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The above screen shot is a rating of Terminal from TripAdvisor. The title of the review is in quotes to suggest sarcasm. Although Terminal 5 is accessible in theory the user describes an inaccessible experience. He and his wheelchair-bound friend were told to arrive early so that they could be let in first. Not necessarily a effort to get prime seating, but at as a safety precaution. That didn’t happen. Can imagine trying to propel your wheelchair while avoiding being pummeled? It can be pretty horrid.

He then goes on to talk about where safety precaution should be thought along with show viewings. A rope separated handicapped patrons from the rest of the concertgoers leaving him and his friend with limited viewing. There was also a complaint about somebody not handicapped being in the area. These to problems go hand and hand most times. Physically challenged patrons desire to experience the concert in the same way as everyone else, but many (definitely not all) are also concerned about their safety. To combat this a venue like Terminal 5 should give patrons an option regarding where they sit or find a better place to put patrons like us.

He then  mentioned something I have yet to experience. Friends of patrons were told that they were not allowed to sit on the chairs in the area. The reviewer  recalls a security guard saying, “the chairs that were there were not for me, that this area is not for you people it is for them.” One would think that would allow friends to sit, but not in Terminal 5’s case.

Looking at it from a glance, it may be safe to say not to set high expectations for Terminal 5 if you’re on wheels, crutches, or sporting a cane. If you don’t care about being able to see, then this may be the place to be.

The above screen shot is a rating of Terminal from TripAdvisor. The title of the review is in quotes to suggest sarcasm. Although Terminal 5 is accessible in theory the user describes an inaccessible experience. He and his wheelchair-bound friend were told to arrive early so that they could be let in first. Not necessarily a effort to get prime seating, but at as a safety precaution. That didn’t happen. Can imagine trying to propel your wheelchair while avoiding being pummeled? It can be pretty horrid.

He then goes on to talk about where safety precaution should be thought along with show viewings. A rope separated handicapped patrons from the rest of the concertgoers leaving him and his friend with limited viewing. There was also a complaint about somebody not handicapped being in the area. These to problems go hand and hand most times. Physically challenged patrons desire to experience the concert in the same way as everyone else, but many (definitely not all) are also concerned about their safety. To combat this a venue like Terminal 5 should give patrons an option regarding where they sit or find a better place to put patrons like us.

He then  mentioned something I have yet to experience. Friends of patrons were told that they were not allowed to sit on the chairs in the area. The reviewer  recalls a security guard saying, “the chairs that were there were not for me, that this area is not for you people it is for them.” One would think that would allow friends to sit, but not in Terminal 5’s case.

Looking at it from a glance, it may be safe to say not to set high expectations for Terminal 5 if you’re on wheels, crutches, or sporting a cane. If you don’t care about being able to see, then this may be the place to be.

The above screen shot is a rating of Terminal from TripAdvisor. The title of the review is in quotes to suggest sarcasm. Although Terminal 5 is accessible in theory the user describes an inaccessible experience. He and his wheelchair-bound friend were told to arrive early so that they could be let in first. Not necessarily a effort to get prime seating, but at as a safety precaution. That didn’t happen. Can imagine trying to propel your wheelchair while avoiding being pummeled? It can be pretty horrid.

He then goes on to talk about where safety precaution should be thought along with show viewings. A rope separated handicapped patrons from the rest of the concertgoers leaving him and his friend with limited viewing. There was also a complaint about somebody not handicapped being in the area. These to problems go hand and hand most times. Physically challenged patrons desire to experience the concert in the same way as everyone else, but many (definitely not all) are also concerned about their safety. To combat this a venue like Terminal 5 should give patrons an option regarding where they sit or find a better place to put patrons like us.

He then  mentioned something I have yet to experience. Friends of patrons were told that they were not allowed to sit on the chairs in the area. The reviewer  recalls a security guard saying, “the chairs that were there were not for me, that this area is not for you people it is for them.” One would think that would allow friends to sit, but not in Terminal 5’s case.

Looking at it from a glance, it may be safe to say not to set high expectations for Terminal 5 if you’re on wheels, crutches, or sporting a cane. If you don’t care about being able to see, then this may be the place to be.

The Grange Bar & Eatery entrance.

Roy Henley, owner of The Grange Bar & Eatery, and I engaged in an enlightening conversation at his restaurant. He gave me a brief spiel on the history of Hamilton Heights and how interconnected the theme of the restaurant is with area. He filled me in on everything a customer would want to know about the development of the restaurant, but also everything a resident would want to know about the transforming neighborhood it resides in.

If Harlem residents are looking for organic, farm-to-table eats, look no further than this farmhouse bistro on 141^st and Amsterdam. After living in Harlem for many years, Roy and his wife Rita Royer-Henley, believed Hamilton Heights was in need of a space where residents can eat, drink and socialize. On June 6, 2013, all guests were welcomed to celebrate the grand opening of the restaurant.

Owners Roy Henley and Rita Royer-Henley – via Roy H

Our Conversation

Tell me about yourself. Your background, school, where you were raised?

“So I’m originally from Ireland. And I moved to New York in 2001. I was initially just passing through, traveling for a couple of years, and then I started working in the bar industry in New York downtown, Midtown.”

As a bartender?

“Yes, as a bartender. I just kind of fell in love with the city. I moved home again for six months in 2003, but came back in 2004. I continued working in the bar industry as a bartender, I moved up to a manager, and then I moved up to a general manager. Then I opened up a couple of restaurants and bars downtown with a couple of Irish owners, so mostly Irish bars in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.”

Were those pubs?

“Yes, more Irish pubs than anything. So I had a background in beer bars, and then I went into wine bars and cocktail bars. So I had a good background in all of that, and obviously the food came hand in hand with those places. I lived in Harlem in 2006….”

…Which part?

“In this neighborhood, Hamilton Heights. I lived on 150^th for a while, I lived on Riverside for a while, now I live on 145^th and Bradhurst with my wife. We had seen a void and a need for something in the neighborhood, from a need of our own. We were always going down to Frederick Douglas on 116^th, to get something to eat or to socialize, or the Upper Westside, or even further afield. With my background, being in the business, and my wife’s – she worked in liquor and sales, she was a brand ambassador for a rum company – we both wanted to do something, and we kind of stumbled upon this place in March 2012.”

What was this, do you remember?

“The bar area you’re sitting in now was a florist, “Diva’s Flowers.” And the dining area space was a bank. It was vacant for about five or six years, so there was nothing in here. When we initially looked at this space you can see that there was an ATM lobby here, and tellers, cashiers, and stuff behind the bulletproof screening. Further back was pretty bent and in bad repair. There was a lot of water damage towards the back.”

The columns were once part of the bank that used to reside in this space.

And that’s where the kitchen is?

“Yes, and the private dining room.”

What is the name of the private dining room?

“’The Study.’” We were negotiating for a couple of months. We did heavy negotiations in August 2012, but we signed the lease in September 2012. So once we took over the lease, we completely demoed the whole space because there was nothing in here we could possibly use for a restaurant.”

How long did it take you to build everything?

“It took us eight months. The only thing existing before us are the structural columns. We built the bar area around the columns, which really works, and looks great.”

So what inspired you to do a farm theme?

“Well I’m originally from a farm. I grew up on a farm, so I have a farming background.”

So would you say you were a farmer?

“I would say my family were farmers, I wasn’t much of a farmer. I worked in banking when I grew up.”

Where in Ireland are you from?

“County Waterford. And my wife is actually Dominican.”

Is she from New York?

“She was born in New York, but grew up in DR. Her father was a doctor here in New York… So once we started developing the space, the whole idea revolved around The Grange. When we linked the Grange as an Irish farmhouse with Hamilton Grange down the hill, it tied in perfectly. And with the farm-to-table idea, it went hand in hand with everything.”

Would you say this restaurant preserves the culture of Harlem, or do you think it’s changing the culture?

“I think it preserves the culture. With Hamilton Grange down the hill, it definitely preserves the culture of Hamilton Grange. This area of Hamilton Heights was a farmland. It was where Hamilton Alexander had his farm, so it ties in perfectly with that. And the food we serve also goes perfectly with the theme. A lot of our produce is organic, so is our chicken and beef. When we do private room dining, it’s one hundred percent organic. Our chef goes to the farmer’s market that morning and buys everything for the party that night, then preps and plates the whole menu.”

What kind of crowd would you say the restaurant draws in?

“Anywhere from young professionals, to middle aged older Harlem residents. We have everything here. We have a very mixed crowd, which is great. We wanted to create an atmosphere for everybody. We set the music up in three different zones, so when you walk into the bar area, it’s more of a younger louder area. As you go back into the dining area, you can have a louder conversation because the music is lower.”

The bar area is located closer to the entrance.

As for my final question; what are your future plans for the restaurant? Do you want it to expand? Where do you see it going?

“I don’t think we’re going it expand per se, but my goal is to have it here for a long time and for it to become a staple part of the neighborhood- and hopefully the neighborhood will build and grow around it. That’s my ultimate goal. We also want more places to open around us, because in my book a healthy neighborhood is a place where bars and restaurants open all over the place and not just one place. We were one of the first in this immediate area, but we want more places to open because that means more people are moving in. I don’t know if I like the word gentrification, but sometimes it happens in a way that it’s achievable, and it’s growing and it’s healthy.”

The Grange Bar & Eatery entrance.

Roy Henley, owner of The Grange Bar & Eatery, and I engaged in an enlightening conversation at his restaurant. He gave me a brief spiel on the history of Hamilton Heights and how interconnected the theme of the restaurant is with area. He filled me in on everything a customer would want to know about the development of the restaurant, but also everything a resident would want to know about the transforming neighborhood it resides in.

If Harlem residents are looking for organic, farm-to-table eats, look no further than this farmhouse bistro on 141^st and Amsterdam. After living in Harlem for many years, Roy and his wife Rita Royer-Henley, believed Hamilton Heights was in need of a space where residents can eat, drink and socialize. On June 6, 2013, all guests were welcomed to celebrate the grand opening of the restaurant.

Owners Roy Henley and Rita Royer-Henley – via Roy H

Our Conversation

Tell me about yourself. Your background, school, where you were raised?

“So I’m originally from Ireland. And I moved to New York in 2001. I was initially just passing through, traveling for a couple of years, and then I started working in the bar industry in New York downtown, Midtown.”

As a bartender?

“Yes, as a bartender. I just kind of fell in love with the city. I moved home again for six months in 2003, but came back in 2004. I continued working in the bar industry as a bartender, I moved up to a manager, and then I moved up to a general manager. Then I opened up a couple of restaurants and bars downtown with a couple of Irish owners, so mostly Irish bars in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.”

Were those pubs?

“Yes, more Irish pubs than anything. So I had a background in beer bars, and then I went into wine bars and cocktail bars. So I had a good background in all of that, and obviously the food came hand in hand with those places. I lived in Harlem in 2006….”

…Which part?

“In this neighborhood, Hamilton Heights. I lived on 150^th for a while, I lived on Riverside for a while, now I live on 145^th and Bradhurst with my wife. We had seen a void and a need for something in the neighborhood, from a need of our own. We were always going down to Frederick Douglas on 116^th, to get something to eat or to socialize, or the Upper Westside, or even further afield. With my background, being in the business, and my wife’s – she worked in liquor and sales, she was a brand ambassador for a rum company – we both wanted to do something, and we kind of stumbled upon this place in March 2012.”

What was this, do you remember?

“The bar area you’re sitting in now was a florist, “Diva’s Flowers.” And the dining area space was a bank. It was vacant for about five or six years, so there was nothing in here. When we initially looked at this space you can see that there was an ATM lobby here, and tellers, cashiers, and stuff behind the bulletproof screening. Further back was pretty bent and in bad repair. There was a lot of water damage towards the back.”

The columns were once part of the bank that used to reside in this space.

And that’s where the kitchen is?

“Yes, and the private dining room.”

What is the name of the private dining room?

“’The Study.’” We were negotiating for a couple of months. We did heavy negotiations in August 2012, but we signed the lease in September 2012. So once we took over the lease, we completely demoed the whole space because there was nothing in here we could possibly use for a restaurant.”

How long did it take you to build everything?

“It took us eight months. The only thing existing before us are the structural columns. We built the bar area around the columns, which really works, and looks great.”

So what inspired you to do a farm theme?

“Well I’m originally from a farm. I grew up on a farm, so I have a farming background.”

So would you say you were a farmer?

“I would say my family were farmers, I wasn’t much of a farmer. I worked in banking when I grew up.”

Where in Ireland are you from?

“County Waterford. And my wife is actually Dominican.”

Is she from New York?

“She was born in New York, but grew up in DR. Her father was a doctor here in New York… So once we started developing the space, the whole idea revolved around The Grange. When we linked the Grange as an Irish farmhouse with Hamilton Grange down the hill, it tied in perfectly. And with the farm-to-table idea, it went hand in hand with everything.”

Would you say this restaurant preserves the culture of Harlem, or do you think it’s changing the culture?

“I think it preserves the culture. With Hamilton Grange down the hill, it definitely preserves the culture of Hamilton Grange. This area of Hamilton Heights was a farmland. It was where Hamilton Alexander had his farm, so it ties in perfectly with that. And the food we serve also goes perfectly with the theme. A lot of our produce is organic, so is our chicken and beef. When we do private room dining, it’s one hundred percent organic. Our chef goes to the farmer’s market that morning and buys everything for the party that night, then preps and plates the whole menu.”

What kind of crowd would you say the restaurant draws in?

“Anywhere from young professionals, to middle aged older Harlem residents. We have everything here. We have a very mixed crowd, which is great. We wanted to create an atmosphere for everybody. We set the music up in three different zones, so when you walk into the bar area, it’s more of a younger louder area. As you go back into the dining area, you can have a louder conversation because the music is lower.”

The bar area is located closer to the entrance.

As for my final question; what are your future plans for the restaurant? Do you want it to expand? Where do you see it going?

“I don’t think we’re going it expand per se, but my goal is to have it here for a long time and for it to become a staple part of the neighborhood- and hopefully the neighborhood will build and grow around it. That’s my ultimate goal. We also want more places to open around us, because in my book a healthy neighborhood is a place where bars and restaurants open all over the place and not just one place. We were one of the first in this immediate area, but we want more places to open because that means more people are moving in. I don’t know if I like the word gentrification, but sometimes it happens in a way that it’s achievable, and it’s growing and it’s healthy.”

Located in Bay Ridge Brooklyn is a small Mexican food restaurant that pops out with its teal exterior walls and bright blue frames. There is a main door used for entrance and exit but also a larger door that owners Luis and Veronica Felipe open in the summer time to allow the crisp air to roam through the restaurant. Inside the restaurant are more bright colors. The left wall is painted a bright blue but the right wall is painted an outstanding orange. Small novelty items such as sombreros and dolls fill the store as it provides the Mexican culture that surrounds the store. When Veronica is cooking, the savory smell of the meat grilling completely takes over the restaurant and teases my nose as if I wasn’t already hungry enough.

This little store is called Coszcal de Allende formerly known as Panchos. Luis and Veronica Felipe opened the restaurant in January of 2009. They had two other restaurants in Manhattan that they had to close down previous to this restaurant because of rise of the daunting rent prices. The Felipes could not afford to stay open and in 2005 and closed the two restaurants in Manhattan. After taking 5 years off of the restaurant business, Luis realized he wanted to open a restaurant again.

“We missed the restaurant business.” said Luis. “We found a spot in Brooklyn and decided to try again.”

Five years after their re-launch, Coszcal de Allende is doing well. They provide customers in the neighborhood with authentic Mexican cuisines but people will travel from other neighborhoods to enjoy Coszcal de Allende.

“Since we opened the bar recently, people have been coming from all over to eat here.” said Fabiola, daughter of the owners. “People from Park Slope and Sunset Park come over here through word of mouth to eat our food and drink at our bar.”

The previous unique name of their store, Panchos comes from the famous José Doroteo Arango Arámbula, better known by his nickname Pancho Villa. He was one of the most renowned Mexican Revolutionary generals. Pancho Villa fought for Mexican independence in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Felipes wanted their restaurant to represent a strong and courageous man who fought for their country.

Recently, they changed their name to something that wouldn’t confuse the guest as much. People often mistook the name for a poncho that people wore in the rain. The Felipes changed the name to Coszcal de Allende.

“Coszcal means jewels in Aztec dialect and we’re from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico,” said Fabiola. “So jewels of Allende is the name we can up with.”

The Felipes are really proud of their culture and exemplify it in their business. They treat their customers with extreme kindness and use only authentic ingredients in their food. Their menu is completely in Spanish but don’t worry, if my four years of high school Spanish has taught me anything, it’s that pollo mean chicken and burritos is the same in English than it is Spanish. But don’t worry, the friendly wait staff are prepared to answer any and all of their customers’ questions.

When asked how their small business is able to survive against the big corporations and the recent recession, Fabiola responded by telling me how they run their business.
“We’ve always been a family business.” said Fabiola. “Everyone has their own little job. My dad is the handy man and fixes anything that broken. My mom is the chef and cooks all the food in the kitchen. I sometimes help her but now am mainly the bar tender but also do all the creative thinking.”

Everyone works hard and does their job to provide the best food and experience for their customers. Customers can view their menu on their website and call, order online for delivery or pickup or simply make a quick stop to the cute store to enjoy the authentic food. Chipotle doesn’t even put up a fight against Coszcal de Allende.

Walking passed big warehouses, with double wide streets to accommodate delivery trucks, I was beginning to feel lost, and that Google Maps had failed me.  I was about to give up when I spotted chalkboard sight propping up a door that read something like ‘rooftop farm upstairs.’  I couldn’t have been more excited and I ran […]

Walking passed big warehouses, with double wide streets to accommodate delivery trucks, I was beginning to feel lost, and that Google Maps had failed me.  I was about to give up when I spotted chalkboard sight propping up a door that read something like ‘rooftop farm upstairs.’  I couldn’t have been more excited and I ran up the steps as fast as I could and before I got the chance to catch my breath I was met by Annie, the Eagle Street Farm manager.

The farm is collaboration between Brooklyn-based Broadway Stages, which has a history of reaching out to help the local community and green roofing company Goode Green.  According to a 2012 fact sheet, the roof can hold 1.5 inches of rain stopping storm runoff, and the captured water actually helps cool the building and results in lower cooling costs.

Ms. Novak understands that she is at the forefront of the modern movement with her concept of green roofing. “What’s unique about our space is that it’s a green roof, so it’s structured to have a fully landscaped membrane that is completely covered in soil, it is not a container garden. And the nice thing about that, that in addition to growing produce, which is great, it also captures storm water, which is a really big deal for New York because our population far exceeds our ability to operate our sewage system.”

During the growing season, Eagle St. grows a lot of food; they grow cucumbers, hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, spinach, radishes, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, peas, beans, herbs, and flowers, according to their 2012 Fact sheet.  Additionally the farm has also begun harvesting honey. The farm sells their produce from its site based Sunday open market.

Annie wants to use this farm as a model for how others should start thinking, … this idea that can be tied into an ecological solution for cities, and that’s important. That’s something that Portland does well, something Toronto does very well, it’s something Chicago does very well, it’s soething that’s happening in Paris, and happening for a very long time in berlin.  I think we get a lot of attention at this farm, because we have a really kick ass view, and I like to talk about it, other than that we aren’t doing anything super original. In fact, I would rather we were less original, because that would mean that more people were doing go0 d things.”

Local volunteers maintain the farm, and there is a weekly farmers market where people can go up and check out the scene.  It’s a large 6000 Square foot plot of farm, with a heart-stopping view of the New York Skyline. Visitors can buy produce such as cherry tomatoes grown right upstairs.

“So where you get this kind of thing, rooftop farming is so revolutionary, people have never actually seen stuff growing before, and to me that’s one of the more deeply horrifying things.” Said Ms. Novak, “Again, education is the key to making smart urban development happen, if you don’t know where a carrot comes from you probably don’t care at all about storm water runoff, you know?”