This reminds me that my first ever HIV test in New York City was at a public clinic up in that neighborhood. I can’t remember exactly why a friend of mine and I went all the way up there, but since I was tagging along it was probably because he lived in the Bronx and knew upper Manhattan well, even though I knew him from his restaurant job in the Village.

Dominos clicking and a Little League baseball are vivid memories from my trips up there for testing. Years later, an important business client of mine was an influential Dominican man who worked on the side to sent talented Little Leaguers to the majors.

He introduced me to food markets, shops and a vibrant culture that were part of a world I barely knew existed, even though it existed right around me.

That’s a little bit like the world you are revealing through this memoir. Much of it exists all around us, but many of us never see it.