Fresh Pond Road (M)
A vibrant slice of Ridgewood, with more immigrants and fewer artists priced out of Manhattan compared to neighboring Forest Ave (M) or Seneca Ave (M) stops. Self-described by a local as a multicultural middle-class area, you’ll find a Polish bakery next to an Italian deli next to a 99-cent Chinese-import store. There is no pond, fresh or not, as far as I can tell.
Like the rest of Ridgewood, this area has historical eastern European roots, except with a predominantly Latinx flavor right off the station.
Cute Cat Cafe
If you’re in the area, Cute Cat Cafe is a great place to bring your laptop and work in the presence of cat-themed portraits and paraphernalia. And if you’re out and about taking photos, a local might stop you and ask, “Why are you taking photos of my building?” and then show you pictures of her German ancestors dating back to the 1800s who settled in Ridgewood with a horse-buggy business.
The roots here run deep. And behind the brusque New York attitude, the locals with ancestral history in the area are ready to talk to you about their neighborhood. Pop your head into Krisch Realty, where you’ll find Andrew Gouzoulis, who will share his views with you about how New York as a whole, and Ridgewood in particularly, has evolved from the 1800s to today.
Pick up some fruit while you’re out here. There are some quality produce markets around.
"Friendly service from owners who care about you" is Ridgewood in a nutshell
What did I miss?
Scroll past the pics and let me know in the comments!
Andy, who will tell you his view of NYC's transition in the past half century.
Lots of inexpensive goods out here!
