Concentrations of Cubans and Cuban-Americans in NYC (Yonkers, Union: home, neighborhoods)

[crisp444]

Are there any areas left in the city with high concentrations of Cubans and Cuban-Americans? I know that lots of Cubans who came years ago have since moved to the suburbs (mostly to NJ), but are there many left in the city? I have heard that lots of Cubans left the city when lots of neighborhood experienced "white flight." However, is there a good presence of more recently-arrived Afro-Cubans in northern Manhattan or the Bronx? I am very curious because the only Cubans I know in this area either live in Manhattan (below 96th street) or in nice areas of Brooklyn/Queens that don't have many Cubans. Even Union City, NJ isn't "Cuban" anymore I have heard!

[SuperMario]

The south Bronx has a few.

Also I've seen some in Harlem, Broadway in the 130's - 140's.

[crisp444]

Mario (LOL is that your name?), are these primarily Puerto Rican neighborhoods?

[SuperMario]

Originally Posted by crisp444

Mario (LOL is that your name?), are these primarily Puerto Rican neighborhoods?

Yeah lol.

The south Bronx is Puerto Rican. But I think the early Cuban and Puerto Rican migration occured together. They were the first two hispanic groups in the Bronx. The Cubans improved their status and moved on while the Puerto Rican stayed here. The area I mentioned above on Broadway is Dominican. Dominicans seemed to be the modern day Cubans except they stayed a couple of generations.

Also usually where you have Hispanics living, you also have a good number of African Americans. Which is the case in the Bronx and Uptown.

[crisp444]

Mario, do you know of any good Cuban restaurants to which I can go up that way? I usually cook at home, but I would be thrilled if I could get some good Cuban food out.

[mead]

There's a place in Yonkers called Bella Habana. There's also another one in White Plains on East Post Rd, forget the name.

You can find a decent number of Cuban restaurants in the city in nice neighborhoods below 96th street. There are also a good number of Cuban restaurants in NJ.

Most Cubans I know now live in the 'burbs.

[cjma79]

Well, I must say, I have gone to 4, 5 rest in Manhattan. And still havent found a REAL cuban rest.

[mead]

Originally Posted by cjma79

Well, I must say, I have gone to 4, 5 rest in Manhattan. And still havent found a REAL cuban rest.

I've been to Havana and the restaurants are nothing to write home about. Government run cooking just plain old sucks.

Now home cooked meals in Cuba are an entirely different story. Those are delicious

[SuperMario]

I wouldn't know where to find Cuban food. But isn't Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican food the same? They all have the rice, beans and meat the same. Maybe a few dishes here and there differ but in general is the same.

Go to the countless spanish restaraunts throughout the city.

PR food= Cuban food = DR food

[mead]

Holy Cr@P! Don't say that. I nearly started WW 3 with a Puerto Rican co-worker of mine one day when I said the same thing. She completely flipped the hell out on me, and yelled at me that PR food was nothing at all like Dominican food.

Honestly I feel like you're right, because it is all pretty much the same ingredients wise (Puerto Ricans don't eat ox-tail though, so I think thats different) with some minor variations. Pretty much all Carribean food is delicious in my book, both Spanish influenced and Afro/Indo food from places like Jamaica and Trinidad.

Originally Posted by SuperMario

I wouldn't know where to find Cuban food. But isn't Cuban, Puerto Rican and Dominican food the same? They all have the rice, beans and meat the same. Maybe a few dishes here and there differ but in general is the same.

Go to the countless spanish restaraunts throughout the city.

PR food= Cuban food = DR food