Introduction to this astonishing neighborhood…
Stretched in the middle of the street, Broadway Malls has neat rows of trees and benches. There were a total of 58 trees on Broadway from 139th to 145th. Broadway is filled with the hustle and bustle of businesses ranging from groceries to floral shops. On the south corner of 141st stands Super Value Meat Market with a green conspicuous sign announcing its presence. Right across is Broadway Cleaners, another prominent commerce. A few steps north will take you to Broadway and West 141 Street bus stop. The M4 towards The Cloisters and M5 towards George Washington Bridge are the two buses in the south direction. Despite the grand architecture, the building of two competing dentists had an abandoned aura as there were windows without glass in the upper floors. A Chinese takeout place – with quite unsanitary and smoky walls – had a lot of customers waiting in line.
Every step of the way something new is discovered and every store that is passed more and more is learned about the diversity of New York. From 139th St to 143rd St, Broadway is populated with distinctive Hispanic cultures. Everywhere you look around, you see Spanish signs. The first place that grabs attention is the Picante Mexican Restaurant and Bar Lounge between 139th St and 140th St. Its orange and blue colors are quite unique and stand out amongst all the other stores around it. Just a few stores down from this Mexican Restaurant is a “Nails and Spa” place. Interestingly, in this area there are many “beauty” places—in fact more than five. Some are even right next to each other—talk about competition! Speaking of competition, there are also so many barbershops in the area. One of them has the word No. 1 written in the top left-hand corner of the awning of the store signifying that this shop is the best one you are going to find in the area. The overall surroundings of the area are quite beautiful too. Fascinatingly, in the middle of the road starting from 139th St, there is a long section called “Broadway malls” which features a lot of trees and even some birds made out of stone.
Between 143rd and 145th street lie some colorful store signs contrasting in appearance, as well as ethnic origins. One of the first stores visible upon reaching 143rd St. is Eddy’s Muebleria and Diaz Mini Market, both Hispanic-owned businesses. Walking further up there is Diamond pawnshop, JUMBO (a 99 cent store), a closed stored, also by the name of Diamond, La Condesa, and B-Jays. Right across from this block is a lone apartment building entrance, Acapulco records and grocery, another pawnshop, a unisex hair salon, and a chase bank. From this line-up it is evident that there is a duality of character noticeable through the combination of ethnically derived businesses and well-known American big businesses, such as Chase.
Now that we said it in words, let’s say it in pictures!
An eye-grabbing barber shop that has the courage to claim that he is "No.1" signifying that he is the best shop in the neighborhood--now he's up for some competition against the other barber shops in the area, which, by the way, was a large number. It almost seemed like there was more than one barber shop on each block!
Ahh..Yes. A beautiful restaurant serving "Authentic Mexican food" with quite an attractive external appearance. If you notice, various bright colors are displayed and even small bushes are placed outside to give the restaurant a more nature-like look.
Personal Reflection: Walking down such an unfamiliar road was like exploring a new country that I had never been too. I didn’t know what to expect or what kinds of cultures would dominate the area. It wasn’t until I began my journey that I began to realize how diverse and truly “a melting pot” that this country is. I saw patterns of stores that I don’t usually see in my neighborhood–“beauty” places all over–over two on each block and sometimes two right next to each other. Also, the restaurants depicted a Hispanic culture and portrayed it elegantly and beautifully. The adventure was simply priceless.
-Linda
A hardware store, called the Apartment Depot Hardware, which was closed down upon court order caught my eye. It stands in the south corner of 142nd street. It was my first time seeing a formal closing noctice on a store.
A flower shop on 142nd street emanates a sweet scent in the surroundings. Deducing from shop's sign, which was written in English and Spanish, I presume the owner was Hispanic. This was the only flower shop on Broadway from 139th to 145th street.
Personal Reflection: Walking along Broadway with my classmate, Linda, I didn’t think we were embarking a discovery of anything special. The chilly wind of New York slapped my face, and perhaps because my fingertips were frozen from the cold, I couldn’t perceive the beauty. However, a few days afterwards when I came from watching a CCNY production, Metamorphoses, it was as if I had gone through metamorphosis. I noticed how the area was a mirror reflection of the people who inhibit it. From Mexican restaurants to hookah tobacco shop, one can see that everyone in the community has brought forth their part that makes them unique.
-Ayesha Rehman
On the corner of 142nd st stands Acapulco Records & Grocery. This is an example of hispanic grocery stores that integrate a record shop within the store. These stores are usually aimed at attracting hispanics seeking a familiarity with their natal culture.
The name alone of El Morocco screams ethnicity at its boldest. The combination of a Spanish pronoun and a middle eastern makes up the name of this nightclub, which is a rebirth of the original 1940’s “El Morocco” Supper Club, “home of the world’s most infamous and luxurious celebrity icons. From photos of this club on its website, it is quite a magnificently ornamented lounge.
Personal Reflection: There are many things that can be learned from a community such as the one seen in Broadway. The characteristics of this neighborhood presents a duality contrasted by the natal and the host culture. The culture of this neighborhood is dependent on these small businesses of different ethnicities, but that does not mean that it solely relies on them in this city. This is where acculturation is a noticeable occurrence and while the inhabitants of this neighborhood still hold on to their roots, they still familiarize themselves with businesses of this nation.
-Nataly Chavez
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