45th Street (R)
A truly multicultural stop, where the Chinese bakery advertises in Spanish and you can catch a great sunset at the eponymous Sunset Park.
Hua Hui Bakery, right outside the subway station, advertising “pasteles para cualquier ocasion” (desserts for any occassion).
The religious Hispanic community in this area is active. When I visited, there was a Mexican-Catholic parade happening right outside subway entrance on 4th avenue.
Parade just outside the station
In general, though, 5th avenue is where the action is at. There’s an energetic vibe to the street, with old-time Spanish songs playing from sidewalk stalls for all to hear. Nicknamed “Montecito Ave” in this area, 5th ave is bustling with many Central and South American restaurants and businesses, many of which want you to know which exact country they’re from.
Mexican food truck!
“Hispanic” is simply too vague of a term to capture the multitude of nationalities represented around this stop—within just a few blocks of the station I saw Guatemalan, Colombian, Dominican, and Mexican establishments. And I’m sure there are even more countries represented in the area if I had spent more time looking closely.
Horchata, Aguas frescas, along 5th avenue.
Try any of the restaurants on 5th avenue and my guess is you’ll have a good meal at a place that doesn’t have an online presence, let alone a reservation booking system. Most seemed to be bustling with patrons of the country they represent, which to me is always a good sign when considering the quality of any country-specific restaurant. (I.e. want to pick a good Indian place? Go to the one where Indians dine.)
To get to 5th avenue from the station, take any of the brownstone-lined streets that connect 4th and 5th avenues. 5th avenue also brings you to Sunset Park, which I think is a nice place for a picnic.
View of Manhattan from Sunset Park
Can you find 45 St R train on the map?
