Yesterday my friend and I embarked on our apartment hunt for post graduation. Emerging from the subway on the Upper East Side, I felt like I was Dorothy emerging from the tornado in The Wizard of Oz. Of course I have been to Manhattan before, in fact I'm there at least three times a week for my job. But emerging from a subway stop with the mindset that one day, I might live there was pretty different. You see a place with different eyes.
“Someday I might walk past these restaurants every day.”
“Someday that might be my grocery store.”
“Someday this could be my post office.”
Plus, there were no men yelling about selling gold and diamonds as there are at my familiar D train stop and there was definitely no loud salsa music playing.
We had a great afternoon exploring the neighborhood, taking in the local fare and people watching, but when we returned to the Bronx via 4 train and made our way down Fordham Road I couldn’t help but feel a twang of strange satisfaction and pleasure. I’ve talked about how walking down Fordham Road is a battle and it’s usually an annoying battle but I’m going to miss that battle. Arriving home and throwing myself on the couch I realized that I’ll never feel that weird sense of accomplishment that comes with battling one’s way home. I’m sure it will not be hard to get used to the wonderful scents of Shake Shack and beautiful windows of local boutiques, but I have to admit I’ll kind of miss the battle.
Everyone who has graduated from a dorm room without a kitchen to a dorm room with a kitchen has probably received a cheesy book with this title from an equally cheesy aunt or uncle. It probably has recipes like "cheese quesadilla" which instructs the "chef" to dump shredded cheese on a tortilla and heat it up for a few minutes on the stove (don't laugh, I sustained myself on these junior year). Either way I like to think that I have risen above that, at least slightly and by this I mean sometimes I buy fancier cheese than shredded cheddar and occasionally I venture to Whole Foods for "trendier" ingredients. Here are the three things I go for when I find myself hopelessly wandering the isles of Modern Food.
-"Fancy" cheese. Save the cheddar for the caf and go for goat cheese, feta, gorgonzola or blue. The latter two taste fantastic with a little balsamic vinegar and roasted onions and garlic on top of pasta and all of them also make a great salad garnish. It's well known that cheese makes everything taste better, but fancy cheese makes everything taste gourmet.
-Avocados. It's a shame they're so expensive because I would eat these babies all day every day. Whip up some guac, put them on top of scrambled eggs or just eat them straight out of the shell! Sometimes I can't even believe they're good for you.
-Hummus. Sometimes I have to stop myself from filling my shopping cart with dips alone, but hummus always wins out in the end. With so many varieties to choose from I always find myself going for something garlic involved. What to dip? The sky is the limit, pita chips, carrots, peppers, tortillas and your face.
Clearly I'm no Emeril and I'm also not very imaginative, but I am not longer making quesadillas for every meal so I guess that is a success.
Sure we're excited for Spring Weekend 2011 and some sunny days on Eddie's, but the thought on every senior's mind is May 21 (in my mind there are a million gray clouds, thunder, lighting and dragons looming above it). While simple denial and self destruction are two ways of dealing with the stress, here's my prescription for dealing with the pre-graduation blues for Fordham's graduating seniors.
See a psychic
The gypsy women who sit on rickity chairs on the stoop next to Pete's have been trying to lure us in for years, so why don't we finally give in and pay them a visit? Who knows...maybe they will grace us with some good news like that we aren't far away from landing a job, or even better, that we won't actually be graduating on time.
Have a drink
...from Pete's. After four years we have all had a drink or two from all of the main drinking establishments around town. Why don't we finally make a dent in the liquor collecting dust behind the counter at Pete's? It's there for a reason, plus they have a wider variety of food than Howl.
Max Out Your Debit Card at the Bookstore
Forget the sweatshirts and socks, go for the mugs, tumblers, throw blankets and fancy pens. If all goes as planned and you land a decent job for post graduation, you'll actually have a place to display these treasures that isn't a crummy dorm room or off-campus apartment that gets destroyed every weekend.
Pay a Visit to Your Old Homes
Go see the freshmen that are living in the dorm room you called home three years ago. Better yet, for those of you who lived in Martyr's, go see the people that are living in your old room there. Make sure you tell them how much fun you had there, how much you hated (or loved!) your roommate, and how you dealt with having a closet the size of a coffin. Maybe seeing that matchbox again three years later will jolt you into the realization that moving on can't be that bad. Look how much better it got when you moved into a bigger dorm room?
Ride the Ram One Last Time
Just make sure you get off. We can't stay here forever.
My roommate and fellow blogger is a huge fan of the Fordham Plaza flea market. Check out her post below. For great photos of the Bronx and even more excellent commentary check out her blog Bronx Eye
One of my favorite things about the larger Belmont community in the Bronx is
the ability to get pretty much whatever you want at the cheapest price possible.
While Arthur Avenue sports crazy high prices for most foodstuffs and knickknacks,
Fordham Plaza has the best deals around town. If its a nice day out and I have some
time to spare on my way to up to the 4 train, I love to poke through the Fordham
Plaza market; there is usually something I need there as well as a million other
things I definitely do not. Whether its 20 platanos for a dollar, two mangos for a
dollar, or six pairs of socks for a dollar, I can always find a good deal.
My favorite stands are located in the middle of the plaza and usually sell
costume jewelry, fake designer bags, or hilarious t-shirts. I, for one, will never shy
away from endless cheap jewelry stands where I can use my perfected Central
American haggling skills to talk a woman down 50 cents for a mood ring. The
Fordham Plaza market reminds me a lot of St. Mark's square because of the bustling
people, the cheap goods, and the wonderful feeling you get when you think you've
found a true gem amongst the pile of worthless nonsense. What's the best part
about the Fordham Plaza market? Its about 15 miles closer and a lot cheaper than
any other market NYC has to offer.
Chris has some more suggestions for off-campus dining! Check out his post below and his sports blog, Cavnaughty's Sport's Blog.
Don’t like rat poop in your food? Here are some good off campus places to eat.
Given what has happened with Fordham’s food service in the past weeks, I have not been on campus to eat at all and have relied solely on off campus dining. Here are some good places to grab food if you’re not into the whole contaminated food thing.
Tino’s Deli- Located on Arthur Ave., this is by far my favorite place to eat off campus. They have amazing sandwiches and great homemade Italian food. Whether it’s homemade, brick oven pizza, or just some stuffed shells, this is by far the best deli off campus. Everything is priced appropriately, ranging anywhere from $6 for an order of stuffed shells, to $7 for a hero. I go here almost every day and the quality of the food is always consistently good.
Bellini’s Pizza- Probably one of the Fordham area’s best-kept secrets. Located on Hughes Ave, a block over from Mugz’s and Ziggy’s, Bellini’s definitely knows how to make good pizza. My personal favorite is their buffalo chicken pizza (which is 100x better than the caf’s buffalo chicken pizza). If heat isn’t your thing, they have baked ziti pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, Philly cheese-steak pizza, or just the classic cheese pizza. They also have incredible garlic knots and penne vodka. Although it can get pricey compared to other pizza shops such as Pugsley’s and University, Bellini’s is definitely a place to go if you want a great slice of pizza.
These are my two favorite places to eat off campus which I think everyone should visit. Some other great off campus eateries are: Simon’s Deli, Planet Wings (great for ordering in), Sake II (large portions of Japanese food for a low price), and Full Moon Pizza.
One day when my Australian friend Lauren and I were ascending the stairs from the D train I remarked on how delicious it smelled. Lauren, agreeing with me, asked “What is it?” I almost didn’t believe her. As someone who has grown up in the NYC area, I cannot imagine not recognizing the smell of freshly cooked pizza. (PS If anyone has ever had pizza from the place by the D on Fordham Rd., let me know! I’ve been wanting to check it out). Lauren, on the other hand, has not had the lifelong privilege of enjoying delicious, greasy NYC pizza her whole life. Luckily, she consumed plenty during her trip to New York.
It’s a given that New York has great pizza. Lucky for us Belmont-dwellers, Arthur Avenue has the best pizza, and plenty of it. Everyone has allegiances, but personally, I think it’s next to impossible to pick a favorite. Below I’ve reviewed the Belmont area’s best slices.
Pugsley’s
It’s a given that every Fordham student has visited Pugsley’s a million times. Whether it’s for Global Outreach sponsored Eat Ups (pay $10 and eat all the pizza, pasta and salad that you want? I’ll take it), late night snack or quick lunch break, Pugsley’s is pretty much always full of Fordham students. With an eclectic décor (moldy La-Z-Boys, dead plants, a huge gong and burnt bread), and even more eclectic staff (everyone has at least seen someone perform late night karaoke with the owner, Sal), Pugsley’s is a Fordham staple.
But onto the pizza. I have to be honest, I wasn’t always a huge Pugsley’s fan, preferring slices from other establishments in the area, but sometime in the past year I’ve become a convert. A Pugsley’s slice is extra greasy (in a good way), flavorful and always hits the spot. My favorite tip is ordering a side of ranch for dip. I know it sounds gross, but trust me, you’ll never look back.
590 E 191st St., Bronx, NY10458
University Pizza
Unlike most people whose first experience with Bronx pizza was Pugsley’s, my first slice in the Bronx came from University. Maybe I’m a little biased, but in my opinion, University Pizza is totally underrated. The inside is pretty no nonsense but the pizza is out of this world. They offer plenty of specialty slices (most people swear by the buffalo chicken slice), but I believe the true test of a pizza joint is their ability to create a perfect plain slice and University does just that. Always hot and cheesy, I can never resist a slice from University Pizza.
574 E Fordham Rd., Bronx, NY
Tony and Tina’s
My friends and I went through a phase when we were obsessed with Tony and Tina’s. Maybe it had to do with its proximity to Fordham’s drinking establishments, but more so because the slices are huge, the service is fast, and the crust is delicious. I’m not one to focus on pizza crust alone, but the crust on Tony and Tina’s pizza is too good not to mention. Besides that, the staff takes the cake for best employees at a Fordham-area pizza place. Tony (not his real name) always says “hi” to my roommate and I on the street and calls us out for not coming in as often as we used to (which is impossible, because the late-night hours of Tony and Tinas are no longer). Regardless, I try to get a slice from Tony and Tina’s as often as I can because it brings back good memories and I always like visiting my friend “Tony.”
2483 Arthur Ave., Bronx, NY 10458
Bellini’s
I haven’t been to Bellini’s enough to truly judge their pizza, but what I can say is that the vegetable slice that I got a few weeks ago was out of this world. A newcomer to the Fordham pizza scene, Bellini’s is definitely already up there with the big-guys. They have tons of specialty slices (I hear the penne vodka slice is great) and a cute little atmosphere.
625 East 189th St., Bronx, NY 10458
Full Moon Pizza
Full Moon has a solid fan base that claim their slices are the biggest and tastiest. Always packed with tourists and Fordham students alike, Full Moon is a pretty big deal on Arthur Avenue. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve only had Full Moon twice. Of course it was delicious, but what I remember most is that both times I was served one plain slice on two plates because the slice was so big. Very impressive, delicious and filling.
My friend Elspeth found some great antique and second hand stores right in the Fordham area! Check out her post below. For mouth-watering food reviews and recipes check out her blog, To Stay or Go?
One day I was roaming around our little Belmont area and taking notes for a design project when I stumbled across two interesting little antiques stores: Big Apple Furniture and Antiques, and Diaz Second Hand Antiques.
Big Apple, off Third Ave. on 188th looked at first glance to be full of a bunch of junk, however I actually ended up seeing a few interesting things. I picked up a red and orange cast iron (I think) pot and lid that can go in the oven for $5. There was a bunch of women's clothes but it was all shoved in a space behind furniture that was inaccessible. The guy said he gets new stuff in often, so I think it could be a good little spot to check back once in a while.
Diaz Second Hand on 187th was mostly, if not all, furniture. I asked for kitchen stuff but they didn't have anything. It was a maze of tables, dressers, and chairs and had a really creepy cat. I didn't get anything there, but there was a ton of bed frames outside on the sidewalk, and it could be a good place to get furniture if you're moving to an off campus apartment nearby.
I was surprised to find these little stores in our neighborhood! I think there are a lot of little things around here that it is easy to be unaware of, but I like the idea of supporting little Bronx businesses for the time that we are here. It's too bad I only discovered these places in the end of my senior year!
