Pupper West Side: Hamilton is Stressed Out About Vacant Storefronts
Name: Hamilton
Age: 10 months
Breed: Mini Bernedoodle
Profile/history: Dad had been lobbying for a dog for some time. He and Mom found me when they visited an Amish breeder in Pennsylvania. I came home with them when I was 15 weeks old and have been growing up on the Upper West Side ever since.
Daily routine: On weekdays we take a walk in the morning and then my trusty dog walker comes by in the afternoon. I love hanging out with her because her apartment is connected to a rooftop deck, so we’ll play outside and catch some sunshine after a nice walk. Dinner is usually around 7 p.m. Afterward, I like to spend a good 1.5 – 2 hours on perfecting my attention-seeking behaviors — rolling around, climbing on my parents, showing off toys — while Mom and Dad try to unwind after a long day at work. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, you can find us at one of the dog parks around the neighborhood. My favorite is the dog park at 72nd and Riverside. Maybe I’ll schedule a grooming appointment on weekends to make sure my coat doesn’t get too unruly. Occasionally we’ll take a break from the city and head out to Long Island or New Jersey for some of that fresh suburban air.
Loves: I love the dog park and all of the playful pups I meet there. I enjoy meeting people and small kids. I also love baby carrots – which Mom and Dad give me as a special treat – and I can’t get enough of the snow. Not sure that we got enough of it this year. I could’ve used some more snow days — especially that day in March where they cancelled school and it turned out to be nothing but slush!
Does not love: The heat. I’m just not cut out for the hot, humid New York summers. Phew. Everyone’s excited about spring and summer these days, but not yours truly. Frankly, I don’t know how businessmen are capable of wearing suits to work in the summer without getting completely drenched. It looks so miserable. The dog days of summer just aren’t for me.
Favorite store/business on UWS: I love visiting Face Values – the Bed, Bath, and Beyond offshoot on Broadway between 89th and 90th streets. They’re very pup friendly. And, like any pup, I enjoy stopping in to Petco to check out new toys and treats.
Favorite park spot: The dog park at 72nd and Riverside Drive.
Favorite treat: Wellness Lamb and Salmon Soft Puppy Bites — delicious and so flavorful!
What are your thoughts on the large amount of vacant retail spaces in UWS: Sadly, it’s really become quite noticeable. You can’t walk 10 minutes in any direction without passing countless vacant spaces. As a great man once said, “The rents are too damn high.” It’s not good for the neighborhood, especially a neighborhood like ours that derives so much of its charm and character from local shops and family businesses. If rents keeps rising, I’m worried that one day Mom, Dad, and I will have to leave the neighborhood too. What a scary thought! Who wouldn’t love living here? I look forward to doing my part to ensure that all of our current businesses continue to get the pup patronage they need to grow and thrive.
Read all our Pupper West Side interviews here!
If West Side Rag readers are interested in becoming pet owners, we encourage you to consider adopting or volunteering to be a foster parent with one of the many shelters and nonprofits based in and around New York City. These include but aren’t limited to: Muddy Paws Rescue; Animal Lighthouse Rescue; NYC ASPCA; Humane Society of New York; Bideawee; Social Tees; and Animal Haven.
Hamilton is the cutest!!
If you care at all about the welfare of dogs, don’t buy one from an Amish breeders or other puppy mills. They are notorious for inhumane and abusive treatment.
“The dogs in these Amish mills are treated like livestock. They will spend their entire lives in a cage, being bred until they can longer produce. The Amish breeders that we have researched may have anywhere from 10 to over 1,000 dogs. These breeding dogs often spend their lives in a barn in stacked cages, only being removed to breed.”
https://www.nj.com/pets/2017/08/the_breeder_youre_about_to_buy_that_puppy_from_is_a_monster.html
https://www.thepuppymillproject.org/amish-puppy-mills/
https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/lancaster-county-kennels-listed-among-humane-society-s-horrible-breeding/article_a4421dce-34f6-11e7-9c4d-130b29e334ac.html
https://humane-pa.org/2018/10/09/the-battle-to-end-pa-puppy-mills-marking-the-10-year-anniversary-of-act-119/
There are plenty of great dogs up for adoption! If you feel you must buy a dog, please do so from a reputable breeder.
Teddy – I hope that your owner might make a donation to the ASPCA or some other like-minded organization in proportion to how much she/he paid to buy you from a breeder.
We did buy him from a reputable breeder. One that we researched and visited on 2 separate occasions. So please don’t assume that we don’t care about the welfare of dogs, or Hamilton for that matter.
that is one very smart dog! i think Hamilton belongs on the Community Board.
Oh, how I miss UWS…Hamilton! Sacha, the lhasa, would have loved meeting you at ‘your’ favorite park..
from Walnut Creek, CA
Sorry, I meant to address my recent post to Hamilton, not Teddy
Enough!!!! from the dogs point of view…
Get humans to contribute
Perhaps you should spend some more time talking to dogs to brighten your mood!
Moose- you don’t have to read it if you don’t like it. It’s my fav part of wsr and it seems that others enjoy it too!!
Enough already!! About and from a dog…
On Broadway alone between 81st and 103 there are 50 empty storefronts. I counted them. Amsterdam is not far behind. Are real estate developers trying to ruin the neighborhoods so they can buy up property cheaply?
Hamilton should get a job and stop acting exactly like these store owners who expect their landlords to just HAND them everything! Typical Dumblasio fan: expects to just be handed everything instead of needing to WORK HARD!
Hey Hamilton – Love your interest in empty storefronts. Maybe you and your owner are interested in joining our Grassroots group – UWS Save Our Stores! Get in touch – UWSSOS@gmail.com