Business in Bushwick
Before wandering into the “gentrified” part of Bushwick, it is important to note the rapid development that the area has undergone in recent years. Bushwick’s internal business began picking up in the 1880s with the innovation of transportation. This area of Brooklyn became easier to access, as well as other parts of the borough, with the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge. Bushwick is a working, lower class neighborhood that relies on small businesses to keep sustain its revenue; however, with the recent increases in rent and cost of living in the outer parts of Brooklyn, more and more people are moving into inner Brooklyn. White residents in Bushwick have doubled while Asian residents increased by fivefold. This caused a domino-effect in the increase in rent in Bushwick as well as the decline in serious crime rates. What was once a Hispanic American Community, the neighborhood has become more diverse and its businesses are noticeably following the trend. With aesthetic coffee shops, bars, juice shops, organic markets etc, Bushwick is going through gentrification by the second. In this article, I will be going over some of the traditional businesses that still run in Bushwick as well as the businesses that provide evidence of gentrification.

Traditional Businesses
I had walked by dozens of different delis and groceries that represent the scene of Bushwick before the rapid gentrification that took place – some more eye catching than others, but were all the same regarding what was sold in the inside.
I was able to interview the owner of the deli, Walid, and asked him a few simple questions about the nature of his business. Many of my questions were limited because of the language barrier, but I got to hear some of his insight.
Q: What is your background?
A: I’m from Irab.
Q: How long have you been running this deli/grocery?
A: For about 5 years.
Q: What kind of customers do you see coming in and out of your business and have you seen any changes during these recent years?
A: Most of them were Hispanic, specifically Ecuadorian. But I have seen more diversity in my customers, chinese probably.

From these simple answers, I was able to interpret the perspective that this deli owner experienced from his little countertop. While interviewing, a regular customer had stopped by to buy lotto and I was able to hear some of his insight regarding the recent changes in his environment. It was a coincidence that he was one of the Ecuadorian customers that Walid talked about in the interview. He told me that most of the area near the grocery store – which is more to the east side of Bushwick – was not susceptible to gentrification. Specifically to this area in Bushwick, there has not been a clear image of gentrification. Even a few blocks can change the perspective of community to an extent that some people do not realize the changes that are occurring due to gentrification.

By: Eimi Ogura

Aris Pollos A La Brasa-691 Knickerbocker Ave

Walid Enterprises Inc. Deli Grocery

Milagra Grocery