Destination 116th street

A static-filled “Next stop 116^th street” rumbled through the train as we pulled away from 110^th street, one stop closer to the heart of East Harlem. After walking up the slippery steps at 116^th street and Lexington, we were immersed in a bustling community. The sidewalks are lined with small mom and pop shops and with people selling things like CDs and churros from small stands. The area was lively with different music blasting and the sweet smell of conchas, Mexican sweet bread. When we first got to the neighborhood, Rafa and I were overwhelmed by all of the people walking to and from the different businesses. The first store we went to, Capri Bakery, a small shop that specialized in custom-made cakes, didn’t have many people. But, it still took a long time for the owner of the shop to give us her attention and tell us she didn’t want to be interviewed. We then went to the surrounding businesses on 116^th and they also didn’t want to speak with us. One of the cashiers, a small woman with a strong demeanor, gave me a puzzled look after I asked her in both English and Spanish. She responded with “Que? No, no entrevistas.” After she denied us for an interview, we continued the search for a business owner or manager that would talk to us.

Turning the corner and walking a few streets away from the subway station, we went into a small café, Kahlua café. After convincing the man and assuring him that the interview was for a school project, we interviewed him and learned more about his business. Adrian Sanchez, the owner of Kahlua café, once known as New York café, had owned the business for seventeen years. As he described the first, and only, business, he owns Sanchez told us about the difficulties of owning a mom and pop shop in New York City. He spoke of the loss of customers over the past few years due to the local McDonalds, Burger King, and Taco Bell. Sanchez also explained the difficulties of paying rent, dealing with health inspectors, and waiting on a union settlement. He explained that a union settlement helped small businesses by deciding if they can renew the operation. After speaking with him over tacos and mango drinks, we moved on to find the next business to interview.

Walking around the same four block radius for another hour, after going into every store, we finally found someone that was willing to be interviewed. We found a small family-run bodega and interviewed the daughter of the dad (who owns the business) because he was too busy at the moment. She told me that they came from the Dominican Republic about 30 years ago and that adjusting to the culture and learning the language was difficult for her family. When he first came here, he worked, as a part of this business, filling up the fridges. When asked about how he came about buying the business she told me that he “saw that there was a chance to progress” and decided to buy the business, “not all in one shot, but just, you know, little by little, and now he owns it and things are going pretty well.” This bodega employs anyone that is motivated enough to go to work but as of right now, their family takes more care of it that any other person would. A usual day, she explains, is usually crazy, with three employees working at night and four in the morning. When Rafa and I went, it was very busy, as it was throughout a normal weekday. She laughed as she told me that this was the only business because they wouldn’t have enough energy to open another one.  Similar to the other business, this bodega sees a diverse crowd daily. Of course, they have a regular customer base of people that come in every morning for a cup of coffee and a plate of food or a sandwich. Unlike Sanchez’s café, this bodega didn’t see a change in the customer base, they see everyone, especially because of the close proximity to a hotel. She told us that the diversity she sees every day is her favorite part of working in the bodega. She however, does not like the neighborhood, as she told us that “it’s high on drugs and so I have to deal with unpleasant people, but, I guess that’s anywhere.”

Many businesses have issues with business, meeting government regulations, or paying rent. This bodega, however, has none of these issues. Her dad owns the building but even though it is abandoned, it is expensive because they have to pay light and water. They also have no problems meeting regulations because they get notifications and try to keep the bodega clean and up to date.

In our first field visit, after surpassing the obstacles of not being able to get interviews from businesses, Rafa and I were able to chat with two wonderful people that work at local businesses. It was interesting to learn more about the inner workings of two very different local businesses. While some may prosper, such as the bodega which said that “business has been pretty good, we’ve had more good days than bad”, others are struggling. It was nice to get to know them and we will definitely return to the shops again.