York Ave Between 88th St and 86th St

   

Just a few streets south of its terminus, York Avenue still maintains the residential neighborhood feeling that dominates the majority of its 39 block existence. Both the street and the sidewalk here are very wide, wider than they'd even need to be. The stores feel a bit anemic for a stretch this large, but I guess there's a finite number of people living to the east of here, so it's not entirely necessary to be inundated with bars and dry cleaners. Save for a single Chase bank, I can't recall one chain store along the route. Even pharmaceutical needs are provided by a small shop rather than a Duane Reade. 

Something that has always caught my eye here is the number of dogs left tied up on the sidewalk while their owners go inside stores to shop. Recently EV Grieve mentioned a reader which was fed-up with this practice and has vowed to confront every owner they see doing this. I can't imagine I would ever go that far, but it can be a bit troubling. I'm not so concerned for their physical well-being–unless it's unreasonably hot, I don't think they're in any danger–as I am for their psychological well-being. I've never owned a dog, but they seem to endure some legitimate distress when separated from their owner. I find myself just wanting to give them a pat on the head to let the know it'll be alright–though I never do, both because I know it won't help, and God forbid the owner sees me touching their dog without permission. No, the neurotic in me tells me to resist the urge.