From the Top of the Island

Inwood Haiku

2009-03-31T21:38:00.003-04:00

From the Inwood Kids Yahoo Group a Haiku thread has arisen. I will try to remember to credit where poets have signed their name. I will not use email handles:

What is this I hear?
A community garden?
Hope springs eternal!
-Keith

The April spring thaw
Reveals dog poop on sidewalk
Curb your animal
-Anonymous

I like your haiku
Would that we could make all posts
in this form of verse
-Amy (me)

Bird Nerd = Good
Crazy Bird Guy = Bad
life is in balance
- Keith

Rogue Mr. Softee
Has just been taught a lesson
Now back to my nap
-Keith

Farewell, My Friends

2007-12-04T20:14:00.000-05:00

Oh, Lucy
Oh, Ricky
Oh Ethel & Fred
You’ve given me such joy these the past several months
No matter what the weather
No matter what my mood
I could always count on the four of you to be there
In your spot on the bank
Unafraid of human proximity
In fact, seeming to court it.

Sometimes I fed you,
Mostly I just marveled at how
Among dozens of ducks and geese
You four were unique.
White feathers set you apart from a sea of brown and grey.
Lucy and Ricky with your red-flecked bills,
And Fred and Ethel with your touches of black—
Two couples, forever together
You meandered about with seeming contentment.

But now I find you do not belong here.
Park rangers with nets plot your capture.
It’s for your own good, of course.
Domesticated ducks not meant for the wilds of our park,
You were left to fend for yourselves
By some “Live Poultry” villain.
And soon they will take you away
To Animal Control.

I watch as a ranger
Sneaks through the reeds.
He silently swings his net
But you all sputter away,
Eluding captivity--
At least for now,
But it’s only a matter of time.
In fact, I think, perhaps you are already gone.

I thought this would be your home for good.
I thought I would see my son chase after you next summer—
He toddling, you waddling—
But I guess that’s not meant to be.
We'll miss you, my friends.
Quack, quack and adieu.

Musings on Merchants

2007-11-10T18:58:00.000-05:00

Since I got some grief for my last posting because I mentioned a couple of chain stores I’d like to see in Inwood, I thought I’d dedicate this post to our local merchants—the ones I like, the ones I LOVE and the ones that deserve an honorable mention.

Grandpa’s—as I said in my last post, we are just crazy about their pizza. I favor the meatball topping. And I love how they get into the holiday spirit with their elaborate displays.

Park Terrace Deli—A great bodega with neat, orderly shelves and a friendly, helpful staff who will go out of their way to help you find what you are looking for. Also, their deli sandwiches for delivery are delicious!

John’s Doo Wop Deli—while I don’t patronize this deli as often as the Park Terrace, it’s always a treat to stop by…mostly because I have a crush on John. At least I think it’s John the proprietor who is always singing to himself and who greets me warmly. One of these days I must try one of those specialty party subs!

Ray’s Barber Shop—I don’t get my haircut there but hubbie does and he really enjoys Ray and the other fellow who works in the shop. He also gets a kick out of one of the neighborhood characters we have dubbed “Flat top Barbershop Guy” who we see all over Inwood but who spends a lot of time hanging out at Ray’s.

The Piper’s Kilt—Sadly, my days of taking up stool space in bars are ending but if they weren’t, the Kilt is where I’d be. The burgers are as yummy as their boastful signs say and the atmosphere is undeniably inviting—especially around Christmas when those over-the-top decorations come out!

Apex Hardware—Hubbie goes here for supplies for his various household projects. And while they don’t always have everything he needs, he keeps going back because the guys who work there are so amiable and they always remember who he is (and what he’s working on this week!)

JC World—You may not recognize the name (I didn’t know it until just last week) but this is the tiny little Stationery store on Broadway. A neighbor told us that that literally every time she has gone in there looking for something, they’ve had it. So far, I’ve found that to be true—from thank you notes to photo paper to finger paints, they’ve helped me out. And now that I no longer have an office, it’s where I do my copying & faxing!

Park Terrace Bistro—I still don’t understand how the name conjures up Mediterranean food (it doesn’t) but the cous cous can’t be beat. In fact, all the dishes I’ve had there have been wonderful and it’s so warm and romantic. Hubbie & I had a Valentine’s dinner there one year and there was a fresh rose on each table. Very sweet.

Garden Café/Park View Café—The food at the Garden Café isn’t as good as at Park Terrace, but it’s stroller friendly and who doesn’t love out door dining? Plus, the live music they often have is a nice touch. I’ve only eaten once at its sister restaurant, the Park View Cafe on Dyckman (same owners I’ve been told) but it was a terrific place to have breakfast (and it was packed!) Sadly they couldn’t satisfy my craving for Belgian waffles when I was pregnant though.

Inwood Pharmacy—frankly, the display of Christian paraphernalia in front of the pharmacist’s counter terrifies me and I continue to use Rite Aid as my main drug store. But twice now I’ve needed medicine right away (different kinds) and Rite Aid was going to make me wait several days. Inwood Pharmacy had the medicines in stock and filled my prescriptions immediately. They were quick and efficient. If I didn’t have to have a little Jesus with my pharmaceuticals I would go there first.

K&R Florist—they were really helpful when hubbie wanted to surprise me with an apartment filled with roses upon returning from our honeymoon. They’ve also bailed me out when I needed bouquets for actresses in the Broadway shows I’ve worked on because they’re open on Sundays. Oh, and I like the little bird that lives in there!

Ctown—the only chain store on this list. I used to whine that Ctown doesn’t carry some of the gourmet and organic products I like and I have often wished for a Fairway or a Whole Foods to come to Inwood. But the managers of this Ctown are so kind and conscientious that they’ve really won me over. If you ask for something they don’t carry, they may even order it for you (they did for us!)

Of course, there are plenry of other excellent local businesses in Inwood. Perhaps later on I’ll post a Part 2 of this list. In the meantime, what are your faves?

What We're Lacking

2007-09-29T11:34:00.000-04:00

There’s a new Papa John’s Pizza on Broadway here in Inwood. So, I’ll admit, I like Papa John’s. It’s my favorite of the big pizza chains. They have that garlic butter to dip your crusts in…yum. But I don’t think this is what Inwood most needed at this point in time, especially since we already have a really great pizza place—Grandpa’s! If I were more of a pizza connoisseur, I’m sure I could devote a whole blog to the pleasures of Grandpa’s, but suffice it to say that it deserves to be ranked among the best establishments in the city. I certainly won’t be patronizing the new Papa John’s very often (if at all) in an effort to remain loyal to our local patriarchal pizza place. It would be a crime if the new “Papa” in the ‘hood caused our tried and true Mom & Pop business to suffer.

But all of this leads me to the real question at hand, which is, if Inwood doesn’t need a new pizza joint, what does it need? Well, here (in no particular order) are a few ideas:

1. A yoga studio. Inwood Peace Yoga opened at the Good Shepherd Convent on Isham about a month before I moved up here in 2004 and it immediately became an integral part of my Inwood life. When the church kicked them out and then shortly thereafter Michael (the proprietor) and his wife Sofia moved away, it was a real blow to me, one from which I have yet to recover. I now have to take the subway 100+ blocks to take a yoga class! There’s a new pilates studio getting ready to open on 215th and Broadway, so maybe I’ll give that a try, but we yogis really miss having a place to practice nearby.

2. A gym. I am not a gym person, but I am sure many of my neighbors would be thrilled to have somewhere to work out in Inwood.

3. A Starbucks. Alright, I deserve some grief for this one, but really I am just aching for a pleasant place to linger over a good cup of coffee. Hopefully, the forthcoming Indian Road Café (see previous posting) will ultimately fulfill this need, but I also wish for Starbucks as a sort of symbol that Inwood has “arrived.” It’s not that I necessarily need my neighborhood validated in that way, but I have property values to consider!

4. More restaurants. We definitely have some gems here and it was wonderful to see the Park Terrace Bistro recently receive a favorable review in the New York Times, but we can never have too many decent places to eat. My hubby is especially hankering for some good Thai food.

5. A bookstore. Ok, now I am entering the realm of “don’t hold your breath” but here’s the thing: I love Inwood so much, that I really cherish my “All Inwood” days when I have no need to travel below Dyckman Street. So, in formulating this list of businesses we could really use, I’ve been thinking of the kinds of things I have to get on the subway to acquire. While I have promised myself to start utilizing the Inwood library more often, I love to buy books and sadly, I cannot do that without a train ride. Of course, in my imagination the Inwood bookstore is independent and quirky, but I’d even settle for a Border’s.

6. A movie theatre. This one is REALLY wishful thinking, but if we had a movie theatre in Inwood, then perhaps I truly would never leave. That dumpy theatre in Washington Heights is always a disappointment. Perhaps there’s room in the Target complex over there in the Bronx for a couple of screens or else somewhere on this side of the bridge East of Broadway?

I have other favorite stores on my fantasy list (The Body Shop, anyone?) but I’m not that deluded. I know we are a ways away from becoming the Upper West Side and thankfully so. But I think if a few of the businesses listed above opened Inwood outposts, the quality of living here could be even better than it already is. Does anyone have any others to add?

Inwood Culture

2007-09-23T16:12:00.000-04:00

At a recent lunch with a dear friend we once again had that conversation, the same one I have with my husband every few months--the “how long are we going to stay in New York City” conversation. I imagine that all New Yorkers have this conversation with themselves and their loved ones from time to time, for as we all know, while the love affair with New York is passionate and fulfilling it is often fraught. I have very few items on my “life list” but one is to one day have a house with a porch and a yard…something that my beloved city cannot really offer me. And so I talk about departing one day, to the suburbs or somewhere beyond. And then, I open up the paper and casually glance at a listing of things for families to do on one random Sunday in the city—a jazz concert at the North end of Central Park, storybook readings at the south end, performance art in Chelsea, etc. —and I think, how can I possibly leave? Where else can I raise my son where he will be exposed to such a proliferation of arts & culture?

Which brings me to another reason why I love Inwood. Sure, we have access to dozens of eminent art institutions and presentations every day that are just a train ride away, but I have been astonished to find our share of little arty events within walking distance from my door. Just last week, I strapped on the Baby Bjorn and crossed the street to tiny Isham park where I was treated to a performance by Taikoza, a Japanese music and dance ensemble who filled the Inwood air with the sounds of their joyful drumming. Neighborhood children ran giddily about to the boisterous beat. In this same small park earlier this summer, my husband and I picnicked as we listened to the Manhattan soloists—a merry group of probably local, definitely professional musicians who played a series of lovely, themed programs on four successive Monday nights. Was it as stirring an experience as the New York Philharmonic playing Central Park? Not exactly, but it was ours, and these and other events really strengthen the feeling that Inwood is almost like a small town, rather than a neighborhood within the mighty city.

The same goes for the Moose Hall Theatre Company’s Shakespeare productions in Inwood Hill Park. The quality doesn’t match what you’d find downtown at the Delacorte, but the show I saw was quite good and moreover I didn’t have to wait in line for hours for a ticket! I admit I have not seen as much of the Uptown Arts Stroll as I would like, but I have admired the few pieces I’ve come across on display in local businesses. Hopefully, this tradition will continue and I can own some authentic “Inwoodian” art soon. Plus, we have full-blown festivals within walking distance too—I have enjoyed the “Drums on the Hudson” festival in the past, and next week I plan on attending the Renaissance Fair in Fort Tryon Park.

My husband and I have even made our own contribution to the Inwood Arts scene. In 2005, hubby got it into his head that the soccer posts in Inwood Hill Park would make a great place to mount a movie screen. So after much planning and wrangling and schlepping, we were able to host a screening of “E.T.” for about 200 or so of our neighbors one summer night. We’d love to do it again some day… if we can find someone to fund us, that is!

These are just a sampling of the arts happenings up here. But honestly, where else but New York can I go hear a concert at Carnegie Hall one night, and in the park across the street from me the next? Having access to these events right here in Inwood make leaving New York even more impossible to imagine.

Ode to the Indian Road Cafe

2007-09-22T17:24:00.000-04:00

Oh Indian Road Cafe
Please open soon.
I know the restaurant business is hard,
But so is being a new mom.

Now when I am lonely
When my husband's at work
I take baby boy to the park.

We look at the water,
Feed the ducks
Read the Times...

But soon it will be too cold for baby and me.
Where will we go when we need to escape?

We want to come to your cafe
Eat your food
Drink your coffee
Buy your cheeses
Maybe even use your wifi tho' we have our own

And perhaps have a chat with another lonely mom?

If you build it we will come.

Inwood Population increased by One

2007-08-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

Hello blogosphere and my apologies for my long absence. I went in to labor 2 days after my last post and have since been consumed with tending to my new son! As I should have predicted, my goal to blog twice weekly has been seriously compromised by the little guy's needs, but I intend to continue singing the praises of Inwood here in Cyberspace as regularly as possible. My next substantial post shall be on the topic of Inwood Culture, but in the meantime, here's my Inwood moment for today:

Our baby boy didn't cry much when he came home from the hospital, but in recent days he has started doing that thing that I understand all new babies do...crying for no apparent reason. He's not hungry, not tired, doesn't need a change, and yet he's cranky. He started fussing an hour ago and I was at a loss as to how to make him happy. It happened to be time for my 6 o'clock coffee (a very important part of my new job as mommy) so I poured the coffee in a travel mug, popped Mr. Man into his stroller and headed to Inwood Hill Park. It quieted him down (temporarily) and I headed home, walking East on 218th. As I approached Seaman I came to a halt by Baker Field, stopped in my tracks by a glorious chorus of birds. Now I happen to be fascinated by birds and all types of birdsong, but this was a veritabe avian symphony! I was amazed at how so many birds could be gathered together in one place and singing with such gusto. And in Manhattan! It was quite beautiful. I took a few more sips of my coffee and pushed onward with my stroller, once again tickled to be living in Inwood.

The Inwood Farmers' Market

2007-07-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

In my last entry I mentioned the Inwood Farmers' Market and how hubbie and I thought it was staged just for us to entice into moving to Inwood! Well, nearly three years later the market remains one of our favorite things about the neighborhood. Now everyone knows that New York has several great greenmarkets, the mother of them all being in Union Square, but our little market on Isham Street is a true gem! There are a few things we lack in Inwood, which I will elaborate on in a future post, but somehow we are blessed to have a weekly supply of locally grown products delivered to us each Saturday!

That first fall when we moved to Inwood we were saddened to learn that after Thanksgiving, the market shut down for the winter. When the weather turned warmer the next April, we kept looking for the market to return, only to discover that we wouldn’t see the vendors until Memorial Day! Finally, they came back and we enjoyed their wares all summer, but again they went into hibernation in November. This past winter (2006-2007), however, we were thrilled to learn that several of the vendors would continue to serve us ALL WINTER, so the Inwood Farmers' Market is now year-round! There are fewer stands in wintertime, but right now the Market is at the height of its bounty. I believe there are about 15 different stands and here are a few tidbits about the kinds of things you’ll find:

PRODUCE/VEGGIES: I count at least 4 stands dedicated to produce & vegetables. My favorite anchors the Market at its Eastern end where Park Terrace West becomes Cooper Street. This stand is where I buy my salad greens, fresh basil, and recently they have some wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes. They also have eggs, potatoes, herbs and plants for sale. Another great produce stand anchors the Western end and is the first one on your left if you are coming from Seaman Avenue. Last week we picked up spinach, onions and garlic from them but they also have many other vegetables—carrots, radishes, cilantro, etc. In the middle of the market are 2 other smaller produce stands. I patronize these less frequently but they look lovely as well, overflowing as they are with green beans, peppers, zucchini and such.

BREAD: There are 2 stands dedicated to baked goods. The one closer to the Western end has a wider variety of products including foccacia and quiche and the like, but we tend to buy from “Bread Alone” closer to the Eastern end. My husband loves the San Francisco Sour Dough loaves, and we always stock up on baked treats for breakfast. Our favorites are the blueberry muffins, the “morning glory” muffins (a delicious carrot-raisin concoction), the apple tarts and the chocolate-chip-hazelnut scones…yum!

FISH/FOWL/DAIRY: Our farmers’ market also has an egg man, a fish man, and turkey man. The egg man is pretty basic—he mostly carries eggs and whole cow’s milk. The fish stand has a variety of aquatic creatures recently caught in the Long Island Sound. We have enjoyed their fluke, their scallops and recently some top-notch tuna steaks. Often the fish folks will give you helpful hints on preparation as well. And we love the DiPaolo (sp?) Turkey farm! We have used their ground turkey regularly for burgers, meatloaf and meatballs, and we especially like the spicy Italian turkey sausage. Usually, grilled samples of this last item are available for tasting on market day. We sometimes eat it with eggs for breakfast (and today I’ll be putting some in my meat sauce for lasagna!)

ORCHARDS: There are 2 orchards represented at the market. On the Eastern end is “Breezy Hill Orchard.” These guys are all about the pies! I brought their strawberry-rhubarb pie to my 4th of July festivities and it was scrumptious! I also get the very tasty “Empire” apples from this stand and last week we picked up some juicy peaches from them as well. The Samascott Orchard stand at the Western end is also terrific and if you judge by the lines then it might be the most popular stand at the market. They were the first to have tomatoes this season and they go quickly so get there early! We get our berries there (strawberry season seems to be over but the blueberries are ripe and abundant) and lately hubbie can’t keep his hands off of their sugar snap peas! But perhaps our favorite item from this stand is the pear cider. The label boasts one ingredient: ”Carefully selected tree ripened pears”. I call this stuff the nectar of the gods! They have lots of other great items at this stand and both Samascott and Breezy Hill feature the famous “cider doughnuts” that seem to be a must-have for the neighborhood kids.

ALL THE REST: There are 4 other excellent vendors at the market. The stand toward the Western end with the green awning is sort of a catchall. They have greens and sprouts and cheeses and yogurt and breads and granola and meats! You’ll know this one by the lady who works there with her young child strapped to her back. There used to be a stand devoted solely to meats & cheeses (I think they were from Eklund farm and they sold jerky and yummy “snack sticks”) but I have not seen them lately and since their disappearance this catchall stand is the main place for meats. I got my ground beef there last week and they usually have bacon and other cow & pig products. Then there is the flower stand where you can purchase a wide variety of potted plants. I have always had a black thumb and killed some marigolds I bought there in about a week; but my most recent plant purchase from this stand has been absolutely thriving! I forget its name but it is a lovely little thing with yellow & green leaves that slowly turn to purple. They also have beautiful cut flowers-- I was compulsive about the peonies when they were in season but I am equally happy with the other bouquets I’ve picked up there too. The market also has an artisanal cheese stand, which I can’t personally comment on. I think most of the varieties are made from sheep’s milk and one day I will try some, but for now I am off the soft cheeses due to the pregnancy. And finally, there is my favorite character at the market—the honey man. He comes from Tremblay Apiaries and I usually get their “bamboo” honey. The honey man is very chatty and he will tell you anything you want to know about bees and the honey-making processes. One time, I went to see him and complained that I had to use my sugar in my tea since I ran out of honey and he looked horrified and said “Oh no! That stuff will kill ya!” Sadly, I have discovered that the honey man smokes cigarettes. Sugar will kill me but tar and nicotine are ok? Hmmm…something’s out of whack there, but I enjoy him nonetheless.

I think that covers all of our vendors! A quick google search didn’t turn up any detailed pages about the Inwood market so I hope this info encourages you to check it out. Do be warned that it can be pricey, but I think it’s worth it for fresh, local and organic foods, and I am happy to spend my dough there to make sure they keep coming back. I’ll see you at the market every Saturday!

The slow creep northward

2007-07-14T15:31:00.000-04:00

So how does one end up at the top of the island without developing vertigo? Well, for me it was a gradual thing. I first moved to the city in 1994 and shared a railroad apartment on West 43rd Street with 2 male roomates. It was cheap, it was fun and after a year I had to get out of there. I had roomed with women in college, with men post-college, and I finally decided that both genders had their issues and I'd prefer to live alone. So I decided to look for an apartment in Manhattan (studio or 1BR) that I could afford by myself. At the time I had a decent waitressing job but, of course, was struggling and I wanted to pay around $500/month. Even then, finding a solo place for that amount in Manhattan was pretty impossible. My broker actually laughed at me. In the end, I had to come up in price to $595 but I found a bright, clean and not-too-cramped studio on Manhattan Avenue and 103rd Street. But I hesitated. I felt I was moving to the ends of the earth. With the exception of one visit to a bar near Columbia U., I had never been that far North and no one I knew lived there. Friends were shocked I was going up so high. Moreover, the neighborhood was a bit sketchy for my 22-year-old single, white self. The broker reassured me that while some characters might try to sell me drugs on 103, the neighborhood was safe and a Rockette had just moved into the apartment below mine. Still, there was a dicey housing project across the street and I would be one of very few white people in the building. I guess what ultimately sold me was the super. Smitty was probably in his mid-50's at the time with an endearing chuckle and something very fatherly about him. I felt reassured. I signed the lease and stayed 5 years.

I loved that studio and that building. And as the years passed I watched the neighborhood change around me. More and more people that looked like me were moving in and new business were springing up on Broadway. People were getting priced out of the Upper West Side and suddenly the invisible line above 96th street started to fade and the 100's up to Columbia became inviting. I was thrilled but I was outgrowing my studio. Mostly I was sick of sleeping on a futon couch and wanted a real bed and real bedroom to put it in. Sadly, my neighborhood had gentrified so much that I couldn't afford a one bedroom in my beloved building. And so, it was time to move once more. Again, I wanted my own place in Manhattan, but this time I hade to have either a 1BR or a very large alcove studio and I didn't want to spend more than $700/month (I had a real job at this point but still was not making tons of money). Again, I had set myself a ridiculous goal, but I was determined. I was pleased with how things had turned out on 103rd street and I figured I simply had to find another cheap neighborhood that was "on the edge" and wait for it to gentrify. I considered myself a pioneer! And now that I was 27 and had lived in NYC for 6 years, I was much less afraid of the grit. My comfort zone had widened so I was more willing to consider neighborhoods and buildings that I would not have 5 years earlier. This is how I came to live in a dump on 139th Street.

The new apartment met my criteria-it was around $700/month and had a large sunny bedroom with a southern exposure. And if you leaned the right way by the kitchen window you could even get a glimpse of the Hudson. I had a river view! But the apartment was not exactly nice. It had an ugly linoleum floor that I despised and was just generally not very appealing. The building was worse--dirty, urine-scented hallways, bullet holes in the stairwell windows and teenagers selling weed and lord-knows-what-else out of the lobby. Once again, I was one of only a couple of white people in the building and once again I was reassured by the super--a sweet Latin guy in his 30's who lived with his sweeter wife and new baby. If it was safe enough for his family, I thought, then I could live there too, and remember, I was a pioneer! I was convinced it would only be a matter of time before everyone else moved north again. So I waited. I held my breath. There were encouraging signs like when a college acquaintance moved in a few blocks from me. And then, the holy grail of gentrification appeared--one day, there it was across Broadway--a Starbucks! This is it, I told myself. Now my friends will start moving up here and I will be vindicated! But they never did. I lived there for 3 years and the neighborhood never changed. In the meantime, I started dating the man who would become my husband who was subletting in Washington Heights and that's when I realized what was happening. The gentrification had moved north again all right, but it had pretty much skipped from 126th Street to 181st! In order to stay ahead of the curve I would have to move EVEN FARTHER NORTH!

So I went out on tour for a year and the week before I left to go on the road I fractured my finger wrestling my wallet back from some guy who was trying to rob me on the subway platform at 137th street. A perfect goodbye to that neighborhood. A year later, I was back from the road and had saved up a bunch of cash (I held no lease while I was touring). My soon-to-be fiancee and I were getting serious and we found a six-month sublet in midtown while we figured out our next move. We decided to buy a one bedroom. We both liked the Washington Heights area where he had been subletting previously and I was still determined to stay in Manhattan. We knew we could probably get the most for our money way uptown in the Heights or in a neighborhood right above it that we'd been hearing about called Inwood. So we searched. Or I should say, I searched. He was working crazy hours and I was temporarily unemployed so I previewed all of the apartments. I finally found the one I wanted. Unfortunately, on the only day he was available to come see it, the broker was not working and couldn't get us access. I dragged him up to Inwood anyway. I showed him the building from the outside. It was on Indian Road and the front door literally opened onto Inwood Hill Park. We sat in the park and stared at the river. My husband is an outdoorsy type from the South and really values being near nature. He was bowled over by the huge park and especially the building's proximity to it. Even though he had yet to see the apartment itself, we pretty much decided that day to buy the place.

The day of our final walk through before the closing was in early November 2004. All the trees were brilliantly colored and the farmers market was a cornucopia of Fall's harvest-apples and cider and pumpkins! The air was crisp and dogs and children bustled about. The ballplayers were squeezing in their last games before the weather turned cold and bat cracks rang through the air. We joked as we ambled around Inwood on such a glorious day, that our real estate brokers had hired all of these people as extras to convince us that buying in the neighborhood was the right thing to do. It surely was. Our migration North finally ended and we have been deliriously happy here ever since. When just 2 years after buying our apartment we learned that I was pregnant and we needed more space, we migrated East instead...but just 2 blocks East! At least for now, Inwood is home-- our son's first home--and we are where we belong.

Inwood Pride

2007-07-11T18:35:00.000-04:00

In the New York Times City section this past weekend there was a lengthy piece about the proliferation of “Brooklyn” blogs. This was not surprising to me, as many Brooklynites seem to display a passionate love of their borough. I can also buy the theory mentioned in the article that the “high ratio of homeowners to renters…inspires a strong bond beyond resident and neighborhood.” Might I also suggest that residents of Brooklyn are often put on the defensive about their ‘hood by Manhattanites and thus as a species, are compelled to extol Brooklyn’s virtues at every opportunity. I’m here to say that I don’t live in Brooklyn, but I can totally relate. You see, I live in Inwood and I, too, love my ‘hood.

Let’s start with the T-shirts. My husband and I own several T-shirts emblazoned with the name of our neighborhood. When friends have moved close by we have given Inwood T-shirts as gifts (we purchased them from local merchants or ordered them on www.neighborhoodies.com). Rarely does a day by go where I don’t spot someone sporting an Inwood tee around these parts. Now, I have been a New Yorker for over 13 years; I have lived, worked and spent time in many neighborhoods and I have never seen such overt neighborhood pride (with the possible exception of the aforementioned borough of Brooklyn) as I have here in Inwood. I know lots of people who love living on the Upper West Side but would they go so far as to wear it on their chests? Not that I’ve seen, and the idea of an Upper East Side tee is just laughable.

No, I think Inwood-pride is unique and that’s why I am starting this blog. Well, the fact that I have just quit my job and I’m hanging around the house waiting for my son to be born may have something to do with it too! Surely once I become a mom this blog will morph with motherhood, but my intent for now is to talk about Inwood and connect with others who love living here as much as I do (and maybe even encourage skeptics to come North). So the inherent question in this first entry is “Why Inwood pride?”

Well, I think that the two reasons touched on above with regard to Brooklyn certainly apply. While I have no statistics on the matter, I’m pretty certain that we have an ever-growing number of homeowners up here, as Inwood remains one of the last affordable neighborhoods in Manhattan, so the “bonds between resident and neighborhood” seem to be burgeoning and blossoming. We also may have a teensy weensy chip on our shoulders and feel the need to defend ourselves. Sure, we can still (technically) be snobby Manhattanites and look down our noses at the other boroughs, but let’s face it, it’s just as hard to throw a party in Inwood as it is in any of the outer boroughs. In fact, I must sheepishly admit I’ve never tried it. I just assume that the majority of my non-Inwood friends still consider Washington Heights, let alone Inwood to be somewhere VERY FAR away and a HUGE PAIN to get to. And while I know now they are wrong, I remember that feeling and it can be hard to get past it until you actually live here. Hence the chip, the defensiveness, and the need to wear Inwood T-shirts in order to proclaim “No, really! Inwood is a great place to live and it’s worth the trip!”

Of course, there are many, many more reasons for Inwood pride and I plan to discuss them all in upcoming entries. I’ll do my best to blog bi-weekly on all things Inwood, plus whatever else inspires me. In the meantime, I welcome your posts about what YOU love about living here. My name is Amy and I’ll write again soon From the Top of the Island.