Upper West Siders once again opened their wallets for people and places that are facing big challenges amid the pandemic.
The Emerald Inn on 72nd Street, a 77-year-old institution on the UWS, raised more than $18,000, ahead of its goal for $15,000, to construct a better outdoor dining setup so they can get through these tough cold months. So stop by and have a beer with fourth-generation owner Charlie Campbell (from 6 feet away) to celebrate.
And a GoFundMe for Pedro Aguilar, the West Side Campaign Against Hunger worker and father of 5 who was shot while delivering food last month, has raised just under $50,000. It had raised about $11,000 in the first four weeks of the fundraiser, and then about $40,000 since we published our story just five days ago. To keep the momentum going, you can donate here.
Kudos to all who have donated. Upper West Siders have raised enormous sums for people facing tough times, and for those helping out in the pandemic. Locals raised $9,000 to pay the rent of two nurses from Alabama in just a few hours after our story last year.
Seeing the construction last night (is that legal?), The only problem is Emerald Inn seems to be building a near-totally enclosed structure with no ventilation.
I may be wrong because it’s not done, but I won’t be going to a place that just locks me in a shed. It doesn’t seem safe.
SMH
Good morning :). Hope you are enjoying your Sunday. We at the Emerald Inn , put our customers safety as priority number one . We have purchased industry leading air purifiers and sanitizing solutions which will be used to sanitize the space before and after each customer is seated . We also included 10 5 foot windows which are installed with plastic ,which can easily be put up and taken down . We also have 3 , 3000 watt Infared heaters with a 60 degree heating field over each table . We also have a 6 foot x 8 foot wide open entry way into the structure . Our customers went above and beyond to support us during this dark time and we have put much thought into the safety protocols in place
This sounds great but some of it may not be obvious to would-be diners. Please put up signs describing what you are doing so that you get the full benefit of your efforts
I heard those gunshots from my apartment that Friday and am so glad to know Mr. Aguilar is somewhat ok. And thank you for the information on the GoFundMe campaign, I’m so glad to be able to do something concrete to help.
Hi – it’s so good to hear about us all being helpful to each other. I wanted to bring your attention to the family who own and run the Toscana Shoe Repair shop on Broadway between 85 and 86. They are barely able to stay open. Someone just did a GoFundMe for them of $5000, but they are still struggling terribly. If you can go through your shoes and find some that need repair, they’re eager for and really need the work. Or, as we did, you can drop by and make a donation and have a nice chat…