ABOUT
While other cities might have delis, no other place besides New York has bodegas. These institutions have served the city's many communities in some shape or form for over 100 years. As such they have adapted to their surroundings, constantly listening to their patrons, not as customers, but as families.
In reality, there is no one summation for all that a bodega does in New York. In fact there shouldn't be. However, we must also cherish what they, as well as other family owned businesses, continue provide us on a daily basis.
As the city around us changes, so do these spaces. This project hopes to explore the importance of bodegas through 4 immersive maps.
Although, these maps do not explain what bodegas are, they show small snippets into some of the way that bodegas might be perceived by New Yorkers and visitors alike.
In reality, this is more of a pet project that has allowed me to geek out on these spaces that I have grown to love. I hope by viewing this project, you will start exploring bodegas too.
For more information or to get involved visit the about section or email me at bodegafloors@gmail.com
Support your local bodega!
BODEGA SOUND MAP
This is a collection of sounds I’ve gathered in bodegas over the past few months. Some are from notable conversations I’ve had or witnessed, others are simply sounds that I feel are representative of my normal trip to the bodega.
Rather than stick to my own neighborhood I thought that this would be a good opportunity to travel all around the city. My trips took me to all 5 boroughs. This was both helpful to experience a range of spaces and people and to understand the city in a more physical and personal way.
Many of us stick to our certain routes within the city. The space of New York is a different experiential and tangible environment to each and every one of us, for a variety of reasons. I’m thankful for my ability to travel the whole city.
At the same time I recognized that in some places I was not necessarily welcome. My presence as a white man could easily be the eerie harbinger of gentrification. I say this only to break any trend of colonial tourism.
My goal was not to “discover” and then show off my findings. That is why I choose to keep the locations I went to anonymous.
Don’t let this be any deterrent from exploring what you’re interested in.
Explore away and enjoy.
LISTEN BELOW!
BODEGAS IN MEDIA
Bodegas play very different roles in Hollywood than they do to New Yorkers. While many crime shows might explore bodegas as the scene of a crime, New Yorkers often shine their lenses on the beauty or humor that occurs in these spaces.
While it is important to not simply trivialize or romanticize these spaces, it is also potentially dangerous to essentialize these multifaceted institutions as places of danger or poverty. Either way, this is a way to view the multiple, overlapping, contradictions of bodegas in media.
This collection includes clips gathered from movies, TV and Youtube. If you're wondering they were not collected legally.
If you have any media or comment you would like to add to the project, click this link
BODEGAS SHRINE
This video explains itself for the most part. But for those that might be confused this is an attempt to map the death of a bodega near my house.
Furthermore, it is an attempt to show the difficulties of understanding and interacting with spaces around you.
BODEGA FLOORS INSTAGRAM PROJECT
Bodega floors, much like bodegas themselves are quite versatile. Although they are often one of the most overlooked aspects of bodegas, they are representational of the type of space that bodega owners are trying to create.
If you look down, you might not see much, but every once in a while you will catch a gem.