By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER MANHATTAN — Residents in Washington Heights and Inwood used to have to travel hundreds of blocks south to get everything from sushi to organic produce. But now the area is home to three Japanese restaurants and countless eateries offering organic and fair trade gourmet foods.
The new restaurants come with higher food prices, despite similar but cheaper offerings at older neighborhood joints.
"It’s great to have more options," said 43-year-old Inwood resident Maria Cridland, "but a lot of these places charge way too much for the crowd up here. Who is paying these prices?"
At newcomer restaurant Pick and Eat on Broadway and 176th Street, a fruit smoothie can run up to $6.49 — whereas a similar shake at Carreons Bakery on Broadway and 211th Street runs $4.50.
Ceviche lovers rave about the seafood dish at El Rey del Ceviche, a food truck at 207th Street near Ninth Avenue where the meal costs $10 a pint. That's a far cry from the price at Mamajuana Cafe, where the ceviche salad costs $12 just for appetizer dish.
And although a café con leche, or espresso with steamed milk, costs just $1 per cup at El Viejo Jobo on 207th Street, people line up outside of Starbucks on 181st Street in Hudson Heights every day to pay $3 to $5 on lattes and cappuccinos.
For some residents though, the opportunity to spend a few extra bucks on that latte is a welcome change with some saying the comfort of knowing they will get the same coffee whether on 14th Street or 181st Street makes it worthwhile.
"Look, I moved to Washington Heights to pay less rent," said resident Luis Ramcharran, 33. "I don’t see why that means I can’t have the latte I like."
