Adventures of Urban Life

I have lived in Manhattan all of my life and have rarely had the need to go out of the borough for any occasion. There are some boroughs that I can probably count with my fingers the times that I have visited them because I always though Manhattan offered everything I needed. One such borough I am unfamiliar with is Queens. It just seems so far but, my classmate suggested I go and become a little more acquainted with it, so I did. She loved the Forest Hills section of Queens by Queens Boulevard and Austin Street. There were about four blocks of streets lined up with stores, shops and restaurants. I went at around 8pm therefore not many stores were open but there was still a good amount of people outside. What was open however, was Martha’s Country Bakery was the place my classmate raved about. Inside the bakery there were many people sitting down and enjoying a hot coffee on the cold night and spending time with their friends or significant other. The bakery is apparently known for its delicious pastries so they get many customers who are willing to travel just to satisfy their sweet tooth.
I did not feel threatened walking down Austin Street due to the fact that it was well lit and people were using it. I think this would be a space that Jane Jacobs would deem as safe, since people had a purpose to be out. The bakery can be seen as an attraction and they close at 11 pm so locals and strangers alike are walking in and out. “Once a street is well equipped to handle strangers, once it has both a good, effective demarcation between private and public spaces and has a basic supply of activity and eyes, the more strangers the merrier”(Jacobs, 40). From my conversations with several of my friends from Queens, Martha’s is pretty known therefore it is no Stranger to strangers like myself.
My classmate loved their strawberry cheesecake and I was determined to see how good it was for myself. When I went in I first noticed their wide varied of pastries and it was tough to make a decision but I chose the red velvet cheesecake. My friend and I sat down and I looked around. The bakery was small but very cozy and the waitress was very nice. I found it unusual that they had waitresses and chose seats for their customers but it helped create a nicer atmosphere for everyone because of their great customer service. As for my cheesecake, I was not disappointed. It was not too sweet and the cake part was moist. I would recommend this bakery to anyone who likes sweets or wants to take some one out for dessert because there is some thing there for everyone and the space is small and intimate.
Katherine Pimentel