Morningside Heights

“Call me Juan,” he said. “J-a-u-n. Is that how you spell Juan? Wait. Shit.”

Juan—a 1020 employee who asked for anonymity—is just one of many wage-earners at local watering holes who have seen Morningside’s drinkers come and go over the years. Columbia’s bar scene is continuously changing, and this year is no exception with Radio Perfecto closing and Village Pourhouse opening. Yet, as in years past, bars continue to ramp up ID inspection while navigating the precarious balance between attracting a student audience and satisfying local customers.

At least two Morningside Heights stores were robbed late last week, although more may have been victims as well.

The fact that Columbia's new text messaging system is limited only to Columbia affiliates is troubling, as it excludes students’ family members and neighbors who are so often affected by what occurs on and around campus.

In order for off-campus Flex to truly serve the needs of the campus, the student body must have a voice now and the administration must be open about all its dealings, pursuing businesses based on student preferences.

In her Sept. 19 article, Sonya Chandra said about me, “Hohol ... has had several run-ins with the police due to her fixation with the local community garden...” I am no more fixated with the garden than Ms. Chandra is with writing for Spectator—it is what we do.

When students returned to Morningside Heights to start the new semester, they found a spate of changes to the neighborhood’s streetscape, with old stores and restaurants closing down and new ones moving in.

The arrival of three new restaurants has some locals questioning why a stretch of 12th Avenue between 131st and 135th Streets is becoming home to a “restaurant row.”