Central Avenue: Local gems revitalized

even commissioned local muralists to paint the two walls around the garden as a colorful welcome to the neighborhood.

Old anchors and new kids The ethnic restaurants on Central have long been the anchors of the neighborhood. Today, new kids on the block are moving in and establishing a new image for the area. With these new businesses come young families, artists, and entrepreneurs. Thanks in large part to the Northeast Investment Cooperative, a communityowned real estate group, redeveloped storefronts are now home to a bike shop, German bakery, Co-op Brewery and Tap Room, and a third wave coffee shop. Rather than jeopardizing the original residents of the street, the development seems to have been good for business. Two of my personal favorites, El Taco Riendo and The Holy Land Deli and Market, have recently expanded to serve their growing clientele. The latter,

which is almost as old as I am, doubled the size of its

dining room to accommodate all of the community members who come during Ramadan to break their fast at sundown. The success story of Central Avenue is that the new has not merely replaced the old, but has revitalized the elements that have always made the neighborhood great. ¢