Beyond thrilled to share the most recent series from Skyler Smith and me. #BodegasALoveLetter has been in the works for quite some time now and I can't believe how proud I am of it. We decided to offer an exploratory view of bodegas and .99¢ stores and the myriad of products they offer us. #Bodegas are an essential part of life for everyone- not just New Yorkers. Whether you know them as convenience stores, delis, or variety stores, there's something familiar and systematic about each one.
Personally, there have been times in my life here in New York where my local bodega has filled the empty space of absent family members, sound-asleep friends, the couch in my therapist's office, and the inconveniently shuttered pharmacy that wouldn't open for hours. I've purchased so many items from my neighborhood bodegas it's hard to fathom my life without them. I'm blessed to live in a very special neighborhood in Brooklyn that is graced by the upper-echelon varieties of Bodegadom.
Craving freshly fried chicharon? A bodega three blocks away has it. Grass-jelly drink at 3am? Don't fret, 450 feet away. Bad vibes in my apartment? Palo santo, Lady Guadeloupe are just up the road! Need 10lbs of the best carnitas this side of Mexico? Yep, they got that too. Banh mis, ça phe sua da, rice rolls, Haw Flakes, sesame balls- I can keep going! Am I drunk? Like insanely drunk at 2am on a Saturday? Well, single serve advils for .25¢ a pop when I'm fresh out, cans of ice cold ginger ale, perfectly constructed BLTs and Sno-Balls just waiting at the top of the stairs of my N-train stop.
My life in New York changed about two years into living here. Instead of going out of my way to seek out exciting new trendy things, I learned that I love the comfort of my home, the conveniences of my wonderful neighborhood, and my friends at my bodegas. They'll tell me if I have a poppyseed lodged between my front teeth. They know exactly how I like my coffee. They'll throw in a banana when I look more tired than usual, they put extra love in my sandwiches, and most of all they're always good for a hello.
The humble bodega and variety store have made my life in New York feel like I'm back in that small city in Maine, but with all the conveniences and anonymity of a big city.