We can’t take credit for this and present it as an original piece. What we can do is take responsibility for bringing this awesome New York Times piece to your attention.
If you’ve spent any time in New York (or saw the movie Half Baked), you know what a bodega is and likely have visited one. Whether it was for smokes, condoms, gum, papers, candy or a drink, they seem to have all the essentials and are open 24/7. Further, they seem to be located in the most convenient and opportune locations. Just when you need them!
The word bodega is actually Hispanic and means a small grocery store, especially in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. Obviously, the roots carried into neighborhoods all around town. That is until the recent rent hikes and influx of chains taking over. We have enough Duane Reade’s and 7-11’s just don’t fit in New York City – Sorry!
Bodegas likely won’t all disappear but are definitely dwindling. So why the sudden interest in bodegas? As we noted, we were reading the New York Times and came across Gail Victoria Braddock Quagliata has spent the last nine months photographing everyone in Manhattan.
The artist walked every street on Manhattan to make sure she got every bodega, ending up with more than 2,000 pictures.
Some of her photographs didn’t quite work out the way she wanted, but when she returned to shoot the bodegas again, many of them had disappeared.
This is an event site and shopping at a bodega is absolutely an event. Go get some!
@newyorkeventsco