How the Bowery Neighborhood Fell from Grace

By Phineas Upham

The Bowery neighborhood truly went from rags to riches and back again, following the trajectory of the entire state prior to the Civil War. When the Dutch settled the area, they immediately recognized the value in farming. The Bowery neighborhood was something of a town at the cross roads, with a road leading to Albany and Boston crossing paths at the site.

Its early history was marked by much of the same trials and tribulations most farming communities go through. The population was small, but people were happy and prosperous for the most part. They’d learned to take advantage of old Lenape trade routes and hunting grounds, which enabled them to work the lands and move their goods efficiently.

The area began to see growth in the form of more shops, Churches and places of business. Bowery attracted wealthy patrons too, becoming a den of high society to rival Fifth Avenue.

Unfortunately, the Civil War ended that growth and prosperity. The area that had once had theaters and live music had brothels and pawn shops by the 1870s. The neighborhood also became a haven for the underground gay community, including an illicit prostitution trade.

By the early 1900s, it was a place mostly inhabited by men. It’s most prominent features included cheap clothing stores and even cheaper places to eat. It was a working class neighborhood on its way downhill, and sliding quickly. By the 1940s, it was akin to New York’s version of modern day skid row. Crime was rampant, homelessness remained a problem until the 1970s, and the revival of this neighborhood has been slow.

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About the Author: Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or Facebook page.

What Do I Need to Start My Ice Cream Shop?

Written by Gelato Products.

Opening up an ice cream shop can be a dream opportunity for someone looking to have their own small business. In addition to being your own boss, you get to be a part of a business that is guaranteed to make customers happy. Giving people ice cream cones or frozen yogurt cups filled with delicious treats will put a smile on anyone’s face.

But there is plenty of planning that you need to do before you order your freezers, cups and tasting spoons to open your ice cream parlor, frozen yogurt shop or gelateria. Here are a few things that you’ll need to have in place before you open the doors to your new establishment:

The Right Permits: Along with getting your business license, you’ll need to read up on all of the local requirements for health and food safety. Places such as ice cream shops are highly regulated because of the potential of an outbreak of something like listeria to cause many people to get sick. Because of this, you’ll want to know if there are special requirements for ice cream parlors and what you need to do to meet them.

The Right Equipment: The equipment that you’ll need to launch your shop can vary greatly depending on the type of product that you are serving. If you are serving frozen yogurt, you’ll need soft serve machines, counters with spaces for toppings and a scale connected to your register so you can charge by the ounce. However, at a gelateria, you’ll need to worry about ice cream dipping cabinets, freezers and other items for cold storage.

High Quality Equipment: Along with knowing what type of equipment you need in order to open your shop, you also need to pay attention to the quality of your equipment and supplies. The quality of your final product can be greatly influenced by the quality of the equipment used to make, store or showcase it. In addition, having high quality ice cream shop supplies such as tasting spoons, cups and napkin dispensers will go a long way in giving your customers the impression that they are eating at a top quality shop. First impressions matter, so you want to make sure every customer feels like they are having a high-end experience at your shop.

A Knowledge of Your Customers: Before you open your shop, you need a clear understanding of who your customers will be. Are you looking to sell products to parents coming in with their children? If this is the case, traditional ice cream and frozen yogurt are great ideas. However, if you are looking for a more upscale clientele, you may want to consider selling a higher end product such as gelato.

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Gelato Products offers a wide range of equipment and products for gelaterias, ice cream parlors and frozen yogurt shops. Their products are high quality items at affordable prices that are within the budget of any shop.

You Need Your Own Car in Grand Cayman

By Andys Rent-A-Car

Before embarking on a vacation, most people make themselves a list of things they’ll need before their trip begins. The exact list of essentials is different for everyone, of course, and depends a lot on where you are going on vacation. If you’re going to the Cayman Islands, it should go without saying you’re going to need a few essentials. Sun block will definitely be on the list, for example. But so will getting a Cayman Islands car rental service.

This might seem like a strange thing to list as an essential for your trip. After all, if you look at the map, Grand Cayman isn’t very large at all. You probably feel confident that you could practically walk the entire thing in an afternoon.

The reason you want to rent a car in Grand Cayman is so that you can go wherever you like whenever you like and even return once or twice if you feel like it. It is about making the most of your trip and not spending too much time commuting from place to place.

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If you want car for hire in Grand Cayman that will give you a wide selection of amazing vehicles with plenty of features and all at affordable prices, you don’t have to look any further than Andy’s Rent-A-Car.

Marble Hill and the American Revolution

By Phineas Upham

The Continental Army chose Marble Hill as the site for a fort designed to defend the area from attack. It held until November of 1776, when the Hessians finally gained control and renamed it Fort Charles to honor Charles, Duke of Brunswick. There are conflicting historical reports detailing how the Continental Army escaped the Battle of Fort Washington, but historians are now quite sure that it was only possible through the Dyckman or King’s Bridge.

Washington and his forces engaged the British but lost in a fairly decisive manner. They surrendered the garrison at Fort Washington before abandoning the area via Marble Hill. They would return just over a year later to raid the fort and drive out the Hessian occupiers there.

In January of 1777, General William Heath gave orders for his men to shell the area with cannon artillery fire. Almost as soon as the attack begun, the Hessians retreated from a local tavern to the fort to return fire.

New York remained embattled throughout the Revolutionary War, but the tavern remained in the Hyatt family. Caleb Hyatt had bought the tavern from the same Dyckmans who had built the bridge that bore their namesake.

That tavern was razed not too long after the war to make way for the Kingsbridge Hotel. The idea was to create a space for anglers, sportsmen and hunters who visited the area. Unfortunately for the proprietors, the hotel wouldn’t last long after Broadway was expanded.

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Phineas Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phineas Upham website or Twitter page.

How to Make the Most out of Abu Dhabi

By Monte Carlo Rent A Car, LLC

There are few places in the world that even remotely compare to Abu Dhabi. You can travel all over this planet and still not experience the sights, sounds and experiences that you’ll find in this corner of the earth. If you’re planning a trip here, be prepared to lose your breath over and over again. However, you’ll also want to make sure you’re ready for everything Abu Dhabi has to offer.

There’s Yas Island, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Saadiyat Island and Emirates Palace, amongst many other places. The problem is that these locations are spread out all over. If you want to take them all in, you’re going to need to spend a small fortune on transportation and you’ll only get there on someone else’s timetable.

Instead, what you should be looking for is a car to rent. Short term car rental in Abu Dhabi is extremely popular. You can get car rental at Abu Dhabi international airport in Abu Dhabi as well, so the moment you get off the plane, you can get your vehicle and go.

Abu Dhabi has too much to see to not take this trip as seriously as possible with a rental car.

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If you are traveling to Abu Dhabi, make sure you come prepared. To enjoy this part of the world, you’re going to want to invest in long term car rental in Abu Dhabi so that you are never without a ride to wherever it is you want to be.

Ways to Make You Yogurt Store Stand Out From the Crowd

Written by Gelato Products.

Opening your own frozen yogurt shop can be a profitable and enjoyable venture. Not only are you providing tasty and healthy treats to people but you are also entering into one of the true growth industries in the food and beverage world. According to research from IBISWorld, the frozen yogurt market showed an annual growth of 20 percent from 2010 to 2015 and should continue to grow through 2020. People are buying frozen yogurt because it is delicious and provides an healthy, low-fat alternative to ice cream.

However, the popularity of frozen yogurt shops means that there is more competition than ever before. You need to do more than just have tasty yogurt to ensure that your shop is a success. Here are a few ways that you can have your frozen yogurt shop stand out from the crowd:

Personalize Your Products: You need to make sure that your branding extends even after your customers leave your business. One way to do this is to make sure that your frozen yogurt cups, drinks and other products have your name brand and logo on them. When your customers take your products outside of your store, other people will see them enjoying them and want to know where they got it from.

Offer More Than Just Yogurt: People might come to your store for frozen yogurt but that doesn’t mean they won’t also buy other items while they are there. You can buy paper coffee cups and offer coffee to your customers. Or perhaps they might like healthy snacks like granola bars. The possibilities are endless.

Use High End Products: It can be tempting to skimp on the utensils and other disposable items that you’ll need to run the daily operations of your frozen yogurt shop. However, there is a downside to only buying the lowest-quality items. Customers can tell when you are using cut-rate bowls, spoons and white paper cups and it reflects negatively on your shop. You want patrons to associate your products with quality so make sure that every aspect of your operations reflects this.

Embrace New Technology: One way that you can make your frozen yogurt shop seem fresh and exciting is to use new technology. You can allow people to place orders online to be picked up immediately, for example. Or you can install state-of-the-art machines that automatically dispense just the right amount of yogurt.

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Gelato Products is a provider of high-quality supplies to shops selling frozen goods such as gelato, yogurt and ice cream. They offer low prices and can do customization on supplies.

Three of the best-kept secrets of Grand Cayman Islands

Written by Andys Rent-A-Car

The Cayman Islands, which is comprised of three islands, is ranked as one of the friendliest nations on the planet. Of the three islands, the Grand Cayman is the largest and most toured, thanks to its fantastic weather and exotic flora and fauna. As with any other popular tourist destination, there those attractions that are seldom visited due to them being relatively unknown. One such attraction is the Mastic Trail, which is situated on the Northern side of the island.

 The Mastic Trail is perfect for hiking and bird watching, and since the Caribbean island is not synonymous with hiking or nature trails, this reserve is relatively unknown. This two-mile footpath is full of wildlife such as Cayman rabbits and birds. Other attractions on this trail include old growth forests, century-old plants and mangrove swamps.

The Camana Market is another one of the Grand Cayman’s best kept secrets. Opened every Wednesday from noon to 7:00 PM, this market features an exotic open-air courtyard atmosphere and is the ideal place to go for a souvenir. Also, the market is the perfect place to explore the local jewelry industry as well as agriculture market.

The open canvas is another attraction that remains relatively unknown to tourists. The event is attended mainly by locals, but visitors are welcome as well. The event gives participants a chance to sit and paint while enjoying a scenic view of the Camana Bay, Harbor, and beach.

The best way to experience any sights is to have you’re your own transport. Car rentals Carmen islands is perfect for this and will allow you to spend as much time as you want at each and every venue.

Andy’s Rent-A-Car offers grand cayman rent-a-car tourists and visitors looking to get the most out of their visit to the islands.

Rent a Car During Your Trip to Jordan

By Monte Carlo Rent A Car, LLC

If you’re looking to take a trip somewhere warm, near the water and full of culture, you couldn’t ask for much better than Jordan. The country of roughly eight million people has plenty of history to enjoy, but there is also countless things you can do right now as well. However, before you get too excited about your vacation to Jordan, it’s important to consider everything you’ll need to have the best time possible.

For example, car rentals in Jordan are a popular way for tourists to get around town. If you don’t have your car for your trip, you’ll have to rely on public transportation. While buses do run throughout the country, do you really want to base your entire trip around their schedule? It will most likely be more expensive than renting a car too.

Speaking of which, you also don’t want to have to continuously take out your wallet to pay for rental cars either. Considering you can rent a car in Amman Airport, this is an extremely easy way to start off your trip and get around with ease wherever you need to go.

Rental cars are a smart and affordable way to see as much of Jordan as possible during your time there.

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Before you head over to your dream vacation in Jordan, make sure you have everything you need. At the top of your list, should be scheduling a Queen Alia International Airport car rental with Monte Carlo Rent a Car so you can get wherever you need.

For Reliable Transportation Around Cayman, Rent a Car

If you’re looking at a trip through the Caribbean, there are a lot of reasons to go with car rentals in Cayman. For starters, renting a car gives you a more enjoyable trip than relying on public transportation. The rental car company should make sure everything is in working order before you take one of their vehicles, so you won’t have to worry nearly as much about unexpected breakdowns. You won’t have to stick to pre-selected routes, either, which gives you more freedom to explore and go out of your way without being too inconvenienced.

Flexibility

Maybe more importantly, car hire on Grand Cayman and similar places allow you a lot more flexibility with your schedule. Instead of planning your trips based on the shuttles and bus times, you can come and go as you please. You’ll be able to change your itinerary without having to concern yourself over transportation rates and changeovers. And if you’re careful and you pick a small car, you can even be able to keep gas costs down low enough to stay below the rates of cab fares. The consistency provided by a rental car means you don’t have to haggle over fare prices, tips, or have your trip experience soured by an unruly driver.

The flexibility of a rental car extends beyond itinerary options. If you plan on bringing a lot of luggage or special equipment for diving, snorkeling, photography, biking, or golfing, then reserving the right rental car can make sure that you always have the right amount of space, and you’ll be able to safely secure and stow all your belongings while keeping them easy to unload.

GPS and Navigation

Your Grand Caymans car rentals provider can also provide you with a GPS device, which will eliminate the potential for getting lost or ending up somewhere you don’t want to be. There are plenty of other options that prove a rental car is the superior choice. For example, you can opt for a vehicle with XM radio to make sure you can keep up with your favorite stations, get a small vehicle for a couple on a honeymoon, or a van that can carry a large family so you don’t ever have to split up. If you have small children, you can easily include a car seat in your package. Your child will stay safe, and you won’t have to worry about carrying a car seat on an airplane.

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Andy’s Rent-A-Car is the Cayman Islands premier rental car service, specializing in providing guests with a smooth ride to go anywhere on the island chain.

Sanitation Rules for a Frozen Yogurt Shop

Written by: Gelato Products

Summary: Make sure you follow these rules to properly sanitize your ice cream shop.

If you run a frozen yogurt shop, proper sanitation in accordance with the law is a must. Failure to comply with the standards set forth by the health department could lead to closures, which translates to a loss of business. The health department has specific rules for your state and your profession that you should be mindful of, but mastery of these basics will get you most of the way to where you want to be.

Wash Hands

Rule number one should be clean hands at all times. Employees should be encouraged to wear gloves while they work, especially if they are handling the customer’s food directly. Signs should be posted in the bathrooms directing people to wash their hands after using the facilities. Another element to keep an eye out for is hair nets. Employees with facial hair will need hair nets, the same as those who choose not to wear hats and are not bald.

You might also consider having hand sanitizer for guests too. Have guests use the sanitizer before handling a cup or cone, or before using plastic yogurt spoons for the first time to avoid food borne illness.

Avoid Cross Contamination

Cross contamination occurs when you have mixed more than one food together. When you’re serving froyo, cross contamination can get people sick. Make sure you’re not using ice cream spoons on toppings, and that each topping is in its own space. Fruits are especially susceptible because they are fresh and may need to be kept cold. Make sure you’re always rotating perishable items too, and that you dispose of everything when the date is up.

Use Different Spoons

Make sure that you are not using the same spoon to serve different substances. Not only do you cross flavors when you use gelato spoons on ice cream or froyo, it changes the consistency of the mixture. Gelato is very light and creamy, adding too much frozen yogurt or ice cream to the mix will change the texture in the customer’s mouth. Different spoons also help cut down on cross contamination, so be sure your customers aren’t using the same spoon

Final Thoughts

Once you’ve done all you can to prevent the obvious sources of contamination, it’s time to consult your state’s specific rules on healthy and safety. Remember to mind freezer temperature, case temperature and internal temperature to avoid the spread of bacteria.

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