(The Legend of Tinker Street was created by Justin Watrel for the holiday event, “Teens, Tots & Toys” for the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library)
Christmas on Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY
Teens, Tots & Toys Mascot, the holiday elf, Tinker Street, is a lovable little prankster who lives in the valley of the Catskills Mountains in which the downtown Main Street of Woodstock, NY is named after.
Tinker Street is a gregarious, generous elf who represents the happiness, generosity and thoughtful charity during the holiday season. Tinker Street does not represent one holiday but all holidays celebrated where love, family and get-togetherness are found. Coming out of his home only on December 1st of each year, you can never truly see Tinker Street. You can only feel him when good thoughts pass through you, when a good deed is done and when helping another person is done with great kindness.
Tinker Street is an elf of great kindness and tolerance and where you find him is in the understanding that no two holidays are alike so respect for all of them is very important. The true meaning from a visit from Tinker Street is the generosity to charity, the thoughtfulness of a distant family member or friend and looking back to the kindness and remembrance of someone who is gone but not forgotten. When we receive a visit from Tinker Street, we see only the best in ourselves and others around us.
When you see a big smile on someone’s face or happy laughter in a gathering, you know Tinker Street has been there. So to be part of the holiday celebration of “Teens, Tots & Toys”, we wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season and experience the magic in the days ahead.
Only Tinker Street can add a certain joy to the holidays and that’s the symbol of “Teens, Tots & Toys”.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library!
The Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library with World Champion Skater, Elaine Zayak, at the first “Teens. Tots & Toys” in 2015.
The Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library at the Second Annual “Teens, Tots & Toys” with Best Selling Author Christopher Raschka in 2016.
Join us again at the Lodi Memorial Library next December for ‘Teens, Tots & Toys 2017’
I have had to put my walk on hold again for a month as I was organizing another visit from the Bergen County Zoo to the Lodi Memorial Library. The Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library decided to do a series of events with the theme “Follow the Yellow Brick Road Back to You Library”. This was to promote visiting the library and opening a library card.
The Lodi Memorial Library in Lodi, NJ
Our first event was the visit from Miss New Jersey 2016 Brenna Weick and finished with a huge fundraiser at Friendly’s Restaurant in Woodland Park, New Jersey. We reached out to the Lodi Community and the surrounding towns with engaging, innovative programming that appeals to all ages.
The visit from Miss New Jersey 2016 Brenna Weick, who performed “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” to the audience
Miss New Jersey Brenna Weick singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
Her visit started our series of events to “Follow the Yellow Brick Road back to the Lodi Memorial Library”. Miss New Jersey read the book “The Wizard of Oz” to the children at the library and sang to the audience, showing us the talent she showed in the ‘Miss America’ Contest. After her visit, we had the Bergen County Zoo visit with barnyard animals that Dorothy might have seen on the farm.
The video of the program on YouTube
This event featured two innovative programs that were created by the Bergen County Zoo exclusively for the library, “Dorothy’s Barnyard Animals” and “The Tales of Flying Monkey’s”. Both programs included a reading of the book ‘The Wizard of Oz’ tailored to that program.
In the first program, “Dorothy’s Barnyard Animals”, zoo educator Carol Fusco created a program to show the children and their parents what animals live in a barnyard and what animals ‘Dorothy’ might have taken care of while working on the farm. She went through what animals are available to see at the zoo versus what animals you might see on a working farm in New Jersey and beyond. She then asked the kids what animals they have seen recently to a very engaging discussion of what is in their own backyards.
Dorothy’s Barnyard Animals was the second theme for the event
Then she brought out a special guest, ‘Butterscotch’ the chicken, who came out to visit us all the way from the Bergen County Zoo. This gentle little bird was so friendly I swear that she smiled at me. The kids just loved her and some of them got to pet her. I can tell you that that chicken did not blink and the kids got such a kick out of it (I could tell the parents did as well with the big smile on some of their faces).
The second program, “The Tales of Flying Monkey’s”, Carol and her partner from the zoo read a section of the book after Dorothy had melted the Wicked Witch of the West and how the monkeys were indebted to Dorothy for freeing them from the clutches of the evil witch. They explained who the monkey’s really were to the kids and made them less afraid of them. I thought it was an interesting they took that perspective on how misunderstood the characters were in the movie versus the book.
“Tales of Flying Monkeys”
Then there was a discussion of mammals who fly and there place in the wild. There was an interesting discussion how animals fly and the place in nature that they had. The educators passed around pictures of different animals and explained how they live in the wild. For a program that was geared to kids from the first grade to third grade I really learned a lot. I never knew that much about animals from the perspective of the zoo keepers but it opened my eyes on their place in society. Plus I got a kick out of holding the chicken. It is really a great chicken.
The barn at the Bergen County Zoo where all the barnyards animals live
We had about 30 people at the event and a mixture of age groups including a lot of parents and grandparents join us for the afternoon. I even had the parents walk up to me and say that they learned a lot as well. That made me feel good that the Friends could offer such a nice educational program that engaged the kids and got them off their cell phones. It was a younger crowd then I had thought we would attract but it seemed to me that the families all had a good time and were happy that the zoo came to them.
The program was followed by a light reception with all sorts of cookies, fresh fruit, wrap sandwiches and chicken fingers that were donated by Inserra ShopRite of Lodi. We want to thank them and Inserra Supermarkets for their support. Thank you!
For those who have never been to the Bergen County Zoo, it is a real treat. It is located in Paramus, New Jersey in the Van Saun Park off Forrest Avenue. It is a real treat and has a nice selection of animals to visit and more creative programming to experience. A big Thank you to Carol Fusco and her team for creating such a great program for the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library.
Thank you to everyone who participated and we hope you enjoyed the program.
Articles on the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library events:
I took time out of my walk in Manhattan to run another event for the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library. The Friends had planned a series of Fall events around the theme “Follow the Yellow Brick Road Back to Your Library”, to encourage residents of Lodi to come back and see the changes at their library and in celebration of the 116th Anniversary of the novel “The Wizard of Oz”. In celebration of the books anniversary, we invited Miss New Jersey 2016 Miss Brenna Weick to join in the celebration.
Our poster
Miss Weick is a 22 year old college graduate from Mantua, New Jersey. She earned a BS in Psychology with a minor in Communications from High Point University. She is the recipient of a number of scholastic awards including the High Point University Academic Achievement Award Scholarship and the Alpha Gamma Delta “Strive for Pi” Academic Excellence Award. She was the recipient of both the Miss New Jersey and Miss America Community Service Awards and earned the Bronze medal for participation in the Duke of Edinburgh program through the Miss America Organization.
Miss New Jersey Brenna Weick giving a big welcome to the audience
This delightful afternoon started with a reading from the novel “The Wizard of Oz”, with Miss Weick reading to an audience of over 60 children and their parents. She read several passages on the trip to Oz and some of the background stories of the main characters.
The reading was followed by a Q & A on Miss Weick’s role as Miss New Jersey and being an ambassador of the Miss America Pageant. She also engaged the audience with her time at the recent Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. It was interesting to learn how the pageant worked, the experiences she had meeting all the other contestants and her role at the pageant as the home town favorite.
She also talked about the work she is doing all over the state with her platform “A World of Difference: Navigating the Cybersphere”, where her aim is to teach generations (young and old) how use the Internet safely and with integrity. She has utilized this platform to host seminars for parents and senior citizens in an attempt to bridge the gap that has been created with the growth of technology.
Miss Weick, in keeping with the theme of the event sang “Over the Rainbow” to the audience. Miss Weick had played the role of ‘Dorothy’ in her high school production of the ‘Wizard of Oz’ her senior year. It was a delight to the whole audience and everyone enjoyed it. We also asked if she could sing the song that she sang at the Miss America pageant ‘Someone like You’ from the musical Jekyll & Hyde. Her perfect rendition of the song brought the house down with a loud applause from the audience.
When the Q & A was over, the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library made a special presentation to Miss Weick. Friends member Marie Shrieks made a presentation to Miss Weick from the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library making her an ‘Honorary Member’ of the Friends of the Library and Library Director Karyn Gost presented her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the library staff. Councilwoman Patricia Licata from the Lodi Borough Council greeted Miss Weick as well.
Patricia Licata, Brenna Weick and Justin Watrel at “Celebrating Books: the 116th Anniversary of ‘The Wizard of Oz’
After the program was over, Miss Weick stayed and signed autographed head shots from the pageant and “Wizard of Oz” books that the Friends were selling to raise money. She was engaging to residents and Friends of all ages.
The afternoon was followed by an light reception in Miss Weick’s honor that everyone was invited to that was sponsored by Shoprite of Lodi and we ended the afternoon with a showing in the upstairs screening room of the 1939 version of “The Wizard of Oz” starring Judy Garland.
Justin Watrel presenting Brenna Weick an Honorary Membership to the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library
It was a wonderful afternoon to everyone who attended and the Friends got many compliments about the event. Hats off to Miss New Jersey 2016 Miss Brenna Weick who is representing the State of New Jersey with grace and dignity and being a true “Friend of the Library”.
Brenna Weick singing “Over the Rainbow” to the crowd
Think about joining the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library.
I want to credit this video to Marc Nazeh for this video at the Lodi Memorial Library
The video presentation of the wonderful afternoon on YouTube.
We asked Miss Weick to sing this song from the ‘Miss America Talent’ portion
Check out Articles on the Event and others for the Friends of the Lodi Memorial Library:
It has taken several days to walk NoHA (North of Harlem), whatever that means. The realtors in New York get a great joy out of naming areas of the city so that real estate prices can go up. NoHA is pretty much everything from 155th Street to 125th Street from river to river (that being broken into Hamilton Heights from 145th Street to 125th Street west of St. Nicolas Park and then below 125th until 110th Street is Manhattanville) and SoHA is everything from 125th Street to 110th Street.
Then on the West Side it is known as the Upper Upper West Side until you hit 96th Street and on the East Side it is Spanish Harlem (that is slowly changing as well) until you hit 96th Street then you’re in Yorkville. The Upper East Side starts traditionally on 86th Street but truely stretches to East 98th Street depending on what side of the street you are on. Don’t forget Manhattanville right above Morningside Heights and below Hamilton Heights. I still think the arty crowd calls it NoHA
Most of my days were spent on the on the west side of CUNY campus, which stretches from 141st Street to 130th Street. St. Nicholas Park sits next to the campus and stretches from 141st Street to 127th Street and pretty much cuts the West Side from the East Side of Harlem. Again like the rest of my walk, this area is in heavy transition because of the college and the investment both the college and the city have made in this area.
The gentrifying neighborhoods around CUNY on Covent Avenue.
When I started the walk in this neighborhood, CUNY was out for the summer but as school started, the areas parks, restaurants and streets bustled with student activity. Many of the streets, especially Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, were beginning to be lined with new bars, restaurants and shops catering to the students and new locals. There is a big difference between the bodega customer and the bar customer as I found out everyone time, I entered one.
The Entrance to the CUNY Campus in Hamilton Heights
My first day walking around was extremely humid and not exactly the best day to walk but I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. The biggest issue with this area is that the side streets on the west side of St. Nicholas Park are very hilly, a reminder again that Manhattan was not flat to begin with when they were laying out the grid. Walking up and down those hills especially by Riverside Park can take a lot out of you. I was a pool of sweat as I finished walking up and down this part of the neighborhood. The nice part of being so close to campus are the numerous numbers of bodegas in the area. There is a cool drink and a quick snack always close by.
Over a period of four days, I covered a lot of territory in the neighborhood. My walk took me from elegant brownstones to some pretty shady areas that I would avoid like the plague. There are just some parts of these neighborhoods that I am sure that the residents avoid.
The Morris-Jumel Historical District
Most of the streets west of the CUNY campus are very beautiful especially close to the campus, the streets that line Riverside Park and many of the homes that surround Convent Avenue just north of campus. You will find some of the gorgeous townhouses and apartment buildings line the streets of Convert and Nicholas Place with their sandblasted fronts with potted plants and decorations for the upcoming Halloween season. This once exclusive area is becoming exclusive once again.
The Brownstone neighborhoods are so beautiful at Halloween
There are even faces staring back at you from the buildings.
The nice part about the CUNY campus in the summer is that there are not many students on campus during the summer break. I was able to relax on the campus lawn and the security guards left me alone. They probably thought I was a returning student or a professor on an afternoon break. I was so sweaty and tired from walking all around the campus, I fell asleep for while in one of the chairs that was out on the patio in the middle of campus. During the quiet summer, it is a nice place to relax.
One of the nicest surprises in the area was the Hamilton Grange, the home of Alexander Hamilton and his family during the summer months. Back then, Harlem was the countryside for people living and working in lower Manhattan and many wealthy patrons-built country homes in this area. He lived here in the summer months with his wife, Elizabeth (nee Schuyler) and their eight children. After his time in the military, he worked as a lawyer in New York City and working for the federal government.
After his death in 1804 when dueling with Aaron Burr, Elizabeth and her children stayed in the house. Elizabeth had helped start an orphanage among other interests and stayed in the house well into her 80’s. At age 91, she went to live with one of her daughters in Washington DC and died in 1854 at the age of 97. The house had sat neglected into recent times and it was bought by one of the local churches as part of their property. The house has since been moved three times and is still going through a restoration (Wiki and Hamilton Grange History). The grounds were being worked on my volunteers during the time of my visit.
Elizabeth Schuyler, the widow of Alexander Hamilton
I went in on a weekend where the house was open for tours to the public and I got to tour the first floor at my own pace. The bottom level is a history timeline of Hamilton’s life and accomplishments plus information on the house. There is a short movie to see and if you do not know much about Alexander Hamilton’s life, you will learn it here.
The entrance area of the Hamilton Grange
The Information Room on the lower level of the Hamilton Grange.
The Entrance Hall
The portrait of Alexander Hamilton
The Alexander Hamilton bust
The upstairs is the only place you can tour and there are only a few rooms to see. The parlor room, dining room and living room are all done in period furnishings and the hallway has been renovated in period look.
The Hamilton Grange office area
The whole tour will take about a half hour. Since the musical ‘Hamilton’ came out, the tours have been fourfold at the house so take that into consideration when visiting the Grange. It is located at 414 West 141st Street.
Hamilton Grange Living Room
The Living Room in the early afternoon
The Dining Room
The Dining Room
The Dining Room Table
The house is located at the very tip of St. Nichols Park right next to the CUNY campus. Don’t be surprised if you see a lot of the students sunning themselves in the park while you are there. Be sure to take your time touring the homes along Hamilton Terrace and Convent Avenue. There are some beautiful brownstones to look at around the Grange.
St. Nicholas Park right behind the Hamilton Grange
Touring in St. Nichols Park is interesting. The summer students used the hills on the side of campus to sun themselves, read, do homework and converse with their friends and classmates while the neighborhood kids played basketball and hung out. It was a real hodgepodge of people in the park the many afternoons that I was there. Between Jackie Robinson Park and St. Nichols Park, I don’t see the local college students too intimidated by the surrounding neighborhood.
The St. Nicholas Park hill where students like to hang out
They seem to be spreading out into it. One thing not to miss is the old Croton Aqueduct which has been turned into the Harlem Stage at the Gate House at 150 Convent Avenue at 135th Street. This beautiful building was built between 1884-1890 and is now a theater. This used to regulate the amount of water flowing underground. The little park surrounding it is nice for a break as well.
The lower sections of the park and the college give way to a fast-gentrifying neighborhood where many seniors hang out on benches outside the park and talk while the summer students entertain their family and friends in many of the new restaurants lining Amsterdam Avenue. On a warm summer night, there are a lot of people conversing in the outdoor cafes. This area is extremely hilly so take plenty of time to walk up and down the hills. Most of this section between Broadway and the river, you will be walking up and down the roads and will get a big work out.
The Morris-Jumel Community Garden at 457 West 162 Street
The Morris-Jumel Community Garden in the Spring of 2024.
The Morris-Jumel Community Garden.
As you west of the campus toward the river, most of the blocks west of Broadway are lined with elegant pre-war apartment buildings whose residents are a cross section of Hispanic families, young Yuppie couples and depending on the block, older couples who like to walk their dogs. These buildings lining Riverside Park like everything else in this part of the city are under scaffolding and some in the process of sandblasting. The closer you get to Riverside Park and to Columbia University, the nicer it gets.
The brownstones lining Covent Avenue
One great stop for a snack is Las Americas Bakery on the corner of 136th Street and Broadway right by the subway station (See review on TripAdvisor). The guava flips, apple turnovers and doughnuts are really good and are only $2.00. Load up on carbs here for your walk and remember the bottled water.
Las Americas Bakery was at 3362 Broadway (closed 2019)
When you reach 125th Street on this side of Manhattan, it really becomes the tale of two cities as Columbia University starts to dominate this side of the island. The new extension of the campus is being built between 125th Street and 133rd Street, west of Broadway to the river. This is all across from a major housing project. These glossy new buildings give an entirely new look to the area and the irony is that the famous Cotton Club which sits on a island between 125th and 129th on the break in the street grid, sits isolated now with the campus being built around it. There is a Dinosaur Barbecue restaurant next door and a Fairway supermarket up the road. 12th Avenue is lined with new restaurants and bars and the city has renovated this part of the park.
The Cotton Club is in a obscure spot under the subway
West Harlem Pier Park offers the most spectacular views of New Jersey and the extension of Riverside Park that lies ahead. On a sunny warm day, it is a great place to relax and enjoy the view. Many residents and students alike are biking, sunning themselves, fishing or just sitting enjoying the amazing view on a sunny day. The park has been replanted with paths and places to sit and look at the river. It will be even more utilized once the new college buildings open up.
West Harlem Piers Park is at the end of 125th Street next to the new Columbia campus extension
The area across Broadway is one of the larger housing complexes and seems to be going though its own renovations. The Manhattanville Houses dominate around from 133rd Street to the 126th and 127th grid that changes above 125th Street. The streets do get a little choppy in this area and skip around due to the projects that dominate in this area. Just do yourself a favor and avoid Old Broadway between 133rd and 131st Street at night. It is a little shady after twilight with too many places to hid.
The Manhattanville Houses sit in a quickly changing area
This side of Amsterdam Avenue is going through its own type of renovation as warehouses are becoming loft and studios and many of the old-time businesses along this stretch of 125th, 126th and 127th are starting to change hands and many chain stores are moving in. It so weird to see an IHOP right next to the projects but it is a reasonable restaurant and the neighborhood deserves to have the same comforts as the rest of the city.
The longest part of this part of the walk was the walk back and forth on 125th, 126th and 127th Streets. Going back and forth from one side of the island to another takes a lot of time and be prepared for not just a walk but a big transition in neighborhood in just a few blocks.
When I walked 125th Street again on a return trip to the neighborhood in 2026, there is a new Renaissance Hotel next to the theater and the entrance of the hotel is another old theater that is now part of the building. The one thing about 125th Street along the entire length of the street is that it is one long set of chain stores.
Apollo Theater at 125th Street with the new Renaissance Hotel in the background
The historic plaque now sits at West 126th Street behind the theater
Another surprising aspect of the neighborhood is how nice it has gotten. Gone are the days that Colombia University had to practically erect walls to keep the neighborhood out. Colombia students like their fellow SUNY students thirty blocks up are starting to move in and take over this neighborhood. The South Harlem area is awash with scaffolding of people renovating the buildings and new restaurants and shops. Now this gentrification is all over the neighborhood with cafes, bars and restaurants dotting every street.
The street art along the walls is very interesting
A lot of 125th Street is being knocked down and redeveloped with new office and apartment buildings and new retailers moving into the neighborhood. It is amazing to see the changes in just nine years.
All along the walls of the sites are being cleared and new buildings are going up, local artists who are part of “The Grand Scale Mural Project” are showcasing their works.
The project brings the Uptown art community together with the intent of creating opportunities for emerging and established artists. The call is open every two years to any artist based in New York City, with preference given to artists with connections to Harlem, Upper Manhattan and the Bronx (GSMP.com).
The Mural Ptoject
During three weekends in late summer 2019, 50 artists came together to transform 1,500 feet of fencing across three blocks into a canvas for mural artwork. In 2021 and 2023, more than 100 artists each year united to transform more than half a mile of construction fencing into colorful, memorable blocks to walk (GSMP.com).
The Mural Project
In 2025, the Grandscale Mural Project is taking place all summer long, on the last Saturday of each month: June 28, July 26, and August 30. On each Saturday, artists will gather for a sidewalk painting party that will transform the visual landscape of East Harlem, turning dull green plywood into vibrant street art (GSMP.com).
The Mural Project
The Robot Mural, my favorite
The murals run the length of the fencing and try to see it before they take it down with the construction of the buildings. The murals cover about three blocks of 125th Street and contain some interesting street art.
The historic Mount Morris Bank Building also known as the ‘Corn Exchange’ building at 81 East 125th Street
I have admired this building for over thirty years as you pass it on the Metro North train to New Haven. After years of being abandoned, it has finally been restored as a office building.
The building was first known as the Mount Morris Bank Building and it sits on the corner of 125th Street and Park Avenue at 81-85 East 125th Street. It was built in 1883 by architectural firm Lamb & Rich in the Queen Anne and Richardson Romanesque styles. In 1913, the bank became part of the Corn Exchange Bank and then merged into Chemical Bank in the 1950’s (Wiki).
Walking down 125th Street by Lennox Avenue
Fifth Avenue at East 125th Street still holds some of the beautiful and elegant architecture from the turn of the last century that is now being renovated into housing and new office buildings as the neighborhood continues to genetrify.
Reaching the end of East 125th Street on one side of the street
As I reached the end of 125th Street, I passed the overhead bridges and underpasses that make up a big part of the transportation hub of this part of the island. You can’t walk very well on the other side of the street due to traffic and construction so I turned around and walked back down 125th Street.
The front of Sylvia’s Restaurant at 328 Malcolm X Boulevard as it opened for lunch
I was not hungry but I tried to go later in the evening. When I arrived there at 8:00pm thinking that the crowds would be gone, I could tell they were understaffed and there would be an hour wait. I will visit on another trip up to the neighborhood.
As I headed west on 125th Street, I passed the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Building at 163 West 125th Street and they were setting up for a concert that evening. I noticed the statue of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in the front of the building and stopped to admire it.
Artist Branly Cadet is an American born New York City native. He was trained at Cornell University and New York Academy of Art in New York and in France at the Vaugel Sculpture Studio and L’Ecole Albert Defois. He is trained in the classical tradition of both figurative and portrait sculpture (Wiki/Artist bio).
While I was walking around the neighborhood, I was able to see a free Jazz concert at the Summer Stage in Harlem and the concert was great.
Taking a break to enjoy a Summer Jazz concert in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Building.
While I was walking back to towards the Columbia campus, I walked past the former Hotel Theresa, once ‘The Waldorf Hotel of Harlem’. This had once been one of the most important places in Harlem to visit.
Walking past the former Hotel Theresa at 2082-86 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard
The hotel was designed by architectural firm George & Edward Blum and built by a German-born stockbroker, Gustavas Sidenberg, whose wife the hotel was named for. In the heyday of Harlem, it was known as the “Waldorf of Harlem”, when many black stars of sports, entertainment and politics could not stay at the segregated hotels in other parts of the City, they would stay here making it the center of Black social life. It deteriated in the 1950’s and 60’s and was eventually turned into an office building (Wiki).
The logo outside the famous and very busy Harlem firehouse Engine 37/Ladder 40
I then passed the very busy Engine 37/Ladder 40 that had made several calls while I was walking around the neighborhood. They were just coming back from a call as I was walking around 125th Street. I really admired their logo.
Towards the end of the block and across from the new extension of the Columbia campus is the Grant Houses, which dominate this side of 125th Street. Years ago, walked through all the pathways around the complex startling some residents. I was never sure if it was my appearance or that I might have been trespassing on the grounds. I thought they were open paths to walk on.
The sign for the Grant Houses near Columbia University
The Grant Houses are a ten complex of housing units line 125th Street and around Broadway. As I passed the complex this time, I noticed a lot of seniors sitting outside the entrances talking amongst themselves.
The Grant Houses Housing Complex line 125th Street near the East River
Facing the Hudson River on the Western of Broadway is the new extension of the modern Columbia University campus. More buildings are planned but this futuristic campus is of glass and steel and faces the Hudson River.
The Columbia University extension above 125th Street
The Manhattanville campus is the newest part of Columbia University containing their Business and Arts Schools as well as classroom space and a new art museum. The new campus will encompass everything west of Broadway to the Hudson River from West 125th to West 133rd and will eventually surround the Manhattanville Houses across the street. I already have seen the changes on West 125th Street to about 7th Avenue and the side streets. The campus is changing the complexity of the neighborhood and gentrifying most of the area around the housing projects and 125th Street.
The street plan for the campus
Tour of the new campus
As you pass the campus on 12th Avenue, the overhead pass is its own piece of artwork and gives a modern approach to the Hudson River.
The overpass on 125th Street and 12th Avenue is picturesque
Lining the Hudson River is West Harlem Piers park, one of the nicest parks uptown with the best views of the Hudson River and gets some of the best breezes on a hot day.
West Harlem Piers Park at 125th Street and Marginal Street
The park has the most beautiful views and it is nice to just sit under the trees on the benches and just relax and enjoy the view. The park is also very big with people fishing on the pier and with bicyclists.
West Harlem Piers Park in the Summer of 2026
West Harlem Piers Park
Walking through West Harlem Piers Park offers the nicest views of the Hudson River
CUNY and Columbia Universities are having their presence known in the blocks between Amsterdam to Fredrick Douglas Boulevard between 131st to 125th Streets. Most of the apartment buildings that I saw at afternoon time had anxious students running out the doors. 126th and 127th Streets between 7th Avenue and Park Avenue are mostly lined with old brownstones which are quickly getting scooped up and renovated. This was one of the nicest surprises as the brownstones are very elegant. This neighborhood I noticed is a very mixed neighborhood of white and black residents that seem to look out for one another.
I then made my way up 126th Street
Walking down 126th Street, I passed the Manhattanville Houses at 545 West 126th Street. These modern Y shaped building were designed by architect William Lescaze (Wiki).
West 126th Street is like an open air museum of street art both professionally and by taggers.
This was by the Youth Justice Network building
The mural of this mythical bird was along the same building
The mural was painted by artists involved withy Project Attica, which is a 501(c)3 organization devoted to working with youth by providing them with art-centered education focused on social justice. The artists were Cesar Figueroa and Anthony Posada (Project Attica Facebook Page).
The Mink Buildings origins are from its days as a brewery building for several beers makers at a time when this area was non-developed. Designed by architect Louis Oberlien. After Prohibition closed most of the breweries in the 1930’s, the building became a fur storage facility in the 1940’s. Now it serves as a mixed use building of offices and studios (Wiki).
The area surrounding the Mink Building is now known as the “Factory District”, in between the CUNY and Columbia University campuses, becoming an incubator for new innovative businesses.
The beautiful stained glass above the door way
As I passed the New Design Middle School at 250 West 127th Street, I noticed this mural on the wall of the school. (I could not get close enough to see who the artist was for the mural).
Once you pass Fifth Avenue, the neighborhood gets more residential with beautiful, historic brownstones which are all going through a major renovation. These tree lined streets showcase the Upper Middle Class history of the neighborhood and its turn of the last century achitecture.
The brownstones around East 126th Street and Fifth Avenue
This brownstone stood out for the colorful potted flowers on the front of the home
This group of brownstones looked like they had just been renovated
Looking back at the neighborhood from Second Avenue looking at the Fredrick Douglas Houses in the distance
While I was walking along Second Avenue and West 126th Street, I saw the Uptop Jerk Plus Jamaican Food Stall busy grilling fresh chicken with spices and serving up sides. The lines were long that afternoon and the smell of the food was amazing. People stood in lines for the freshly barbecued chicken.
While passing 11 West 126th Street, the Dovecote, I admired this colorful artwork, along with a poem etched in marble on the wall. This new apartment is in the heart of the neighborhood.
The artwork at the Dovecote Apartment by artist Emmett Wigglesworth
Artist Emmett Wigglesworth is an American born artist who studied at the College of Art and Design in Philadelphia. He is a muralist, painter, sculptor, fabric designer, and poet. Wigglesworth is known for his abstract and colorful murals that he says are inspired by his own cultural heritage and life experience. (Wiki).
One of only five new Passive House condominium buildings in Manhattan, this six-residence home in the heart of Harlem was built to advanced environmental and engineering standards—meaning it breathes better, saves more, and keeps you comfortable year-round. Think triple-pane calm, filtered fresh air, and energy bills that make you smile (Streeteasy.com).
The poem by Rita Dove
The mural on the wall of the Corner Social Restaurant at 321 Malcolm X Boulevard
While I didn’t dine at the restaurant, I did admire the mural entitled “Planet Harlem” by artist Paul Deo. It really stood out and made a statement with its vibrant colors and subject matter.
Planet Harlem is a self-financed mixed media mural tribute to the Harlem community. It is strategically located on the northwest corner of Malcolm X Blvd and 126th street. The mural serves as a vehicle for narrating and sharing the stories of Harlem, acting as a potent and much-needed educational tool in the quest for empowerment (Planet Harlem website).
Artist Paul Deo is an American born artist based in both New York City and New Orleans. His works are of ancestral oral tradition and where modern myths meet, creating a world for viewers to tap into their childlike imaginative abilities, regenerating a sense of balance among contemporary obstacles (Artist bio).
More street art along 126th Street
The walk back to Broadway was like an open air museum of murals and street art along the walls. I passed a series of murals painted on the walls of local schools.
The Mural ‘Education’ on the wall of the New Design Middle School on the back wall facing West 126th Street by Artist Elle (Ellestreetart/com)
Elle is a New York based Street/Graffiti artist known for her bold statements. She started out as an illegal graffiti artist and over time has built a reputation as one of the top touring street artists which has led to commercial works seen all over the world (Artist bio).
Video on Elle’s works
As I walked down West 126th Street, I passed a series of community gardens I must have missed the last time I was in the neighborhood.
The Clayton Williams Garden at 303 West 126th Street
The William B. Washington Gardens were closed for the day but I could see the gardens in the distance. I could see the vegetable and flower gardens through the fencing. I will have to revisit the gardens on a weekend when they are open.
As I turned the corner to head back to Broadway, I had not noticed the large office complex built on the corner of West 126th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. This is part of the new hospital complex and part of the innovative incubator of the university’s in the neighborhood. This part of the neighborhood is quickly changing as the campuses continue to grow in the neighborhood.
The changing neighborhood by West 126th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
I then turned the corner on to West 127th Street to complete the walk of this side of the neighborhood. As you walk closer to the CUNY Campus along the main commercial Avenues, new housing and businesses are being built to cater to the students and faculty and many of the older buildings are being repurposed and renovated.
New construction is everywhere in the neighborhood especially as you get closer to the CUNY campus. This is looking up St. Nicolas Avenue
The Fredrick Douglas Houses dominate this section of the neighborhood between West 127th to West 131st Streets and bounded by Fredrick Douglass and Adam Powell Boulevards
On 127th Street, there were a few community gardens as well. The first on was the Harlem Grown 127th Street Learning Annex.
The Harlem Grown Learning Annex at 128 West 127th Street
The Harlem Grown Learning Annex has operated local urban farms, increased access to and knowledge of healthy food for Harlem residents, and provided farm-based development programs to Harlem youth. One of the many ways we fulfill our mission is by raising support for the physical renovation of abandoned lots in Harlem, transforming them into thriving urban farms. (Harlem Grown Learning Annex website).
The inside of the gardens
The gardens were in bloom when I passed by. The gardens were closed for the day but I could see above ground beds of vegetables and flowers that the kids were growing in the garden from a distance.
The beautiful brownstones on West 127th Street
As I passed Fifth Avenue again, the commercial street gave way to the brownstone neighborhood between Fifth and Park Avenues and I got to see all the potted plants and small gardens in front of their homes.
Crack is Wack Playground at Second Avenue and East 127th Street
As I crossed over Second Avenue and between Second and First Avenue, there is a small corner of green park next to the bus depot building. Crack is Wack Park is a small park with active basketball courts and lawns and gardens.
Artist Keith Haring was an American born artist and had studied at the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh. He was known as a Graffiti and Pop artist in the booming 1980’s art scene in New York City and known for his distinct art style (Wiki/Artist bio).
One of his most impressive video’s with singer Grace Jones
The Keith Haring Artwork in Crack is Wack Playground was a handball wall
Famed graffiti artist Keith Haring painted this fanciful mural, located at East 128th Street and the Harlem River Drive, in 1986. Painted on the northern face of the handball court wall, the mural is composed of Haring’s signature kinetic figures and abstract forms in bold outlines. Crack is a highly potent, addictive, and dangerous form of smokable cocaine whose use reached epidemic proportions in the mid- to late 1980s. Haring’s mural cautions youth against the drug’s use (NYCParks.org).
The street art along the walls of East 128th Street and Second Avenue were colorful and engaging. Each of these lined the walls of buildings facing the park.
Street Art of Second Avenue
Street Art on Second Avenue
Street Art on Second Avenue
As I walked back down East 127th Street, I came across another interesting mural on the side of PS 030, The Hernandez-Hughes School. I thought this was very clever (I could not find who the artist was for this mural).
Mural on the wall PS 030 The Hernandez-Hughes School at 144-172 East 128th Street. The school has many murals and artworks along the campus.
I continued to walk through the brownstone section of the neighborhood, admiring the renovations of many of the homes. This one really stood out at 17 East 127th Street.
This beautiful neighborhood brownstone was built in 1899.
The last community garden I passed was the “Our Neighborhood Place” Community Garden at 17 East 127th Street. Like most of the community gardens that day, the gates were locked and I could only see it from the fence.
The Our Neighborhood Place Community Garden at 77 West 127th Street
From the fence, I could see the raised beds of the vegetable gardens and what looked like fruit trees in the distance. The garden beds were neatly lined up and I could see the murals on the walls in the distance.
Artwork on the sidewalk on West 127th Street. It is amazing to see these things when you look down.
I arrived back at the corner of West 127th and 126th Streets in the later afternoon and noting a much changed neighborhood since 2017 when I walked this neighborhood initially. This whole area soon will be catering to the growing college campuses. I was surprised at this point that a lot of West 125th Street has not been knocked down yet and new office buildings have built to cater to the growing Columbia University campus. Time will tell as the neighborhood is being updated.
Walking back to the borders of West 127th and West 126th Street
On the wall of a building in the corner of West 126th Street, I came across this mural depicting garment industry workers. This was created by the Thrive Collective with local residents.
The mural ‘Create! Harlem’ on the corner of West 126th Street
Thrive Collective creates hope and opportunity through arts, sports, and mentoring in and around public schools. Our core programs – Murals; RHYME (Rhymes Help Young Minds Excel); Media; Mentors; Festivals, and Sports – connect artists, youth workers, and volunteers with local schools as teaching artists, art directors, coaches, and mentors (Thrive Collective website).
In 2017, as I walked these many blocks, I would see residents conversing with one another and stop to watch me walk by as if to say, ‘what are you doing here’? I see that a lot in this area of the city. Most of the homes have been sandblasted and were being decorated for the fall.
In 2026, I took my time and rediscovered a neighborhood that is constantly changing. Brownstones being renovated, new businesses opening up catering to college students and a new vibe to the area with the growth of both Columbia and CUNY University’s. The area between the two colleges will eventually merge together.
In between many of the homes, new smaller apartment buildings are being tucked in between and look quite expensive. Here and there, there are brownstones that have not been fixed up yet but give them time as the middle-class residents discover this part of the neighborhood and as real estate prices continue to rise. You can no longer get a brownstone in Harlem for a cheap price.
The scariest part of the neighborhood is the area from Lexington Avenue between 131st Street to 125th Street surrounded on all side by the Harlem River. This area is mostly commercial with two bus depots, a health orientated building going up and a dealership.
The Bus Depot between 125th-128th Streets just off 1st Avenue
The walking on sidewalks in this area is awkward with not much places to cross. Projects dominate between Park and Lexington Avenues and as I walked the short blocks by the parks, I really stood out with many residents looking me over as I walked up Lexington Avenue, walking over the 3rd Avenue Bridge and looking over the kid’s playing soccer and football.
The entrance to the Saint Nicolas Housing Projects by 127th Street and 7th Avenue
Even though there are loads of kids in these parks after school and parents are all over place, I would give you a safe bet to avoid this small corner of the city at any other time of the day. I walked down 128th Street to 7th Avenue and then crossed over to 129th Street to walk through the Saint Nichols Houses to get back to Fredrick Douglas Boulevard.
It was a very busy evening with people coming home from work and families yelling at one another. The saddest thing I saw was a small group of brownstones sitting across from a school on the project property, sitting empty and falling apart.
The Brownstones across from the Saint Nicolas Housing on 127th Street. They have been renovated since my first trip but still look a little worn in 2026
The poor things looked sad as I don’t know how many people would want to buy a dilapidated brownstone across from a busy school. In 2026, this was changing and the buildings were being renovated. I rounded the small blocks of 129th, 128th and 127th Streets that lie between Fredrick Douglas Boulevard and the park.
The weird juxtapose of this area is that new hip restaurants are opening in this area right across from the projects and these homes again seem to be dominated by a mix of locals and college students. I cut through the park on a hilly path on 128th Street to finish walking 128th, 129th and 130th Streets below the campus. Be prepared to be long winded after this part of the walk as you are going up and down hills. This section was my best work out since the streets by Riverside Park.
This area gives you the perspective that Manhattan is definitely not flat. Also, when walking down the stairs on 129th Street by the warehouses, plan to do this during the day. Again not a great area to walk alone at twilight. As I said before, most people left me alone but kept looking me over.
My last stop of the evening was dinner at Sylvia’s Soul Food Restaurant at 328 Malcolm X Boulevard. This meant walking from the hills of 128th Street down to 126th Street and crossing over to 125th Street. That alone was a long walk.
I was not thrilled by the food as much as I was by Charles Southern Fried Chicken or Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread. Maybe it was the sheer exhaustion I felt from all the walking or when I was finally able to relax or the pitcher of the overly sweet, iced tea but by the time I got my food, I was feeling nauseous.
I had ordered the Fried Chicken Dinner which was two pieces of white meat with mac & cheese and candied yams on the side. It just didn’t strike me as being as good as the other restaurants in the area. I remember on of my professors who took us on a tour here years ago saying it had gotten very commercial. I could see why.
The chicken dinners at Sylvia’s are over-rated or I just hit a bad night
Most of the clientele that night was white and mostly touristy looking people who could not get into the very busy Red Rooster down the road. The Fried chicken was crisp on the outside and chewy and dry on the inside. The candied yams and mac & cheese tasted like it had been made in batches and were warmed up. It’s not that it wasn’t good, but I expected more from it. The food was average.
What it lacked in the quality of food, it made up in service as the waitress handled the whole room by herself and could not have been more professional and friendly (see review on TripAdvisor). Needless to say, that the manager of Sylvia’s was not the happiest with my review. Oh well, it was an experience anyway. I had wanted to try the restaurant for years.
Overall, this area of the city will take you through a real difference in neighborhood sites, from projects to brownstones from historical through commercial. Sometimes right next to one another. Like any place else in the city, it is going through the ‘change’ and won’t stay the same for very long. You can see the transition going on around you.
I finally completed my walk of the entire Harlem neighborhood from 155th to 145th Street. I was lucky that it was a nice day with not much humidity. It has been pretty bad with the weather lately. This part of my walk took me to the area east of Jackie Robinson Park from Bradhurst Avenue to the East River. It was one of the harder sections of the city. I always felt that I was being watched by someone.
As I walked along the side streets between 155th Street and 145th Streets, between Bradhurst Avenue and Fredrick Douglas Boulevard, the residents reacted to me differently. Some were smoking pot on the street and when I came back walking on the other side of the street they disappeared. One woman was having a very heated argument with a man on Frederick Douglas Boulevard that was getting pretty heavy and when she saw me immediately shut up. When I walked down the other side of the street, she and the man had also disappeared.
The police in the area kept driving around looking me over and when I was walking on 147th Street, someone threw a bottle from the building that hit the other side of the street I was walking on. I never thought I ever screamed ‘cop’ before but I got a pretty good idea that that’s what the local residents thought I was that afternoon. Things really quieted down as I walked around this area.
The weird part was that this happened both in the initial walk in 2016 and in the return walk in 2026. I kept seeing cars with tinted windows slowly pass by me and strange looks from drivers. Even though it took three hours to complete the walk of this neighborhood again, I tried to finish as quickly as possible. I felt all the time like someone was watching me walk the neighborhood.
Like all other areas of Harlem, the area is quickly gentrifying. I have never seen so many young perky white kids running around the area. All the buildings lining Bradhurst Avenue by Jackie Robinson Park especially closer to 145th Street are all brand new and there is even a Starbucks on the corner of 145th and Bradhurst Avenue which means that the neighborhood is past the ‘transition’ stage. This area of Harlem has changed population by about 20% (New York City Statics 2025).
Looking down Bradhurst Avenue in the Summer of 2026
Most of the area around 145th Street to Frederick Douglas Boulevard are new housing a lot of it catering to the CUNY students who are boldly pushing the boundaries of the campus into all parts of Harlem. They walk all over the neighborhood, sometimes much to the surprise of the local merchants.
The front of Jackie Robinson Park
Entering Jackie Robinson Park at 145th Street is very pleasant. Named after the famous baseball player, there are basketball courts, a public pool, picnic and barbecuing areas that are very popular with the local residents and walking trails. The rock formations in the middle of the park not too different to the ones in High Bridge Park tell the story of how the Ice Age molded these parks for the future.
Jackie Robinson was known to some as one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport but had a much more accomplished life. He lettered in four sports at UCLA and contributed to the community in youth sports as well. Entering the major leagues for the Brooklyn Dodgers, number 42 broke the color barrier and integrated major league baseball. He helped the Dodgers win the 1955 World Series. Upon retirement, he served as a Vice-President of Chock full o’Nuts coffee company and continued supporting causes that meant something to him (Wiki).
The large formations are mostly covered with vegetation but still make quite an impression. The park was very busy that afternoon with kids crowding into the pool and many pickup basketball games going on. On the upper reaches of the park, there must have been four barbecues going on at once, many were having birthday parties and many of the area seniors were sitting around talking and watching what I was doing. I didn’t know that me walking around was such a topic of discussion.
The main staircase through Jackie Robinson Park
It must have spread around the neighborhood because a bottle came flying down from one of the apartment buildings on 147th Street. That surprised some of the people walking around the neighborhood. Between that and the police vans trolling the neighborhood, I felt like I was being followed.
The pathways through Jackie Robinson Park
Walking down Bradhurst Avenue, the street is lined with new buildings facing the park and many new shops that have opened between the park and Fredrick Douglas Boulevard along 145th Street like Starbucks and Popeye’s that cater to the students and residents alike. As you move further into the neighborhood, local businesses line the avenues along Fredrick Douglas and Macomb’s with interesting local stores and restaurants. The chain stores have found themselves up here so the services are changing in the shopping area.
The Bradhurst Avenue Starbucks is at the corner between the neighborhood and CUNY campus, bridging the areas together leading to more students moving into the area.
I had to stop into Starbucks at the end of the walk to recharge my phone and have something to drink. I ordered one of their Dragon Fruit Lemonades and it was a delicious. I do want to note they do not have a bathroom.
At 146th Street is the Robert Clinkscales Playground and Community Park at 234 West 146 Street that was founded in the neighborhood in 1983. This small park has an active playground on one side with a cooling area in the middle and raised vegetable garden on the right side of the park with sitting areas throughout.
The entrance of Robert Clinkscales Playground and Garden
Even on a Sunday, the playground was very active with lots of kids being looked upon by their grandparents. The vegetable garden was in full form with lots of tomato and herb plants all around the gardens. It is a nice refuge from the hot streets and a good portion of the brownstones and apartment houses that surround the park have been renovated.
Robert Clinkscales Playground at 234 West 146th Street
I have noticed a trend in all the neighborhoods I have walked so far in Upper Manhattan. If a neighborhood puts the time and effort into Community Garden or triangle park, all the real estate around it improves. Time and time again I have seen homes renovated around these small parks and that the owners enjoy having a view of something.
The Flower beds at Robert Clinkscales Playground
The picnic areas with overhead growth
The mural inside the community garden
The mural was created by various artists as part of the City Art program
CITY Arts engages youth with professional artists in the creation of public art, including murals and mosaics. Through this creative process, CITY Arts empowers, educates, and connects youth and children locally and around the world to become active participants in realizing their potential and transforming communities (from the CityArts.com website).
As I worked my way up the side streets, the area of renovation depends on how close you are to Jackie Robinson Park. The closer you are to the park, the newer the buildings and more construction is going on. The further you get away from the park towards Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, you move towards the projects. Even the projects are going through a renovation in the neighborhood as most are under scaffolding and look like they are getting a sandblast and new windows.
The Mother Clara Hale Bus Stop at 721 Malcolm X Boulevard at East 145th Street
The lower part of the neighborhood is dominated by a bus depot at 145th Street and Lenox Avenue. The Mother Clara Hale Bus Stop has since been renovated since my last trip to this neighborhood and is covered with the beautiful contemporary works of Artist Shinique Smith.
Artist Shinique Smith is an American born artist with a BFA in Fine Arts from the Tufts University & The Museum School and a MFA from Museum Institute College of Art. She is best known for her background in drawing, painting, etching, textile arts, and papermaking gives her deep material fluency, while her early training in both fashion and graffiti shaped her instinct for movement and rhythm. Through color, calligraphy, and accumulation, she transforms the language of the everyday into meditations on care, belonging, and transformation (Biography Artist’s website).
The artwork on the side of the Mother Clara Hale Bus Stop
Large apartment buildings dominate around this area of Lenox Avenue and the streets can get quite busy on the weekends. A lot of residents hang out outside their buildings gossiping with their neighbors. No one seemed to pay attention to me walking by until I made my way onto their side of the road and then everyone seemed to disappear.
As I made my way onto 152nd Street, the street was dotted with many small Community Gardens. There is a real community spirit within the neighborhood when it comes to Community Gardening. The ‘Garden of Love’ run by the Bradhurst Garden Association at 321 West 152nd Street has beds of flowers and vegetables but locked from the outside and the 8th Avenue Garden at 301 152nd Street near Fredrick Douglas Boulevard, were small patches of green on this residential strip. The neighbors reclaimed these spots and by planting them and taking care of them really add to the fabric of the community as well as teaching the kids about gardening. Their a special touch to the neighborhood.
The Bradhurst Community Garden of Love at 321 West 152nd Street
The inside of the Bradhurst Community Garden of Love in the Summer of 2026
Walking up Macombs Place, I saw a neighborhood that is starting a very early transition. Beautiful townhouses and apartment buildings line the street and lead into the Bronx where Yankee Stadium is located. People were smoking pot outside one of the apartment buildings when I passed and were fighting with each other and when I walked back down the street, there were long gone. This seemed to be the trend wherever I went.
The exception was Colonel Charles Young Triangle at Macombs & 153rd Street, the one big park in the neighborhood outside of Jackie Robinson Park. This large triangle is in the corner of the neighborhood at 154th Street just off the bridge and dominates a very busy traffic corner. The park is named after the third Black graduate of West Point.
Colonel Charles Young Triangle at 154th Street sign
The Colonial Charles Young Triangle could use a good mowing and some landscaping
Many of the people in the neighborhood gather here to talk or in some cases have family parties as I had seen the three times I walked in the park. It is not well taken care of as it needs a good weeding and planting. The only thing I did was turn some heads. It was quiet when I went on my second walk in 2026.
Colonel Charles Young, third Black soldier to graduate from West Point
Colonel Charles Young was born into slavery but whose father served in the United States Colored Regiment in Ohio and the family won their freedom. One of the first blacks to enter West Point, he accomplished skills in languages and engineering. After discharge, he worked for the park system and continued with his military duties (Wiki).
Much of the upper part of the neighborhood is commercial and when you walk down the steps to 155th Street, you are facing probably the most sterile and probably one of the more dangerous projects in the city at the old Polo Fields where the NY Giants used to play. As I said on a previous day, please do not linger around here. Even the police stay in their cars in this neighborhood and the site of a preppie 6:3 guy walking around the neighborhood for a third time must have had everyone wondering what I was doing there.
In 2016, trust me, I walked down 155th Street to Bradhurst Avenue as fast as I could go and then crossed down Bradhurst before the other set of stairs that leads up to Harlem River Drive and Edgecomb Avenue where High Bridge Park is located. Pretty much the park separates the two areas from one another.
By Jackie Robinson Park in the Summer of 2026
In 2026, I had to stop and go to the bathroom and made a pit stop at the Holcombe Rucker Park, which is located just across the street from the Polo Grounds Houses. I was that desperate and Thank God the bathrooms were open.
There was a basketball tournament going on when I was there with a series of people selling foods and clothing for the game. I also saw a lot of parents so I figured it was safe to go to the bathroom. I was lucky that some of the coaches were going to the bathroom the same time I was going so I felt safer. Unless there are people around, I don’t recommend this as this area is pretty dangerous.
The inside of the park points directly at the Polo Grounds Housing
The overhead street bridge that separates the neighborhoods at East 155th Street
On my way back down Macombs Avenue, I walked through the now finished renovation of the Harlem River Houses and Fredrick Johnson Playground. I have to say that I am very impressed with the work that has been done on these buildings. They have been repaired and sandblasted back to life with all new windows and landscaping all around the buildings. Even the common areas are really nice and vibrant.
The inside of the Harlem River Houses at West 152nd Street
One of the sculptures surrounding the pools of the fountain (I could not find the artist)
Across the street is the renovated Fredrick Johnson Park, which was falling apart when I visited in 2016 and is now fully functional and very nice in 2026. The park and its bathrooms are all brand new and a real asset to the neighborhood.
Fredrick Johnson Park next to and across the street from the complex on 7th Avenue between West 151st and 152nd Streets
The park was really pleasant and between the park and the renovation of the homes across the street, it has really made a difference in how the neighborhood looks. This whole area was under scaffolding the entire time I walked the area in 2016 and I can see how it improved and is probably improving the lives of the people who live there in 2026.
On the other side of West 151st Street is the back part of the Esplanade Gardens Apartments, which had a wonderful playground that I saw a lot of families were enjoying that afternoon.
The Esplanade Gardens Complex on the side facing West 151st Street
Stanley Sawyer was known as “The Man of 1000 Voices” in Boston radio before going on to New York to become one of the premier television commercial voice over artists. He was also an avid painter and sculptor who created a number of busts, most notably of Martin Luther King, Jr. that are dedicated in parks in Harlem, NY and Rahway, NJ (from Stanley Sawyer’s obituary).
As I walked down West 151st Street, I noticed how much of the neighborhood buildings had been renovated or sandblasted back to life. I felt like I was in the Upper West Side. I also noticed a lot more college students in the neighborhood, which means that CUNY is stretching more and more into this part of the neighborhood.
Walking down a neighborhood street by a renovated building
When I turned onto West 150th Street again, I passed Bill “Bojangles” Robinson Playground, which I must have missed the last time I was in the neighborhood. What a wonderful place to relax under the shade trees.
Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson Playground at 269 West 150th Street
This playground is named for Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878-1949). He traveled the vaudeville circuit and became its first major African American star. His elaborate routines, including his unique “stair dance” made him a headline performer, and his extravagant habits helped create a larger-than-life persona (NYCParks.org).
My last stop on the tour of this neighborhood was dinner. I stopped at Charles Country Pan-fried Chicken on Frederick Douglass Boulevard between 152nd and 153rd Streets and a neighborhood staple (it has since moved). While eating lunch, I talked to Charles, the owner, who was taking a quick break. He could not believe the makeup of his customers that day which were mostly white and some were out of town tourists.
I told him that everyone reads about the restaurant on TripAdvisor and Yelp and that’s why he has such a hodgepodge of customers. There were some excellent reviews online. I just found the place while walking around earlier and checked TripAdvisor for what people were saying.
Charles Country Pan-Fried Chicken new location at 340 West 145th Street
Thank God I ate there that day because Charles said that this was his last day at this location. He had been there for over twenty years and was moving to a bigger spot on 145th Street which is closer to CUNY. He explained that he needed more room as big groups wanted to visit and he had to keep turning them down. He only had about five tables and they were all full.
My meal at Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
The food is excellent. He really does cook his chicken in a very large cast iron pan and chicken is constantly cooking so it is fresh. They give you a big portion for a meal so bring your appetite (See review on TripAdvisor). I had the fried chicken dinner which consisted of a freshly fried chicken breast and wing, a big portion of creamy mac & cheese and cornbread.
The chicken is crisp and flavorful on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. It was one of the best fried chickens I had in a long time.
The Fried Chicken, Mac & Cheese and Cornbread are delicious
As I was eating, I told Charles that I thought his food was excellent which he appreciated. Remember to wash it all down with their fresh lemonade. It will really cool you down on a hot day. It was nice to eat with and talk to the owner of the restaurant.
I really enjoyed my meal that afternoon
The day ended with a final walk into Jackie Robinson Park and a cool down period on this humid day. Many of the CUNY students have come to sunning themselves on the lawn on the hill off 145th Street or cooling down in the pool located in the park. After that, a quick subway ride from 145th Street back to midtown. The whole area between 155th Street to 145th Street both sides and in between had been done. It was quite a walk that afternoon.
The reindeer statue in the park when I visited in June 2024
The Reindeer Statue in Jackie Robinson Park. There was no artist plaque for this.
The contemporary work that has since replaced it in 2026.
The Black Yankee Team history before the integration of the teams started.
I have to say one thing, walking around Harlem as a 6:3 white guy is never boring. I try to watch myself as much as possible. If you are going to walk around this neighborhood just know you are being watched.
I can’t believe that it has been fifteen years since the attacks on the World Trade Center. It seems like a lifetime ago. As the site has been almost rebuilt with the new One World Trade Center (visited earlier in my walk last Thanksgiving) and two visits to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and numerous visits to the site, I think back on my eleven years on the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department and the path I have lead to this point.
I think that the department has really grounded me in many ways and made me more disciplined. I have been able to help my community in ways that baking items for bake sales and selling Christmas trees never did even though these raised a lot of money for their respective causes. I think I have become a better person and a more aware person since joining the department. I really do think you are born a fireman. It just comes out a time when you recognize it. It was like a calling for me and I found what I was looking for in my life and I would never change it for the world.
Am I the best fire fighter or the most dedicated? That is up for debate after every call. I do know one thing, I have been able to help the people in my community in so many ways and when I hear from perfect strangers in my town or surrounding towns “I remember you. You came to my house and helped so-in-so in my family. Thank you so much for that.”, it makes me feel like a better person.
When I wrote “Firehouse 101” (part of a trilogy of books that take place in New York City, the other two being “Love Triangles” and “Dinner at Midnight”), I was at a different stage of my life and honestly if I had to write the book today, I could not do it. The book helped me grapple with what I saw and heard from other guys on the department when I got home to New Jersey from the island of Guam where I was living at the time.
How did a ‘preppie’ like me join the fire department? I was writing several articles on 9/11 for the local paper when I got home (basically because would write for free and I volunteered) and I interviewed so many fire fighters in my town on their role on 9/11 that I got sucked in. After a three hour interview with our now former chief and a long service fire fighter that had me on the edge of my seat the whole time with the stories they told me of that horrible day, the chief turned to me and said, “Have you ever considered becoming a fire fighter?”
I really thought about it when I got home and said to myself “Why would anyone think ‘Preppie Me’ would make a good fireman?” Then it really got me thinking of a lot of times I had met firemen along the way in my life and how impressed I was by them. It stayed with me for a long time and then I was helping out with the town’s tree lighting ceremony about a year later and the fireman I interviewed was standing in line behind me for a hot chocolate and I asked how he like the article I wrote. Then out of the blue I asked “Are you still looking for more firemen to join the department?” He then took me over to meet the chief I had interviewed and I asked about joining the department. Two months later I interviewed with my company and five months after that on June 12, 2005, I became a member of Engine One of the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department and eleven years later I am still going strong as an Exempt fire fighter, member of the Bergen County Fireman’s Home Association, Department Secretary, Company Secretary, Head of our company’s annual barbecue and chicken parm dinner and still writing articles on the department. I really do think they saw something in me that day that I did not see in myself.
The Brothers of Engine One at the 2017 Summer Barbecue
As much as my brothers can drive me crazy at times, there is no other place I would rather be and when push comes to shove, they are there for me. The one true time I saw the ‘Brotherhood’ shine was when my father died and on the night of the wake, they came out for me. The fireman, who I wrote the article about, Fire Fighter Tom Rubino, who will be retiring from the department this year and is our acting Fire Chaplin, read a beautiful speech about my father, whom everyone on the department had known for years at that point and had admired his bravery and hard work after his stroke to get better. It made it even more touching that it was him that read the speech after that night so many years ago.
The Brothers of Engine One christen their new/old bell for Engine One
The members of not just my company but other companies as well came out to support me and my father at a very tough time in my life and I will never forget that kindness. It is really a feeling that someone who is not a fire fighter will ever experience. There really is something to being a fire fighter and being part of a community in the fire service.
So on this anniversary of 9/11, I leave you with a section of the book when Alex Livingston, a scion of the famous Livingston family of the Hudson Valley, interviews the fire chief from Firehouse 101 in Brooklyn, New York and his tale of the 9/11 attacks. It tells the story of fire fighter Ryan Callahan, who survived that attacks that day and watched his best friend die next to him.
To all the families and friends who lost loved ones that day, my heart goes out to you. It still is not easy for any of us on the fire service no matter when we joined. I hope one day you can read my novel “Firehouse 101”. It might help you grapple with your pain. If you want to read a funny but touching article on me, read The Gazette newspaper article in 2006 on my life a year later in the fire service “So, yous want to be a Fireman?”
Excerpt from the interview with Carmen Giovanni (who I wanted it to be played in the movie version by musician and actor Huey Lewis)
What exactly happened to Ryan that day?” Alex asked. “At the school or on September 11th?” Carmen replied. “Both,” Alex said now fascinated by it all. He wanted to get the story straight once and for all. “I can only tell you what the men told me. When they got the call on September 11th, this house was the second one to respond from Brooklyn. They were going over the bridge when they saw the second plane hit the towers. The house sent seven men down plus two others who were off duty. Some stayed to man the house, while the others went down to the site. We were going through a shift change, not unlike my own house at the time, so there were lots of men milling around that morning. They got the call early and being so close to lower Manhattan they went. Hilly was never one to wait. One of the men told me that on the ride down, Hilly had said, “When we put this one out, I personally want to catch those rat bastards that did this to our city.”
“What about Ryan that day?” Alex said wanting to get back on the subject. “From what I heard he barely said a word. He was in another world by that point. Others were chatting on and on about what type of plane must have hit when the second plane hit the other tower. Then they were all quiet. Those men saw too much that day,” Carmen added. He paused for a second, looked at Alex and gave him a sorrowful look like he was waiting for a reaction. Alex sat wide eyed and continued to write.
“From what the men told me, Hilly went into the Tower Two to see what they could do and where they should go first. Since there was so much chaos, Hilly took control and helped escorting people out of the building and away from danger. They say he was pretty calm. From what I knew of the guy, he would have had everyone double step and yell at them if they didn’t do it. So he and the rest of the men helped there. From what I heard, they then got a call to help on the upper floors, so Hilly took four of the men with him and told Ryan and Patrick to stay behind to help get the infirmed or injured out of the building. That’s why Ryan and Patrick were alive that day.
The picture of Ryan and Patrick was taken ten minutes before the first tower came down. It had literally knocked their helmets off. All Ryan could remember when he came out of the coma in the hospital was that he and Patrick had gone back to the lobby to help get more people out of he building. They had been helping an older man and the next thing he knew, he woke up in the hospital a few weeks later. Carmen was calm as he explained the story to Alex.
Alex could not believe what he was hearing. It was like a TV movie. So that was the story, that’s what really happened that day. No wonder Ryan wanted to forget it, what a horrifying experience. “So what happened at the hospital when he woke up?” Alex asked.
Carmen thought about this for a minute. Should he continue on? Who was this for anyway? Carmen decided to continue thinking that Alex was a concerned friend. In actuality, Alex was trying to get an idea of the magnitude of what happened that day to one person. He wanted to know what Leslie, Ryan, and Roger were not telling him. Alex felt that he had never been that nice to Ryan the whole time he lived in New York. He began to realize that he felt sorry for himself as Ryan had for himself and what concerned Ryan was much worse.
“One of the men told me that they could not believe that Ryan made it out with just a sprained ankle and a few minor cuts. It was the way he fell. The base of a fountain protected him. Even I couldn’t believe it but that’s where they found him. He and Patrick were still alive. The man they were helping was literally crushed by the beam they found on top of him,” Carmen added. “How did they find them?” Alex asked. Some firemen from a downtown house found them and got them the hell out of there,” Carmen continued, “no one could believe that they survived the first collapse. There was no help for Patrick though; he died after they got to the hospital. The impact was more severe that it appeared, he was suffering from internal bleeding. He died before his parents even knew that he had made it to the hospital. Mr. And Mrs. Callahan had to help the two of them home.” Alex had known that the two families were very close and Patrick and Ryan knew each other since they were practically born. Carmen was not sure how much Alex knew of Ryan.
“His old girlfriend told me about that,” Alex said, “it must be horrible for any parent to bury a child under any conditions but after what had happened on September 11th, it must have been even more traumatizing, especially when it seemed like there was a chance he survived. No one should have had to die such a terrible death.”
Alex had not noticed that during the interview. Carmen’s face turned red them almost to almost purple, like he was holding his breath. Alex was worried and said, “Carmen are you okay? Do you need some water or something?” Carmen looked away then looked back at Alex. He looked him straight in the eye and started a speech that Alex would not ever dream of interrupting.
“You’re right, Alex. No one should have had to die such a horrible way because no one should have had to die that day!” Carmen shouted. “We had so many good men die that day that should not have and why? I’ll tell you why. No one was watching the signs, no one shared information. Everyone letting their egos get in the way. No one had a back up plan, no one understood the big picture. We all went in blind because no one knew. And the city, Jesus Christ, I still can’t believe it. You’d think we would have learned from the bombings in ’93, but we didn’t. We got smug. We thought they couldn’t possibly do it again. They wouldn’t even try. And we warned the city government! We said we needed new equipment but did they listen, NO!!! It was too expensive, we have no money, we have to cut the budget and wait until next year. Jesus Christ, here it is nine years later and we still don’t have it! What the fuck are they waiting for to get hit next? The Brooklyn Bridge? The Empire State Building? I would like to know what the hell they are waiting for. My own brother and I can’t even talk to each other on radio. The police can’t talk to the firemen in this city and that is so fuckin’ ridiculous!” Carmen said now screaming at the top of his lungs. Carmen took a book off his desk and threw it at the wall. He was really pissed!
Then he continued, “Nothing in this god-damned city will ever change. They will spend money on parades and on memorials and then turn around and not want to buy new radios for us because it is too expensive! Well tell me this; would the person who said it would be too expensive to buy us new radios like to explain to over two thousand family members and to over a hundred and fifty widows of fire fighters that there was no money for them? I would like to meet them myself and explain it to them!” Carmen was in a near frenzy.
“I even yelled at that stupid brother of mine to knock some sense into some of his friends in the police department to get the ball rolling. This is such a load of bullshit! When did we let out egos get in the way such that departments won’t even help each other? Do you know how many firemen are former policemen? This is our wake up call to talk to one another and be better organized. If we don’t, I won’t blame the federal government because it won’t be the government’s fault but our own pride and stupidity! We don’t need anymore god damn parades praising us. We need good working conditions. Our firehouses can’t be falling apart and rat infested, we need new equipment to do our jobs and we need better salaries so our men and women can live closer to the city they serve. Do you know that some of our men have to live at home because they can’t make it on the starting salary? Christ, that’s pathetic! Our men aren’t being subsidized by Mommy and Daddy to live on the Upper East Side!” Carmen gave Alex the conclusion to his speech when he swept everything off his desk and yelled at the top of his lungs, “NO ONE HAD TO DIE THAT DAY!!!!”
To read more of ‘Firehouse 101’, see my ad on Google Books or buy the novel through the internet through IUniverse.com. Google Books, Amazon Books, Barnes &Nobel.com or any internet site selling the book by Googling it.
I am getting ready to release the second book of my trilogy, “Love Triangles” (“Firehouse 101” was released ten years ago and will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary on September 25th). Since a section of the book takes place in Washington DC and I had to run an errand in the nation’s capital, I decided to get some research in as well since I wanted to update that section of the book.
To put it bluntly, DC has changed tremendously since I started writing the book in 1989. When I first started to write “Love Triangles”, Washington DC was falling apart. I had just graduated from college and had visited DC several times since the eighth grade and decided to set the book at Garfinckel’s Department Store when I visited it in the summer my father took my brother and I down to DC for a business trip. Those were the days when you could let a 13 and 11 year old roam the city by themselves. We were staying at a hotel close to F Street and my dad trusted us while he was working.
Garfinckel’s Department Store today
I knew at a young age what I wanted to do when I grew up and since I has just been in Washington DC with my eighth grade class a few months before, my brother and I roamed downtown DC and spent the day roaming the department stores on F Street. This was the heyday before the shopping district went downhill. We roamed around the Willard Hotel, Hecht & Company, Woodward & Lothrop and finally spent the afternoon at Garfinkel’s shopping for gifts for our parents before hitting the Smithsonian .
The former main entrance of Garfinckel’s which was by this trip a Border’s Books
I remember buying my father a bottle of ‘Grey Flannel’ for a thank you gift and getting my mother a decorative candle because we could not afford the silver salad server by a dollar when we were at Garfinckel’s. Looking back on customer service, it must have been unusual to see two teenage kids shopping by themselves in DC but the woman never blinked an eye and as friendly and professional as I remember her being, she wouldn’t give us a break on the salad server. So we settled on the candle.
The elegance of Garfinckel’s selling floors
I still remember having a snack in the Greenbrier Room, the restaurant in the store and my dad had that bottle of ‘Grey Flannel’ until I moved back in with him in 2001 from Guam. I believe that I was the one that finished it up. It is funny how one afternoon can inspire a book considering the store closed over twenty five years ago.
Once I finished some work I had to do in the city, I took a special trip and walked all over the downtown area that had inspired the book so long ago. The buildings for the most part are still there. Hecht & Company converted to Macy’s years ago and they had closed the old store on F Street back in the 90’s.
The name plate of Woodward and Lothrop
Woodies closed in the 90’s too when merged with John Wanamaker from Philly and both stores which needed massive renovations fell under the weight of a bad economy and Garfinckel’s closed when it was spun off to Hooker Real Estate Company and all the stores owned by Hooker that included Altman’s and Bonwit Teller closed for lack of business. The early 90’s were dark days in retail as many old-line and carriage trade department stores that had survived the Depression and years of consolidations finally closed their doors for good. The closing of Garfinckel’s came about the same time I started to write “Love Triangles”.
To keep the updates on the book fresh, I walked down to F Street to see the old buildings. Hecht & Company was now another retailer but the building is still beautiful and a testament to when shopping wasn’t a chore but a leisure activity. Woodies still keeps its name plates and pictures of the old store in its heyday in the lobby which is still polished oak and marble.
Occasionally an old timer like myself will walk the lobby and still look at the old pictures and have good memories of a store long forgotten by a newer generation of shoppers. My next part of the F Street tour was the old Garfinkel’s building which is now been renovated, reopened and renamed the Hamilton Square Building housing what was once Clyde’s of Tyson’s Corner and now the Hamilton Grill. You can still see the Julius Garfinckel nameplate above the doors of the building hidden behind the awning. That is all that is left of the store that I bought those gifts so many years ago. It’s still an elegant building.
The Hecht and Company building on F Street in Washington DC
After the department store tour, I made my way across the street to the Willard Hotel, still considered one of the Grand Dames of the city which has been now overshadowed by Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton Hotels plus a slew of others that have opened in the last thirty years. It’s still a beautiful old hotel but it could really use a spruce up when you look closely at it. The one nice added feature was the outdoor café that they put in the back of the hotel facing the Mall. That was packed to the gills with tourists looking for some shade.
I walked around the Mall and towards the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue and the security was out in full force. I have never seen so many policemen and security before but since people have jumped the fence and landed in the yard lately, it is better that way. The tourists acted like tourists in front of the building but I always felt that I was being watched.
I walked back around the downtown and walked down to Chinatown, which at this point has been reduced to one block and about a dozen restaurants in which some are still living on their reputations from years ago. I went to Chinatown Express (746 6th Street SW), a noodle and dumpling house that I had eaten at back in 2010 with my dad when we took a trip to DC to see the White House Christmas tree. Back then, the restaurant was introducing fresh dumplings and noodles made in front of you which not many places were doing in New York City yet. How New York has caught up and done better. The food went downhill in six years (See review on TripAdvisor).
The Pork and Chive dumplings were dried out, the shrimp dumplings were under cooked and over pan-fried and the noodles were good but not great. The service was lackluster. Ever since they built the Verizon Center, they pretty much destroyed what was left of Chinatown. It is now down to about a block and most of the restaurants look like tired old relics of bygone era. The area has gentrified itself out of character.
The Pork and Chive Dumplings were okay
I was able to walk back down E Street towards Ford Theater. The modern section of the building really showcases the times but the old building is a step back in time. The scary part is when you walk across the street to the doctor’s house where they took the body after the shooting. They still have the blood soaked pillow in the display case. The exhibition is a real eye opener and this should not be missed. It is one of the tours that is a must do when in DC (See review on TripAdvisor).
My last part of the tour was a walk around the Mall and a tour of the Natural History Museum off Constitutional Avenue NW. This is one of the museums I still remember from my eighth grade trip to DC. I still have a fascination with the Hope Diamond and it is something to see it. The whole Gem exhibition should not be missed as some of the most famous gems are located here as well as the stones in their raw state. The animal exhibitions are good but do not have the same effect as in the Museum of Natural History in New York.
By the end of the day, the humidity was a killer. I was exhausted from all the walking and the heat was no help. I walked back to Union Station and cooled down. They have fully renovated the station and it is much more than just a train station. It is a destination of shopping and restaurants and has the most impressive lobby to walk around. The station is the true hub of the city with both the trains and subways to take you to all parts of the city. Make sure to visit the McDonald’s in the station. The service is excellent and for a McDonald’s the food is really good (See review on TripAdvisor).
McDonald’s Union Station
I don’t care what people say about traveling by train, it is the best way to go. If I drove this trip, it would have taken me four hours and we got down to DC in two and a half hours by Acela and it is the best way to travel. It is so relaxing and peaceful in the Quiet Car. You just relax and watch the cities and towns pass you by. Even Trenton looks pretty good from the train.
Be on the look out for the release of “Love Triangles” as an Ebook as well as read my first book, “Firehouse 101”, the first book in the trilogy. You will see how they tie in a moment in time and show New York City in a unique light. Enjoy the reading and take a train ride down to DC. With so many things to see and places to visit, it is well worth the trip.
(As of January 2020 the book is going through more edits)
In the meantime, please read this excerpt from the book that I recently read at a book reading.
I finally finished my two Brooklyn tours through school and was back up in Harlem today. It was a long day of walking as those city blocks across are long. I started at the subway stop at 168th Street and walked down to 155th Street (the subway was not running to 155th Street over the weekend).
As usual when I have to walk down Broadway, I stopped at my new favorite bakery, Estrella Bakery at 3861 Broadway (check out the numerous reviews on TripAdvisor and DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com) for chicken pastelitos and cubanitos.
The pastries at Five Star Estrella Bakery are wonderful
If you like hot snacks and sweet desserts, this will be your ‘go to’ place for a quick snack when walking up here. The food here is wonderful and the selection of baked items and snacks is extensive. It is still one of the reasons why I don’t complain about getting off at 168th Street when the C subway is not in service. I like to stop at one of the pocket parks on Broadway to relax and eat. It was a long afternoon of walking.
Don’t miss Five Star Estrella Bakery at 3861 Broadway
My walk over these three days took me from 155th Street to 145th Street from Riverside Drive to Lenox Avenue (there are still some side streets on the other side of Jackie Robinson Park that I have not finished yet). Don’t let these maps fool you, these are long blocks being walked in humid weather.
I started my walk today at the Hispanic Society of America Museum at 613 West 155th Street which is on the Boricua College-Manhattan Campus. It shares the campus with the American Academy of Arts & Letters, which closed down in June for the rest of the summer. The Hispanic Society of America is a free museum that is small enough that you can enjoy the visit for about an hour without being overwhelmed like you would at one of the bigger museums.
The Hispanic Society of America at 613 West 155 Street
It was a small but no less impressive collection of Spanish Art from different periods. The Hispanic Society of America was founded as a free museum and research library in 1904 by the American scholar and philanthropist Archer Milton Huntington (1870-1955). Over the past century, the Hispanic Society had promoted the study of the rich artistic and cultural traditions of Spain and Portugal and their areas of influence in the Americas and throughout the world. The Museum and Library constitute the most extensive collection of Hispanic are and literature outside Spain and Latin America (Hispanic Society of America literature).
The front galleries
The museum had a nice crowd that afternoon, (how these people found it I will never know. I never knew it existed) and the galleries were small but the work was impressive. Some of the pieces that stood out were Jouquin Sorallo y Bastida’s ‘Vision of Spain’ created between 1911-1919, with many traditional views of parts of Spain and ‘After the Bath’ done in 1908, which looked more like a contemporary beach scene.
The portrait gallery
The one piece that stuck in my mind was a new piece to the collection, ‘The Four Fates of the Soul’, which showed Death, Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. The sculpture really proved it’s point and made me think that we really are being watched from above. Even the guard as I was leaving said it was a new piece to the collection but people really talked about it as they were leaving.
I thought this painting was a bit creepy
After the museum, I had about ten minutes to walk around Trinity Cemetery, which is a quiet but scenic place. On a nice sunny afternoon, it can be an interesting place to tour around in.
The graves on this side of Broadway overlook the Hudson River and are so peaceful with beautiful views, it makes you think of where you want your final resting place to be located. To live eternity here says something. Even the views of New Jersey are gorgeous. Be sure to get to the museum and the grave site early as they do close at 4:00pm.
Trinity Cemetery on 155th Street
Walking up St. Nicholas Avenue and past the old Victorian homes
I began my zig-zag trip of this part of Harlem at 154 Street and from there until 145th Street, the areas between Riverside Drive and Edgecombe Avenue house some of the most beautiful and elegant brownstones that I have seen in the city. So many of the them are under scaffolding as the new population moving up here is putting a lot of money into the renovations of these properties. The results are amazing with wooden doors, elegant metal work cleaned up and lively planters all around the stairs and the windows.
With the CUNY campus just south of this area, you can see that college population is spreading its wings all over the neighborhood as the students, even in the summer, are moving in or living in this neighborhood and invest in buying in the bodegas, restaurants and hanging around the parks.
Walking down Edgecombe Avenue from East 155th Street to East 145th Street
The more diverse population looks like it is really making an effort to work together for this neighborhood. The most beautiful of these blocks is concentrated between Amsterdam Avenue and Nicholas Street so take time to really look at these homes and see the love and care that is put into them.
Another stop I made was in the Hope Steven Garden at 153rd Street that runs through 152nd Street. This was an empty lot between all the buildings that has now been cleaned up and the neighborhood held their Annual Open House & Barbecue for the neighborhood. It was not much of a turnout at that point of the afternoon but all the neighborhood seniors looked at me like ‘oh oh, another one is moving in’. You begin to pick up on these things when you walk through neighborhoods that have not seen me before.
Hope Steven Garden at 505 West 142nd Street
The inside of the gardens were going through a renovation in the Summer of 2026
Everyone was really nice though and some of the ladies were explaining how the neighborhood banded together to clean and landscape the garden. The garden now contains peach trees, berry bushes and a grape arbor while supporting a cat colony that lives in the garden. Some of the neighbors were grilling hamburgers and hot dogs and older residents were chatting amongst themselves. No one made a fuss about me eating and since I was not hungry, I did not partake in the barbecue but it looked pretty good.
Most of the residents sat around and chatted with their neighbors or busy working in the garden. As I sat down to rest, two of the women who volunteer here, looked like they wanted to recruit me to do the same as they told me the story of how the city’s water aqueduct runs underneath the garden so they can never build here and how bad the neighborhood had become and how it was coming back to life. It takes a big person to show the immense pride in a neighborhood.
I stopped back in Convent Garden again to visit Ms. Davis, who was chatting the afternoon away while getting her exercise working in their garden. She was telling me that they will be having a jazz concert with food on Labor Day Weekend and invited me to join in. This I don’t want to miss as it is my two favorite things, jazz music and food. The volunteers were really working away at making this garden the well maintained and colorful place that the garden is to the neighborhood. Everything is in full bloom right now.
Convent Garden in full bloom at Convent Street and St. Nicholas Avenue
The Sugar Hill neighborhood is really impressive and you could see that this was not one of the places that went downhill as the rest of Harlem decayed in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s. It was and still is an grand group of homes that their owners take a lot of pride in. Now that the rest of the city has caught up with it, it will be interesting to see what comes out of it the next few years.
Maggie’s Garden is now part of the NYC Parks system
Another small oasis exists on 149th Street, which is Maggie’s Garden. It was locked at the time but also another garden taken from an empty lot and brought back to life. Maggie Burnett, are Harlem resident, turned what was once a ‘rickety old house’ when torn down into an urban oasis starting in 1974.
Fighting off drug dealers to build the garden, she got some help from New York Restoration Project and its founder, Bette Midler who assisted in 1999 helping clear the site and now it is a garden with trees, flowers, a full vegetable garden and a barbecue. You could not see all that from the locked gates. (Daily News article).
Maggie’s Garden at 564 West 149th Street
The artwork in front of Maggie’s Garden on a recent trip
I was able to start my walk on the other side of Bradhurst Avenue on the other side of Jackie Robinson Park. I will let you know that the college students from CUNY have discovered the park and were sunning themselves the afternoon I walked around the park. Bradhurst Avenue has a lot of new buildings on it and the businesses include a Starbucks so you know that neighborhood is going through a transition.
Jackie Robinson Park at 85 Bradhurst Avenue
To let you know though, this transition stops here and the further you get away from the park, the seedier the area gets. By the time you hit Lenox Avenue, gentrification has not hit this area of the neighborhood and you should watch yourself. The buildings are beautiful and there is a police station a block in but it still needs a lot of work on this side of West 145th Street.
The end of the walk that day was at 145th Street and lunch at Harlem Brothers Pizza & Wings at 346 West 145th Street (Closed in 2021) which is right next store to Victorio’s Pizza that is more of the rave. The pizza was just average and the sauce did not have much flavor to it. The funny part was to listen to Indian music while eating my pizza. That was strange.
Victorio’s Pizza at 348 West 145th Street (Closed 2025)
The pizza at Victorio’s is excellent. Very crisp and the sauce is amazing
My recommendation is go to Victorio’s Pizza and get it to go and eat it in Jackie Robinson Park. The middle of the park has benches to sit on and the park is really pretty with its slopping walkways and rock work and it’s large trees to sit under.
The front of Jackie Robinson Park’s band stand facing Bradhurst Avenue
The entire walk between 155th Street and 145th Street with an extra afternoon walking down Convent Avenue took almost five hours. Again, don’t let these blocks fool you as they are long and you will want to stop in the parks and gardens and walk around.
Places to Visit:
Jackie Robinson Park
85 Bradhurst to Edgecombe Avenues at 145th Street to Manhattan Avenue
*Blogger wants to note that the blog was updated in 2020. Many stores and restaurant have either closed or changed hands since this tour.
My second “Talk & Tour” class with the Fashion Institute of Technology took me on a full day tour of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Many of my classmates had been on the Bushwick tour with me two weeks earlier plus a group of out-of-towners. How people down South find these obscure walking tours in New York City is beyond me. Even I had to get the FIT catalog from school. What made this tour interesting was that my family lived here when they first came to this country at the turn of the last century and both my Grandmother and Grandfather on my father’s side lived here until the 1960’s.
Our Instructor for the day was Trina Morris, whom I have taken many walking tours with which covered DUMBO, Carroll Gardens, the Lower East Side, Williamsburg, and finally Boerum Hill at a time when I was writing my first book, “Firehouse 101” (See IUniverse.com for details on the book), which was set primarily in Boerum Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods.
I had used the walking tour to get a better feel for the neighborhood and after the tour was over that weekend back in 2002 came back to the neighborhood about 18 times over the course of writing the book to see the changes. Since writing my first novel, all of these areas have changed tremendously with gentrification All of Brooklyn just keeps changing. Trina seemed thrilled that I had an autographed copy of the book ready for her on the subway ride over.
Getting to Greenpoint is not the easiest trip. We had to take the C Train from school and then transfer to the L Train (recent college train) to the G Train to get to the heart of Greenpoint. Unlike Debbie’s tour a few weeks earlier, Trina’s tour deals with going to all the best stores and restaurants whereas Debbie’s tour concentrated more on art work and talking with owners opening new businesses. Both tours showcased the neighborhoods beautifully but there were times I felt like quite the tourist. Especially when the locals looked at us like we were from Mars. I felt that way when we were in Bushwick as well as the local residents looked perplexed on why we would walk around their neighborhood.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Our tour started at the G stop on Manhattan Avenue and Greenpoint Avenue, the furthest point you can get into Greenpoint from Manhattan. From there we walked down Greenpoint Avenue and turned right two blocks away to Franklin Avenue. Franklin Avenue has been one of the shopping areas of Greenpoint for years but now newer residents are putting an upscale swing to it with boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants and clothing stores giving the street a nice mix of old and new merchants.
When I did a tour of the neighborhood, I stopped at Old Polish Bakery at 926 Manhattan Avenue for a doughnut. The selection of baked products look really good but word of advice. They must do their baking early in the morning because the doughnut was dried out (see TripAdvisor review).
Old Polish Bakery at 926 Manhattan Avenue
Our first stop on the tour was Zoe’s Beauty Products Salon & Spa at 119 Greenpoint Avenue. This beauty spa has a full line of men’s and woman’s products as well as get a full day pampering. Take time to look at all their products as they have a full line of merchandise for every need. A very nice shop with friendly service and a good selection.
Zoe’s Beauty Products and Salon at 119 Greenpoint Avenue
Our second stop on the tour was at Budin Coffee Shop at 114 Greenpoint Avenue, a beautifully designed store with wooden shelves and an open bar. Budin is what TV would call a ‘hipster’ shop but the service was friendly and they did make a mean iced tea. They have a nice selection of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Budin Coffee Shop at 114 Greenpoint Avenue (now closed)
Check out their gift area as well. There is some unusual items. What was nice too was they let us use the bathroom and for that I give them a big thumbs up (see TripAdvisor Review).
Budin Coffee Shop is very trendy inside (now closed)
Our next stop on the tour was a small clothing store named ‘In God We Trust’ at 129 Bedford Avenue, which has a respectable line of casual wear. This biggest observation that I have found in clothing stores in these so called ‘hipster’ neighborhoods is that you can not find a size over 30 inches and a large for men.
In God We Trust at 129 Bedford Avenue (Now Closed)
It’s like shopping at Bloomingdale’s today. They don’t want to sell to anyone who is not 5:5 and a waist of 30 inches. Even though the selection was interesting I’m not sure who they were buying for in the neighborhood.
Inside “In God We Trust” (now closed)
A fun shop that we quickly went though was the East River Skate Shop at 86 Greenpoint Avenue. They had an interesting line of tee-shirts with unique prints and even though I am not into skateboarding, their line of skateboards would attract any adult interesting in trying the sport.
East River Skate Shop at 86 Greenpoint Avenue (Now Closed)
Walking to the end of Greenpoint Avenue facing the East River is the most beautiful view of Manhattan that had been hidden all these years behind factories. These factories today are becoming lofts, studios and restaurants with a bar called ‘Barge’ that was very active that afternoon. I was amazed on how busy the place was considering it was the middle of the afternoon. On the sunny clear day that is was it had the most spectacular views of Manhattan and a nice soundtrack going.
Also, at the end of Greenpoint Avenue is WNYC Transmitter Park along Greenpoint Avenue, which shares the same views as ‘Barge’ and they show films there on Friday nights. They were setting up for the new ‘Star Wars’ film the night I was there and expecting a pretty big crowd. The park has beautiful views of Midtown around 34th Street. It has a nice smell of salt air as well. Frankly it could use a good weeding.
WNYC Transmitter Park
We turned the corner onto Franklin Avenue, which is where most of the gentrification is taking place. I was able to tour the neighborhood about a week later to get a better feel for it and Greenpoint is still a neighborhood, not unlike Bushwick, that is still in transition. Many of the old residents still make their home here and you still see it on the upper reaches of Manhattan Avenue, where a sizable Hispanic population still lives for now and on the lower parts of street where a sizable Polish population still lives.
Franklin Avenue is where everyone is moving in. The block faces, along with West Street, the East River where the views of Manhattan are priceless. West Street is where all the former factories and warehouses are located which is quickly being replaced by studios, stores and small factories where the new residents live and work.
When visiting the American Playground between Nobile and Milton Streets, you can see the rapid change in the population with men in their 20’s playing basketball and young mothers with their small children having play dates. It was a mostly white crowd that differed from other parks that I visited in the neighborhood.
American Playground on Franklin Street
On the way up to lunch, we stopped at Word Bookstore at 126 Franklin Avenue that has a great selection of independent and commercial authors and they had several local book signings set up. Its a small store with a depth to their selection and the staff is very friendly.
Word Book Store at 126 Franklin Avenue
We then toured You & Yours Vintage Shop at 77 Franklin Street (Now Closed) and People of Tomorrow Consignment Shop at 66 Franklin Street (Now Closed) both offering a nice selection of clothing and accessories for the person and the home. You really have to know what you are looking for when visiting these shops because the merchandise is rather unique. What’s nice is that I found the service both here and at other stores on Franklin to be very personal and welcoming.
Lunch that afternoon took us to Brooklyn Label at 180 Franklin Street (changed hands since my visit there). As the kids say, OMG, this restaurant was incredible. The food was French Bistro and the brunch menu had a good selection of both breakfast and lunch items at very reasonable prices and the portion sizes were huge.
Brooklyn Label at 180 Franklin Street
I had a Croque Monsieur ($12.00) that was out of this world. The sandwich was huge and the Gruyere cheese had a sharpness and twang to it. It was served with a kale salad that had a delicious dressing and the French Fries were cooked perfectly. The sandwich was filled with so much ham and cheese that I could barely finish it. The meal was so big I had no room for some of their delicious sounding desserts. The service was friendly and flawless. This is a definite on anyone’s list when dining in Greenpoint (see review on TripAdvisor. I gave them an Excellent).
The inside of Brooklyn Label
The food and the company made the meal perfect. It was nice getting to know the people I toured with that afternoon. Some of them had such interesting backgrounds and personal stories from bankers to lawyers to nannies, all of them had a story to tell.
Porter James Vintage Furniture at 116 Franklin Avenue
After lunch our shopping trip had us zig-zagging along Franklin Street. We stopped at Pas Mal and Pip Squeak Chapeau at 99 Franklin Street to look at their clothing lines, Porter James, a home furnishing store at 116 Franklin Street. It carries a lot of 1960’s furniture. We also visited Adaption at 109 Franklin Street to look at more vintage furniture.
Pip Squeak Chapeau/Pas Mal at 99 Franklin Street
Adaptions Vintage Furniture at 109 Franklin Street
We stopped at the seafood store Little Neck Outpost at 128 Franklin Street, which had food for sale and lots of gifts and snacks as well. They had also have a selection of hot foods to take home.
Little Neck Outpost at 128 Franklin Street
On my own part of the tour, I went further up on Franklin Street to Commercial Street where the warehouses are giving way to condos and views of Manhattan and Long Island City, which was once thought to be the next SoHo.
Greenpoint Playground at 243 Franklin Street attracted the most diverse amount of children and had beautiful views of the skyline. In a few years, I predict this will be the ultimate Yuppie park as condos and renovations are taking place in the buildings surrounding the park.
Greenpoint Playground at 243 Franklin Avenue
Manhattan Avery Park (Newton Barge Park) at 37 Commercial Street has some of the best views of Newton Creek’s boating and sailing docks and some unique art work along the fences. Newton Creek is currently being cleaned up so much more activity is going on this side of the neighborhood as well as new condos, restaurants and an ice cream shop have opened here.
Newton Barge Park & Playground at 37 Commercial Street
This is the tip of the neighborhood and there is a lot of renovations going on in the old factories and warehouses. Give it less than three years and this whole area will be luxury lofts. With the views of the city and access to many small pocket parks, this will become a very desirable area to move to in the future. I walked across Commercial Street back down Manhattan Avenue on the upper part of the neighborhood and you are starting to see the transformation of the neighborhood from Hispanic to a younger white crowd with more restaurant and bars opening up on this part of the neighborhood. There are still many reasonable Spanish restaurants to give a try that look quite good.
I took a detour for a snack at Franklin Pizza at 109 Franklin Street (see review on TripAdvisor) on the way back down. This slices here are nice sized and at $2.50 are a little pricey in current New York terms but the pizza is full of flavor and their sauce is delicious. It is the perfect blend of old and new neighborhood as everyone eats here and it is a good gathering place for neighborhood gossip as I found out.
Franklin Pizza at 109 Franklin Street
Our last store in this part of the neighborhood was Flying Squirrel at 87 Oak Street, a great little consignment store of clothes, toys and furniture for young children. The place was alive with activity as the kids seem to dominate in this store. The owner, Kate Schmitz, was really nice and explained her concept of the store to me, mixing brand new and consignment goods to attract the young families moving into the neighborhood. She also has a nice line of books as well. It is a great rainy day store for families.
Flying Squirrel at 87 Oak Street
We then took a turn in the block and walked down Oak Street to Guernsey Street to Meserole Street to the main shopping area of the Polish side of the neighborhood on lower Manhattan Avenue. Here we got to try two of the most well-known businesses in the Polish neighborhood, Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop at 727 Manhattan Avenue and Polka Dot Café at 726 Manhattan Avenue (See reviews on TripAdvisor).
Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop at 727 Manhattan Avenue
Peter Pan’s doughnuts are some of the best I have ever had. Who could make a choice? I ended up eating three doughnuts because they looked so good. I had their apple filled doughnut with a white icing, a crème filled doughnut and a glazed doughnut. It put a damper on my dinner plans but like the kids say OMG they were so good. This is one store you can not miss when visiting Greenpoint. I had heard about them for years but never realized how good the doughnuts were for munching.
The Donuts at Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop are the Best!!
The other store we visited was Polka Dot Café, Polish gourmet shop, that has now reinvented itself into both a gourmet shop for Polish food and a small café where you can order food. Trina had arranged for us to try some blueberry dumplings that were cooked perfectly and were delicious. I was able to down a few of them on top of the doughnuts.
Polka Dot Cafe at 726 Manhattan Avenue
I was so impressed by the food that I doubled back after the tour was over and on top of everything else I ate I had chicken meatballs and a type of pancake that was filled with meat with a flavored ice tea. That chicken meatball made me proud to be part Polish and the food and the service was just excellent. I think the ladies got a kick that I was so happy with the food.
The Polish gourmet treats at Polka Dot Cafe
We all said our goodbyes by the subway as most of the people in my tour went back to Manhattan via the subway at Nassau Street. It was nice meeting everyone and Trina is a good tour guide. I am hoping that she arranges a tour of Bed-Sty next.
My last stop of the day was Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish at 607 Humboldt Street, a Polish Catholic Church that my Great-Grandmother Rock had raised money to help build at the turn of the last century. What a beautifully detailed church that my Aunt Dee later said she had been baptized in along with several great aunts and uncles had been married there. This had been our family church when my family lived in the neighborhood.
The inside of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish
I stayed for the 5:30pm mass and almost cried through the service knowing how important this church was to our family and what a big part it played in our lives. It was a nice service and the priest did a nice job with the mass but it really chocked me up to know that this was part of my past. I felt like my dad was there with me. In a way, I felt like I was home.
St. Stanislaus Kostka Church at 607 Humboldt Street, my family church
As for me, I was so stuffed with food from all over and it was such a nice night to walk, I walked back to Manhattan. I made the turn down Bedford Street and walked through Williamsburg through the ultimate part of the ‘hipster’ neighborhood. It was like walking through a college campus. God, did these kids make me feel old. It was funny how I never felt this way when I used to do the same thing on Rush Street in Chicago. I guess every generation goes through it.
I walked through Williamsburg and then over the Williamsburg Bridge into the Lower East Side and walked across lower Manhattan to Houston Street to see if there were any interesting movies at the Angelica. With nothing I wanted to see, I took the subway back to Port Authority Bus Terminal to go home. I felt so much better after that walk and worked off almost everything. The trip to Greenpoint was really interesting and who knew that my Great-Grandmother was so ‘hip’.
Even if you are not an FIT Alumnus, check out the walking tours that the campus offers. They are reasonable, engaging and you will have a great time.
I went to the Museum of Natural History this morning for a walking tour called “The History of Sharks” that took us through several galleries as the tour guide explained the history of sharks from pre-historic times to present day.
‘The History of Sharks’ exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History
How we live with sharks, how their DNA developed over the years and a discussion on the famous attacks on the New Jersey shore in 1916 to the movie ‘Jaws’.
How we live with sharks, how their DNA developed over the years and a discussion on the famous attacks on the New Jersey shore in 1916 to the movie ‘Jaws’.
The front of the American Museum of Natural History
The museum runs these special tours for members and it was nice to explore the museum as a small group. Their volunteers do a wonderful job explaining things and the museum, in anticipation of a major rainstorm that never happened, was packed to the gills. I never see it that busy.
The Dinosaur Hall
The Native American Wing just after the renovation of the hall
The Pre-Columbian Wing
The Pre-Columbian Wing
After my visit to the museum, I decided to take a walk up Riverside Drive. It was such a beautiful day with no sign of rain coming, I walked the length of Riverside Drive from 86th Street to 155th Street, crossed over 155th Street to St. Nicholas Avenue and walked down the street to 145th Street to get a better look at the brownstones and mansions and then back up to 155th Street and back down the other side of Riverside Drive to 110th Street and across to the subway station the corner of Central Park.
This part of the walk took me past many historical sites and statues, past pocket parks and mansions and the beauty of Riverside Park. When I revisited the walk again in July 2026
Starting the walk at West 72nd Street and admiring some old mansions
The twin mansions at the corner of West 72nd Street and Riverside Drive
This ‘twin’ mansion was actually two homes with a courtyard created in between the two homes. The Beaux Arts home on West 72nd Street was owned by the Sutphen family, and the right plainer mansion was owned by the Prentiss family both designed by mansion architect C.P.H. Gilbert. Both descended from old colonial families, the Sutphen family were the first one to build their mansion and it was finished 1902 and the Prentiss Mansion was built in 1900. The architect built the courtyard to compliment both homes (Wiki).
At the corner of Riverside Drive and West 72nd Street, just inside the park is a statue dedicated to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Known for her many civic and charitable contributions to the government at the time one top of being a teacher, women’s rights activist and raising five children during the Presidency, she fought for the rights of people.
Eleanor Roosevelt Statue by artist Penelope Jencks in Riverside Park
The statue was done by sculptor Penelope Jencks and Michael Middleton Dwyer and the architects on the project were Bruce Kelly and David Varnell. Ms. Jencks is an American artist who studied at Boston University and graduated with BFA.
The monument lies at the threshold of the Riverside Park and is one of a sequence of civic monuments along Riverside Drive honoring people of historical significance (NYC Parks.org). It’s a nice place to just relax and watch the world go by. This is also the end of Riverside Park which ends at West 72nd Street.
One building that stands out right across the street from the beginning of Riverside Park is the Chadsworth Apartment Building at 344 West 72nd Street built in 1904 designed by architect John D. Scharsmith for owner George F. Johnson. It was designed to face the park in an English garden fashion. It was lavishly designed in detail to attract the wealthy patrons of Fifth Avenue, who had started to abandon their mansions after the turn of the 20th century (Wiki).
Done in a brick and limestone exterior, the detail work on the building is magnificent. Carved angels, faces and flowers line the building, and the iron work of the lamps and banisters are just breathtaking. You really have to look beyond the scaffolding to see the true beauty of this building. They just don’t build apartment buildings with this type of detail anymore.
When I walked Riverside Drive again in July of 2026, I started the walk on West 72nd Street and walked up both sides of the Drive, stopping at historic and cultural sites and small parks that dot Riverside Park. I forgot how much there was to see and do along the way.
The mansions that line Riverside Drive
First there is nothing like walking around the west side of Manhattan along Riverside Park. It is a truly wonderful park with people jogging, biking, sunbathing and picnicking. Everyone was really enjoying this clear, sunny Summer afternoon. On a quiet Sunday, the park is mostly yours depending on where you are walking.
Walking along Riverside Drive park side
All along the way uptown, Riverside Park and Drive are lined with many memorials and statues. I was amazed on many were in the area of the drive. My first stop along the way was the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument at West 89th Street that was dedicated to the Union Army soldiers and sailors who contributed in the American Civil War.
The Sailor’s & Soldiers Monument in the Fall of 2024
The monument in the Summer of 2026
This structure was completed in 1902 and President Theodore Roosevelt presided over the opening. A very impressive structure that I can see most people miss. Part of the structure is still in disrepair but you can still walk around the pillared structure and gaze at its beauty.
Soldier’s & Sailors Monument on Riverside Drive near West 89th Street
I took a turn and swung into Riverside Park to visit a small playground and a very lively birthday party.
Hippo Playground in Riverside Park
Hippos in Hippo Park
I dropped into Hippo Park at 91st Street, a lively little playground with tons of kids running around, climbing on playground structures and actually acting like kids.
The park in the Summer of 2026
I see far too many children obsessed with the cell phones not paying attention to what is going on around them. The kids were obviously having fun while the parents handed out food and gossiped amongst themselves.
The water feature at Hippo Park
Hippo Park is part of the Riverside Park Conservatory and run by volunteers in the neighborhood that also provides entertainment during the summer with outdoor concerts and a newly renovated playhouse for parties. Check out their website for details.
I walked behind Hippo Park to discover a beautiful floral garden that was the 91st Street Garden that J had missed on previous walks in the park. The Garden did not look like this in the Fall.
The 91st Street Garden in the Summer of 2026
The sign for the garden
As I passed the garden, I remember this was the garden in the last scene of the movie, “You Got Mail” when Meg Ryan realizes that her secret email pal is Tom Hanks. It was such a great scene and the perfect end to a great Rom-Com.
The end of the movie “You Got Mail” with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks
The Gardens from the front
The flowers in full bloom
The flowers in full bloom in July 2026
All I could think about was this scene as I walked around the garden. The funny part is this was the first time I had ever visited this garden as I did not know where it was located. I knew it was on 91st Street but could never figure out where. You have to walk on the path behind the Hippo Playground and follow it to the other path.
The gardens from the front
Walking back up through Riverside park from the Hippo Playground
Walking in Riverside Park in the 90’s
Walking up Riverside Drive in the 90’s
Walking along Riverside Drive at West 92nd Street
When you cross Riverside Drive at West 93rd Street, you pass the statue of Joan of Arc by artist Anna Hyatt Huntington, which sits on the island inside the park.
Joan of Arc Statue
(From the NYC Parks.org website)
In New York, a prominent group of citizens formed a Joan of Arc monument committee in 1909. Their efforts coincided with those of a young sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington, to create a sculpture of Joan.
Artist Anna Hyatt Huntington was an American born artist and one of the most success sculpturers in the early twentieth century. She was known for her realisitc animals sculptures, she was one of the first women artists inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters (Wiki).
Her first version, in which she emphasized “the spiritual rather than the warlike point of view,” was submitted to the prestigious Salon in Paris. It received an honorable mention from the jury, nevertheless skeptical that such an accomplished work of art could have been made solely by a woman (NYCParks.org).
Joan of Arc statue
The New York monument committee, headed by J. Sanford Saltus, was so impressed by her work, that they awarded her the commission. Architect John van Pelt was retained to design the pedestal, which is made of Mohegan granite composed of Gothic-style blind arches, decorated with coats of arms. A few limestone blocks from the tower in Rouen where Joan of Arc had been imprisoned were incorporated into the base. Van Pelt situated the monument at the top of the steps in the park island at 93rd Street and Riverside and had planted a screen of trees to disguise the buildings (NYCParks.org).
The Joan of Arc statue
Huntington’s version is both heroic and infused with naturalistic detail. For Joan’s armor, she conducted research at the arms and armory division of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the refinement of the equine anatomy was based on a horse borrowed from the fire department of her native town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Her niece posed astride a barrel, as she modeled the figure, first nude, then in costume (NYCParks.org).
I continued the walk down Riverside Drive through the high 90’s, admiring the architecture and beautiful trees and gardens in full bloom.
Walking down Riverside Drive around West 100th Street
The next monument that I passed was the Firemen’s Memorial at 100th Street and Riverside Drive. Being a veteran of the fire service, this sculpture has a lot of personal meaning to me.
The Firemen’s Memorial from street side
The statuary is so beautiful
This is a very quiet and relaxing sculpture that is dedicated to the members of the Fire Department who have lost their lives in the line of duty. This sculpture was dedicated in 1913 and has been renovated a few times since. During the tragedy of 9/11 in 2001, this became a vigil site for those morning the loss of so many members of the FDNY. This stop is a must for all fire fighters. The sculpture was designed by artist Harold Van Buren Magonigle (NYCParks.org).
Artist Harold Van Buren Magonigle was an American born architect, artist, and author best known for his memorials. He had worked at several well known architectural firms before working as a artist (Wiki).
Next I passed the statue of Shinran Shonin at the New York Buddhist Church. I had noticed the statue several times when walking around the neighborhood but never knew its meaning. It had survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima and was shipped New York after the war.
The New York Buddhist Church at 331-332 Riverside Drive
The New York Buddhist Church (founded 1938) is a temple of Jodoshinshu True Pure Land School Buddhism, whose head temple is Nishi Hongwanji in Kyoto, Japan. May the Wisdom and Compassion of Amida Buddha, which embraces us just as we are, touch your heart so that you may be awakened to the world of Living With Nembutsu, guided by the teachings of Shinran Shonin (New York Buddhist Church website).
In the last 65 years, the Shinran Statue has known two homes. Its latest home is a fenced stoop on Riverside Drive outside of the New York Buddhist Church. But before that, the Shinran Statue stood proudly outside of a temple in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945.
More specifically, the statue stood only 1.5 miles from the center of the atomic blast that decimated 70 percent of the buildings in the city and took the lives of 150,000 people. Amazingly, the statue emerged from the explosion unscathed, still standing guard at the burning temple (AtlasObsura.org).
Following the war, a Japanese man shipped the statue to New York where it has stayed since 1955. The statue has been free from radiation since it began its stay in the United States and has never posed a danger to visitors (AtlasObsura.org).
Video on the statue
Today, the 15-foot bronze statue stands as a monument to world peace and the frightening power of the atomic bomb. Its weathered bronze exterior is visible in front of the Buddhist Church, and its amazing legacy is preserved in the nation responsible for its near destruction (AtlasObsura.org).
The story of Shinran Shonin
My next stop was at the Franz Sigel Statue at West 106th Street. The majestic statue of a Major General in the Union Army during the Civil War. He encouraged many then German-Americans to fight for the Union. After the war, he became a proud New Yorker. This small park faced Riverside Drive on the other side of the street overlooking the Hudson River.
Franz Sigel was a German born American officer in the US Army during the Civil War. Before the war, he was a teacher in the New York City school system and after the war got involved with politics and publishing (Wiki).
The statue was created by artist Karl Bitterin the Summer of 2026
Karl Bitter was an Austrian born American artist who was best known for his architectural sculpture and memorials that he sculpted. He was educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Austria. He immigrated to New York City in 1889 (Wiki).
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Riverside Drive at 110th Street
The stonework on the building at 110th Street with beautiful windows
As I continued the walk up further, the monuments continued with the statue of Samuel Tilden, a former Governor of New York located at West 112th Street.
Tilden’s career was illustrious with fights against the Tweed stronghold in NYC and some saying that he had the Presidential election stolen from him with the Electoral College by Rutherford Hayes. His large estate and book collection helped found the New York Public Library (Wiki).
The statue was created by sculpturer William Ordway Partridge, an American born artist who had studied at both Columbia and Ecole de Beaux Arts. He had worked under many well known artists both here and abroad. He is known for his life like sculptures.
The Samuel Tilden statue in the Summer of 2026
(From the NYCParks.org website)
Tilden was active in city, state, and national politics. Elected to the state assembly in 1845, he also served in the Constitutional Convention of 1846 and ran on the Democratic ticket for Attorney General in 1855. He was a member of the Free Soil movement, which fought the extension of slavery into U.S. Territories. In 1863, Tilden moved into a home on Gramercy Park. He combined that house with an adjacent townhouse in 1874 to form a mansion where he lived for the remainder of his life. The mansion has been the home of the National Arts Club since 1905 (NYCParks.org).
By 1868, Tilden had assumed the leadership of the Democratic Party in New York State. In 1870, he launched a high-profile attack on the Tweed Ring, which had dominated New York City government from 1860 to 1871. Tilden helped to impeach several judges, exposed the plunder amassed by certain Tweed officials, prosecuted many of them on behalf of the state, and described the Ring’s illegal dealings in the pages of the New York Times (NYCParks.org).
Walking up Riverside Drive
As I made my way up Riverside Drive, I stopped at another bend on the street and came across the statue of Lajos Kossuth, the leader of the Hungarian uprising in 1848. The statue was created by Hungarian artist Janos Horway.
Kossuth was born to a family of noble heritage in Monok in northeastern Hungary. In the early 1830s, he emerged as a leader of the country’s radical reform movement. Trained as a lawyer, Kossuth edited several journals and newspapers that allowed him to broadcast his increasingly popular ideas. He issued fiery pleas for Hungary’s independence from Vienna’s Hapsburg Monarchy, for emancipation of the peasants, and for industrial development. Kossuth was elected to the Hungarian Diet (national assembly) in 1847, and a year later he led the revolution that created a new national government for Hungary (NYCParks.org).
The new government fell to invading Russian and Austrian armies in 1849, and Kossuth fled into exile. Rallying support for Hungarian independence, he dazzled European and American audiences with his eloquence. Sympathizers in the United States identified with the aims of overthrowing the foreign monarchy and establishing republican government for Hungary. Kossuth visited New York in December 1851 at the start of a seven-month tour of the United States. Upon arrival, he was given a tremendous welcome, described in the newly-founded New York Times as one of “the most magnificent and enthusiastic ever extended to any man in any part of the world.” A reception hosted by Mayor Ambrose C. Kingsland, banquets, and a parade up Fifth Avenue were held in his honor. Kossuth lived in exile in England and (after 1865) in Italy. After his death in Turin in March 1894, his body was brought to Budapest and buried in state (NYCParks.org).
The Kossuth statue was designed by artist Janos Horvay
Janos Horvay was a Hungarian born artist who studied under artist Edmund Hellmer. Known for his realistic sculpture work, he was also known for his funeral works of art (Wiki).
Walking through Riverside Drive in the Morningside Heights Historical District
When I crossed over 110th Street, I walked through the most western part of the Columbia Campus in Morningside Heights section of Harlem and admired the beauty of the architecture of the Morningside Heights Historical District.
The sign for Historical Morningside Heights District
The last sculpture I passed in Riverside Park before I got to Grant’s Tomb was the Woman’s Health Protective Association Fountain at West 116th Street created by artist Bruno Louis Zimm. The fountain is currently undergoing a renovation.
The Women’s Health Protective Association Fountain
Members of the WHPA were usually part of the city’s elite, and Charlotte Wilbour, one of the names inscribed along the Riverside Park benches, helped to found the first New York City Woman Suffrage Association in 1870. This more radical branch of the movement (in comparison with the relatively conservative chapter in Boston) lobbied against the passage of the 15th amendment, which proposed to give suffrage to African-American men. Leaders Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton opposed the male focus of the bill and suggested a new, 16th amendment in its place, one that would offer “universal suffrage” to all races, genders, and religions (NYCParks.org).
The dream of the founding suffragettes finally actualized on August 16, 1920, eleven years after this fountain was commissioned. With the vote in hand, the National Woman Suffrage Association disbanded, but its surviving members went on to become the core of the League of Women Voters and to continue the focus on women’s health issues in New York City (NYCParks.org).
The fountain was under renovation and not working but was beautifully designed
Artist Bruno Zimm was a New York City born artist and studied under Artist Carl Bitter and at the Arts Student League of New York under Artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He was known for his freestanding memorials, fountains and architectural sculptures (Wiki).
In the afternoon, I finally made it to one of my goals for the day, Grant’s Tomb (see the reviews on TripAdvisor and VisitingaMuseum.com), the final resting place of our 18th President Ulysses Grant and his wife, Julia. This monument has had a love-hate relationship with the city.
The President died of throat cancer in 1885 and his wife recommended that his burial place be in New York City over West Point and Washington DC as President Grant and his wife made this their home for the last years of their life (Wiki).
The monument was designed by architect John H. Duncan and was finished in 1897 and the President’s remains were moved here before the dedication. His wife died in 1902 and was buried along side her husband.
In 1958, the National Park Service took the monument over and was given a small budget to oversee it. In the 70’s and 80’s as the city had declined, this part of the park was a mess and the monument was vandalized to the hilt.
The graves of President Grant and his wife
It had gotten so bad at one point where the descendants of the family threatened to pull the bodies out of the tomb because of neglect. Since the 90’s, the monument and the park have been restored and it is open to the public for limited times during the week.
The side view of the tomb facing the park
The park now is used for picnicking and parties as many were going on as I walked through the park. The tomb itself was closed for the day but I returned another day to tour the tomb, watch a video on the family and enjoy the park.
The park behind Grant’s Tomb
The park near the tomb
Off to the side of the monument, inside Riverside Park next to the path, is the Amiable Child Memorial (See review on VisitingaMuseum.com), the resting place to St. Clair Pollock. This touching little monument is dedicated to a child who died in 1797 in the fifth year of his life from a fall from the cliffs somewhere in the current park. It is one of the private graves located on public land. This small stone funeral urn is on a pedestal marking the grave. It is a very touching grave to a small child. I left a coin there as many have in the past.
I continued the walk up through the park until I hit Riverbank Park on 145th Street, one of the unique parks I have ever seen. The 28 acre park is built on the top of a water treatment plant that was inspired by parks built on roof tops in Japan. This park has everything. It has a pool, basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer field, baseball field, a cool off fountain and ice skating rink. It has it all and has the neighborhood embraced this park. The place was packed in all venues. It was a truly democratic park as all races play here.
I was most impressed by the number of families having parties and barbecues in the park. There must have been about a dozen birthday parties going on at once. The smells of barbecue meats and vegetables wafted in the air and the sounds of laughter and singing was all over the place. Even on a hot day, nothing stops people from having a good time.
I was most impressed by the Snack Bar located in the park’s main building. For $6.00, I got a cheeseburger, fries and a Coke and for a park snack bar they were really good. The portion size was generous and I can tell you for fact that the fries are excellent. Even if you don’t like sports make a special trip to snack bar and you won’t be disappointed. (See review on TripAdvisor)
Admiring the street art on the extension of 12th Avenue off Riverside Drive
Riverside Drive as you walk up the stairs at
After a 45 minute detour of this amazing park, I walked the rest of the way through Riverside Park until I hit Trinity Cemetery again and crossed 155th Street to St. Nichols Avenue again. I wanted to take a better look at the mansions at 150th Street in Sugar Hill. This section of Sugar Hill I did not have time to take a good look at the last time I was walking St. Nichols Avenue.
Homes along West 142nd Street
The Palisades Playground at West 148th Street and Riverside Drive
I stopped in the Palisades Playground for a rest and to go to the bathroom. I loved the stonework and masonry of the park. The views from the top of the park has a breathtaking view of both the park below and the Hudson River.
Inside the playground
The view of the playground
I finished my walk of Riverside Drive at West 155th Street when I got to the Trinity Church Cemetery and then walked up and around Broadway. I then did the turn around
The Berler-Levy Houses at 809-811 Riverside Drive East at the corner of West 158th Street and Riverside Drive East
The two joined brick houses, designed by Moore & Landsiedel in a Spanish style, feature a tiled roof and a one-story conservatory at either end. Notice the arched windows with fanlights, the pairs of Doric columns flanking each door and a balustrade at each window (AudubonPark.com website).
The front of the house
In 1920, Nathan Berler, a wholesale clothing manufacturer, and lawyer Charles Levy, built the Berler-Levy duplex as a prototype for an alternative to apartment dwelling in Washington Heights (AudubonPark.org website).
The homes and brownstones in this area are just gorgeous and give you a totally different prospective of Harlem. Most of these buildings have been sandblasted and restored or in the process of being done. The mansions on the corner of 150th Street and Edgecomb Avenue hark back to a time when this was a very fashionable avenue and don’t miss the Bailey House that is fully restored.
I took a pit stop and stopped for a quick slice of pizza on 145th Street at Victorio’s Pizza Plus at 348 West 145th Street and one of the best slices of pizza I have ever had for $1.00. The pie had just come out of the oven and it was a thin crust made with fresh mozzarella and it was heavenly. Flavorful sauce and the right amount of cheese that was cooked perfectly at any price the pizza was delicious. This is a must for all the CUNY students. (See TripAdvisor review)
The walk took me back across 155th Street and back down Riverside Drive. The park, even at twilight is busy. There were so many bikers, joggers and walkers that you had to move a lot on the sidewalks. My last structure I saw as I walked down Riverside Drive was the Ralph Ellison art piece “Invisible Man” (the picture above) done by sculpture Elizabeth Catlett at 150th Street. Ms. Catlett was a artist who themes were the struggles of the Black experience with race and feminism. Her work was influences by Primitivism and Cubism (Art.net).
It was dedicated to the novelist work on his book “The Invisible Man” about his experience as a Black man during the Civil Rights Movement in NYC. Ralph Ellison lived in the area before he died in 1994. It really is quite the statue.
As I passed Grant’s Tomb, there were about three parties going on in the park. I don’t think the President even partied that much in one evening when he lived in the city. I could not believe that the park around the tomb would be this busy at eight at night. There were colorful lights all over the trees and a grill going.
I got to 110th Street around 8:30pm and as I rounded Riverside Drive to 110th Street the neighborhood which had been on the fringe for many years has completely changed. The area by Riverside Park had always been nice but as I walked further down the street this area has been sandblasted and rebuilt. Many parts of uptown that had been ignored for years look more like the Upper East Side.
I even saw people walking into Morningside Park which when I was working in the city in the 90’s was a death trap that you would not walk anywhere near but like the rest of the parks like Tompkins Square in the Lower East Side and Bryant Park behind the main library time has passed and they have been fixed up, cleaned up and the area around them now is priced higher.
My last stop of the evening was Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too at 366 West 110 Street. This neighborhood staple has been around for years and in a much gentrifying neighborhood that seems to be getting away from its Harlem roots. I hope owns the building. The food and service were just excellent. The biggest problem I had with the restaurant is that I over thought how hungry I was that night. After a big lunch at 5:00pm and a slice of pizza by the time the food came I was barely hungry.
Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too at 366 West 110th Street
Miss Mamie’s is not to be missed. They had a dinner special that was $19.99 for a salad that was one of the best restaurant salads I had had in years. It was crisp with fresh lettuce and tomatoes with a light dressing, for the entrée was freshly Fried Chicken that was crisp on the outside and moist on the inside and the chicken had so much flavor to it.
I had it with Mac and Cheese and Mashed Potatoes, not the most healthy choices but after a five mile walk I figured I had burned off a few calories. It was so much food that I had to take half of it home with me along with the Peach Cobbler dessert that was included in the meal (See the review on TripAdvisor).
Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too
The service was friendly with out being overwhelming. I must give off certain vibes in this neighborhood because the waitress asked me if I was a lecturer for Columbia. I laughed at the one and asked why. She said I looked smart. I don’t know what looking smart is but I took it as a compliment. Usually above 110th Street every assumes that I am either a cop or DEA. Amazing what being tall is to people.
I ended the evening totally exhausted and took the subway from the 110th Street and Central Park West. Another sign of changes in the neighborhood is that I saw people jogging into the northern park of Central Park at 9:30pm. Things have really changed up here.
