Upper West Side Street Food

Great News for Upper West Siders, and a sure sign of spring: The Empanada Lady is back!

The lady with the food truck at Riverside near the ball fields at 101 street is back, and she's got a much bigger cart with lots of food from Ecuador!

If you haven't tried them, her beef, chicken and cheese empanadas are the best around. 

In addition, there's a food truck called the El Paso Taco Truck which is often parked in front of Whole Foods on Columbus and 98th street. Yummy tacos and more!

Who says the upper West Side doesn't have great food?

Morningside Heights

The general boundaries for Morningside Heights include 106th street to the South, Riverside Drive to the West, Morningside Drive to the East, and somewhere around 125th street on the northside.

Morningside Heights has always been dominated by Columbia University. The University is the largest landowner, the biggest landlord, and often the center of local protests and anguish. It's also given the neighborhood its intellectual and cultural bent. The area has always been known for its multicultural, lefty feel and its plethora of bookstores. This is the upper West Side that people refer to.

Morningside is home to the best children's bookstore in the city: Bank Street Bookstore. Its staff is unbelievably knowledgeable and helpful and it is the best place to browse children's books as well as educator's books. In addition, there are now 2 offshoots of Book Culture (formerly Labrynth Books) in the area.  What other neighborhood offers 3 independent bookstores?

Broadway is the main shopping avenue, although Amsterdam offers some quirky, often wonderful shops and restaurants. In particular, V and T (some of the best pizza around, next to Sal and Carmines on 101st street), the Hungarian Pastry Shop, Kitchenette Restaurant.

Amsterdam Avenue is becoming the new restuarant row, with Thai market, the ramen shop, and La Toulousaine bakery.

Also on Amsterdam is the Cathedral of St John the Divine, a wonder to behold of architecture and faith. Next to it is St. Lukes Hospital.

In terms of schools in the neighborhood, most people send their kids to public school outside the catchment, but many choose the public option. As for private schools, there are many excellent schools to choose from including the Columbia school, the Bank Street School, St. Hilda's, the Cathedral School, the school at Riverside Church (another architectural wonder).

As for restaurants, those who say that the neighborhood doesn't have any, doesn't know the neighborhood. In addition to Kitchenette (best comfort food around...makes good enough to eat seem like wendy's), there's Community,  Ollie's, Mel's Burgers, Terrace in the Sky. West Side Market is a beloved local market, there's a farmer's market in season at 114th and Broadway, the hummus at Samad's market is the best I've ever had, and Absolute Bagels puts H and H to shame. While technically a little south of Morningside Heights, the Silver Moon bakery has the best bread in Manhattan. Not to mention those ridiculous Bavarian pretzels.

As for the real estate, there is no question in my mind that in general, you will get more for your money in Morningside Heights. West of Broadway is safe and beautiful all the way up. Many apartments on Broadway are glorious and spacious. Some buildings on Amsterdam are equally charming with gracious layouts. 

There's a local subway at 116th, 110th, and 103rd. The neighborhood may to some feel overrun with students, but I find it a refreshing change from the mallification overcrowding of the 70's and 80's.

Morningside Heights feels like a real neighborhood. It's diverse, vibrant and improving all the time. Pilates Shop/Yoga Garage has one of the most experienced team of instructors anywhere in the city. (Peter Roel, the owner, trained with the original disciples). Riverside Park is filled with runners, children,dogs, soccer players (check out the playing fields from 101st and Riverside all the way to 108th and Riverside). At 103rd and Riverside is the Dog Park as well as a lovely seasonal restaurant overlooking the sandy volleyball area as well as the river. It makes me feel sorry for people who don't live here.

For those people who won't look above 96th street, I'd urge you to reconsider. Morningside Heights (and it's southern neighbor Manhattan Valley) have a lot to offer.

The Seven Stages of Buyers

Most of us know about the 7 stages of Grief and a lot can be understood when applying these principles to a buyer of Manhattan Real estate.

1. Shock and Denial. I would amend this for our purposes and add: Elation, then shock, then denial. First, the buyer is elated about purchaing a new home. She visualized herself by her fireplace, next to her window overlooking Central Park. She imagines the dinner parties with 50 guests and the exact shade of green she will paint her skim-coated bedroom. Pretty soon after the second or third weekend of open houses, shock and denial sets in.

She doesn't have enough for the down payment. She might not get a mortgage. What are transfer taxes anyway and why does she have to pay them? Why does she have to submit her financials to the board?

2. Pain and Guilt. Tortured by the lack of resources, our buyer second guesses herself and wonders whether she should have sold her rambling 2000 sf home with a patio, a parking spot, and a playroom. She wakes up with night sweats. She's filled with seller's remorse.

3.Anger and bargaining. Maybe it's her broker. Maybe she could get a different mortgage and have more to spend. She'll re-arrange every spreadsheet and WILL them to change.

4. Depression, reflection, lonliness. Her friends have gotten bored with open houses weeks ago. She spends way too long every night trolling the internet for new listings. (Hint: hitting refresh every five minutes probably won't find you an apartment any sooner).

5.The Upward Turn. Maybe she doesn't need a park view. Maybe she could make the closets in that pre-war work. The maintenance was good on the apartment she saw last week...

6. Reconstruction and working through. In her mind, she has created a false ideal of an apartment. But lately, she's liking more and more apartments on line, and she's able to visualize herself living in some, not all of them.

7. Acceptance and Hope. She found an apartment that she loves, she was able to trust her broker to negotiate, and she got a deal that she's thrilled with. She's moving in 2 months, and she'll invite you to her cocktail party. It may not have a Central Park View, but you can see the River from every room!