Little Neighborhood Finds & Surprises

So after an interesting weekend of bridge walking I wanted to share a few of my neighborhood finds & surprises. The first of the finds is an amazing restaurant called Jacob’s at the top of my block. Jacob’s is a pay by the pound Caribbean soul food restaurant. It’s a well lit clean tight space. You walk in grab a take out container and go to town on green, plantains, rice, chicken, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and a myriad of other delicious foods. I must admit as much as I want to loose weight and get my NYC body together, I love good soul food. The staff was friendly and it was a lively atmosphere, great!

Then there’s Pascal’s Eatery at the other end of my block (5th Avenue and 129th). This place is amazing. If you’re looking for a good breakfast, and great sandwich for lunch and frankly a nice dinner sandwich then Pascal’s is the place. I walk past this place every day on my way to work and had not gone in. When my buddy Darin visited he raved about this place and went there every morning of his stay. The prices are very affordable and the food is great. They have a huge variety of omelets and there is a large variety of hot and cold sandwiches. Pascal’s, great neighborhood find and steps from my door.

Then there was the biggest surprise of the weekend, the New York City Marathon http://www.nycmarathon.org/. What does this have to do with my neighborhood? Well, Sunday morning my dear mommy decided to stock my bear refrigerator (it was literally bare). When we were leaving around 9:00 am we noticed barricades at the end of the block. We headed towards Lenox and the traffic was nuts. As we inched up the street we realized the street was blocked off for the New York City Marathon! Though I was extremely annoyed with NYPD’s impatience (not including the very friendly officers closer to my house) of my not knowing how to maneuver my way through the closures, it was very cool to be so close to such a huge event. The race went right past my house on its way to the Central Park Finish line. When we returned from the store and packed away the groceries we sat down for a little lunch. It was time for the fam to head out and at the end of the block we got to witness a heavy part of the race. Amazing. My beloved Cleveland has its share of races but unfortunately nothing like this. There were nearly 65,000 participants and everyone in the neighborhood seemed to be a part of the race in some way. Church bands were playing and motivating runners and folks from the neighborhood were offering cheers, smiles, pictures, high fives and hugs. It was kinda cool. When there’s a race in Cleveland you’re travel plans are barely interrupted. The NYC Marathon, a nice surprise. Check out a few flicks below.
Cleveland or NYC, You Decide…