Important Stuff for Saturday!!!!

West 218th and Broadway



Inwood resident and Ivy football fan "Dave", (who IS a real guy I know), has some important info for all fans heading out to the home opener against Albany Saturday:


1) Metro North is CHEAP on weekends when staying within the city borders. If coming from GCT or Harlem-125th, get a CITY TICKET at the machine for $3.75 rather than getting the normal $5.75-$7.50 fare. Just look for the CITY TICKET option on the screen. It's so worth it compared to the sluggish, junky A subway and no farther from the stadium.

2) NYC DOT has been making changes at the corner of 218th and Broadway to improve pedestrian safety. There is no left turn onto W218th from Broadway or 10th Ave heading north. (Southbound at W218th will also be jammed due to construction.) Be sure to turn at W 207th or Isham if your intention is to get close to the stadium. There is also a Farmers Market on Saturdays that will block Isham from Park Terrace West to Seaman but you can still use PTW to get to the stadium.

3) Food options in Inwood for before or after the game other than the Farmer's Market on Isham: Indian Road Cafe (the BEST cafe in Inwood, across from stadium on 218th), Inwood Local (new wine/beer bar at 4957 Broadway), Yummy Thai (cheap Thai, 4959 Broadway), Garden Cafe (2nd best cafe in Inwood, 4961 Broadway), Piper's Kilt (dive pub with burgers, 4944 Broadway). Also the ever reliable Twin Donut and Park Terrace Deli at corner of W218th and Broadway. There is also a new Associated Supermarket on Broadway just south of Twin Donut for more tailgate supplies. Go on Yelp or google for more on any of the above.

4) If you do find yourself needing to take a bus, use the M100 or Bx7 along Broadway (look them up for routes).

5) If your kids are bored and you need a quick pregame distraction, go into the little white building by the cove in Inwood Hill Park (just keep walking west into the park from W218th St and Indian Road). This is the park's Nature Center and has snakes, turtles and more on display.






Shakedown on 218th Street


Listen to this first.


and Dave also gave me a heads up about this issue:

(JAKE's words here): Because Columbia had the gall to develop land ON ITS OWN PROPERTY, it signed an agreement that coughed up various community benefits

that you can read about here.

Included in this is the promise to "create and implement a "Northern Manhattan Neighbors Appreciation Day special event at a select Columbia home football game, at which Columbia will provide complimentary admission."

As it turns out, the Albany game was chosen to be Northern Manhattan Neighbors Appreciation Day, though you will find NO mention of this on the Columbia website, the GoColumbiaLions website, the Columbia events calendar, etc. Nothing.
Nada. The only slip was a throwaway line at the very end of the Fordham game report
(see last sentence)

Anyone who shows "a drivers license, a rent receipt, a mortgage/maint statement, or a utility bill" will get in for free.

Not clear what "Northern Manhattan" means -- anyone in CB12, presumably (which is anything in Manhattan above 155th).

And you know what?

I'm okay with this as long as it actually gets people into the stands.

But, I suspect the loudest screamers about Columbia's development in Inwood probably don't even live there.