Musings on Merchants

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

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?