The Manhattan Times

Dyckman Bar’s sleek, modern look replaces the former Patrick’s Bar on Dyckman Street. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

If you enjoy the blush pink undertones of a well-shaken cosmo, the minty green leaves swimming around a nicely muddled mojito, or if you’re more like me and prefer a classic dirty martini, ice shaken, with three olives, you’ll be home at the newest addition to the Dyckman Street corridor: Dyckman Bar.

Developed in the early 20th Century, Bachata’s signature sound played to the beat of an acoustic guitar. As the genre developed and modernized, the metallic riff of the electric guitar has become the staple of the emblematic tune.

One of the founding fathers of the genre:

Por que me hiciste creer en ti si no sentías amor por mi? [Why did you make me believe if you didn’t feel love for me?] from “Quiero Emborracharme” by Edilio Paredes.

I scheduled an interview over coffee the other day. It went something like this:

Joshua Roe made a pit stop at the Slurpee machine on his way home from school. He’s happy that a new 7/11 opened on Dyckman Street. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

The Dyckman street corridor that stretches from Seaman Avenue to 10^th Avenue is a bustling commercial hub, no doubt about it. But last week as I walked past the bodegas, trendy nightspots, and accessories stores, I noticed a newcomer garnering quite an audience.

J’s Dog Run, located in J. Hood Wright Park, offers a doggie playground with a view. The lot used to house the original home of J. Hood Wright, a major contributor to the Washington Heights branch of the New York City Public Library.

Alto Manhattan loves its dogs. Proof came early this week after we reported that two emaciated pit bulls showing signs of abuse had been found at the Dyckman Houses. It was only a matter of days until they had been adopted into caring and loving families.

Brazen Lingerie on Dyckman Street is a popular stop for Mother’s Day. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

bra·zen

–adjective

1. shameless or impudent: brazen presumption.

Eric Diehl, left, and Jackson Hunt were the Brooklyn artists who “invaded” Uptown during an event last week at Apt. 78. In the background are the centerpieces of the exhibit: “The Bathers” and “Tree House.” PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

Leopold Vasquez, who founded the Sound of Art movement, has been curating art exhibits throughout the city and in Washington Heights and Inwood for the last five years, bringing art to neighborhood shops, restaurants, bars, and stores. He’s a Renaissance man of sorts who is changing the way people see, think about, and purchase art.

Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto speaks about personal responsibility to a group of high school students at the Armory. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

School yard fights were common when I was in high school. Boys fighting over girls. Girls fighting over boys. People fighting for no particular reason, just over-boiling tempers and cries for attention.

At Ynes Unisex Salon in Washington Heights, you can get your hair and taxes done. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

Hair salons in the Heights. There is nothing more symbolic of both our need to look good and our entrepreneurial spirit than these shops that seem to dot every block.

Northern Manhattan’s super stores find ways to make their merchandise look appealing, no matter where you might encounter it. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmíno

Why shouldn’t you be able to buy soap, deodorant, pots and pans, toys, jeans and ties all under the same roof? You can. No, I’m not talking about a Walmart.

I’m talking about our neighborhood. The place boasts so many of those what-cha-ma-call-it stores that you can outfit an entire apartment – furniture, art décor, dish soap, new utensils – all just by traveling up and down a few blocks through the commercial hubs. The names of these stores sound impressive, Super Mundo (Super World), Gem, to name a few, and the goods abound.