When I first moved to the city, I was ordering an Italian sub (no cheese, extra pickles), and two young boys were there, clearly coming right from school. They could not have been more than 8 years old, and they walked with a confidence, an obvious embodiment, that they had frequented this particular bodega more than once. To New Yorkers, this is a common oc- currence.
My mom is from the city, and she has told me stories growing up in the 70s that she and her younger brother would peruse their local bodega and “steal” candy, not knowing that their mother would stop by about once a week to give the bodega man the cash that they were taking. This speaks to a type of trust that is necessary for a community to thrive, an unspoken intimacy that shines a light on how relationships form in such small ways. Bodegas are the backbone of New York City, and often, they are managed by immigrants.
The bodega that we shot in is run by Khaled, who lived mostly in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Egypt before moving to America. This is extremely common amongst most bodegas; not only are immigrants the spirit of this country, but they also cultivate and provide the city with one of the most important layers to the economy, and our community as well.
Bodegas are our backyard, a home that is often developed by those that are living far away from the home that they themselves were raised.
Now, with that being said, I am someone who likes to dress
up everywhere I go, including the bodega. While bodegas might not be considered a “special occasion,” I think it is worthy to be proud of what they represent in our communities, and sometimes putting on your finest jewelry to go to the bodega is exactly what is necessary to add joy to the day. And think about it, how often do you go to the bodega after the club? Or before a rooftop party? In many ways, we already are wearing our nicest clothes to go to the bodega. And with that, I would like to end with some of the wisest words of the 21st century, spoken by none other than Migos: “Never too much jewelry, I’m serious.”
