423-3500

https://www.guggenheim.org/

Open: Sunday-Monday 10:00am-5:30pm/Tuesday 10:00am-8:00pm/Wednesday-Friday 10:00am-5:30pm/Saturday 10:00am-5:30pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d108687-Reviews-Solomon_R_Guggenheim_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Neue Galerie New York

1048 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

(212) 628-6200

neuegalerie.org

@neugalerieny

Open: Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm/Monday 11:00am-6:00pm/ Tuesday and Wednesday Closed/Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

Café and Shops have various hours. Please check the website for these.

Fee: General $22.00/Seniors (65 and Older) $16.00/Students and Educators $12.00/Children under 12 are not admitted and Children under 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult. The museum is open on First Fridays from 6:00pm-9:00pm. Please visit the website for more information.

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d258699-Reviews-Neue_Galerie-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3063

Ukrainian Institute of America

2 East 79th Street

New York, NY 10021

(212) 288-8660

Welcome to the UIA

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-6:00pm/Monday Closed/ Tuesday-Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm

Fee: Adults $8.00/ Seniors $6.00/ Students with current ID $4.00/Children under 12 Free/ Members Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d5953575-Reviews-Ukrainian_Institute_of_America-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3048

Places to Eat:

Moe’s Grocery

1968 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(212) 289-0999

Open: 12:00pm-11:59pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12845802-Reviews-Moe_s_Grocery_Inc-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/324

Dorrian’s Red Hat

1616 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10028

(212) 772-6660

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-3:45am

https://www.dorrians-nyc.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5021112-Reviews-Dorrians_Red_Hand_Restaurant-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Day Eighty-Seven: A Trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden for Members Movie Night August 23rd, 2017 (Revisited on August 24th, 2022 and August 21st, 2024)

August 24, 2017Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Brooklyn Block by Block, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking in BrooklynAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, Banh Mi Place, BergenCountyCaregiver, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Museum, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Family Pizza Flatbush, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Movie Night BBG, MywalkinManhattan.com, Reasonable Chinese Restaurants in NYC, Reasonable Deli's/Bodegas, Visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walking Brooklyn, Walking in Brooklyn, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

I took some time before I start the next section of the walk to travel to Brooklyn to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden (See reviews on TripAdvisor and my blog ‘VisitingaMuseum’). I have been a member for over a decade and I am glad that my donation helps support the gardens. It is so much fun to walk around these beautiful individual gardens.

In 2017, I got to Brooklyn too late to visit the zoo or the Brooklyn Museum, so I took a walk to my favorite pizzeria in the area, Family Pizza at 720 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush (See review on TripAdvisor). Their pizza is amazing and if you are in the area, walk down Flatbush Avenue for a slice. Even at the $2.75 price per slice, it is still great pizza. The sauce is so delicious and really makes their pizza.

Family Pizza on Flatbush Avenue at 720 Flatbush Avenue

https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/brooklyn/family-pizza-/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d4966907-Reviews-Family_Pizza-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

I have never seen a neighborhood change so fast. It is going from a West Indian and Caribbean Black neighborhood to hipster central. I have never seen a place change so much in an eight month period. Every time I walk down this street, it looks like another ten businesses have left and the ‘for rent’ signs keep going up. All the local businesses are being replaced by all the frou-frou restaurants and shops that cater to the hipsters.

The Cheese Pizza at Family Pizza is excellent.

As all the new buildings keep going up all over the Flatbush Avenue and the surrounding streets, all the businesses that surround them change as well. Even some of the small local businesses have been smart and upgraded their stores. I passed a Jamaican bakery that had been opened for years is completely renovated. It still looks the same outside, but they have upgraded as the neighborhood has changed. On the five blocks to the pizzeria, I counted at the least ten businesses that have left and some have been replaced with new restaurants and shops.

I decided to look it up and the head of the Merchant’s Association said that there were 22 businesses that were closed now and they were not being filled so fast. The ones that are being filled are opening expensive restaurants with things like $12.00 hamburgers and $20.00 pizza when the restaurants in the are that are left are serving food that is just as good for half the price. This was the difference between Family Pizza, where I ate tonight and the fancy pizzeria that opened directly across the street with the same pizza for double the price. Pretty place in comparison but still at the end of the day it is pizza.

After my walk down Flatbush Avenue and dinner, I walked back up to the Gardens. The movie tonight was the ‘Fabulous Mr. Fox’, voiced by George Clooney and Merle Streep. It was not too fabulous. In fact, I found the movie boring and sending the wrong message to kids. That’s the reason why it was a big flop at the box office (I could not believe I stayed for the whole thing but I wanted to see how it ended).

With a former line up of the ‘Wizard of Oz’, ‘The Goonies’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘E.T’., they could have picked another classic live-action film like ‘The Parent Trap’ or ‘Freaky Friday’. They even cut out the free popcorn that they have every year. I could tell someone new was running it.

The best was when they showed “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Still the gardens were in bloom, and it was a beautiful warm, non-muggy night (79 degrees) to sit on the lawn and enjoy the film. The place is testament to families as it is like a step back into the 70’s with kids running around in their bare feet, parents talking to their neighbors and people from the same buildings socializing with one another.

The beautiful trellis in the gardens

It was nice to walk around the Crawford Rose Garden and some of the roses were coming back in bloom and the Japanese Garden was in full form. I had not been there since the Cherry Blossom Festival in April. I had missed a few of the events because of work but still the Gardens are going through a renovation and the new Water Garden is being expanded. If you live anywhere in the surrounding area, this is one membership you want to have in your collection of museums and parks.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

It is one of those membership perks that I really enjoy and to come in all the way from New Jersey after work says something. It’s a great neighborhood to explore that is now constantly changing. It’s just nice to be outside under the stars watching a film on a warm summer night.

The Members Movie Night in 2022:

This was the first time we had a ‘Members Movie Night” since the pandemic started. They had to cancel the one in 2019 because of rain twice and not running it and in the summers of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID. It had been a real bummer but then I got the email that they were running it again in 2022.

The Cherry Blossom Lawn during the summer months

I got to the gardens in the latter afternoon after work and I wanted to order dinner to take in the gardens since we could picnic on the lawns before the film. I was starved so I went to Banh Mi Place at 824b Washington Avenue.

Banh Mi Place at 824b Washington Avenue in Brooklyn

https://banhmiplacebklyn.com/

I love the Banh Mi sandwiches here and I ordered the Pork Chop Banh Mi ($8.95). The sandwich was excellent. The marinated pork had so much flavor to it and the vegetables were so crisp and fresh that I love the quality of their sandwiches. I took my sandwich and my blanket and made my way to one of the back lawns of the gardens where other members were eating with their family and friends. It was a low 80-degree night and people were enjoying the sunshine and the cool breezes.

The Banh Mi Sandwich is excellent

Their sandwiches are excellent

After dinner, I walked more around the fountains and pools by the restaurant and the indoor exhibitions of the gardens and looked at the lotuses that were in bloom in the pools. There was a lot of plants that were in bloom this late in the summer and the whole garden had such a colorful appearance. In these post COVID times, it was nice to just walk around the park and enjoy the environment. After dinner and my walk around the gardens, I made my way to the Cherry Blossom lawn where the movie was being shown.

The Cranford Rose Garden

The movie this year was “Encanto”, which was an interesting live action movie, but it was hard to hear the film and it was more of a children’s film than one for adults. I ended up leaving early and as I left, I saw about fifty other people leaving the garden early as well. I guess like myself people did not want to be caught up in the crowd.

The Member’s Movie Night in 2024:

I had just been to the Dutchess County Fair the night before with my friend, Maricel and had to travel home after breakfast. Thank God that we went on a Tuesday night as it was all locals at the fair and it was not that crowded. I got home in time to go through my mail and emails and then turn around and run to Brooklyn. This whole week was about running around. With school starting in two weeks, I have a lot to accomplish.

I got into Brooklyn by 3:00pm and started my day at the Brooklyn Museum. Since the exhibition that I had wanted to see had just closed, I walked around the Egyptian Galleries and admired the art. After about an hour of touring around, I wanted to tour the gardens before it got too dark to take pictures. Talk about a spectacular evening with lots of sunlight.

I got a sandwich at 840 United Deli #1 at 840 Washington Street. I had stopped there once before for lunch and remembered their sandwiches being really good. I got their All American Hero which was Hot Turkey, Pastrami and Swiss Cheese tucked into a chewy fresh bun. Talk about the perfect choice on a cool night.

840 United Deli #1 at 840 Washington Avenue

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d27668782-Reviews-840_United_Deli_Corp-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

The All-American hero for dinner that evening was made with Hot Turkey and Pastrami with Swiss Cheese, Mustard and Mayo. What a great sandwich!

The hurricane had just passed by us a few night’s earlier and had cooled the weather down. Even the night at the fair had gone down into the 70’s. I had to wear a sweatshirt the night of the movie.

Entering the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Movie Night

Entering the Gardens from the Main Entrance on Movie Night

The gardens were just spectacular the night of the movie. There was no one distinct flower blooming but many were and there were colorful blooms all over the gardens. I wondered through the gardens before it got dark (the movie would not start until 7:45pm at twilight) so I got a chance to walk through the entire set of gardens before the movie. I was able to snap pictures and just enjoy the late summer meeting. I joined the other members on the Cherry Tree Esplanade for picnicking. God that sandwich was good!

The Water Garden on Movie Night

The Water Garden on Movie Night

The Water Garden on Movie Night

The Water Garden on Movie Night

The Water Garden on Movie Night

The Water Garden on Movie Night

The Rock Garden on Movie Night

The Rock Garden on Movie Night

The Lotus Pools on Movie Night

The Lotus Pools on Movie Night

The Lotus Pools Gardens on Movie Night

The Lotus Garden Pools on Movie Night

It was quite a crowd that August evening. I don’t get it as I am always the one the little kids seem to run around as they chase each other all over the lawn.

People were starting to picnic at 6:00pm in the Cherry Blossom Esplanade

The trailer for “A Bugs Life” from 1998

Everyone picnicking and getting ready for the film to start

The crowds grew as everyone got ready for the film to start

All the members relaxing and watching “A Bugs Life” on the big screen. I ended up really enjoying the film

It got easier to watch the film as it got darker

It got really dark by the end of the film

It was just nice to be in the gardens again and to tour the different sections in bloom. This is what it was all about. Just relaxing! The Movie Night is a favorite evening event of the membership and the lawns are completely filled that evening as well as the gardens are busy all day.

Places to Visit:

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

990 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11225

Open: Sunday & Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d103900-Reviews-Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2785

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 638-5000

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm/Thursday 11:00-10:00pm

My Review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d110213-Reviews-Brooklyn_Museum-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Eat:

Family Pizza

720 Flatbush Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11225

(718) 462-0639

https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/brooklyn/family-pizza-/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d4966907-Reviews-Family_Pizza-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Banh Mi Place

824B Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 552-2660

https://banhmiplacebklyn.com/

Open: Sunday 11:30am-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:30am-9:30pm/Friday & Saturday 11:30am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d8530850-Reviews-Banh_Mi_Place-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/2187

840 United Deli #1

840 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 789-9250

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d27668782-Reviews-840_United_Deli_Corp-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of the gardens in bloom at the main entrance

Day Eighty-Five: Back to Coney Island for the Annual Sandcastle Building Contest and Walking Surf Avenue August 19th, 2017 (Again on August 17th, 2024)

August 21, 2017Dedication to Warren Watrel, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Brooklyn Block by Block, Exploring Coney Island, Brooklyn, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the New York City Subway System, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Hot Dog, Hamburger & Fries for the budget minded., Little Shop on Main Street in New York City (LittleShoponMainStreet), My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, Walking Coney Island, Walking in BrooklynAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Coney Island Beach, Coney Island Sandcastle Building Contest, Coney Island Sandcastle Contest, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Brooklyn Block by Block, Exploring Coney Island, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Surf Avenue in Coney Island, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet, Louise Ciminieri Totonno's, MywalkinManhattan.com, Newark Museum, Sandcastle Building Contest in Coney Island, Totonna's Pizza, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walking Brooklyn, Walking in Coney Island, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

In 2017 before I left for Brooklyn, I had a busy day running around Newark and then in Brooklyn visiting both the Newark Museum and Coney Island. I love how everything gets planned on the same day. Everyone was preparing for the Solar Eclipse on Monday, so both the Newark Museum and the American Museum of Natural History are getting ready for the viewings. So I stopped at the Newark Museum first today to see what they were planning knowing that New York was going to be very busy.

The Newark Museum is running a series of members mornings with a early morning tour of the museum and a light breakfast that seems to be catching on with the membership. We had a early morning tour of the kinetic sculpture of Uram Choe, a Korean artist who specializes in metal working sculptures that move on motion. His one piece upstairs in the Asian galleries opens up like the sun would in the morning and his downstairs on the second floor piece is a serpent eating itself, which is based on an old legend.

Uram Choe’s work at the Newark Museum

Artist Uram Choe

http://www.uram.net/eng_new/intro_en.html

Mr. Choe’s is a South Korean born artist from an architect background. He was educated at the Chungang University in Seoul and graduated with both a B.F.A and M.F.A. from the college. Choe’s works push the genre of moving kinetic art toward its newer-generation iterations, such as robotic art (Wiki).^] Each one of his pieces moves on a series of motors based on motion and is placed with such detail and the way it moves is so intricate.

The Newark Museum (See TripAdvisor review) is going though a major renovation where they will be opening the original entrance to the museum in the Fall after twenty years and hopefully a new beginning for a museum with a major identity crisis.

The Newark Museum at 49 Washington Street

https://www.newarkmuseumart.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46671-d217958-Reviews-The_Newark_Museum_of_Art-Newark_New_Jersey.html

The museum has such amazing works to see in a beautiful setting but the problem is that Newark still has a negative image to most suburbanites. No one I know wants to go there and that is a real problem for the city. The museum in a great area of the downtown that is being rebuilt and refigured with all sorts of new housing and lofts but it will take time to shake the riots of the 60’s from people’s minds.

They just opened the new American Indian exhibition and refigured the American Art wing to reflect the development of the United States from Native American time to the present. Their Asian and African galleries are very detailed but the biggest problem they have is the imagine of an ‘African’ museum which they can’t seem to shake. It is such a gem and try not to miss going there.

We had a long talk in the gallery about the artist and about the development of Korean Art from Ancient times until today and then the museum had a beautiful Continental breakfast on the top floor of the Ballentine House. This was Mrs. Ballentine’s daughter’s section of the house that was built in the late 1890’s when they moved in after her husband’s death. The room, now used as the trustee’s room, is a look back on the Gilded Age and the invention of electricity in modern homes. It really showed me the treasure trove of artifacts that exist in this small museum.

Ballentine House at 43 Washington Street

https://www.newarkmuseumart.org/ballantine-house-newark-museum-art

After the tour, there was a quick tour of the museum and then a train ride to Manhattan and then a long subway ride on a beautiful clear sunny day to Coney Island. The whole thing took about two hours and I got there by three o’clock.

The contest was gloomy at both times I visited but everyone was eager

The Annual Sandcastle Building Contest in both 2017 and in 2024, I thought would be much bigger than it was. Only about twenty people were competing in it in 2017 and in 2024 about the same amount. With all the artists living in Brooklyn and in the Metropolitan area, I thought this would be a bigger deal than it was but still the works coming from it were spectacular. Several mounds of sand in one section of the beach outside of Luna Park were used but still the imagination of the work was spellbound.

The piles were set with numbers along the beach

Artists and families starting to work around 12:30pm

Getting ready to start

By 1:00pm, everyone was getting to work for the 4:00pm deadline

Most of the works that I saw were some forms of castle which seemed to be the object that everyone based their idea on but some people were a little more creative. There were bears, mermaids and in 2017, one artist even dug out a complete hole and had the imagine of a woman lying in the sea.

In 2024, the creativity was the same with themes of brownstone neighborhoods to mermaid queens to just a simple smile in the sand. There were professionals whose sand creativity was part of their artistic employment to families just having fun and spending time together.

This simple face just appeared on one of the piles at the end of the contest

The creation of the Shark sculpture

The Shark Sculpture in process

The Shark almost finished

The finished Shark Sculpture

Another artist created this Shark display

The Coney Island Alliance hired an artist to create this masterpiece. It just shows the creativity of some artists.

The Coney Island Alliance sculpture in form in the beginning

He kept carving and sculpting

The piece took form

Almost finished

The finished sculpture for the Coney Island Alliance was just beautiful

The final work that represented the Coney Island Alliance. This was the ultimate piece done by a professional artist. I loved the details on this. Some of the professional artists did works to welcome everyone to the contest and their detail work was interesting as you see in the picture above. This was not done by a group of ten year old’s.

Still there were all sorts of works of art created by people of all ages and they showed their stuff by creating their interpretations of their views of New York City and mythical animals that roam the woods, beaches and streets of the big City. Some were fun, some were whimsical and some just stood out in their creativity.

The ladies putting the final touches on the Rat with Pizza sculpture

My favorite sculpture of the contest the rat with a slice of pizza

The start of Beware of Dog sculpture done by this mother and son team

The finished Beware of Dog sculpture

The final touches of Beware of Dog. The details were very clever

These artists created their own affordable brownstone neighborhood in Brooklyn

Then there was the Tales of Two Coasts, New York and Los Angeles, which had real estate details of their own.

I loved this look of Los Angeles, CA

This was the New York City side of the sculpture

Home ownership continued with this kitchen sculpture

Some of the mythical creatures included mermaids, animals and creatures large and small.

This family was sculpting the most clever cat

The finished Cat Inquiry sculpture

Another family was finishing this Hammerhead Shark towards the end of the contest

This Sea Maiden appeared in the sand

Rebirth and Birth Sculpture

This penguin found a home in the sand

This Heart with a Sunflower was in its final stages when I saw it last

The Magical Train was one of the first sculptures done

A Castle with a Moat was created

The mighty Elephant was being worked on towards the end of the contest

The iconic New York Hot Dog is happily served

The Shellebrity Sightings sculpture

The Phoenix sculpture on the beach

One of the most detailed sculptures I saw the creation of the Mermaid Queen.

The creation of the Mermaid Queen

The Mermaid Queen takes shape

The finished Queen Mermaid with her Crown

The finished Mermaid Queen

There was also the creation of the Sand Witches with their big smiles.

Creating the Sand Witches

Creating the main character

The Sand Witches sculpture

The creation of Do Not Feed the Bears

The finished Do Not Feed the Bears sculpture

Another Mermaid appears

Here and there during the contest and for the rest of the day, the sun peaked out now and then giving us some sun but the rest of the day remained cloudy. Still that did not dampen the spirits of our artists and by 4:00pm the winners were announced. The Winners were sculptures numbers 63, 07 and 39 with the People’s Choice being 01 (I am not too sure I have everything numbered) but the ones above are my favorites and worthy of all the picture taking.

In 2017, I walked along the beach to relax my feet and as I walked, I could not believe how empty the beaches were for a Saturday afternoon in August. By the water it was full but towards the back by the boardwalk it was empty. In 2024, the incoming hurricane weather kept people away as the beaches were closed for swimming. The surf was really rough that morning and afternoon and the weather was gloomy. Even when I visited on the 4th of July, the beaches were not as crowded as I would have thought. Not the Coney Island of yesteryear when every spot was full. I guess its just not that place anymore.

Taking a walk along the gloomy and almost empty Midway by Luna Park

After a long walk along the beach, I dried off and walked the boardwalk to the end to Seagate, a private community at the end of the boardwalk. Along the way, I passed by the Coney Island Houses, one of the more dangerous housing complexes in Brooklyn. I don’t know whose brilliant idea it was to build low-income housing along the shore front but that made no sense to me.

It looked like the complex was having a barbecue, that is until two guys went after each other in the basketball court area as the DJ was announcing a kids dance. She was beside herself to tell them to calm down. Then you had two groups of people trying to calm the situation down. It was not a pleasant scene.

I got to the end of the boardwalk and decided I wanted to see all of Surf Avenue to see the real changes on the island since the closing of the amusement area. I agree with an article I read years ago; it still is like a war zone.

They built all this public housing outside Seagate and as you walk along Surf Avenue until you get to about where the rehab center is, it just looks like Beirut. The whole area is full of rundown looking public housing and the street itself is a shell of the once glorious resort if it ever was that. If there are ever going to get this island back into shape, the city seriously needs to rethink this part of the island.

I walked the entire length of Surf Avenue down to Brighton Beach and really looked at the stretch of the island facing the shore. By Brighton Beach, the area got so much nicer and more built up. Even in some of the pockets before the amusement area, they are building new condos along the boardwalk in between the projects. Even still, even when you reach Nathan’s, there is just too much wasted opportunity along the shore front.

Walking on the Coney Island Boardwalk in 2017

I turned around and walked up Stillwell Avenue by the subway spot and there they are starting to knock down the block and replacing it with low rise apartment buildings. This is where all the hipster people must be living. It looks like more of this area is about to come down.

In 2024, I got to the beach at 12:30pm and walked around the shore until about 2:00pm watching everyone build their creations. Then I walked around Deno’s Wonderwheel Park, watching the patrons on the Wonderwheel and going into Spookarama, their haunted house ride.

Spookarama in Deno’s Wonderwheel Park

The haunted display by the ride

The haunted display in the park

In 2017 for dinner, I went to Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano at 1524 Neptune Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets (See TripAdvisor review). This place is harder to get into than any trendy restaurant in Manhattan. They only make so much dough and as a matter of fact the smaller pizzas sold out before I got there and it was 4:30pm when I ate my lunch/dinner. The place was busy the entire time I got there. The only bad thing about the restaurant is the seating. They need to reconfigure their tables to accommodate more people. You can’t seat a single person like myself at a six top table.

Totonna’s Pizza at 1524 Neptune Avenue

https://www.totonnosconeyisland.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d4427073-Reviews-Totonno_s-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

The menu is so simple. Either you get a small or large pizza with a choice of ten toppings for $2.50 extra. The drinks were pricey with a bottle of Coke being $2.50. The pizza was $20.50 for the large or $18.50 for the small. The place is cash only.

The pizza was wonderful and with the size and the quality of ingredients, well worth the money. You get a large pizza that is a large pizza with fresh tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, which gives it a different flavor from the shredded processed cheese most places use giving it a creamy flavor. The whole thing was topped with fresh basil and I added sausage to it. Cooking it in a coal brick stove gave it a nice smoky flavor. Needless to say, the owner could not believe I ate almost the entire pie at one sitting.

Totonna’s Cheese Pizza

I met Louise Ciminieri, the current owner and the granddaughter of the original owner. She told me how the business passed down from her grandfather to her uncle and then to her. Her uncle had a habit of only making so much dough and after it was gone, the restaurant closed for the day. A little strange for a business to make money.

Owner Louise Ciminieri of Totonno’s Pizza

She could not have been nicer or more welcoming to me and seemed to get a kick at the fact that I made such a fuss in meeting her. I told her of all the reviews online and the fact that my own mom had eaten here probably when her uncle first owned the business. She has not changed the place much over the years and she explained how the neighborhood has changed so much since they opened. What was once an Italian neighborhood is now all car repair places.

After dinner in 2017, I took once last walk around Surf Avenue and then headed back to Manhattan where I ended up spending the rest of the evening at an outdoor concert in Bryant Park. It was nice to just relax and listen to the music.

In 2024, I passed the pizzeria and it still has not opened for in house dining but people were buying pizzas to go. I thought I saw the owner sitting at the only booth left inside but I was not sure. I have to say that without in house dining, there is no reason to go. There is no place to eat around the restaurant (it is not the best part of Coney Island) and I don’t want to drag a pizza three blocks back to the beach to eat it on a bench. The pizzeria is only open on the weekends as well, so I searched around Mermaid Avenue for someplace else to dine.

Here I found Pizza on the Run at 1627 Mermaid Avenue near the side entrance to the subway station. I had passed the place many times but the outside always looked a little shoddy and I avoided it. Big Mistake! The pizza is amazing!

Pizza on the Run at 1627 Mermaid Avenue

https://www.doordash.com/store/pizza-on-the-run-brooklyn-25003736/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d4942117-Reviews-On_the_Run_Pizza-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

I have to admit that the pizza was a little pricey at $3.50 a slice but the slice was oversized and their sauce on the pizza was delicious. It was so well spiced and gave it so much flavor that I enjoyed every bite.

The Cheese slice was amazing and I plan on going back in the future and trying more items here.

After lunch was over, I gave myself some time before the contest was officially over and walked around this section of Coney Island. Little by little it is getting better. As the luxury rentals along Surf Avenue are getting ready to open for residents, I can see that they are trying to fix up Mermaid Avenue behind it. A lot of the businesses that had been there a few months ago are now closed and the side walks from the subway station down three blocks are being fixed. Along the walls was a bright mural welcoming people to Coney Island from the subway side.

The Welcome to Coney Island mural by Mermaid Avenue

Taken from the other angle

The mural was created by artist Danielle Mastrion

Artist Danielle Mastrion

http://www.daniellemastrion.com/about.html

Danielle Mastrion is a Brooklyn-born, New York City based painter and muralist who specializes in large scale, brightly colored murals (Artist bio).

Coney Island Surf Avenue businesses next to Nathan’s

On the way back to the beach, four other murals stood out as well. These are located on the walk down the sidewalk to Nathan’s on Surf Avenue.

Mural One

Mural Two

Mural Three

Mural Four

After the contest winners were announced in 2024 at 4:00pm, I left to head back to Manhattan. It was such a gloomy day. There was not much else going on that afternoon and people were leaving the beaches. As I took a look back at the shore, the waves were really coming in meaning the storm was on its way up the coast (we did get hit in Sunday).

I headed back to Manhattan to see the movie “The Funhouse” at the MoMA. They were having a retrospect on director Toby Hooper’s movies so I had already seen “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Poltergeist” .

The trailer for “The Funhouse” by director Toby Hooper

After the movie was over, trying to find a restaurant for dinner was trying in of itself. I had not realized how many restaurants in Midtown were closing at 9:00pm even on Friday night post-COVID.

I went into Murray Hill and the restaurant I had planned to go to had already closed at 8:45pm so I looked at my dine around program and found that Dim Sum Garden at 338 Lexington Avenue. I was really in the mood for Chinese food that evening and it came highly recommended.

The new Dim Sum Garden at 338 Lexington Avenue

https://www.daodimsum.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d27101318-Reviews-Dimsum_Garden-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The inside of the restaurant

I was able to order before the kitchen closed and it was a nice dinner. The food was so fresh and it looked like everything was made to order and homemade in the kitchen. The Shrimp Balls were especially good. They were made with sweet shrimp meat, nicely coated with rice flour and deep fried perfectly. It was one of the best Dim Sum meals I have had in a awhile.

My dinner of Soup Dumpling, Shrimp Balls and Roast Duck Rolls

The Shrimp Balls

The Soup Dumplings

The Roast Duck Rolls

It was a fun and very productive day and a great way to end the trip to Coney Island. The weather may have been a bit gloomy both times I visited Coney Island for the contest but it did not damper the spirit of the event. It looked like everyone had fun.

The Coney Island Sandcastle Building Contest is held each August.

Please check out my recent blog on the Coney Island Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4th, 2024:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/50037

Please check out my blog on riding the new Q train to Coney Island from its start at East 96th Street in Manhattan:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5966

Places to Visit:

Newark Museum/Ballentine House

49 Washington Avenue

Newark, NJ 07102

(973) 596-6550

https://www.newarkmuseum.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g46671-d217958-Reviews-Newark_Museum-Newark_New_Jersey.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/1818

Coney Island Beach

Surf Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d106173-Reviews-Coney_Island-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Eat:

Totonno’s Pizza

1524 Neptune Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 372-8606

https://www.totonnosconeyisland.com/

Open: Friday-Sunday 12:30pm-7:30pm/Closed Monday-Thursday

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d459062-Reviews-Totonno_Pizzeria_Napolitano-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Pizza on the Run

1627 Mermaid Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 746-6677

https://places.singleplatform.com/on-the-run-pizza/menu

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d4942117-Reviews-On_the_Run_Pizza-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Dim Sum Garden

338 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(646) 559-2388

https://www.daodimsum.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d27101318-Reviews-Dimsum_Garden-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Day Eighty-Three: Walking the Streets of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale from West 110th to West 96th Streets from Central Park West to Riverside Drive August 3rd-9th, 2017 (Again November 16th, 2024 and March 14th, 2025)

August 17, 2017Cheap Spanish Restaurant for Budget Minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Hamilton Heights/Manhattanville, Exploring Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale/Upper West Side, Exploring Morningside Heights in Manhattan, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Entire Length of the Island of Manhattan/Broadway Walk, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Rim of the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Gourmet restaurants for the budget minded, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Spanish Restaurants for the budget minded, The Great Saunter Walk-The Entire Manhattan, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around ManhattanAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Manhattanville/Bloomingdale, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side, Felo Deli, Jesus Crawford Rose Garden, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, La Perla Community Garden, Le Perla Community Garden, Linus Coraggio Bench, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Manhattanville, Mobilization for Change Community Gardens, MywalkinManhattan.com, Nicholas Roerich, SheShe Pizza, Telo Deli, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walk Manhattan, Walking in Manhattan, Walking Manhattan, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

It took a couple of days to give the neighborhood a long walk, but I covered all the space in three days. This is such an interesting neighborhood and so many people took an interest in what I was doing over in the time I spent here.

It was hot and humid my first day in Manhattan Valley at 81 degrees. I got up to neighborhood in the later afternoon after a long day wrapping spoons at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. It may not sound that exciting, but it is one of the most important stations at the kitchen. You need a constant supply of silverware to help feed everyone.

I started the walk at the E subway station on the edge of Central Park. On a hot day, the park was packed with people getting a tan, fishing in the Meer, walking their dogs or just hanging out. This part of the summer is nice because the tourists are walking around, and it is fun to watch them make a fuss at everything.

Harlem Meer in northern Central Park

https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/harlem-meer

The foliage changing on the Harlem Meer in the Fall of 2024

The first couple of blocks along 109th and 108th Streets are filled with prewar apartment buildings, schools and small playgrounds and many small brownstones. A lot of the buildings in this area are being sandblasted back to their former glory. Closer to the parks, the buildings have an elegant feel with their carved marble fronts and small gardens and potted plants decorated them. The sign of a doorman says that this area is getting more expensive.

The Harlem Meer in the Summer of 2024

The brownstones along West 109th Street by Riverside Park

On 107th Street, I saw many beautiful buildings in various stages of renovation on all the blocks as this are is beginning to become part of the Upper West Side fabric. Many of the small brownstones along Manhattan Avenue had been swept in their fronts and their plants were in full bloom. Again, I love the block between 106th and 107th Streets. Tucked in between all those little mansions and brownstones is The Nicholas Roerich Museum at 319 West 107th Street

The tiny Nicholas Roerich Museum at 319 West 107th Street is packed with interesting art

https://www.roerich.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136141-Reviews-Nicholas_Roerich_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2002

The Museum was founded in 1949 to house a permanent collection of over two hundred paintings by the Russian-born artist, poet, philosopher and humanitarian, Nicholas Roerich. The museum also houses a library of books and maintains an archive and a collection of artifacts relating to the areas of Roerich’s interests (Museum guide).

The art at the museum has a Asian influence to it

When you reach Riverside Drive, there is a beautiful line of old marble mansions that line the drive from 106th to 105th Streets. These were built at a time when money was no object and living along the park was a sophisticated choice. These homes are all being renovated, and one wonders if they are going to become private homes again. When rounding 107th Street along Riverside Park, take time to look at these homes from the park side and you can imagine the view they have from the front of these homes.

The secret garden between brownstones on West 109th Street behind a gate

I walked all around Riverside Park in this part of the neighborhood, and it is just beautiful when the trees are in full form. The shade trees and paths offer refuge from the hot sun, and it is fun to watch the neighborhood kids play in the playgrounds with their parents and nannies. It is nice to see a group of kids enjoying nature and not glued to a cell phone. From the park, these are the most gorgeous views of the Hudson River with the cliffs in New Jersey in the background and a constant stream of boats in the river passing you by.

Riverside Park is just breathtaking

I made a lunch stop at SheShe Pizzeria at 961 Columbus Avenue at 107th Street (See my TripAdvisor review and my blog DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@ WordPress.com). This small pizzeria has delicious food with the most reasonable lunch specials. Their lunch menu has ten lunch specials for $5.00 including a personal pizza with pepperoni that I had with a Coke for lunch.

SheShe Pizza at 961 Columbus Avenue

https://sheshepizza.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5007563-Reviews-Sheshe_Pizzeria-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=174&action=edit

This small ten-inch pizza was freshly cooked for me by the owner of the restaurant. It was loaded with pepperoni and cheese and when it came out of the oven was cut into four generous slices. The sauce is flavorful, and the slices are all stringy and gooey with the melted cheese. It is the perfect lunch/dinner if you have a good appetite. Their cheese pizza was delicious as well and was the perfect lunch and I liked their fair prices.

Their spaghetti and meatballs were terrific too that I had another day I was in the neighborhood for lunch. The service is very warm and welcoming, and he remembered me from a few days earlier.

The Spaghetti and Meatball special at SheShe Pizza was amazing! (Old owners)

To work off all this good food, stop back at the ‘Mobilization for Change’ Community Garden across the street at the corner of 107th Street and Columbus Avenue at 955 Columbus Avenue and stroll through the gardens again. The gardens are in full bloom, and it is a nice place to just walk around the paths and look at the progress of the individual vegetable gardens. The tomatoes are really coming in.

Mobilization for Change Community Garden at 955 Columbus Avenue

The Garden in early Fall of 2024

A full view of the garden in the Fall of 2024

329 West 108th Street

https://streeteasy.com/building/329-west-108-street-new_york/phd

The Cloisters at 329 West 108th St. was constructed in 1899. Originally built as two separate townhouses, these grand mansions were combined in 1931 and converted to a coop in 1984 (Streeteasy.com). This building has the most beautiful details to it around the doorways and windows.

329 West 108th Street embellishments on the building

The elaborate embellishments at 329 West 108th Street

The townhouses along West 107th Street by Riverside Park

The townhouses along West 107th Street by Riverside Park

One the most beautiful buildings in the neighborhood along Central Park West and 106th Street is 455 Central Park West, the old New York Cancer Hospital. Years ago, when I was walking around the neighborhood, this was an abandoned building that was all boarded up and graffiti ladened. Now it is part of an exclusive apartment complex. The hospital part of the apartment building was built in 1887 with additions in 1889 and 1890. It was designed by architect Charles Coolidge Haight in the French Chateaux style with English Gothic trim (City Realty).

The old New York Cancer Hospital at 455 Central Park West

https://streeteasy.com/building/455-central-park-west-new_york

To live in the Victorian section of the building must cost now millions of dollars. The whole building was renovated back to life and is one of the most unusual pieces of architecture in the neighborhood with an incorporated tower behind it. It is also rumored to be haunted.

455 Central Park West the old New York Cancer Hospital is now luxury condos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Cancer_Hospital

I noticed this chair on the sidewalk when I walked down West 106th Street outside someone’s brownstone. I thought this was pretty unique.

This was outside one of the local smoke shops

The murals and street art really stood out on West 106th Street as I passed Broadway on my way back to Central Park.

This was on one of the trees just past Broadway

The row apartments that line West 105th Street are really beautiful in the fall

This face stared at me as I walked down West 105th Street towards Riverside Park

In between Columbus and Manhattan Avenues on 105th Street is the La Perla Community Garden at 76 West 105th Street. The garden was created around 1992 when a group of neighborhood citizens got together to clean out a garbage dump of a lot and turned it into a vibrant garden with paths leading through trees, flower and vegetable beds. There is even original graffiti art from one of the local artists all along the walls of the building that surround it.

La Perla Community Garden at 76 West 105th Street

The inside of the gardens in the Fall of 2024

The sign on the fence

https://www.facebook.com/laperlagarden

I talked with one of the creators of the garden, Carmen Ortiz, talked with me that afternoon. “It took about ten years to clean the lot out and that was constantly throwing out the garbage to the curb just to get all the debris out. We have worked so hard to create and maintain the garden and now a piece of it is being sold off.” Currently the middle part of the garden was owned by two couples, but the taxes are getting too high, and the neighborhood is changing so fast, that it was cost effective to sell it. Now the left side of the garden will be a new townhouse while the rest of the garden will remain.

The gardens in the Fall of 2024 after Halloween

“It’s sad because we do so much for the community here,” Ms. Ortiz added. “We will be having a flea market this weekend and have Jazz Concerts here. During the holidays, we have events for the neighborhood children. You can see by the plantings; everyone has a plot here.” Several raised beds contain various vegetable plantings. I just hope that building this new townhouse does not affect the garden to the point where nothing can grow there. It’s a sad commentary to the city when something that New Yorkers spent their time on to make better improved the neighborhood to the point that it was its own demise in the end.

What is left of the painting by the Bloomingdale Park

Along West 104th Street between Central Park West and Manhattan Avenue, you will see another set of Community Gardens which is interesting because the plot has a prewar apartment building right smack in the middle of it. The centerpiece of this garden is the Jesus Crawford Rose Garden which was just losing the last of its blooms when I visited it. This was named after the creator of the garden.

Jesus Crawford Rose Community Garden at West 104th Street is now the West 104th Street Gardens

Just like ‘Le Perla’ and ‘Mobilization for Change’ gardens, this garden has added much needed green space to the neighborhood with trees and raised vegetable gardens that add that sense of neighborhood to the street. At the height of the summer, it is nice to see all of these gardens in full bloom and the fresh vegetables on their way.

Walking through the Douglass Houses and the projects in general are always amusing to me. I never know the reception I will get. For the most part, I crisscrossed through the walkways of the projects from 104th to 100th Street. I visited all the playgrounds and community areas to sit and people just ignored me but looked out of the corner of their eyes to see what I was doing.

Douglass Houses at 825 Columbus Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass_Houses

https://www.facebook.com/groups/104654293240

The Douglas Houses from a distance.

I stopped by King Columbus Gourmet Deli 900 Columbus Avenue for a quick lunch when I was walking the neighborhood in 2025. This deli is right across from the Douglas Houses and I find that a lot of these deli’s near the project are the best. I was starved and got a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a hero and it was excellent.

King Columbus Gourmet at 900 Columbus Avenue

https://www.seamless.com/menu/king-columbus-gourmet-deli-900-columbus-ave-new-york/1124693

My review on TripAdvisor:

I took my sandwich down the street to a park and ate my breakfast sandwich. On a cool March afternoon hit the spot. With the price of eggs in 2025, this is the first time I had eaten an omelet in almost a month so it tasted good.

My Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich

This sandwich is delicious

On my way to the park to relax and eat I passed 119-121 West 104th Street and I had never noticed how interesting this brownstone across the street from the Projects.

119-121 West 104th Street

https://www.zillow.com/b/119-w-104th-st-new-york-ny-2JHS/

https://streeteasy.com/building/119-west-104-street-new_york/2z?utm_campaign=rental_listing&utm_medium=share&utm_source=web&lstt=xalrFC3iBgFM605M7PPQp2raeG_awL2EhzczQNv23ZPIOT8j0EnO74MGVO3nOO6h3WXh6kZMXVLjMLti

The beauty of 119 West 104th Street is right across the street from the Douglas Houses

The brownstone was built in the early 20th Century and it is now a condo. I thought the stonework was very unusual. I saw this again on West 103th Street where I saw the same design.

At the corner of West 104th Street and Amsterdam Avenue was the Youth Hostel.

HI New York Hostel at West 104th Street

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_Residence_Nursing_Home

https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/new-york/new-york-891-amsterdam-ave

https://www.facebook.com/HostellingInternationalUSA/videos/hi-new-york-city-hostel-history/1120416919090654

The HI New York Hostel is a different type of hotel stay for student travels. The building was built between 1881-1883 and was designed by Richard Morris Hunt in the Victorian Gothic style. The building was originally built as a nursing home and has since become a hostel (Wiki).

I watched some kids playing on the swings and some people attending the community gardens that they had planted but for the most part I saw a lot of socialization along Columbus Avenue. Many groups of men set up tables and while blasting Spanish music played cards and domino’s and watched the neighborhood go by. I am sure that for all the game playing these guys know perfectly well what is going on around them and the surrounding buildings. That struck me as watching everything.

The West 104th Street Garden in the Fall of 2024

This interesting mural was on the back of the local elementary school. I think this was done by the students

When I got back to Central Park West, you can see that Central Park was not always flat. The rock formations from the days of the Ice Age.

The rock formations by West 104th Street

Central Park rock formations at West 104th Street

I took a stroll through Central Park and the North Woods section of the park. The irony is that I have walked through Central Park since I was four and I never walked through the North Woods. It was a beautiful stroll through the woods.

Walking through Central Park by West 104th Street leading to the North Woods

Walking through the North Woods in Central Park

Walking through the North Woods in the Fall of 2024

I walked across the park to go the Met on the East Side and I stopped by the reservoir to watch the sunset. It was an amazing view of the sun setting over Manhattan and the crowds to watch it was really large.

The sun setting over the Central Park Reservoir

The amazing views of the sun setting over Central Park

I walked through the park just at dusk and was surprised at the crowds inside the park both on the West Side and the East Side. It was around 77 degrees and people were enjoying playing the parks and playgrounds. I thought this was interesting because most people stay out of the park at dusk. Watching little kids screaming in the playgrounds was encouraging that things are changing for the better in the City.

I walked the streets from West 103rd to West 100th Street and admired the architecture especially closer to Riverside Avenue near Riverside Park. Some of the brownstones and apartment buildings are so interesting.

At 315 West 103rd Street is a similar building to the one at West 104th Street. The building was built in 1881 and is now landmarked.

The entrance at 315 West 103rd Street

https://streeteasy.com/building/315-west-103-street-new_york

https://www.landmarkwest.org/building/315-west-103rd-street/

315 West 103rd Street

The brownstone was built in 1920 and the detail work on the building is unique.

At 246 West 103rd Street was the childhood home of Humphrey Bogart. I thought this was interesting to know that the actor grew up here. The building was built in 1917

246 West 103rd Street

https://www.elliman.com/newyorkcity/buildings-communities/detail/527-c-725-150630/246-west-103rd-st-upper-manhattan-new-york-ny

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/246-W-103rd-St_New-York_NY_10025_M37368-50803

The detail work on 246 West 103rd Street

Historic marker for Humphrey Bogart home

Humphrey Bogart

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_Bogart

Humphrey Bogart was an well known and well respected American actor. He was descended from the Mayflower Society.

435 Central Park West

https://www.apartments.com/435-central-park-w-new-york-ny/44mq3ek/

435 Central Park West (Thursday Doors)

As I was walking down West 103 Street, I passed 435 Central Park West and saw the faces staring back at me. The building was built around 1930.

I turned the corner and I saw the details at 312 West 102nd Street and the details under the windows. The building was built in 1905.

312 West 102nd Street

https://streeteasy.com/building/312-west-102-street-new_york

https://samanthareiss.com/properties/312-w-102nd-st

It’s at 100th Street where Manhattan Valley joins the rest of the Upper West Side as new office and apartment buildings have been built along Columbus, Amsterdam and Broadway. This area is guarded by a police and fire station around the corner so there is action here all day long.

You can go to the bathroom either in Frederick Douglass Park near 104th Street or at the Whole Foods at 100th Street. Stick with Whole Foods as it is cleaner and cooler plus you can use the water fountain.

The Whole Foods at 808 Columbus Avenue and West 96th Street

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/upperwestside

When I was walking in between Riverside and West End Avenues, I came across a community bench designed by artist Linus Coraggio who lives on the block (website: LinusCoraggio@verison.net). It just so happened the artist was outside fixing his motorcycle and we got to talking about his work. He showed me the bench and all its detail work. He had lived in the area for many years and had watched it change from bad to better.

Artist Linus Coraggio

https://linuscoraggio.com

His current specialty is welded, crafted figurative and abstract sculpture and furniture. I even read online that Ringo Starr is one of his clients. He was showing the work he was doing on the brownstone he was living in, doing work around the railing and in the foyer of the building all the ceiling work. His attention to detail and to how the workflows is a sign that he takes his time with each piece. It is an interesting set of artworks with all sorts of bends and twists to the metal work.

Check out this YouTube Trailer on the artist

He even has a chair he created right in front of the building. It twists and turns and the metal work are extremely creative in that you can tell the detail and the amount of time to get the metal to work in this fashion. You almost don’t want to sit in it. He told me he currently has a show going on in the East Village and a studio up in Ellenville, NY. Just stop on this block alone to see his craftsmanship. It is beautiful.

The artwork of Linus Coraggio

The artwork of Linus Coraggio

The artwork of Linus Coraggio

On 99th Street just off Amsterdam Avenue, there is the Church St. Michael’s Parish at 225 West 99th Street, which has the nicest garden to sit in. It is a nice place to relax and just think. Tranquil is the word for it.

The Church of Saint Michael at 225 West 99th Street

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael%27s_Episcopal_Church_(Manhattan)

Home

It is beautifully planted, and everything was in full bloom. It was nice to just stop and take a break here. Take a look at their postings as they have a lot of activities going on.

The beauty of their stained glass windows

The landscaping and the gardens on 99th Street

The beautiful flowers in the Spring

The gardens around the corner

A couple of mornings later, I came back to finish the bottom part of the neighborhood and walked 96th Street again to see how the neighborhood transitions. The streets between 96th and 98th Streets are filled with smaller marble brownstones and many attractive prewar apartments.

There are a lot of businesses transitioning along these streets as I see many of the older businesses now sitting empty with ‘For Rent’ signs telling the rents are changing in this part of the neighborhood as well. Soon they will be filled with the next wave of chain stores and glitzy restaurants.

This part of the neighborhood was easy to walk because the Central Park West Apartments and their playground stop the side streets between 98th to 99th Streets and the rest of the complex is gated off. My suggestion is do not try to walk through the complex because the signs are very blatant that they are watching you. You can see from the streets though there is a large parking lot and several well landscaped paths surrounding the buildings. I was just surprised they built these and the projects right next to one another.

Central Park West Towers have a lot of security

https://streeteasy.com/building/cpw-towers-392-central-park-west-new_york

I stopped at Felo Deli at 23 West 100th Street for some of their homemade empanadas ($1.25). They were so good I had to go back a second time for another which made the man behind the counter pretty happy. Try the pizza and chicken ones. They are generously filled and cooked perfectly. It is a good place to stop for a reasonable snack.

Felo’s Deli at 23 West 100 Street

https://www.seamless.com/menu/felo-deli-corp-23-w-100th-st-new-york/3172994

My review on TripAdvisor:

Felo Deli has some very reasonable food

The empanadas here are really good and make a great snack

My last part of the day before I walked across Central Park to start my trip to Coney Island for my ‘Q to Q subway trip’ from 96th Street on the East Side to Coney Island on Stillwell Avenue, I stopped back at SheShe Pizzeria at 961 Columbus Avenue, to try one more thing on the lunch special menu. This was one of the inspirations for my new blog “DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com’. For $5.00, these lunches are exceptional.

SheShe Pizza at 961 Columbus Avenue

https://sheshepizza.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5007563-Reviews-Sheshe_Pizzeria-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

I tried the side order of ziti with meatballs, and it was more than a side order. You got a very generous portion of perfectly cooked ziti with about three fresh meatballs that were sliced on top and then put under the broiler. I could just about finish it. The meatballs had a nice garlicky taste to them, and the sauce was well spiced. It looked like the owner was happy to see me again. I will be back again for another personal pizza.

The Baked Ziti at SheShe Pizza was really good

The last thing I saw at the edge of the neighborhood was the beautiful and whimsical mural outside PS 163-The Albert Smith School at 163 West 97th Street. The student artists did a wonderful job on this mural “Bee Rock Steady”.

The school mural outside PS 163-The Albert Smith School: ‘Bee Rock Steady’

https://www.ps163pa.org/

The whimsical painting on the school’s side

The painting ‘Bee Rock Steady’ artists who created it

As I finished my walk of Manhattan Valley, I really felt that neighborhood aspect of this community. For a section of a major city, this had a small-town friendly feel about it. The people here, no matter where they live want this to be the best community it can be, and I was impressed by all the free time the residents donate to make it that way.

Whether it was Carmen Ortiz and her partner in the garden, Bob, spending their time weeding beds to Linus Coraggio donating his creativity to building a bench for people to relax into the guys playing dominoes watching what everyone was doing, I could feel the sense of neighborhood here. There is always something new popping up in this neighborhood.

The residents here really care.

Please read my other Blogs on the neighborhood:

Day Seventy-Nine: Walking the Borders of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5631

Day Eighty-Three: Walking the Streets of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5977

Day Eighty-One: Walking the Avenues of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5822

Places to Eat:

Felo Deli

23 West 100 Street

New York, NY 10025

(212) 866-8195

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-11:15am

My review on TripAdvisor:

SheShe Pizza (Closed June 2023)

961 Columbus Avenue

New York, NY 10025

(212) 222-7201

sheshepizzatogo.com

Open: Sunday-Saturday 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5007563-Reviews-Sheshe_Pizzeria-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/174

Places to visit:

Linus Coraggio Bench

West 100th Street Between Riverside Drive and West Side Drive

https://linuscoraggio.com

St. Michael’s Parish Church Garden

225 West 99th Street

New York, NY 10025

(212) 222-2700

http://www.saintmichaelschurch.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d548868-Reviews-Church_of_St_Michael-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Jesus Crawford Rose Garden

West 104th Street

New York, NY 10025

Le Perla Community Garden

76 West 105th Street

New York, NY 10025

https://livinglotsnyc.org/lot/58547

https://www.facebook.com/laperlagarden

Mobilization of Change Community Garden

955 Columbus Avenue

New York, NY 10025

https://www.facebook.com/MFCGarden

Nicholas Roerich Museum

319 West 107th Street

New York, NY 10025

(212) 864-7752

Hours: Sunday 12:00pm-4:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Saturday 12:00pm-4:00pm

Closed: Major holidays

Admission: Admission is free, though donations are welcome.

http://www.roerich.org

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136141-Reviews-Nicholas_Roerich_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2002

Day Eighty-Two: Going from Q to Q. Taking the subway from the beginning of the Q on 96th Street to Stillwell Avenue Coney Island August 9th, 2017 (Again June 2024)

August 16, 2017"A Local Journey: Exploring the outskirts of New York City, Candy and Ice Cream stores for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Brooklyn Block by Block, Exploring Coney Island, Brooklyn, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the New York City Subway System, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Hot Dog, Hamburger & Fries for the budget minded., Little Shop on Main Street in New York City (LittleShoponMainStreet), My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Brooklyn, Walking around ManhattanAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, BergenCountyCaregiver, Coney Island, Coney Island Amusements, Coney Island Beach, Coney Island Museum, Cyclone Rollercoaster, Deno's Wonderwheel Park, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Coney Island, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Subways, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper East Side, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, LittleShoponMainStreet, Louise Ciminieri Totonno's, Luna Park, MywalkinManhattan.com, Nathan's Coney Island, New York Aquarium, Totonno's Pizza, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walking in Brooklyn, Walking in Coney Island, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watrel, Wonder Wheeljwatrel

I had finished the Manhattan Valley neighborhood earlier in the day when the Soup Kitchen was full and they did not need me. So, I walked the lower part of the neighborhood to finish it off and then walked across Central Park to the beginning of the new subway stop for the Q subway train at 96th Street and Second Avenue. As I had written on Day Sixty-Six on my walk, this subway line is really nice and take time to look at the artwork at the stops at 96th, 72nd and 63rd Streets.

The 96th Street stop my starting point

If you are going to take the Q to Coney Island leave yourself plenty of time because it is over an hour to get from one end of the Q to the other. It was a beautiful warm clear sunny day around 84 degrees and a perfect day to go to the shore.

The 96th Street artwork in the terminal

I love the Q train! I love the new section of the subway with its interesting art and the fact that it is so clean. That and the fact they the E subway has the newest cars to stretch out in. It makes it a pleasure for the long trips.

The artwork on the 96th Street station

You get some of the best views of the city from the subway once you cross over into Brooklyn. You get a great view of lower Manhattan when exiting from underground plus you get to see the old parts of Brooklyn with views of the ‘Brownstone’ neighborhoods. There’s another area that keeps changing with gentrification.

The subway ends at the Stillwell subway stop. This rebuilt stop was the first part in the renovation of the island to make it a more 24-hour resort. Most of the other plans have been scrapped or were never enacted. To be honest with all of you, the amusement area of Coney Island is still dumpy and has not been much since the Luna Park fire of 1946 and the Dreamland fire of 1911. They keep trying though.

The changes on Surf Avenue keep happening every month

Even when I went to Coney Island as a kid in the 70’s, it was rundown then. Please don’t get me wrong, Coney Island can be a lot of fun and you can have a great day out here but don’t get too lofty of expectations of what it is like (See reviews on TripAdvisor). Don’t venture too far from Nathan’s after dark and follow the crowd back to the Stillwell subway station after dark if you stay for the films on the beach or the fireworks.

The Coney Island Museum Bar is a great place to relax when you get to Coney Island.

I have been down for the Mermaid Parade in the Spring several years ago and will be going to the Sandcastle Building contest next week. There is a lot going on during the summer and it is good to check out these activities. The Hot Dog Eating Contest at Nathan’s draws thousands to the island to watch their hero’s devour hot dogs at record speed.

Still the I love to explore the changes to the island and walked around Surf and Neptune Avenues after I got there. I wanted to see if Totonno’s Pizza was open that day so I walked for two blocks Neptune Avenue and I will tell you that though the area is changing it still is not a great neighborhood.

Totonno’s is in the middle of a commercial area with a series of garages and car repairs at 1524 Neptune Avenue. The worst part was that it closed for the day. The restaurant is only opened from Wednesday to Sunday so it’s for another time. I did get to see the back part of the island and found where the original Coney Island Creek was located. This is where the original Sea Lion Park and Luna Park were located back in the early part of the century.

Totonno’s Pizza at 1524 Neptune Avenue

https://www.totonnosconeyisland.com/e

I changed my plans around and walked the length of Surf Avenue and started my walk around the amusement area which runs from the Aquarium at West 8th Street to about West 16th Street. Even with the rebuilding of Luna Park on the footprint of the old Astroland, Surf Avenue needs a major makeover. The chain restaurants have added a little life to it but still some of the blocks are a series of rundown buildings and old-time amusements.

The Coney Island Boardwalk

I stopped by the Coney Island Museum at 1208 Surf Avenue and the museum part was closed for the day but the side show part was open but I had missed the show. I walked around some of the open exhibitions on the outside and it is interesting to see some of the artifacts from the old amusement days.

Coney Island Museum at 1208 Surf Avenue

https://www.coneyisland.com/programs/coney-island-museum

My next stop was the famous Cyclone Roller Coaster on West 10th Street (see review on TripAdvisor). This is the most amazing and exciting ride on the island and one of the things you should see while you are in New York City. It is $10.00 to ride the coaster but it is well worth it! That first hill you go down is so mind-blowing. You feel as if the cars are going to fly into the sea. It rolls up and down those hills back and forth facing the buildings across the street and the sea. Of all the amusement parks I have been to there is nothing like the Cyclone.

Cyclone Rollercoaster at 801 Reiglemann Boardwalk

https://lunaparknyc.com/rides/coney-island-cyclone/

I walked into the Luna Park area and saw the improvements that have been added to the park. The problem with Luna Park is that it’s mostly kiddie rides and not much for adults with the exception of the Log Flume Ride. Luna Park was rebuilt on the old Astroland which had closed by in 2008 and is trying to capture the old magic of the island with upgrades on rides and concessions. It even recreated the original entrance of Luna Park across the street from the old park. Still, it will take a lot more work on the park and more added rides in the future. I give them so much credit for revitalizing the park with a new look.

The entrance to the new Luna Park in Coney Island

https://lunaparknyc.com/

I walked after that to Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, 1025 Regielmann Boardwalk, which I had not been on for about seven years and the famous Spook-a-Rama, which I had not ridden since I was about eight. The Wonder Wheel was built back in the 20’s and with a height of 150 feet, has great views of the ocean and of the island. Both rides were $8.00 and were well worth it for the day.

When riding the Wonder Wheel, make sure to get one of the cars that slide. Not only do you get the view but you get the excitement of sliding around. When you reach the top of the Wonder Wheel, it has the most breathtaking view of the boardwalk area, the beach and ocean and a view of the whole island. The breeze is so refreshing up there and you feel like the world is your own. Talk about seeing the world go by.

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park at 1025 Regielmann Boardwalk

https://www.denoswonderwheel.com/

After the Wonder Wheel, I walked over to Spook-a-Rama, also $8.00, which I first rode when I was eight and it has not changed that much since then. It does have a few thrills that do pop out at you that will have you jumping. There have been a few updates on it with video displays but for the most part I remember it being much scarier as a kid. I will let you know though the first couple of things popping out at you will still have you jumping out of your seat but still it’s not the Haunted Mansion at Disney Parks.

Spook-a-Rama at Deno’s Wonderwheel Park

The entrance of the Spook-a-Rama

I had enough time to go to the New York Aquarium located at West 8th Street, just past the Cyclone. During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, most of the Aquarium was seriously damaged and most of the park is still under construction. The Coral Exhibition is still interesting especially with the destruction of the wreaths around the world and the Sea Lion demonstration is a lot of fun. The Sea Lions are such hams and seem to love the crowds. What I thought was interesting is that both of them were born in New York City at the Bronx Zoo, so they have only known humans. Still, they look like they are having fun. They seem to love waving to the audience and the crowds love them back.

New York Aquarium at West 8th Street

https://nyaquarium.com/

Disco Dancing on the Boardwalk

While I was walking on the Boardwalk, I caught this group of people dancing to the BeeGees. The 1970’s have never really ended.

My last stop of the evening was dinner at Nathan’s at 1310 Surf Avenue. This hot dog chain was founded in 1916 and is still in their original location. They have the best hot dogs and their French fries are some of the best in the industry. When you go you have to have the original hot dog with mustard, the regular fries (which is a large order anywhere else) and their famous Orange-aid. It is the best meal.

Nathan’s Coney Island at 1310 Surf Avenue

https://nathansfamous.com/

The sign welcoming you to Nathan’s

On a hot sunny day, it is nice to sit out on the tables right next to the restaurant. There is something about the sea breezes, the salt air and hot dogs and fries that make a phenomenal combination. It is a meal that is part of the beach experience and that was worth the trip alone.

My favorite meal at Nathan’s: A Hot Dog, French Fries and an icy Coke

Before it got too late, I was back on the Q Train back to Manhattan. I’m sorry but sensible people still get out of Coney Island before it gets dark. Even though the subway station on Stillwell and Surf Avenues is very safe and there is a police station there, it’s better to leave before dusk. I don’t care how many artists have moved into the area.

The subway ride took just over an hour to get back to Manhattan but it was still light out when I left the shore area and got my last glimpse of the ocean pass by. There is nothing like watching the sun reflect on the beach. The best was that we passed lower Manhattan before we went under the tunnel and watched the skyline brightened by the lights in the office towers. If you want to see an amazing site, it is when the city lights come on and the skyline is ablaze. It is like a picture postcard and impressive. When people think of New York City, this is what they imagine.

Coney Island Beach

When I finally got back to 96th Street, I had some time to look at the artwork again and stretch around the station. I still love to see museum quality art in a subway. Then it was off back on the Q back to midtown.

For the price of a round-trip ticket on the subway, it is fantastic voyage around the city on the new Q. Artwork, amusements, skyline views and the beach. What more could you want?

From Q to Q Beginning to End from 96th Street to Stillwell Avenue

The Boardwalk at night

Video of people dancing on the Boardwalk:

IMG_9545 Download

Luna Park at night is like a Fantasyland

Luna Park at night

Places to Visit:

Coney Island Museum

3050 Stillwell Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 372-5159

https://www.coneyisland.com/programs/coney-island-museum

Open: Sunday-Saturday 12:00pm-8:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d555621-Reviews-The_Coney_Island_Museum-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/1978

Luna Park Coney Island/Cyclone Rollercoaster

1000 Surf Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 373-5862

https://lunaparknyc.com/

Open: Monday-Thursday 11:00am-10:00pm/Friday-Sunday 11:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d1796964-Reviews-Luna_Park_at_Coney_Island-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Deno’s Wonderwheel Park

1023 Riegelmann Boardwalk

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 372-2592

https://www.denoswonderwheel.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d565041-Reviews-Deno_s_Wonder_Wheel_Park-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

The New York Aquarium

602 Surf Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 265-3474

https://nyaquarium.com/

Open: Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday-Thursday 10:00am-5:00pm/Friday & Saturday 10:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d107414-Reviews-New_York_Aquarium-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/3619

Places to Eat:

Nathan’s Famous

1310 Surf Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11224

(718) 333-2202

https://nathansfamous.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d458011-Reviews-Nathan_s_Famous-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

Day Eighty-One: Walking the Avenues of Manhattan Valley (the Bloomingdale District) from West End Avenue to Manhattan Avenue from West 110th to West 96th Streets July 31, 2017 (again November 16th, 2024, and March 14th, 2025)

August 13, 2017Chinese Restaurants for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Hamilton Heights/Manhattanville, Exploring Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale/Upper West Side, Exploring Morningside Heights in Manhattan, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Entire Length of the Island of Manhattan/Broadway Walk, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Rim of the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Interesting Bakeries, Interesting Pizzerias in Manhattan, Little Shop on Main Street in New York City (LittleShoponMainStreet), My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), The Great Saunter Walk-The Entire Manhattan, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around ManhattanAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, Bloomingdale Section of Manhattan, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Bloomingdale Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side, Fredrick Douglass Houses, Hunan Chen's, Hunan Chen's Kitchen, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Manhattan Valley, Mobilization for Change Community Gardens, Morningside Heights, Morningside Park, MywalkinManhattan.com, Straus Park, The Alimar, Upper West Side, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walk Manhattan, Walking around Manhattan, Walking in Manhattan, Walking Manhattan, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Manhattan Valley (the Bloomingdale District) is the imagine of what people would think the Upper West Side is like in the 1970’s. It reminded me of an old Woody Allen film. It still has that old New York feel to it before gentrification rolled over the lower part of this side of the island. I think what keeps the neighborhood grounded is the Douglass Housing Complex in the middle of the neighborhood which runs from 104th Street to 100th Street from Amsterdam Avenue to Manhattan Avenue. The Park West Apartment Condo Complex anchors the southern part of the neighborhood.

The fringes of this neighborhood on all sides are quickly gentrifying from the sandblasting of buildings and new businesses along Broadway to almost everything north of 104th Street to 110th Street from Riverside Drive to Central Park West. Everything seems to have scaffolding in front of it, already is being cleaned and buffed or in the process of it. It is a mixture of old and new and it seems that the population likes it this way. The one thing I have to say it feels like a real neighborhood.

The Dutch called the area, “Bloemendaal”, which translates to “Valley of Flowers” as the area was once home to many farms and forests. The whole area was once the summer home to the wealthy residents from downtown and as the city grew, the area was dissected by the street system. There are still many pocket parks, community gardens and playgrounds plus it is bounded by Riverside Drive and Central Park.

Bloomingdale in its rural days

My day began with another busy day at the Soup Kitchen. I admit I don’t think that in this economy I don’t think it is going to be getting slower. We’re consistent every time I am there. Not the 1500 meal days we used to have but it still gets busy. I work the busy extra Bread station and they love their raisin bagels when we have them. I did not get of there until 12:30pm.

I started the walk at 110th Street with lunch at my new favorite Chinese restaurant, Hunan Chen’s Kitchen at 1003 A Columbus Avenue (See TripAdvisor review and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com). I had an order of their Orange Chicken, and it was out of this world. The food there is excellent and for the size of the portion and the quality of the dishes, this place should be on everyone’s map. The orange chicken was perfectly cooked, crisp from the deep fry and the fried rice is good for a lunch portion. Their egg rolls are quite good as well.

Hunan Chen’s Chinese Restaurant at 1003A Columbus Avenue (Closed 2020)

https://www.hunanchenskitchen.com/

Dragon 109 on Columbus at 109 Columbus Avenue opened in its place in 2024

My review on TripAdvisor:

(Note to all readers: I have added a new blog site along with ‘VisitingaMuseum.com’ to accompany ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’. The new site is called ‘DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com’, where I will be featuring restaurants I find on my travels around the island and beyond for under $10.00. There have to be more people like me who are on a budget).

I had my lunch on the benches by the entrance of Morningside Park and on a sunny day, there is nothing like it. It must be a favorite of the neighborhood because I found myself with a crowd around the benches. I guess the park’s lurid past is behind it now as I watched a soccer game from the bench as I was eating. It is a nice place to relax and gather your thoughts.

Morningside Park at 110th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/morningside-park

The Morningside Park Pond

After lunch, I started walking the Avenues that go up and down the neighborhood. This side of the island is a little smaller than the East Side of the park, six streets as opposed to eight. It was still quite the walk.

Where I like to eat my lunch when I am at Morningside Park by the entrance of the park

My first street was Manhattan Avenue, and this street is just as juxtaposed as the other neighborhoods uptown. You can go from luxury brownstones to the projects in just one block. Lining Manhattan Avenue from 106th to 105th Streets are some of the most picturesque brownstones with front gardens and potted plants that you will see in the city. Each one is nicer than the other and seem unique in their own way because of their design and their plantings. I can imagine how they must decorate around the holidays.

Once you pass 104th Street, the large Fredrick Douglass Houses at 825 Columbus Avenue start to dominate the neighborhood. I think that the project has kept this part of Manhattan from fully gentrifying as it dominates the whole core of the neighborhood from 104th to 100th Streets from Manhattan Avenue to Amsterdam Avenue. Like most of the housing complexes I have walked through, everyone pretty much ignored me.

Tables of older Dominican men played cards and dominoes on a nice day, young mothers were in the playgrounds, which were nicer than most of the complexes I have seen, and one family even had a lemonade/snack stand near the Youth Hostel on Amsterdam Avenue between 104th and 103rd Streets.

Fredrick Douglass Houses at 825 Columbus Avenue

The Fredrick Douglas Houses in the Fall of 2024

https://affordablehousingonline.com/housing-search/New-York/New-York-City/Frederick-Douglass-and-Add./10051836

Manhattan Avenue stops at 100th Street in front the big Central Park West Condo complex which looks like middle-class housing to me. All I know is that they want you to stay out of the complex. There are signs all over the place that the through ways are for residents only and there is security all over the place. I won’t be able to walk through that too quickly.

Columbus Avenue below 100th Street joins the rest of the Upper West Side with shops and restaurants and a large Whole Foods which is a nice place to go to the bathroom if you need it and to fill up water bottles. Above 100th Street, it is dominated by the housing complex and then it changes back to small stores and prewar apartments.

A nice stop is the ‘Mobilization for Change Community Garden’ at Columbus Avenue at 107th Street. What a beautiful pocket park. It has colorful flower beds to walk through and there are elevated vegetable gardens that resident’s plant in and all the plants are in the stage of maturity that herbs are standing tall, and vegetables are ready to ripen. It is a nice place to sit and relax.

The sign for the Mobilization for Change Community Garden.

The people there are very nice and talk about their role in helping make the garden what it is today. Take time to walk the path through the garden. This garden was created in the late 1980’s, when the neighborhood was not so nice, and it was a dumping ground. The community really transformed this lot into something special.

Mobilization for Change Community Garden at 955 Columbus Avenue with sun symbol on the fence

The gardens in the Fall of 2024

The gardens in the Fall of 2024

https://www.facebook.com/MFCGarden/

Columbus Avenue dissects the Park West Village Apartment complex, so you get to see the planted gardens and paths that lead through the complex. Behind that, starts the modern shopping district. This area is totally being rebuilt and there are new buildings all over this section of the neighborhood. I was not able to walk through the complex as security is all over the place. There are also cameras all over the place. So, I just walked around it.

Park West Village Apartments cuts the neighborhood in half

http://pwvmgmt.com/

At the bottom of Columbus Avenue, a new complex of buildings has been built with all new shops and a new Whole Foods are right across from the Douglass Houses. 100th Street is the obvious border of the Upper West Side to this neighborhood. This is when you see the community really mixing. I saw a lot of Whole Foods bags heading up the road. The Whole Foods is nice because it is also a place with a nice public bathroom and a place to fill your water bottle. The only other option is the Fredrick Douglass Park and their bathroom which needs a lot of work.

Amsterdam Avenue is a continuation of what it is uptown. A transformation of a neighborhood depending on the block that you live on. Everything above 104th Street and below 100th Street is quickly improving with old prewar apartments under scaffolding and new restaurants replacing old ones. Little by little the area is starting to change. Even the Amsterdam House, a public housing unit, is getting a makeover right across the street from Fredrick Douglass Park.

At Amsterdam Avenue and 104th Street is the Youth Hostel that sits on the fringe of the Fredrick Douglass Houses. I was wondering why there were so many twenty-year olds in this area walking around and speaking so many languages. (These kids fill all the reasonable restaurants in the area that inspired my blog, “DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com”). There are so many great restaurants in the area where you can eat for under $10.00 and I wanted to let everyone know that they are there). This area gets very active later in the day when everyone comes back from visiting other parts of the city.

Amsterdam Avenue at West 110 Street by Columbia University

Between 100th and 99th Streets, St. Michael’s Church at 225 West 99th Street dominates the street with the most beautiful stained-glass windows and the architecture is amazing. Really take a good look at the detail work of the building. On the way back up, walk through the Fredrick Douglass Park and watch the neighborhood come alive. There are kids screaming in the pool, hipster types playing soccer in the field and mothers from all over the neighborhood playing in the park with their kids and socializing with one another. This is where the neighborhood really mingles, and you see it come alive.

St. Michael’s Church at 225 West 99th Street

Home

Rounding Broadway is where you see the real changes happening in the neighborhood. Broadway is where the neighborhood shines with its diversity of businesses and housing. Being two blocks from the Douglass Houses, it also shows how the fringes of this neighborhood are starting to change. Older businesses are next to newer hipper restaurants, and it makes a nice mix. Some of the most interesting buildings are in this area and really look up as you walk around, or you might miss it.

The most interesting aspect of Broadway is the landscaped ‘Mall’ that runs in the middle of the street and gives nature its due throughout the neighborhood with trees and flowers lining the middle and benches to relax and just walk the world go by.

The Broadway Mall, the landscaped median

At 107th Street and Broadway is Straus Park, dedicated to Isidor and Ida Straus who died in the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. The Straus family had ownership of Macy’s Department Store at the time and had been very prominent in the business world. I remembered when I had worked at Macy’s that there had been a park dedicated to them.

Straus Park at Broadway and 107th Street

The gardens in the Summer of 2024

The park in the Fall of 2024

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/straus-park

Isidor and Ida Strauss who died on the S.S. Titanic

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/titanic/stories/isidor-and-ida-straus.htm

This graceful park is lined with trees, flowers and bushes and is beautifully landscaped to match the Broadway Mall across the street. There are lots of benches to relax in and the park is well maintained by the neighborhood. The four days I spent in the neighborhood there was always someone weeding, pruning or watering something. It is a nice place to take a book or get some writing done. Many of the residents socialize here and it is a nice gathering place. The memorial dedicated to the two of them is simple and graceful and fits into the park nicely.

The Strauss Park gardens

The park in the Spring

The historic plaque

Just across the street from the park inside the walls of the Broadway Island, take a look at ground level and you will see the mosaics of the Duke Ellington Memorial. This small display tucked into the walls of the island is almost hidden so you have to sit down to see it or you will miss it.

the “Art for our Sake” sign

The Duke Ellington Mosaic

The Duke Ellington Mosaic

The park also dissects the streets, where Broadway and West End Avenue fork and separate into two different streets. Walking down Broadway when you reach 103rd Street, artist Joy Brown has another one of her ‘people’ statues that I had seen further uptown.

Ms. Brown was born and raised in Japan and concentrates on larger installations.

Artist Joy Brown

https://www.joybrownstudio.com/

Here the adult was walking with her child. These statues are whimsical and almost like a animated character in 3D. Many of her statues line Broadway at various streets uptown.

Joy Brown’s Statue on Broadway

On the island on Broadway between 106th and 107th Streets look to the bottom of the wall, and you will see the most interesting artwork in memory of Duke Ellington. Look by the walls by the benches and you will see the mosaic on both parts of the wall.

My go to McDonalds on the Upper West Side at 2549 Broadway

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/location/ny/new-york/2549-broadway/2002.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5075867-Reviews-McDonald_s-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Being so humid that day, I made a pit stop at McDonald’s. I stopped for one of their frozen strawberry lemonade’s. I swear, that drink is one of the best things to drink on a humid day. It cools you inside and out. I ordered a medium and I did not need to drink anything for the rest of the walk. I was totally refreshed.

McDonald’s Strawberry Lemonade in one of the unofficial drinks of “MywalkinManhattan.com”

Take a look at the Metro Theater at 2626 Broadway, closed now, to see the interesting Art Deco details on the building. It would be nice if this could be opened in its original shape but for now it stands boarded up awaiting its fate. A lot of Broadway is now being lined with new apartment buildings and shops that are connecting it to the rest of the Upper West Side.

Metro Theater at 2626 Broadway

https://www.nyc-architecture.com/UWS/UWS044.htm

West End Avenue is onto itself as a more residential block. I get the impression by the people walking around this street that they take themselves a little too seriously. Everyone I saw had this determined look on their faces. I could not figure out why.

The buildings that line the street between 106th to 96th Street are mostly prewar apartment houses with detailed marble carvings. The side streets are lined with a combination of old brownstones and smaller apartment houses. Planters with small trees and flowers dominate the buildings and give it a more European feel to them. One of the most beautiful buildings on the block is at 925 West End Avenue.

The building was built in 1899 and known as The Alimar. It was designed by Elisha Harris Janes and Richard Leopold Leo and built by Hamilton W. Reed. The team that designed this building also built the equally beautiful Dorilton on Broadway near West 72nd Street. Really look up at the details (City Realty).

925 West End Avenue

The doorway entrance to 925 West End Avenue with its beautiful carvings

https://streeteasy.com/building/925-west-end-avenue-new_york

It is a marble building where you see numerous faces and animals carved into the marble. There are two similar buildings like this in the neighborhood but this one is most spectacular. Look at the grill work and the windows and it will make you fall in love again with the treasures that the city offers.

The stone carvings of 925 West End Avenue

925 West End Avenue embellishments

The lion carvings that protect this building

I took a detour off West End Avenue to walk down several of the side streets to see how nicely the buildings blended into Riverside Park. The block between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive are the most gentile part of the neighborhood and show off some its oldest architecture.

Riverside Park in the Bloomingdale section at Riverside Drive and West 110th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park

This is a classic New York neighborhood showing the ‘old’ New York. As I said earlier, there is something very mid-70’s to early 80’s about this part of the Upper West Side. Its changing but not like the hyper-luxury buildings further downtown. It’s like walking around the city at a time when New York City was getting better for New Yorkers not a real estate investment from abroad.

West 110th Street at Manhattan Avenue

West 110th Street at Amsterdam Avenue

This is one of the more “New York” neighborhoods in Manhattan.

Please read my other Blogs on the neighborhood:

Day Seventy-Nine: Walking the Borders of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5631

Day Eighty-Three: Walking the Streets of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5977

Day Eighty-One: Walking the Avenues of Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5822

Places to Visit:

Strauss Park

West End Avenue & 107th Street

New York, NY 10025

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/strauspark/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-1:00am

Morningside Park

West 123rd-West 110th along Morningside Avenue

New York, NY 10026

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/morningside-park

Open: 6:00am-1:00am

Mobilization for Change Community Garden

955 Columbus Avenue

New York, NY

https://communitygarden.org/find-a-garden/gardens/mobilization-for-change-community-garden/

https://www.facebook.com/MFCGarden/

Places to Eat:

Hunan Chen’s (now called 109 Chinese)

1003 Columbus Avenue A

New York, NY 10025

(212) 222-1118

https://www.hunanchenskitchen.com/

Open: Sunday 12:00pm-10:30pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-10:30pm/Friday and Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4980909-Reviews-Hunan_Chen_s_Kitchen-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/24

McDonald’s

2726 Broadway

New York, NY 10025

(212) 222-8714

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/location/ny/manhattan/1651-broadway/18884.html

Open: 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d15254991-Reviews-McDonald_s-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/541

Things to See:

Joy Brown Statues (now closed)

http://joybrownstudio.com/

Public Art

Video on the Exhibition:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/joy-brown-on-broadway-nyc

Duke Ellington Memorial Mosaic

On the Broadway Island from West 106th-107th Streets

Day Seventy-Nine: Walking the Borders of Manhattan Valley (the Bloomingdale District) from West 110th Street to West 96th Street from Riverside Drive to Central Park West July 16th, 2017 (Again November 16th, 2024, and March 14th, 2025)

July 24, 2017Chinese Restaurants for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Hamilton Heights/Manhattanville, Exploring Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Manhattan Valley/Bloomingdale/Upper West Side, Exploring Morningside Heights in Manhattan, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Entire Length of the Island of Manhattan/Broadway Walk, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the New York City Subway System, Exploring the Rim of the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Gourmet restaurants for the budget minded, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around ManhattanAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Art Studio of Harlem, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring Morningside Heights, Exploring Morningside Park, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper West Side, Firemen's Memorial, Grant's Tomb, Joy Brown Broadway, Joy Brown sculpture, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, littleshoponmainstreet.com, LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com, Manhattan Valley, MywalkinManhattan.com, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walk Manhattan, Walking around Manhattan, Walking in Manhattan, Walking Manhattan, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

I walked a tremendous number of miles today. I had wanted to see three cultural sites before I left the Harlem area. I wanted to visit the Museum of Arts & Letters, The Studio Art Museum of Harlem and Grant’s Tomb. So, my trip on this hot Sunday started at the 157th Street One Subway station. I had wanted to start at the Museum of Arts & Letters.

The whole campus that the museum shares with the Hispanic Society was closed for renovation, so I walked from 155th Street to 122nd Street to tour the Grants Tomb National Memorial. The tomb is open only at certain times, so I wanted to get to the park early.

It has only been three months since I left this part of Harlem, and a lot has changed. Even I can’t keep up with all the changes as I was walking down Broadway. Many of the businesses that I passed have since closed. Many of the storefronts as you get closer to the SUNY campus around 140th Street to about 132nd Street have converted to small trendy restaurants and clothing stores. Many of the older businesses that had catered to the neighborhood Hispanic customer now have ‘For Rent’ signs or are being updated for a more diverse customer. I had seen this happen in the short time I was walking Inwood in upper Manhattan.

When I got to General Grant National Memorial at 122nd Street (See TripAdvisor review and on VisitingaMuseum.com), there were already a couple parties going on around the park area. On a nice day, there are always birthday parties for kids in the park around the tomb. People in the neighborhood love to spend time with their families here and in the other parts that surround the area.

General Grant National Memorial (Grant’s Tomb) at West 122nd Street

https://www.nps.gov/gegr/index.htm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105812-Reviews-General_Grant_National_Memorial-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

General Grant National Memorial 122nd Street and Riverside Drive New York, NY 10027

There were not that many people touring the tomb and the building itself, so it was nice to take my time. Designed by architect John Hemenway Duncan in 1883 and the tomb was dedicated in April 1897 on the 75th Anniversary of President Grant’s birth. The President’s remains were placed here right before the dedication and his wife was buried here in 1902 (Wiki/NYC Parks).

The inside of General Grant’s National Memorial

President Ulysses S. Grant (Wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant

The vaults are amazing with paintings on the ceiling of scenes of his life that were put up in recent years. The crypts of him and his wife, Julia, are on the bottom level of the tomb surrounded by the busts of generals that fought in the Civil War with him. It does not take that long to tour the tomb or the gift shop.

The Rotunda and tombs inside of Grant’s Tomb

I learned a lot about our 18th President Grant by watching a film on him. I never knew at the end that he died broke and what saved the family were his memoirs. Amazing the things that happen in people’s lives in the end.

President and Mrs. Grant’s tombs

After the tour of the tomb, I walked down to the Studio Art Museum of Harlem and toured several of the exhibitions. The museum is located at 144 West 125th Street (See review on TripAdvisor and on VisitingaMuseum.com) and is open for viewing for free on Sundays with the support of Target Stores. The museum is small and only take about an hour to two hours to see all the exhibitions which is nice. Some museums the exhibitions are endless, and it takes hours to see and absorb everything. The Studio Art Museum exhibitions are detailed but on a smaller scale.

The Studio Art Museum of Harlem

https://studiomuseum.org

I was able to see artist Rico Gatson’s exhibition on 70’s influenced art, Jamel Shabazz’s exhibition of photo’s around 125th Street, which I don’t know if you could do today without releases and the “Regard the Figure” exhibition, which is in the front of the gallery on figures that influenced the curator.

The Rico Gatson exhibits at the museum

All were very interesting and had their own unique perspective of the culture. I was able to get through all three exhibitions in less than two hours. After viewing the exhibits, I sat on their outside patio to relax for a while. It was a hot day and I just needed to cool off in the shade. There had been a nice crowd in the museum that afternoon.

Rico Gatson’s Work at The Studio Art Museum of Harlem

Artist Rico Gatson in front of his work

http://ricogatson.com/

After the Art Studio of Harlem, I walked down to the business district of 116th Street and went for some lunch. Like the rest of Harlem, things are opening and closing so fast you can’t keep up with them. Half the customers on 116th Street are White and Asian with lot of customers from Columbia University and the Upper West Side who are starting to come to this area to eat. There are many innovative restaurants opening up on the 116th Street row.

I had lunch at Harlem Pizza Company at 135 West 116th Street, a restaurant that I had passed and had read online that was very good (See review on TripAdvisor). The pizza was wonderful, and the service was very friendly and welcoming. I sat in the outdoor seating area, and it had cooled down a bit since it was later in the afternoon.

The Harlem Pizza Company at 135 West 116th Street (Closed June 2024)

Home

The restaurant is excellent, and I highly recommend it. I had a personal 12-inch pizza with sausage and soppressata that was perfectly cooked, the meats and sauce were highly spiced and was gooey and delicious. It was nice to just eat and watch the world walk by. It is a very relaxing that afternoon.

My next stage of the walk included walking Manhattan Valley, another name for the Upper Upper West Side. This area includes from West 110th Street from Riverside Drive to the West and Central Park North to the East and West 96th Street to the South. I was able to ring the neighborhood and work off breakfast and lunch at the same time.

I passed the Minerva Bernardino Greenstreet park on the way down West 110th Street. This tiny park is hard to miss as the flowers were blooming all over the place and tables were being set up around it by the restaurants. I thought it was a little cool of this.

The Minerva Bernardino Greenstreet Park at 110th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/minerva-bernardino-greenstreet

The park was just starting to bloom.

The park was named after Diplomat Minerva Bernadino from the Dominican Republic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_Bernardino

Her biography of her accomplishments was on the street sign.

The Greenstreet gardens in 2025

I started the later part of the afternoon walking from Morningside Park to Central Park West. God was the park busy. There must have been four birthday parties, two barbecues, five basketball games, a soccer game and a softball league playing in various areas of the park.

Morningside Park in Harlem

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/morningside-park

Morningside Park in the Spring

A lot has changed in this side of town in the last 25 years. It is a major change from the mid-80’s when most of this area was abandoned. I remember seeing pictures of this area in the late 80’s and all through the 90’s and it was not such a nice area. Most of the housing was run down, Riverside Park was over-grown and sensible people did not travel above 86th Street.

The Morningside Park Pond in the early Spring

I had dinner with a vendor my last year at Macy’s in 1995 on 92nd Street and the vendors and my boss at the time said to take the subway to 86th and walk up. I took it to 96th and walked down and even then, I could see what they were talking about. It was run down but didn’t seem dangerous. Two weekends later I got adventurous and walked up to Columbia University. Those were the years where fences were put on the entrances to Morningside Park.

The pond and the waterfall in Morningside Park in the Fall of 2024

A lot of the buildings were abandoned and boarded up by 100th and the further you got from Central Park the worse it got. I had even overheard two Columbia students talking about the fires in buildings across Morningside Park the evening before. You would not see any of that today. The mood in the Fall of 2024 was nothing but pleasant and the whole area has gentrified. Most of the people walking in the park the afternoon I had visited were a white, upper middle-class couples with strollers.

Morningside Park Farmers Market in 2024

https://www.morningsidepark.org/farmers-market

The wonderful items to buy and eat at the Morningside Park Farmers Market

I was not surprised on how nice it was to walk around now. This area has improved so much in the last thirty years and keeps getting nicer and more expensive. Pretty much everything until the 130’s on this side of the island is getting a facelift. The east side of the island over 100th is more juxtaposed. All along Fredrick Douglas Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard new restaurants, cafes and shops have opened catering to a diverse group of New Yorkers.

I started my walk down Central Park West, walking past the apartments on the other side of the park. Everything has changed so much up here. Almost all the apartments facing the Central Park now are luxury homes and apartment buildings sandblasted back to their original elegance. Each building has its own unique style. The best part of them is their view of the park must be amazing.

I passed some unusual historical sites and artwork along the way. At the entrance of the subway station at Broadway and 96th Street is a statue of a woman holding her child by the artist, Joy Brown.

Ms. Brown was born and raised in Japan and holds a BFA from Eckerd College in Florida and has done a lot of her personal training in the field. She is known for her work in pottery and bronze (Artist Bio)

Artist Joy Brown in front of one of her works

https://www.joybrownstudio.com

This very whimsical statue is part of a collection of statues that line Broadway and a map is provided at each site to find them. Some of the people thought it might be the Madonna and child. I guess everyone has their interpretation of it. There were a lot of families taking pictures by it when I was there.

Artist Joy Brown

https://www.facebook.com/joybrownsculpture

At the corner of 96th Street and West End Avenue is a plaque to Teresa Carreno, the famous Venezuelan pianist who lived at the Delha Robbins Apartments back at the turn of the last century. I had no clue how famous she was, but she had traveled over the world performing. She was a composer, conductor, soprano and pianist who composed over 75 original works. She also had interesting relationships that spread to four husbands.

Pianist Teresa Carreno

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Teresa-Carreno

She was quite the character at the turn of the last century. Here’s a sample of her work:

Pianist Teresa Carreno playing Chopin

When I made the turn around at 96th Street, there is no exit so be prepared to walk down to 95th Street and go under the tunnel by Riverside Park. Go under and around and take some time to walk through Riverside Park and take in the view. I had walked through this area last summer on my way up to 155th Street after some time at the American Museum of Natural History. It is nice to see the park in full bloom again.

I passed the Firemen’s Memorial at Riverside Drive at 100th Street and the Shinran Statue at 105th Street. I have never seen these before and the Firemen’s Memorial means a lot to me being a fireman. It’s nice to see the memorial being visited and flowers being left.

Artist Henry Van Buren Magonigle

https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1700547

The memorial was designed by H. Van Buren Magonigle and the statues that flank it were designed by Attillo Pirccirilli. The two were well known for their design of memorials including the U.S.S. Maine statue on Columbus Circle (NYCParks).

The statues represent “Duty” and “Sacrifice” on both sides of the memorial. The idea for the memorial came about in 1908 at the funeral of Deputy Chief Charles A. Kruger by Reverend Henry C. Potter who questioned why there were no memorials to our private public servants (NYCParks.com).

The Firemen’s Memorial in Riverside Park

The back of the Firemen’s Memorial

The detail work of the Memorial

The tablet at the Memorial

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park/monuments/482

The Shinran Statue was dedicated to Buddhism. The interesting part of the statue is that the statue came from Hiroshima from outside a temple in the city and when the atomic blast happened as the temple burned this statue stood guard. The statue was then shipped to New York in 1955 and has stood, radiation free in New York City since then. I now sit as a monument to world peace (Atlas Obscura).

The Shinran Statue on Riverside Drive

Along Riverside Drive between 107th and 108th Street, there is a majestic set of mansions that line Riverside Park. These are going under renovation but still the detail work on these homes is very elegant and must have been something when they were built at the turn of the last century. They stand out amongst all the apartment buildings that line the park.

As I turned around at 110th Street and walked back around the same route on the other side of the street. One of the most beautiful spots along Riverside Avenue is between 96th and 97th Streets with a line of shade trees that must be over 100 years old. It is just so graceful and humbling to see these huge trees and the way they shade and lead the path down this part of the sidewalk. Its nature at its best.

Riverside Park in the 110 Street area in the Fall of 2024

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park

I passed Central Park on the park side of Central Park West and when you reach around 100th Street, you see the rock formations that line the avenue. This is a result of the last Ice Age and I had seen similar formations uptown. Again this is when you realize that Manhattan is not flat. Nature takes over when you see the trees and plants growing through the cracks. This picturesque part of the park with trees, bushes and flowers sticking out here and there through the formations. Its wall is what separates the park from the street.

The rock formations prove that Manhattan was moved by the ice age in Fall 2024

Rock formations in the Upper Part of Central Park in the Summer of 2024

This part of Central Park reminds us that Manhattan isn’t all flat.

When reaching 110th Street at the corner of that and Central Park West, several new buildings are built around the circle of the two streets. Modern architecture dominates this part of the street and ushers in a new beginning to this once destitute section of the neighborhood as a gateway to a new beginning for the neighborhood. The lines of the Upper West Side and Harlem on this side of the island are beginning to blur.

West 110th Street is changing with new construction and gentrification of the brownstones in the lower parts of Harlem

We’ll see more as we visit more of the neighborhood on a tour of the streets and avenues. I ended the day with a trip to McDonald’s just off 96th Street and Amsterdam Avenue (See review on TripAdvisor).

McDonalds at 2549 Broadway

https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/location/ny/new-york/2549-broadway/2002.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5075867-Reviews-McDonald_s-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=541&action=edit

That McDouble and fries tasted so good as they were freshly cooked for me.

The McDonald’s Strawberry Lemonade is one of the unofficial drinks of “MywalkinManhattan.com.

The best is their frozen Strawberry Lemonade which cooled me down inside and out. It is one of the best things recently added to the McDonald’s menu and a perfect drink for a hot summer day.

Read my other Blogs on the Bloomingdale neighborhood:

Day Ninety-Three: Walking the Borders of the Upper Upper West Side:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/6760

Day Ninety-Four: Walking the Avenues of the Upper Upper West Side:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/6842

Day Ninety-Seven: Walking the Streets of the Upper Upper West Side:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/7100

Places to Eat:

Harlem Pizza Company (Closed June 2024)

135 West 116th Street

New York, NY 10026

(212) 222-9889

http://www.harlempizzaco.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d10090967-Reviews-Harlem_Pizza_Co-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

McDonald’s

2549 Broadway

New York, NY 10025

(212) 864-8138

http://www.mcdonalds.com

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d5075867-Reviews-McDonald_s-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/541

Places to Visit:

General Grant National Memorial (Grant’s Tomb)

West 122nd Street & Riverside Drive

New York, NY 10027

http://www.grantstomb.org

Open: Monday & Tuesday Closed/Sunday, Wednesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d105812-Reviews-General_Grant_National_Memorial-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/1354

Studio Museum of Harlem

144 West 125th Street

New York, NY 10027

(212) 864-4500

Open: Currently closed for renovation

http://www.studiomuseum.org

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d116230-Reviews-The_Studio_Museum_in_Harlem-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/1405

Firemen’s Memorial

West 100th Street & Riverside Drive

New York, NY 10025

(212) 639-9675

http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/memorial

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park/monuments/482

Things to See:

Artist Rico Gatson

http://ricogatson.com/

http://www.artnet.com/artists/rico-gatson/

Artist Joy Brown

Broadway Art

https://www.joybrownstudio.com

Day Seventy-Eight: Walking the streets of Spanish Harlem from 110th to 96th Streets from Fifth to First Avenue and the Third Anniversary of “MywalkinManhattan.com” June 17th-21st, 2017 (again on February 4th, and June 21st, 2025)

July 14, 2017Cheap Spanish Restaurant for Budget Minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring East Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring SoHA (South of Harlem), Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Gourmet restaurants for the budget minded, Historic New York City neighborhoods, Hot Dog, Hamburger & Fries for the budget minded., My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), My walk in Manhattan on Father's Day, MywalkinManhattan at the Halloween Holidays, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Sandwich and Deli's for the budget minded, Spanish Restaurants for the budget minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around ManhattanAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, Blue Sky Deli, Central Park Conservatory Park, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring East Harlem, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring SoHA, Exploring Spanish Harlem, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring the Upper East Side, Haiji's, Harlem Taste Deli, Hope Community Inc., Humaniano Community Garden, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Maggie's Magic Garden, Make & Bake Pizza, Martha Stewart Garden Manhattan, MywalkinManhattan.com, Neighbors of Vega Baja Garden, Spanish Harlem, Street Art in East Harlem 108th St, Vega Baja Garden, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walk Around Manhattan, Walk Manhattan, Walking around Manhattan, Walking in Manhattan, Walking Manhattan, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

I started walking the streets of East Harlem after a long day in the Soup Kitchen. They keep me very busy there and I had to work the busy bread station. It can very harried if there are any sweets such as pastries and doughnuts to give out. I was worn out but still carried on.

I took the number six subway uptown to 110th Street and started my day with lunch at the Blue Sky Deli (Haiji’s) at 2135 First Avenue again for another chopped cheese sandwich. I am beginning to love these things. For five dollars and my budget on the project, it just makes sense. Plus, it is nice to sit in Jefferson Park and just relax and watch the kids play soccer while I am eating. I don’t know if it was the sandwich or all the walking but I had stomach cramps for the rest of the day. It was a long day of walking.

Blue Sky Deli is now known as Chopped Cheese Delicious Deli at 2135 First Avenue (this is what is looks like now

https://www.instagram.com/hajjis110/?hl=en

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12328617-Reviews-Blue_Sky_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

Chopped Cheese Delicious-Blue Sky Deli (Haiji’s)-2135 1st Avenue &110th Street NYC, NY 10029

There is nothing like one of their Chopped Cheese’s and I try to visit every time I am in the area.

The Chopped Cheese with a Welsh’s Grape Soda makes the best meal

Yum!

I started the day by retracing my steps on 110th and looking over all the housing projects that line this part of First Avenue. I looked along the long line that is First Avenue and made sure to walk this part of the street as quick as possible. It does not start to get sketchy until about 105th Street but still you want to get through as fast as possible. Walking eight blocks across and back is impossible to do in one day even walking fast so I broke it up into two and a half separate days.

East River Projects at 105th and First Avenue

Click to access East%20River.pdf

Along most of these blocks I was retracing what I saw along the Avenues and there is a lot of new construction and renovating along the way. A lot of buildings are being sandblasted to their original beauty and along the way there are little surprises along the way to discover. I just wanted to let readers know that since I had already walked First Avenue and the side streets on both sides, when I reached First Avenue when walking the streets, I did not cross the street and stayed on the west side of the avenue.

Most of the side streets I had walked already in some form along the way of walking the Avenues and took time out revisit many of the parks and restaurants that I had traveled previously. There are still many gems in this neighborhood that you should take time to visit. In some parts of the neighborhood, I would suggest going during the day when many other people are around. Even as safe as Manhattan has gotten over the years, I still look over my shoulder all the time and watch everyone no matter what neighborhood I am in.

I made several walks through the housing projects all over the neighborhood. You can really understand the complexity of the projects by walking through them as many as times as I did. It really is a different life. Sometimes I get the impression that being piled up in one complex is not good for anyone. The yards are not properly taken care of and playgrounds that are not kept in great shape.

Yet there are signs that residents have made it their own though. I walked through the Dewitt Clinton, Franklin, Lehman and Washington Carver Housing complexes and here and there are raised beds for fruits, vegetables and flowers. Some residents have taken it upon themselves to clean up the garbage in the playgrounds and paint the equipment and benches. Some make their own repairs in the play areas and then stand guard, watching what the kids are doing. I discovered this as I walked through the Washington Houses three times to complete 108th, 107th and 106th by crisscrossing the open-air park in between the complex. People kept looking at me walking through park.

Dewitt-Clinton Houses

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Houses

Along the way, I discovered many small community gardens tucked between buildings such as the Neighbors of Vega Baja Garden at 109th between First and Second Avenues and the Humaniano Community Garden at 108th between First and Second Avenues. These small patches of green make the block. Hidden behind fences, I can see that the neighborhood puts a lot of pride into landscaping them and planting them. Sometimes they are open to the public but I just walk by because no one is there.

Humaniano Community Garden in East Harlem

https://www.facebook.com/VegaBajaGardenClub/

Street art along a wooden fence at East 109th Street just off Second Avenue. I thought this was brilliant and very original. There is a real message in this.

Street art on the fence of East 109th Street just off Second Avenue

The sun up close

The writing on the wall

I was back at Make & Bake Pizza at 1976 Third Avenue at 108th Street (now 109 Pizza as of March 2025 for lunch again (See my review on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com). For a dollar this is great pizza, and they give you a nice size slice. The restaurants in this are around the three local schools offer menus with reasonable prices catering to the kids and their families so take time to explore them. Mr. Moe’s is right down the road, and I can still taste that chopped cheese sandwich.

Now the pizzeria is called 109th Pizzeria and offers the same great prices as before

Make & Bake Pizza at 1976 Third Avenue (now 109th Street Pizzeria in 2025)

https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/new-york/make-and-bake-pizza-/

The cheese pizza here was wonderful

I also saw some of my favorite ‘street art’ murals on these blocks. Between 109th and 107th there are several that I saw. This ‘Spiritual Art’ work has almost an Aztec/Mayan look to it and its use of color and motion are so detailed. Take time to look at these works of art.

Some are ‘tags’ while others the artist was trying to tell a story. Look to the side of the buildings and the sides of schools. You might see some on the sliding doors of businesses. There is a lot of talent here. If there was only a gallery for these kids.

Street Art at 162 East 104th Street

The doorway of the building at the entrance of 162 East 104th Street

There was some new street art along East 104th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. I had never noticed it before it might be brand new but I thought it was brilliant.

The work on East 104th Street

The painting on the opposite side of the doorway

A mosaic on the side a wall near Lexington Avenue

As you travel to the corner of Lexington and 107th, the neighborhood starts to change again once you pass the Franklin Housing Project. The buildings around this area are being fixed up and sandblasted back to their original beauty and new restaurants and shops are opening bringing a little life back to the area. By Hope Community Inc., there are interesting portraits of Latino Cultural leaders. The detailed portrait of Pedro Pietri by James de la Vega is interesting and take time to admire the work.

Pedro Pietri by Artist James de la Vega (now hidden by an outdoor restaurant)

Artist James De La Vega

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_De_La_Vega

https://www.instagram.com/delavegaprophet/?hl=en

Mr. De La Vega is an American artist of Puerto Rican decent who lives in New York City. He is known for his street and muralist art. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a BFA in Fine Arts.

My first day walking the streets, I made it to the corner of 105th and First Avenue by the beginning of nightfall and decided to stop there. I was passing the East River Houses again and there were some shady characters walking around so I decided to finish 105th and rounded 104th Street for my next stop in the neighborhood and relaxed in the Central Park Conservatory at 1233 Fifth on the corner of East 104th and Fifth Avenue for the rest of the evening. My feet were killing me at that point.

Central Park Conservatory gates at 1233 Fifth Avenue

https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/conservatory-garden

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d272517-Reviews-Conservatory_Garden-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=831&action=edit

My next trip up to the neighborhood was June 21st, the third Anniversary of ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’. I can’t believe it has been three years since I started walking the island of Manhattan.

The Central Park Conservatory in the Summer of 2025

I still remember my first day walking in Marble Hill on Father’s Day 2015. I honestly thought I would finish in one summer and here I am at 96th Street on the East Side with the rest of the island ahead of me.

The French Garden Fountain at the Central Park Conservatory Garden

The newly renovated French Gardens at the Central Park Conservatory Gardens

Street art along East 105th Street that really impressed me between Lexington and Madison Avenues. This had not been there on my last trip. These works were touching and very creative. The artist presented work that comes from the heart.

On the wall along East 105th Street

Painting along East 105th Street

I started at 96th Street and walked the length of it again from the park to the river. It was sad that the tulips along the river had died by the time I got back. They had been a colorful display by the path entering the river. Even the flowers at the Park Avenue Mall at Park and 97th Street started to change. Spring was giving way to the summer months and you could see the difference in the plants and trees. Between the plantings on the streets and second stage of flowers in Central Park, June was here.

Park Avenue around East 100th Street

You begin to notice distinctions in the grid pattern of the neighborhood block by block. By East 97th Street, you will see a real change. The Metropolitan Hospital, the Department of Sanitation and the Washington Housing projects set almost a border between the Upper East Side and Spanish Harlem once you pass Third Avenue.

Along the border of 97th Street on the grounds of the projects, the residents have set up a series of vegetable and fruit gardens and have done some landscaping that have some character to the lawns of the housing complex. I give the residents credit for their creativity, and I will have to revisit the site over the summer months to see how it turns out. Also along the street is the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Catholic Church, which is the only one of its kind in NYC. Stop and look at the detail of the church.

By 99th Street, the Washington Carver Houses start to dominate the middle of the neighborhood and Mt. Sinai cuts the neighborhood between the Upper East Side from Spanish Harlem to the east to Park Avenue. I tried once again to visit the Martha Stewart Garden in the Washington Carver complex at Madison Avenue and East 99th Street but again the gate was locked. At this point, it looked like it could have used a gardener to touch it up.

Martha Stewart Garden at Madison Avenue and East 99th Street

I continued the zigzag through the streets having crisscrossed again through the projects that I had walked a couple of times before. Between Park and Lexington Avenues as you round 101st Street, you can find some beautifully maintained brownstones and landscaped stairs with potted plants. It looks like something you would see in the village downtown.

The Park Avenue Mall at East 96th Street at night

This small break in the grid pattern shows what the neighborhood once was before the city leveled it for public housing. People are really moving back in this pocket of the neighborhood and fixing up the buildings. Here is where you will find the street art on the walls and fences. I saw a lot of the yarn art I saw uptown but am not sure if this was the same artist.

I had a funny incident with a young police officer at the 23rd Precinct on the corner of 102nd and Third Avenue. He was making a phone call and had just finished and really must have wondered what I was doing in the neighborhood. He took the time to yell a ‘hello’ to me and I just looked at him for a minute and said ‘hello’ back and waited for him to say something.

I guess my progressive glasses must have given me a professional look and he did not say anything else. He watched me walk through the Washington complex and strangely enough waited for me to come back and then watched me walk back up 102nd on my way back up to Fifth Avenue. I saw him staring at me again and I just nodded and smiled and kept walking. I didn’t know that me walking around was so interesting.

Between Park Avenue and Third Avenue up to where the projects start again by 109th Avenue and Madison and Fifth Avenue is where you are seeing where the neighborhood is starting to gentrify and people are starting to fix up the buildings and the new restaurants and shops are starting to pop up. There is a pizzeria on Lexington Avenue, Lexington Pizza, that I have on my bucket list (that closed in 2025).

Thank God I did not have to venture past 105th Street as it was getting darker. Between Second Avenue and First Avenue after 101st Street, I always felt that the people in the housing complexes were watching me. More like staring at me yet I could not catch them actually doing it. I guess I really stood out.

The street mural at West 104th Street by the Museum of the City of New York just popped up and I could not see the artist. I think it was created by Mount Sinai hospital around the corner

As I rounded 104th onto 105th Streets on First Avenue, I must have made quite the impression walking down the street. A group of guys, I swear to God, looked like they jumped when they saw me round the corner. When I had to walk back up the opposite side of the southern part of 105th Street and First Avenue to complete this part of the neighborhood, they completely disappeared. I swear I thought that they were going to gang up on me and jump me. They also gave me the strangest looks. It reminded me of walking on 155th Street by the river and what I saw up by the Dyckman Houses. I just don’t blend in.

I walked past the parks along 103rd and 105th Streets and brought a quick snack into the White Playground on 105th Street and relaxed for a bit just watching the parents watch the kids playing on the park equipment. I really like this park. They keep it in good shape and the parents in the neighborhood really seem to enjoy coming here.

When I was passing the subway station near 103rd Street right by the Washington Carver Houses, I had not noticed a street art portrait of Celia Cruz. The artist did a good job.

The Celia Cruz painting on 103rd Street

The work was done by artist James De La Vega in 2003

I walked past Maggie’s Garden at 1576 Lexington Avenue again on 101st Street and Lexington Avenue but the gate was locked on this day.

Maggie’s Garden at 1576 Lexington Avenue

https://www.facebook.com/maggiesmagicgarden/

https://www.nyrp.org/en/gardens-and-parks/maggies-garden

I ended the afternoon walking through Central Park and walking around the length of the reservoir and watch the joggers pass me by. If they only knew how much I had already walked that afternoon.

This sun was outside Maggie’s Garden the last time I visited.

It really made me think, looking at the crowd of joggers in the park and the people walking around the Central Park Conservatory that early part of the evening, how many of the people I passed that day venture past their part of neighborhood. These blocks have really been an eye-opener in urban planning gone wrong and how a neighborhood can be affected by the wrong decisions in building efforts. I saw a lot of people in the neighborhood trying to improve things on their own terms and take matters in their own hands.

The Harlem Meer at twilight in the Summer of 2025

I just don’t think that this part of Manhattan has to worry about getting too ‘hipster’ or ‘Yuppie’ unless the city sells off the projects and knocks them down. Even if they did, the neighborhood has its own character and I credit the people living there for making it that way.

The Harlem Meer in the Fall of 2024

There is no real way to explain it without you, the reader walking these streets yourself and soaking up the culture that is East Spanish Harlem. Do yourself a favor though, don’t dress like me

Happy Third Anniversary and a very Happy Father’s Day to my Dad!

Halloween 2024 on the Harlem Meer:

I had never seen the Harlem Meer so crowded before especially with lots of little kids. Families were enjoying the Halloween activities of pumpkin carving and painting, games and little treats that the kids got (I never saw anything as it was gone quickly). The festivities were just ending as I raced from class to get into the City before the Pumpkin Flotilla started at dusk. It was still light outside so I got to enjoy the exhibition inside the Dana Discovery Center, “The Gates”, on the history of the various gates people use to enter Central Park.

The Gates Exhibition at the Dana Exploratory Center

https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/charles-a-dana-discovery-center

https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/harlem-meer/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d4563063-Reviews-Charles_A_Dana_Discovery_Center-New_York_City_New_York.html

The Gates Exhibition

The Gates Exhibition

The start of the Pumpkin Flotilla

Then the fun began when the sun went down and the Halloween music started to play on the load speaker. Then two people canoeing started to paddle around the Harlem Meer Pond with lit Jack O’Lanterns following them. They started at dusk but when the sun finally went down, the real magic began.

Sunset at the Meer

Sunset at the Meer

Sunset on the Meer

The pumpkins of the Pumpkin Flotilla

Paddling around the Meer

Video:

IMG_2067 Download

For the next hour, one gentleman started paddling around the Meer then followed by another and they circled the pond for about an hour. Everyone was jockeying for space as we all tried to take the perfect pictures.

The paddling around the Meer

The Pumpkin Flotilla at darkness

Video of the paddling:

IMG_2064 Download

Harlem Meer at night:

I stayed in the park taking pictures as the guys finished paddling around. The park had a almost spooky and mysterious look to it at sunset. I just wanted to get out of Central Park when it got dark. Too many bad memories of things happening. I headed over to the East Side

Please read my other blogs on walking East Harlem:

Day Sixty-Eight: Walking the Borders of SoHA:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/3900

Day Seventy-One: Walking the Borders of SoHA:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/4303

Day Seventy-Three: Walking the Borders of SoHA/East Harlem:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/4798

Day Seventy-Five: Walking the Avenues of Spanish Harlem:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5066

Day Seventy-Eight: Walking the Streets of East Harlem:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5529

Places to Eat:

Make & Bake Pizza (now East Harlem Pizza-2022)

1976 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(646) 490-8355

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-12:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12437257-Reviews-Make_Bake_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/661

Blue Sky Deli-Haiji’s/Chopped Cheese Delicious Deli

2135 First Avenue & 110th Street

New York, NY 10029

Open: 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12328617-Reviews-Blue_Sky_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/74

Places to Visit:

Central Park Conservatory

1233 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(212) 310-6600

Open: Sunday-Saturday 8:00am-8:00pm

http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/conservatory-garden.html

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d272517-Reviews-Conservatory_Garden-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/831

Maggie’s Garden

1576 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10029

https://www.facebook.com/maggiesmagicgarden/

For hours, please check the website.

For checking out the street art and the community gardens in the neighborhood please walk the area. Things are changing so fast that you never know when something can disappear. The Community Gardens have their own hours depending on the season.

Day Seventy-Five: Walking the Avenues in Lower Spanish Harlem from 110th to 96th Streets between Fifth Avenue and FDR Drive May 10th-May 15th, 2017 (again February 4th, 2025)

July 11, 2017Chinese Restaurants for the budget minded, Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring East Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Harlem in Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring SoHA (South of Harlem), Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Exploring The Upper East Side of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around ManhattanAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, diningonashoestringinnyc, East Harlem, East Harlem Street Art, Exploring East Harlem, Exploring Manhattan, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring SoHA, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Make & Bake Pizza, Marx Brothers Park, Mr. Moe's Deli, MywalkinManhattan.com, Poor Richards Park, Street Art in East Harlem 108th St, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walk Around Manhattan, Walk Manhattan, Walking around Manhattan, Walking in Manhattan, Walking Manhattan, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Whew! This was a two-day affair. I had already walked 5th and 1st Avenues and then all of FDR Drive and the Esplanade on other days. This left for me to walk the length of Madison, Park, Lexington, 3rd and 2nd Avenues from 96th Street to 110th Street. This meant 14 blocks back and forth, up and down the streets of the neighborhood. It was a long day of walking. I never realized how long it would take.

This part of Manhattan is a real mish-mush of everything. It transitions from East Harlem into the Upper-Upper East Side into Yorkville. Some others call it Carnegie Hill. It has it all. Housing projects, schools, a business district on Lexington, expensive brownstones, luxury apartments and hospitals that create the border between the two very different neighborhoods.

96th Street is the true border between the two areas but even that transitions as you get closer to the East River. A you get closer to 98th Street, you will see luxury housing complexes right across the street from some sketchy housing complexes right across the street (some people want the authenticity of the city).

This changes from block to block and if you follow the grid pattern, be prepared to walk through some housing complexes. I would only recommend that while the kids are exiting from after-school. Then the neighborhood is teeming with kids with their parents picking them up. Public or Private, adults are all over the place at the schools and it makes any neighborhood safe to walk around in as the police are out in many of these neighborhoods watching everyone.

Where you really see the difference in the neighborhood is between 97th Street and 99th Street on the East Side of Central Park. Some of the blocks are lined with beautiful and graceful brownstones and apartment buildings and then right across the street you can see where they leveled the neighborhood to building the housing projects that line long avenues and streets.

You start to see the changes as you walk down 97 Street and you reach the end of the Park Avenue Mall, a grassy knoll between the uptown and downtown grid which in the lower part of Park Avenue is planted with flowers and trees during the year. This gives way to the elevated railroad tracks after 97th Street and Park Avenue. As you get further up into the 100’s streets, Park Avenue is lined with housing projects. This is the failure of city planning where whole blocks in this neighborhood were leveled for public housing that never worked. This ‘slum clearance’ of the 1960’s would now be a fully gentrified neighborhood by now.

George Washington Carver Houses at 1475 Madison Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carver_Houses

Walking the Avenues, one sees how the neighbor changes. Every block is so different in this neighborhood. You can go from luxury housing to a public housing project just by walking the street. Also, if you walk while school is in session and when it gets out for the day, you should have no problem walking around the housing projects.

Pretty much everyone ignored me or just looked at me in the corner of their eyes and then put their heads down. It was such a strange attitude. In my opinion, people are people but the site of 6:4 preppie white guy walking around in a blue polo must have panicked people.

I saw this interesting mural at East 103rd Street near Lexington Avenue (I could not find the artist)

Along the way, there is so much so see and experience in this neighborhood. Small hole in the wall restaurants at very reasonable prices, great street art, small community gardens tucked between buildings, beautiful brownstones in a row and interesting views of Central Park and the East River as way of sidewalks. It is a diverse neighborhood that is getting harder to define as the whole island changes. Even in the short time I walked around Spanish Harlem, things were being knocked down and rebuilt.

It seems that every block had something to offer in some small way. Since I had done the borders of the neighborhood already and wanting to avoid First Avenue again (scary) with all the public housing, I started my trip up and down Second Avenue.

Hospitals seem to dominate in this section of the city with Mt. Sinai dominating the borders of Fifth to Madison from 96th to 101st and Metropolitan Hospital from 97th to 100th Street along Second Avenue. These large facilities create a wall on the neighborhood borders almost sheltering the Upper Upper East Side from Spanish Harlem. The neighborhood around them reflects the role the hospital plays around it with ever expanding buildings in the neighborhood and housing for the residents. I saw this up in Washington Heights with Columbia as they expand in the neighborhood.

Located off Second Avenue, the Marx Brothers have a small park named after them and it was busy after school with kids playing tag. The Marx Brothers were a famous team of brothers, Harpo, Groucho, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo, who were raised at 179 East 93rd Street. The brothers had many hits in the 1930’s and 40’s. The park has been recently part of a debate in the City on what connotates a park as a developer wants to build a tower here.

As you walk up Second Avenue, the area is dominated by a mix of brownstones and public housing. This is dominated by the huge Washington Housing complex that stretches from 97th Street to 104th from Second Avenue to Third Avenue. After school, this area was very lively with kids but boy did they give me looks when I walked through later in the week when I was doing the streets. Because of the way the grid works, you have to walk through the same paths. So, the same people kept seeing me walk through the complex.

Marx Brothers Playground at East 96th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/marx-brothers-playground

As you pass the park and walk past the New York Health+Hospitals Emergency Room complex, there are a series of artworks that you should not miss along the walls of the hospital.

This mural was just outside the entrance to the hospital

The painting was created by artist Priscila De Carvalho

Artist Priscila De Carvalho

https://www.prisciladecarvalho.com/

Artist Priscila De Carvalho is a Brazilian-born, queer American artist based in New York City. Known for her diverse artistic practice, she works in public art, painting, sculpture, and site-specific installations (Artist bio).

There was a series of photos along the Second Avenue wall entrance to the hospital that were very interesting that reflected the neighborhood.

The photo art on the Second Avenue wall outside the museum

A close up shot of the work

The display is called “Joy, Love and Resistance in El Barrio” partnered by Photographer and Artist Hiram Maristany and artist Miguel Luciano

Photographer Hiram Maristany

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Maristany

https://nmaahc.si.edu/latinx/hiram-maristany

Hiram Maristany was Nuyorican photographer and activist revered as the photographer of “Puerto Rican life in East Harlem.” He was an active member in his community and through this program Maristany met other young activists, including future Young Lords members (Wiki).

The installation represents the work of Mr. Maristany, who took these pictures around Spanish Harlem. It is a representation of how the neighborhood represents itself and the moments of job and compassion that is part of the neighborhood.

Artist Miguel Luciano

https://miguelluciano.com/

Miguel Luciano is a Puerto Rican-American born artist who lives and works in New York City.

This unusual sculpture was along the wall of the hospital but I could not find the artist on this

Between Third Avenue and Lexington, there is a nice place to sit and relax at the Marketplace Plaza. This small pocket plaza was created between to newish buildings and provides a comfortable place amongst the flower beds to sit and relax and people watch. There are benches and rows of flower beds to admire and rest your legs on the long walks up the Avenues.

Third Avenue is the most commercial section of the neighborhood dominated by stores and restaurants along the way. It is again a street of extremes as new buildings dominate until you reach the Lexington Houses at 98th Street and then the street is juxtaposed again with a series of public housing, luxury buildings tucked away and commercial buildings that are in the process of renovation.

I reached the Poor Richards Playground outside the Tag Young Scholar School and Junior High 117 by mid-afternoon and the kids were letting out for the day. The place was mobbed with children and parents from the neighborhood. Poor Richard’s Playground was named after Benjamin Franklin as this was one of his alias’s, Poor Richard Saunders of which ‘Poor Richard’s Almanac’ was named. He has so many accomplishments to his name it is hard to pin-point one (NYCParks.org).

Kids were playing basketball and tag on the school’s playground and I got quite the looks from the teachers as I watched the kids play basketball especially when I had to throw the ball over the fence when it flew over to me. I just smiled and continued the walk.

Poor Richard’s Playground at 240 East 109th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/poor-richards-playground

Across the street from the school and the surrounding blocks there are some really nice reasonable restaurants for lunch. These are places that the kids and their parents were eating at after school. Make & Bake Pizza at 1976 Third Avenue now Third Avenue Pizza as of 2022 (See review on TripAdvisor) has terrific pizza at $1.00 a slice and it is so fresh because the place is so busy.

Another great place to eat is Mr. Moe’s Deli at 2001 Third Avenue called “Third Ave. Deli in 2023 (now Mr. Moe’s Grocery Deli is at 1924 Second Avenues). They make a terrific, chopped cheese sandwich that competes with Blue Sky Deli up on 110th Street.

Since the grill was closed at Third Ave. Deli in 2023, I had to go to Aldalhi Deli at 1923 Third Avenue a few doors down for a Chopped Cheese. They do a great job too.

Moe’s Grocery is now Third Ave. Deli and the grill is now closed for repair

https://www.restaurant.com/search

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12845802-Reviews-Moe_s_Grocery_Inc-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/324

Alfahdi Deli 1932 Third Avenue

https://www.buzzfile.com/business/Alfadhi-Grocery-Deli-Inc-646-799-9157

It is now known as Laith Grocery

The Chopped Cheese sandwich at both places is really good.

The nice part about Mr. Moe’s is that their chopped cheese sandwich comes with a Coke for $3.50. It is a great bargain and it is delicious (the grill is currently closed in 2023).

Make & Bake Pizza at 1976 Third Avenue

Now called 109th Street Pizza

East Harlem Pizza (formerly Make & Bake Pizza) 1976 3rd Avenue New York, NY 10029

https://restaurantjump.com/make-bake-pizza-10029/

The best part is on a nice day take your lunch to the White Playground on 106th between Third and Lexington Avenues and relax on the benches. It is such a nice playground and is beautifully landscaped and I thought very safe with all the parents and grandparents around watching the kids play.

The White Playground at 170 East 106th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/white-playground

The park was named after author and activist Walter White.

Activist and author Walter White

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Francis_White

Lexington Avenue and Park Avenue are also the land of extremes as well. Walking up Lexington Avenue to about 98th Street is an extension of the Upper East Side until you hit the Lexington Houses at 98th Street and those go on for a block until you reach between 101st and 102nd Streets, where you will see the most beautiful set of brownstones with artwork from local Harlem artists on the west side of the road across from the gas station. The is also a few outdoor cafes that are very nice in the area so you can see the area is getting gentrified.

Lexington Avenue at East 104th Street

The doorway was particularly interesting

The street art in this neighborhood is varied and very unique. On 106th Street off Lexington Avenue, there is a painting dedicated to Puerto Rican Poet Julia de Burgos entitled ‘Remembering Julia de Burgos’ that has excellent detail and you should take the time to see. Also, along 110th Street and Lexington Avenue on the wall of the Success Academy, there is another interesting mural that is very colorful.

The artwork featured on this blog was my favorite piece of street was the man dressed in animal costumes that I saw on 106th Street. I was not too sure if it was a Central American theme to it or just tagged. Artist collaboration between street artists Elle and Craw designed this amazing work.

This mythical art piece is by artist Claw-Elle

https://elle-claw.square.site/

https://www.instagram.com/ellecrylicarts/

http://artandfashionsalon.blogspot.com/2014/10/legendary-female-graffiti-street.html

This was a collaboration by street artists Claw and Elle and are both known in the fashion and art industries.

Similar works were done on the corner of Lexington Avenue and East 105th Street

The artwork at East 105th Street was done in tiles

Whatever the story to this artwork, whoever did it I thought was extremely talented. Another piece of street art that had been created was right by the mosaic of Julia de Burgos and was of a street vendor in East Harlem. I looked all over but could not find out who the artist was on it.

The street vendor in “Aqui me Quedo” on East 103rd Street

Julia de Burgos Painting in East Harlem

The Julia de Burgos mosaic near the Julia de Burgos Latin Cultural Center at 1680 Lexington Avenue

https://jdbpac.org/

Travelling back down Lexington Avenue, there is all sorts of architecture to admire. There is a beautiful row of brownstones between 106th and 107th Streets.

The brownstones were so beautifully landscaped

A small private gated park by Bean Y Vino is at Lexington Avenue and 104th Street that I could only see from the outside is nicely landscaped.

Between 100th and 101st Streets on Lexington Avenue, there is Maggie’s Magic Garden, which is a whimsical little oasis of trees, flowers and plants with imaginative statuary all over this little space tucked between two buildings.

Maggie’s Magic Garden is part of the NYC Parks system

I was lucky that the garden was open that day and met Maria ‘Maggie’ Amurrio herself who created the garden over a decade ago from a weed ridden lot to this little piece of paradise that is perfect for kids to visit.

Maggie’s Garden at 1574 Lexington Avenue

https://www.facebook.com/maggiesmagicgarden/

She and I talked for about a half hour and she explained that she was sick and tired of this lot looking like this and wanted to do something about it. Like many of the Community Gardens and their creators whom I have met along my travels, she took matters into her own hands and with the help of other volunteers started to clean the lot up and plant it.

The sun sculpture outside Maggie’s Magic Garden

She told me that later the Parks Department recognized this effort and now she has the seal from the city. Not only does she grow flowers here but is also growing fruits and vegetables and took me on a tour to show me where birds live in the trees. It is amazing how the determination of one New Yorker and a group of volunteers shows in creating this creative piece of landscape. Try not to miss this little oasis on your travels up and down Lexington.

The fence decorated that currently surrounds this little park

Street art on Lexington Avenue

Traveling up Park and Madison is interesting because when you get past 98th Street, it is pretty much public housing complexes from 98th to 110th Streets, stretching from Park Avenue to Madison Avenue. This is dominated by the Washington Carver Houses from 99th Street to 106th Street, the Lehman Houses from 107th Street to 110th Street, the Governor DeWitt Houses on the Park Avenue and Lexington Avenue from 110th to 108th and then to 106th to 104th Streets and the Lexington Houses from 98th to 99th Streets. So, walking through this area of Park and Madison Avenues make sure to go through while school is out and people are outside. I never felt unsafe but there will moms and kids all over the playgrounds in the projects and everyone ignored me.

Dewitt Clinton Houses at 1505 Park Avenue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Houses

The projects also cut the neighborhood into sections as you have to keep walking through them to get to the extension of the street. So, as I was finishing the Avenues on my way to starting the streets, you have to make several trips especially on 107th Street through the projects to complete the grid.

When I was passing the subway station near 103rd Street right by the Washington Carver Houses, I had not noticed a street art portrait of Celia Cruz. The artist did a good job.

The Celia Cruz painting on 103rd Street

The work was done by artist James De La Vega in 2003

Artist James De La Vega

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_De_La_Vega

https://www.instagram.com/delavegaprophet/?hl=en

Mr. De La Vega is an American artist of Puerto Rican decent who lives in New York City. He is known for his street and muralist art. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a BFA in Fine Arts.

Further down the road on East 100th Street closer to Third Avenue, I saw the funeral portrait of a resident of the neighborhood. When you see these things, it really puts the neighborhood life into perspective.

Vivian’s Grandson-I could not find the artist

Across the street, there was another piece of street art dedicated to the children of the neighborhood but again I looked all over and could not find the artist on this either.

The children’s street art on East 100th Street by Third Avenue. It looked like it had been added onto over the years.

Martha Stewart has been involved in helping Mt. Sinai Hospital and built a beautiful garden across the street between 99th and 100th Streets that was locked both times I tried to visit it. Her and her staff did a nice job landscaping and planting this part of the Washington Carver Houses gardens and the playground. Many of the staff from the hospital use this area to relax on their lunch breaks and the kids are very active here.

Martha Stewart Garden at Madison and East 99th Street

Mt. Sinai creates the border between the Upper East Side and Spanish Harlem on this side of the neighborhood and the campus spreads two blocks over. Between this and the Park Avenue train creates the border on this side of the neighborhood. The between the west side of Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue are the most expensive housing in the neighborhood that faces Central Park. Even here the housing is being updated and renovated. You have also some of your nicest stone buildings with elegant carved entrances. Businesses also dominate this side of Madison Avenue.

Famiglia Pizza at 1398 Madison Avenue

https://www.famousfamigliapizzany.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3699329-Reviews-Famous_Famiglia-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

There are some good options to eat at in the neighborhood. On the corner of 97th and Madison Avenue at 1398 Madison Avenue there is Famiglia Pizza. This has some of the best pizza by the slice in the city and their prices are fair. Their plain and sausage pizzas are really good.

The pizza at Famiglia Pizza is excellent

For a quick snack, I also like Tu Casa Grocery at 29 East 104th Street (Closed in May 2020) right next to the Museum of the City of New York. For a dollar, they have excellent chicken and beef pastelitos and they sell soda and candy for a reasonable price. I took a couple of pastelitos and a Coke and went into Central Park to relax after finishing the Avenues.

I finished the Avenues on May 15th by relaxing at the Conservatory Garden at 104th and Fifth Avenue. It was an interesting and tiring day and it was just nice to relax.

The entrance to the Central Park Conservatory

The Central Park Conservatory in the early Spring

The Garden in the Summer

The Garden after the renovation

The fountain area in bloom

The fountain

https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/conservatory-garden/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d27072178-Reviews-Central_Park_Conservancy-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=831&action=edit

Please read my other blogs on walking East Harlem:

Day Sixty-Eight: Walking the Borders of SoHA:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/3900

Day Seventy-One: Walking the Borders of SoHA:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/4303

Day Seventy-Three: Walking the Borders of SoHA/East Harlem:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/4798

Day Seventy-Five: Walking the Avenues of Spanish Harlem:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5066

Day Seventy-Eight: Walking the Streets of East Harlem:

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5529

Places to Eat:

Alfadhi Deli Grocery

1932 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(646) 799-9157

https://www.buzzfile.com/business/Alfadhi-Grocery-Deli-Inc-646-799-9157

Mr. Moe’s Deli (now Third Ave. Deli-Grill is not open as of 2022)

2001 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(917) 388-2379

Open: 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12437268-Reviews-Mr_Moe_s_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/324

Make & Bake Pizza (Now East Harlem Pizza as of 2022)

1976 Third Avenue

New York, NY

(646) 490-8355

Open: Sunday 11:00-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:00am-10:00pm/Friday 11:00am-11:00pm/Saturday 11:00am-10:00am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12437257-Reviews-Make_Bake_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/661

Tu Casa Grocery (Closed April 2022)

29 East 104th Street

New York, NY

(212) 360-7372

Open: 24 hours

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12437256-Reviews-Tu_Casa_Deli_Grocery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Famous Famiglia Pizzeria

1398 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10029

(212) 996-9797

Homepage

Open: Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-11:30am/Friday & Saturday 10:00am-2:30am

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3699329-Reviews-Famous_Famiglia-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Places to Visit:

Maggie’s Magic Garden

1576 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10029

https://www.facebook.com/maggiesmagicgarden/

Maggie’s Garden

Open: Varies by season

White Playground

170 East 106th Street

New York, NY 10029

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/white-playground

Open: Sunday-Saturday 6:00am-9:00pm

Poor Richard’s Playground

240 East 109th Street

New York, NY 10029

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/poor-richards-playground

Open: Check Website, depending on the season

Marx Brothers Playground

East 96th Street

New York, NY 10029

(212) 639-9675

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/marx-brothers-playground

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-9:00pm

Day Seventy-Four: Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden April 29th, 2017 (again on April 20th, 2024)

May 9, 2017Dedication to Warren Watrel, Dining on a Shoe String Restaurants in New York City, Exploring Brooklyn, Exploring Brooklyn Block by Block, Exploring Manhattan Block by Block, Exploring New York City, Exploring New York City by foot, Exploring NYC Parks, Exploring the Island of Manhattan, Historic New York City neighborhoods, My walk in Manhattan (MywalkinManhattan.com), MywalkinManhattan Experiences, Pizzeria's and Italian Restaurants for the budget-minded, Uncategorized, Visiting a Museum in New York City, Walking around Manhattan, Walking in BrooklynAddthistoyourgrocerylist@Wordpress.com, Author Justin Watral, Author Justin Watrel, BergenCountyCaregiver, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, diningonashoestringinnyc, Exploring Brooklyn, Family Pizza, Justin Watral, Justin Watrel, littleshoponmainstreet.com, Member's days, MywalkinManhattan.com, Sakura Matsuri, Visiting Brooklyn, Visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, VisitingaMuseum.com, Walking Brooklyn, Warren George Watrel, Warren Watreljwatrel

Sakura Matsuri: The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival on April 29, 2017, at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

The beauty of the park in the spring

I took time out of ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’ to visit Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden at 990 Washington Avenue (see review on TripAdvisor) for the annual ‘Sakura Matsuri’, the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival that the garden hosts every year at this time to welcome in the blossoming of the cherry trees in the main part of the garden.

The Cherry Blossom Festival in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Needless to say, the gardens were mobbed with people. This festival has grown every year since I have been a member. When I first joined the gardens back in 2003 it was a much smaller festival but after a few articles in the New York Times, it has become quite the event.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden Cheery Blossoms

https://www.bbg.org/collections/cherries

The event features all sorts of activities such as traditional dance, music and fashion. There is even a traditional Japanese market with all sorts of products such as books, wraps of clothing, pillows and food. Chocolate sampling seemed to the most popular and those booths were practically fighting people off.

The beginnings of the Spring

I got there so late since it is almost a two-hour trip by public transportation. I arrived there by noon time and was able to cut in front of everyone through the Membership line. That saved about 45 minutes.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden entrance at 990 Washington Avenue

I was able to walk through the trees, dodging people taking pictures an picnicking on the grass. There were all sorts of concerts and fashion shows going on while I was walking around. Most of the events and workshops did not interest me but one.

The Cherry Blossom Lawn during the summer months

The J-Music Ensemble of Brooklyn preformed in the Osborne Garden by the entrance of the garden. They were playing traditional Japanese video game music themes. This left me lost as I have not followed these video games in years and have not looked at Pokémon since I left FAO Schwarz over twenty years ago. Nothing was lost in the translation as the concert was excellent and did not feel that this really catered to kids. After just two songs, most of the little kids and their parents walked out of the concert. The most interesting part of the concert is that they had us sitting in blown up chairs of one of the characters of the cartoons.

The group like the audience was very multi-cultural as some of the members were from Japan, some from Brooklyn and others from all over the US. It seemed by the introduction; they were all living in Brooklyn now. Whatever the situation, the music was wonderful, and we all enjoyed the concert.

The entrance of the Gardens

The best part of the day was just walking through the extensive gardens and the cherry trees. When walking through the row of trees closer to the Japanese Garden, the wind blew, and I was walking through a sea of cherry petals. That was just amazing. I haven’t felt a high like that since I had a school of angel fish part in front of me on a reef off the coast of Bora Bora.

The Cranford Rose Gardens

The rest of the afternoon I explored the rest of the gardens, walking through the Water, Rock and the Japanese gardens, looking over the plantings. I was sorry that I missed seeing Daffodil Hill when it is in full bloom and the Tulip gardens were just peaking in bloom. That was still a dazzling display of colors.

The beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival

In April is when the real magic begins and the blossoms are in full bloom. I revisited the Gardens again in April 2024 and got better pictures and really showed the Gardens in their true beauty. The bloomed early than usual and it was another warm sunny day when I sat on the lawn and just enjoyed looking at the blossoms.

The Cherry Blossom lawn on a warm afternoon.

People out enjoying the blossoms.

The crowds enjoying Mother Nature’s show

The blossoms at full peak.

I walked out of the back part of the gardens and explored Prospect Park and the Prospect Park Zoo. Even that was mobbed with people from the garden displays spilling into the zoo. I got there in time to see the seal feeding and that is always fun. The seals seem to like an audience.

Daffodil Hill at its height

In search of something to eat, I avoided the fast-food restaurants at the back of the park and explored Flatbush Avenue into Prospect-Lefferts neighborhood. This area is in the midst of a major gentrification. The last time I walked down Flatbush Avenue, I could see the changes starting and that was in February.

Four months later, I have seen about ten businesses close their doors with ‘For Rent’ signs on the windows and some of these businesses were neighborhood staples. There are two more apartment buildings opening up in the neighborhood and that will change the complexity of the area even more.

With Midwood, Kensington, Borough Park and Ditmas Park to the south of the neighborhood, the area is surrounded by middle-class enclaves that keep expanding. This area in just four months is going through a very quick transition as new people move into the area.

The Childrens Garden during the summer months

I avoided the ‘hipster’ restaurants that are so over-priced anyway and went back to ‘Family Pizza’ at 720 Flatbush Avenue (See review on TripAdvisor). The pizza is just amazing in this little hole in the wall pizzeria which has been family owned for years. The slices are huge and the sauce has some flavor to it. The guys are the counter are really nice too.

Family Pizza on Flatbush Avenue at 720 Flatbush Avenue

The Cheese pizza is excellent here.

The rest of the afternoon I just explored the side streets and then made one last trip through the gardens. The cherry blossoms were not going to last past this weekend, and I wanted to enjoy them one more time. It really is a beautiful park.

Places to Visit:

Sakura Matsuri (Every April)

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden

990 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11225

(718) 623-11225

https://www.bbg.org/

Open: Sunday & Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d103900-Reviews-Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/visitingamuseum.com/2785

Places to Eat:

Family Pizza

720 Flatbush Avenue

Brooklyn, NY

(718) 462-0639

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Pizza/120324751313083

Open: Sunday-Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d4966907-Reviews-Family_Pizza-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

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