By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER MANHATTAN — Uptown residents are applauding a Health Department crackdown on five neighborhood restaurants that were temporarily shuttered in the past month after failing routine health inspections.
Although business owners have voiced frustration at what they call an "unfair" and "arbitrary" inspection process, residents of the area say they are glad to see the city is following through on their task of disciplining establishments that fail to meet health codes.
"I can't mourn the passing of local flavor if it comes on a dirty plate," Washington Heights resident Amy Lee Pearsall said of the failed restaurants.
The trend began on April 5, when Empire Szechuan at 4041 Broadway closed after it received 97 violation points; followed by the April 8 closing of Kenny's Bakery at 126A Dyckman St. after it received 52 violation points; then John's Fried Chicken at 512 West 207th St. closed on April 19 after it was slapped with 82 violation points; and on April 20 Grullon Bakery at 1493 St. Nicholas Ave. closed after receiving 82 violation points.
The four restaurants reopened shortly after their inspections in April, but the May 4 closure of La Goya Bakery at 1318 St. Nicholas Ave. after receiving 84 violations points during its inspection continued the trend.
Although a Health Department spokeswoman maintained there has been "no concerted effort regarding inspections in this area," residents said the recent spree of closures pointed to a larger change in the neighborhood.
Washington Heights native and uptown-based blogger Carol Cain said she applauded closer attention and more in-depth inspections of area establishments. She said she believes the neighborhood's changing socio-economic demographic will continue to push higher standards on food vendors.
"As some1 who lives in the neighborhood, I feel bad for the loss of jobs, but honestly it's about time!" she tweeted Monday. "Way 2 many food businesses in lower income neighborhoods that r 2 disgusting."
"Sadly it took the signs of gentrification for the city to do its job!" she continued.
Cain and several other uptown residents said they believe many neighborhood businesses have been able to get away with lower standards, because many residents lack education surrounding food safety and continue to patronize poorly rated restaurants.
"These business owners take advantage of that," Cain wrote.
Inwood resident Phillip Simpson shared the same sentiment, drawing parallels to other neighborhood concerns.
"Why should people who live uptown be subjected to unhealthy restn'ts any more than to badly maintained apt bldgs?" he asked on Twitter.
Regardless, some residents said they would continue eating at establishments like the ones recently closed and didn’t mind taking a chance.
"If the place is that dirty, I’ll be able to tell," Washington Heights resident Kenneth Briton said as he entered John’s Friday Chicken on Monday. "It’s my right to eat here and nothing is going to keep me away from my fried chicken."
