Take a look at our interactive map of Bushwick, Brooklyn!
*To view the description and video for each location, please zoom-in to the map as far as possible and click the icon (i.e: the pizza, the martini, etcetera). Clicking the blue A, B, C, D, or E will not summon the description or the video. Thanks!
Take a look at some statistical data of the surrounding businesses!
When Yoselin and I were working on our Shopping Street assignment, our first interviewee was the owner of Tony’s Pizzeria, a “mom and pop shop,” as the owner called it, that has been on its feet for over 45 years. Unfortunately, he shared that his business is becoming difficult to maintain, for bigger businesses are rapidly moving into the area (for example, the frozen yogurt chain “Fruitti Yummi” had recently moved into a vacant storefront across the street from the restaurant). Gentrification, he mentioned, has been pushing his customers away, for the customers whom he used to serve are moving back to the Caribbean, deeper into Brooklyn, and even to Ohio. Although his loyal customers are leaving town, the owner of Tony’s shed a positive light on gentrification, claiming that gentrifiers are “cleaning up the area” by pushing away the gangs and the prostitutes that existed just five years ago. With a familial motivation to keep Tony’s Pizzeria thriving, the owner hopes that more families–typically, those who can afford to eat at his restaurant–also move into the blossoming Brooklyn neighborhood to help his business out. In addition, he urges the local government to assist struggling businesses and families amidst a new wave of wealth.
Here are some points that the video does not cover:
Tony’s Pizzeria plays an important role in our project because of the business’ family ownership. First, being that it is family-owned, Tony’s Pizzeria made it interesting–and, actually, very easy–to research. The owner knew a lot about the business because he is the son of the founders of Tony’s Pizzeria. Since he is so close with the founders of this restaurant, he has some knowledge of the Bushwick of the past. With his knowledge of the history of Bushwick and his insight on today’s Bushwick, the owner was extremely helpful for our project. Second, because this restaurant is a small, family-owned establishment among a fast-growing big business population, Tony’s Pizzeria has certainly felt the effects of gentrification. As mentioned in the video, Tony’s Pizzeria is struggling, for its customers are being displaced from their homes, cannot afford the new high prices of the gentrifying neighborhood, and have easy access to cheaper fast food down the street (i.e. Burger King). Lastly, since Tony’s Pizzeria has been here for such a long time, this restaurant has seen many different types of customers. As the owner of Tony’s Pizzeria mentioned, his parents used to serve Italian, German, and Jewish families, he used to deal with prostitutes and drug addicts on a daily basis, and now he serves a predominantly Black and Latino community. This diversity is extremely interesting to study and it well-represents a dynamic neighborhood.
