These are my local stores. I have to say stores now. And zeebras. Although they don't sell zeebras.
North West Yonkers is interesting in its history. A place that grew and thrived because of its proximity to a river and a need for transportation of wood and stone to help build Manhattan.
An aqueduct, the Croton, courses just under the skin of this place, like a jugular, bringing fresh water down to New York City, bypassing the need to use the filthy Hudson for any other reason than shipping.
Reservoirs dot the landscape of Westchester County, as do cemeteries. Elevation, that's what you need - gravity and gravitas, that and the rid of the stench. The town planners knew there was never enough room in NYC so they buried the dead outside of the city once those Potter's Fields were going to be prime real estate. Washington Square Park was a Potter's field. I guess they couldn't take the risk of building houses on top of poltergeists, so it's still a field of sorts. I think there are a lot of bones under there. Thank heavens for cremation.
Although industry has since left Yonkers, the place still provides for New York City, not least in its commuters. Once it was where the rich came to build their castles. There are mansions all the way along the Hudson River on the way out from The Bronx. There are grand houses that lasted only a generation, a testament to the boom of a youthful country and the bursting of greedy men.
Anyway, back to my shops - Delicatessens galore. There are two nail salons. A hardware shop that specialises in lottery scratch cards, a Chinese takeaway, a Sushi place, a pizza place, an architect's office, there's a dry cleaner place, a laundromat (I like saying that), a cobbler and that's about it. Oh, and a bar, called Nugent's. I hear it's where the postal workers hang out so I avoid it because I used to be one and I escaped.
We usually go to Foodtown, they have a great selection of beer from all over the world. There are bottles there that tickle me. As the name does.
"Where are you off to?"
"Im off to... Food... Town."
cue theme tune.
