Daniel Emmett Alexander

Communications student at Fairleigh Dickinson University

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Take a look into Forever Coffee, a cozy little coffee shop in Washington Heights. Founded in 2018, this business has operated through the COVID-19 pandemic and come out the other side better than ever. Watch the mini-documentary above to learn more.

Forever Coffee: a mini documentary

Artem Arnopulo founded Forever Coffee in 2018, a cozy little coffee shop in Washington Heights. He moved from Russia to New York three years prior to become a dance instructor, but later decided to start his own business. Despite not having much experience in business, or even in coffee, he opened his doors in 2018 and hired a small team to help him run the shop. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, his team stayed home to be with their families. Instead of closing Forever Coffee down, Arnopulo ran the shop by himself, from open to close, every single day for four months. Now they’re up and running with a full staff again.

Before COVID, Forever Coffee only served, well, coffee (and other drinks). After COVID, Arnopulo decided to expand their menu, adding a variety of bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and Mediterranean-inspired lunch items. Visit their Instagram page @forever181nyc to see some mouth-watering photos of their delicious offerings.

Most businesses only hang up a rainbow flag during June, which is pride month in the U.S.. But if you visit Forever Coffee, located at 714 W 181st street in Manhattan, you’ll see a pride flag on display year-round. Arnopulo explains that he wants his restaurant to be a safe space for everyone, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, a group that is prominent in NYC and especially in The Heights.

When asked what makes Forever Coffee unique, Arnopulo says that it is “casual, warm, delicious, and it feels like it’s been here forever.” If you’re in need of a caffeine boost, a bite to eat, or just a friendly atmosphere, swing by Forever Coffee in Washington Heights.

Music:

Island by MBB https://soundcloud.com/mbbofficial Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/Island-MBB Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/6by8zhaG04Y

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BeatProject: Tasty Video

Date: April 2022

Here’s how to make the perfect pan-fried tomato grilled cheese.

Ingredients:

Cheddar cheese

Tomato

White bread

Butter

Salt

Directions:

Slice cheddar cheese

Place cheddar cheese on a slice of bread

Slice tomato

Place tomato on top of cheese

Add another slice of bread to make a sandwich

Melt butter in a pan

Add salt to the butter

Fry both sides of the sandwich until golden brown

Cut sandwich and serve with fries

Music:

“An Optimistic Life” by Beatbrary on YouTube

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Project: 1-Minute Routine with Humor

Date: April 2022

There’s just something about NYC tourists...

Transcript: I work at a very popular New York City attraction called Edge. Not the Edge. Just Edge. Get it right. Edge is an observation deck – remember this, or the word play that I’m gonna do later isn’t gonna make any sense. We get thousands of visitors from all over the world every day, it’s very cool and fun. I love capitalism, please don’t fire me. I’ve been working there for a while, and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned that tourists don’t have any brain cells. They leave them all at home. Actually, I think that they board the plane, and while they’re flying, their brain cells gradually fall out, and by the time they land in New York, they have maybe one left. All New York tourists share one single brain cell and it is fighting for its life. Now, I try to enforce safety regulations on the deck but people don’t listen, they just don’t care, their tourist brains can’t handle it. And I try to be professional, I really do, but sometimes I just feel like decking people on the deck! Thank you, no thank you. Thank you.

Disclaimer: For legal purposes, this is a joke. Daniel does not actually wish to harm any guests who come to visit Edge. Please visit our attraction.

Music:

“Elegant Jazz” by HookSounds on YouTube

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Project: 30-second Commercial

Date: March 2022

Welcome to Fairleigh Dickinson University! Is FDU the school for you? 

Transcript: Welcome to Fairleigh Dickinson University! Located on the Teaneck/Hackensack border, the Metropolitan campus is home to over 4,000 undergraduate students, and one of them can be you! FDU is a Division 1 school with a variety of athletic, academic, and social resources for you to explore. Make your way down to River Rd and visit FDU today!

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Fashion Interview - Elssie Angelique

Elssie Angelique is a 26-year-old New Yorker who is passionate about beauty and fashion. I interviewed her at her home in Queens.

Project: Audio Story

Date: March 2022

Elssie Angelique is a 26-year-old New Yorker who is passionate about beauty and fashion. I interviewed her at her home in Queens. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/the-daniel-alexander/fashion-interview-elssie-angelique

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It's a gloomy Wednesday morning in The Heights. Everyone goes about their day.: by Daniel E. Carty on @stellerstories

Explore the World with Steller: Share and Find Unique Things to Do and See

Project: 5-Picture Essay

Date: February 2022

Crossing state lines: Easier than you might think. 

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Project: 1-Picture Story

Date: February 2022

Just chillin’ on top of New York City, no big deal.

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Project: Sketch Assignment

Date: February 2022

“The girl is like an architect and I am just the new invention.”

What is your favorite iDKHOW song?

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Changing My Name

Project: Personal Story

Date: January 2022

In May 2021, I finally changed my name, and it changed my life. This was something I’d been aching to do for years, but never had the resources or support necessary. 

I started going by “Dann” in online spaces when I was in high school. My birth name has two n’s, so I kept two to honor it. When I started college and came out to people in real life, I quickly realized that I hated that spelling and started going by “Dan” or “Daniel” instead. 

I started the process of legally changing my name while I was still living in New Jersey, but ended up moving to New York before it was completed. So I started again. I filed my paperwork with the Bronx Civil Court in November 2020, and the change was officially approved in May 2021. I was now, legally, Daniel Emmett-Alexander Carty.

Before this change, getting people to use my preferred name and hiding my deadname was a difficult task. My deadname was often visible in school or work documents, revealed to coworkers and classmates. The use of my preferred name was a request that I had to make upon every new encounter, and hope that it would be honored. 

Now, I can approach new interactions with confidence. Who I am is not a question or a request. No one can hold the legality of my name over my head, and it’s as if a weight has been lifted. For the better, my life has changed.

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Welcome to Daniel’s Digital Storytelling! Stay tuned for text, image, audio, and video-based creative projects :)