This was my first time in New York City to not *gasp* stay in Manhattan. Instead, I stayed in a 1940’s highrise in Riverdale (a flat owned by a friend), a Jewish community in the northwest Bronx. Old, Great Gatsby-like houses with cast-iron gates perch atop tree-lined cliffs in turn-of-the-century grandeur. From here, the Hudson actually looks beautiful. At the edge of town, near the bagel shop and Starbucks, rows of newer multi-story apartments stand guard. It reminded me nothing of Manhattan, more like a typical old school East Coast town – a mix of upper middle class (I’m assuming) and working class. And not a tourist in sight.
After being picked up at LaGuardia Airport, we headed straight to the Bagel Corner (581 W 235th St) for coffee and bagels. $14 later, we had 2 coffees and 2 bagels — one with lox and cream cheese, one plain and buttered. The ladies running the place were no-nonsense in a typical New-Yorker-with-an-accent way. When one of the surly ladies asked if I wanted sugar and milk, in went two heaping lumps of plain sugar, and a quarter cup of cream. I didn’t dare explain that I was hoping for 1 packet of splenda and a bit of soy milk. Gulp. Here’s your damn coffee, and you better like it!
From the Bronx to Little Italy took about 35-45 minutes by car, given traffic and rain. We lunched at Red Egg (202 Centre St), which supposedly featured a menu of fusion Chinese-Peruvian food. We only tried the dim sum, which was, for the most part, Chinese without the Peruvian.
Some items were delicious:
Red Egg Special Puff