Storefront Survivors

This website is the result of a unique research project undertaken by first year Macaulay Honors students at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY) under the supervision of Mike Owen Benediktsson, Marnie Brady, Caroline Loomis, and Tommy Wu. The interviews, images, and research collected here were collected entirely by students, as part of their coursework for the People of New York City seminar, or Seminar II, an interdisciplinary class on the past and present of the city’s neighborhoods, with a focus on migration and immigration. Learn more about Macaulay at Hunter College and People of New York City here.

Similar research projects were conducted by students in seminars led by Professor Sharon Zukin at Brooklyn College, CUNY, and Richard Ocejo, at John Jay College, CUNY, as part of an ongoing collaborative project on small, independently owned businesses across the city.

Teaching Staff / Site Editors

Mike Owen Benediktsson is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Hunter College, and the coordinator of the People of New York City seminar at Hunter. His research focuses on urban sociology, and more specifically, the role of the built environment and everyday material objects in social life. Visit his faculty page at Hunter here and his personal website here.

Marnie Brady, PhD, is an Instructional Technology Fellow (ITF) at Macaulay Honors College. Her work examines the financialization of housing through the example of pension fund evictions. She lives in Brooklyn, NY where she stops into her corner bodega every day.

Christina Nadler, PhD, holds a doctorate in Sociology from the CUNY Graduate Center and is an Instructional Technology Fellow (ITF) at Macaulay Honors College. Her dissertation argued for the consideration of denial as a sociological problem as well as a psychological one.

Caroline Loomis is a PhD candidate in Geography at the CUNY Graduate Center and an ITF at Macaulay. She studies the intersection of schools and gentrification, including the co-location of public and charter schools and children’s understandings of neighborhood change.

Tommy Wu is a PhD candidate in Sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center and an ITF at Macaulay. His academic interests include citizenship, labor and political subjectivities. His research focuses on the labor force of Chinese and Asian Fusion restaurants that now dot America’s suburbs, strip malls and airports.

Student Contributors:

2017

Afroza Ahmed is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a double major in Biochemistry and Studio Art. She has lived in Jackson Heights, NY for most of her life and enjoys biking, painting, and binging on Netflix. You can read her post at here.

Fariha Ansari is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a double major in Biochemistry and Mathematics. She grew up in Jamaica and loves to sing, paint, and eat food. Read her post with Ariance Marchese here.

Sophia Berin is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter college. She is pursuing a double major in History and Education, and minoring in Spanish. She loves to read, write, listen to music, and re-watch The Sopranos. She hopes to one day teach around the world. Read her and Harry’s post here.

Juan Cambeiro is a student at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. He is on the pre-med track and is pursuing a major in Behavioral Neurobiology and will probably be minoring in Public Policy and Spanish. He hopes to one day be able to practice medicine abroad and to work in healthcare policy. Read his post here.

Angela Chi is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She grew up in several different states around the US, including Kansas and New York. She plans to pursue a major in Studio Art, Chinese, Economics, and possibly Urban Studies. She does not have the slightest clue what her future career will be; however, she is sure that she wants to give back to the communities that raised her. Read her post with Amanda Onoichenco here

Gina Gindi is a student at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. Gina is pursuing a major in accounting and a minor in sociology. She was born, raised, and currently lives in Midwood, Brooklyn. Read her post here.

Kimberly Hibbert is a Macaulay Honors student pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Media. She was born and raised in the Bronx and plans to live in Atlanta or Florida after she graduates college. See her post here.

Daniella Seelenfreund is a student in Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. Daniella is pursuing a major in Human Biology. She is hoping to one day be a Physician’s Assistant, as she enjoys helping people, making them happy, and getting to know their different personalities! You can read her post here.

Suvin Jeon is a macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She grew up in South Korea until the age of four, when her parents whisked her away to the United States. She grew up in Flushing ever since and enjoys staying at home. She is thinking of pursuing a major in Animal Behavior, if she can’t find anything else veterinary-related that sounds more professional ad vet-like. Read her post here.

Christine Kim is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is currently pursuing a major in Psychology and minor in Media Studies. She hopes to be a therapist and/or journalist in the future. She spent most of her childhood in Brooklyn, but currently resides in Staten Island. Read her and Vanessa Sun’s post here.

Melissa Lent is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a double major in Media and Creative Writing with a minor in Theatre. She hopes to be an editor, a journalist, or an arts manager in the future. She grew up in Elmhurst and moved to Rego Park in Queens. See her post here.

Emily Li is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a double major in Environmental Studies and Chinese. She enjoys dancing and she loves animals. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Read her post here.

Samantha Lish is pursuing degrees in Art and Biophysics at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. She is very involved in all things STEAM ( incorporating art and design into STEM education), and finds solace in bookstores, quaint coffee shops, home-depot, and art suppliers. Read her post here

Stella Ma is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is currently pursuing a major in Computer Science, with the possibility of a minor in Economics. She currently lives in Sheepshead Bay, but has lived in Chinatown and Bensonhurst. Read her post here.

Ariane Marchese is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter. She is majoring in Physics and hopes to do research on space weather once she graduates. She enjoys voice-acting and playing video games with her family in Queens. Read her post here

Jadyn Marshall is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a major in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing, and a certificate in Publishing. She hopes to become an acquisitions editor from 9 to 5 and a storyteller from 5 to 9. She grew up in Putnam Valley and currently lives in the air a hundred feet above Manhattan. See her post here.

Natalie Mizrahi is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She intends to pursue a major in Psychology with a minor in Dance and Philosophy. She was born and raised in Midwood, Brooklyn. See her post here

Caryn Nahum is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is on track to earning her Bachelor’s in psychology and plans to pursue a higher degree in pediatric or clinical psychology. She enjoys taking dance classes and swimming. See her post here.

Amanda Onoichenco is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter college. She is currently pursuing a major in Biology with a minor in Chemistry or Psychology. She was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and aspires to be a physician. See her post with Angela Chi here

Madison Paredes is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She was born and raised in Queens, New York and currently resides in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She is pursuing a degree in film and creative writing. See her post here.

Sam Prasad is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. He is currently pursuing a major in Psychology. He hopes to be a counselor or therapist in the future. He grew up in Queens Village, where he currently resides. Read his and Zach’s post here.

Shahdi Qurashi is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. He is currently pursuing a major in cognitive neuroscience and he aspires to be a psychiatrist. He grew up in Bayside, Queens and currently resides in Hollis, Queens. Read his post here.

Nicole Rakhmanova is a student at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. She is pursuing a major in Biochemistry and possibly Human Biology, and a minor in English, and intends on becoming a physician. Born in Azerbaijan, she moved here when she was only a year old and grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Read her post here.

Allison Reich is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a double major in Psychology and Urban Studies. She hopes to live in Israel and be an industrial psychologist or urban planner. She grew up in Flushing, Queens and now lives in Manhattan. Check out her post here.

Jaimee I. Rodriguez is the seventh son of a seventh son and has, thus, inherited magical abilities such as telekinesis and a keen spidey-sense. He enjoys playing Club Penguin under the username Tinderella and one day hopes to become space. You can read his post at www.pbskids.org/arthur.

Joanne Rodriguez is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. Joanne is currently pursuing a double major in Psychology and Human Biology and a minor in Spanish. She was born in Brooklyn but was raised and currently lives in Staten Island and enjoys baking and listening to Hip-hop music. Read her and Rafa’s post here.

Polina Safovich is is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is currently pre-med and pursuing a major in Human Biology. She was born in Ukraine but was raised and currently resides in Brooklyn. Polina speaks Russian and has played a number of sports including lacrosse and swimming. Read her and Mariam’s post here.

Rafa Sattar is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is currently pursuing a major in Political Science and is interested in pursuing minors in Philosophy and English. She has lived in NYC her entire life and hopes to become a lawyer in the future. Read her and Joanne’s post here.

Ashley L. Sealy is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is pursuing a degree in Psychology with a concentration in Behavioral Neuroscience. She has lived at the border of Queens and Long Island her entire life and you will normally find her napping or teaching gymnastics. See her post here.

Gideon Soule is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. He is pursuing a degree in Political Science with minors in Public Policy and Human Rights, and ultimately seeks to do work in civil rights matters. He has lived in Brooklyn his entire life. Read his and Rafi’s post here.

Vanessa Sun is a Macaulay Honors at Hunter College student studying Fine/Studio Arts and Media Studies, but is also on a Pre-Law track. She hopes to be a lawyer and an artist in the future, and is currently a freelance chess journalist for several chess news websites and print publications, primarily for the United States Chess Federation. This gives her an adequate background for her research into the small business, Chess Forum. You can see her post (with Christine Kim), here.

Kathy Tran is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is currently pursuing a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, and hopes to be a software engineer or data scientist. If she is not at the library or café doing work, you’d probably catch her at a restaurant eating with friends or on the streets of NYC biking! Read her post here.

2016

Kyrillos Akhnoukh is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College on the pre-medical track while pursuing a degree in Economics. His parents were both born in Egypt and he was born in Brooklyn. He grew up and currently resides in Staten island. See his post here.

Julia Aneiro is a student at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College pursuing a double major in Classical Studies and Art History, but she’s also interested in mental health advocacy. She’s lived in Bath Beach, Brooklyn her whole life, and is bummed out that there is actually no beach there. Read her post here.

Mariama Badjie is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College pursuing a degree in Urban Studies, with a focus on Urban Policy. Read her post here..

Solomiya Bavlovych is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She has lived most of her life in Brooklyn, New York after immigrating there at the age of six from Lviv, Ukraine. Read her post here.

Briana Belfer is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is very much undecided in her major, and yes, she knows she has to decide soon. She grew up in and lives in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY. Read her post here.

Hila Benhaim is a Macaulay Honors Student at Hunter College and is majoring in Chemistry. She is currently living in Manhattan, but grew up in Bayside, Queens. Read her post here.

Olivia Brown is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College studying film and dance. She is a working actor and dancer. She grew up in the East Village and now dorms at Hunter College.

Jamie Cabigas is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is on the pre-med track and hopes to pursue a degree in Biochemistry. Born and raised in Whitestone, she never fails to forget her Queens heritage, even with the splendor of Manhattan, the setting in which she currently resides. Read her and Glenn’s post.

Ariella Caminero is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is currently on the pre-health track in hopes of pursing a career in Physical Therapy. She is originally from uptown Manhattan, but currently resides in the suburban town of Eastchester, NY. Her interests include singing, dancing, and watching films. Read her post.

Ryan Chan is a Macaulay Honors Student at Hunter College who is on the pre-med track. He was born in Singapore, but spent most of his life in Commack, Long Island, New York. He likes playing basketball and the piano in his free time. Read his collaborative post here.

Glenn Collaku is a Macaulay Honors College student attending CUNY Hunter College. He is pursuing a major in Nutrition and Food Science. He was born in Durres, Albania before moving to the United States and currently lives in Seaford, New York. Read his post.

Julia Correa is a Macaulay Honors student studying Nursing at the Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing. She was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to the United States when she was eight years old. She currently resides in Irvington, New York. Read her post.

Sean Crisp is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College studying German and possibly computer science. He grew up in Kildare and lives in Yonkers or Kips Bay. Read his post here.

Elliot David grew up New Rochelle Westchester County and after completing high school, moved to Israel for two years. Elliot currently studies at the Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College and is considering a double-major in Mathematics and Physics. Read his post here.

Sarvar Dhillon is a Macaulay Honors student studying Computer Science and Creative Writing. He likes South Asian history, computers, and basketball. He spent a lot of his time growing up in the cluttered streets of Hillside Avenue eating samosas. You can read his post here.

Ahmet Doymaz is a Macaulay Honors student studying Biology and minoring in Computer Science. He lives in Midwood, Brooklyn, but has spent many late summer nights near the water in Sheepshead Bay. You can read his post here.

Anthony Frousios is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who is currently attempting a double-major in both Economics and Psychology. He is originally from Astoria Queens, but currently resides in the residential neighborhood of Whitestone, NY. You can read his post here.

Erica Fu is a Macaulay Honors students at Hunter College who is double majoring in Political Science and Chinese along with a minor in Legal Studies. Her family is from Taiwan and she currently lives in Fresh Meadows, Queens.

Tony Fung is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who is on the pre-med track. He currently resides in the peaceful neighborhood of the Upper West Side, Manhattan. He also enjoys doing rowing and photography in his free time. Come see his post here.

Stephanie Geier is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who is interested in Economics, Public Policy and Journalism. She has lived in Woodside, Queens for her whole life. Read her post here.

Jonathan Goldhirsch is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. He is majoring in Political Science, with a minor in English. He was born and raised on Long Island. Jonathan has a literary blog where he writes book reviews, interviews authors and just geeks out. Read his collaborative post here.

Allyson Gonzalez is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College studying Fine Art. Her career interests are entertainment and commercial animation, and she will be leaving Hunter this fall to pursue it. She lives in middle-of-no-where Brooklyn, where every day she curses the MTA.

Genie Gorbonosov is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College currently on the pre-law track. She is a daughter of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants. She lives close to the tip of Brooklyn in the Sheepshead Bay area. Her interests include writing and baking. Read her post here.

Gabrielle Goubran is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. After frequently visiting the Lower East Side since birth, she is proud to showcase her oral histories and research to Storefront Survivors. She plans on pursuing Music, Economics and Dance at Hunter College. Read her post here.

Michelle Guo is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who is currently on the pre-med track and is considering to double major in Biochemistry and Psychology. She comes from College Point, buried deep within Queens, but currently dorms in Manhattan. Read her post here.

Eunice Hew is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who is currently on the pre-med track. She was born in Elmhurst, Queens and currently dorms in Kips Bay. She enjoys baking and kickboxing in her free time. Read her post here.

Theoren Hyland is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who studies Music and plans on double majoring in History, along with a minor in Political Science. He was raised in Manhattan, born into a family of Irish and Malaysian Chinese immigrants. Read his collaborative post here.

Emile Jean Baptiste is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who’s studying Computer Science. He was born in Plainview, his mother lives in Valley Stream, and his father lives in Union City. He spent most of his life in Flatbush and a few years in Kew Gardens Hills, and currently dorms in Kips Bay. He’s interested in television, movies, video games, and memes. Read his collaborative post here.

Truly Johnson is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College who will likely major in Computer Science. She was born in Manhattan and has lived there her whole life so far. She enjoys reading and telling stories. Read her post here.

Wasie Karim is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College on the pre-med track studying biochemistry. He was born in Norwood, Bronx, moved to Long Island at the age of 40, and has lived there since. Read his post here.

Ameer Khan is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College majoring in History and Art History and is considering the possibility of an Economics major or minor. He hopes to enter a career in trend forecasting after graduating. He grew up on the east end of Long Island, however resides in Manhattan during his undergraduate studies. He is half Pakistani and half Thai.

Sandra Kumwong is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College on the pre-med track studying Sociology and Biology. She plans to become an OB/GYN and work in communities with health disparities. Born and raised in Flushing, Sandra currently resides in Port Washington, NY. Read her post here.

Edrick Leong is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College studying basic core requirements with a passion for playing music. He is a true Brooklynite from Bensonhurst, and currently dorms at Hunter College. Read his post here.

Daniel Levin is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College currently on the pre-health track. His interests include politics, good books, science, and generally speaking to passionate people. Read his post here.

Arif Mahmud is a Macaulay Honors Student at Hunter College on the premedical track. Arif is interested in biochemistry and economics and one day hopes to become a physician. He grew up in Kensington, Brooklyn and loves to explore Prospect Park in his free time. See his post.

Dominik Makocki is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. He is currently pursuing a double major in Economics and Computer Science. His real passion is bridging the communication gap between different levels within the healthcare system through his small business. Read his story here.

Samantha Manners is a Macaulay Honors Student at Hunter College. She is majoring in psychology and plans to attend veterinary school after completing her B.A. Born and raised in bustling Manhattan, she wishes for a quieter town to have a small farm, take long walks through the woods, and write poetry in her free time. Read her post here.

Christina Marshall is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is currently on the premedical track and plans to pursue a B.A in Economics. She plans to attend medical school after her undergraduate studies and eventually obtain an MD/PhD in her respective field. Read her post here.

Mary McAuley is a Macaulay Honors College student at Hunter College. She is majoring in Political Science and Russian and plans to attend law school. She grew up in Queens, New York, and is currently living in Manhattan. Read her collaborative post here.

Geraldine Camille Perral is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College double majoring in Political Science and Sociology and considering a certificate in Public Policy in hopes of going to law school someday. Her roots lie in Cebu City, Philippines but she is currently living in Bushwick – the brand new hipster capital of Brooklyn. Take a look at her post here.

Tamir Pinhasov is a student at the Macaulay Honors program at Hunter College majoring in Mathematics. He is studying to procure a position in a medical school in the future. Tamir is not native to NYC, as he was born and raised in Israel, and enjoys exploring and discovering the beauty of this city. Read his post here.

Jessica Pinkhasov is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College, born and raised in Rego Park, Queens. She is currently on the pre-dental track and plans to major in Psychology. Read her post here.

Hamza Sadhra is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College, born in Punjab, Pakistan, raised in Valley Stream, NY. He is considering a major in Biochemistry, with a minor in International Relations. Outside the classroom, you can find him on the tennis or basketball court. Read his post here.

Jenny Shin is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College intending to major in Media Studies and is considering a minor in Art History. In her free time, she loves to make crafts and read. She grew up on the North Shore of Long Island, but currently dorms in Kips Bay, Manhattan. Read her post here.

Jessica Sun is a Political Science and Public Policy student (with a minor in International Relations) at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, and she loves dancing and reading in her free time. She was born in Connecticut but has lived on Long Island for most of her life. You can read her post here.

Breffni Neary is a student in the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College and is planning to pursue a major in Media Studies with a double minor in legal studies and biology. She was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, but is now living in Manhattan because it’s the only time she will ever get to live there for free. Read her post here.

Farib Khan is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. He watches MLP and writes MythBusters fan fiction. He helped co-write Boku No Pico, the prequel, and is currently working part time as a sales associate at Red Box. He shines during the Melee, but the time when he really shines is with Falco, at obscure weeaboo oriented improv groups. He cuts hair for a living for underprivileged refugees.

Michelle Rangel is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College considering majoring in Economics and Biochemistry while on the pre-med track. She grew up in Elmhurst, Queens and moved to Jericho, NY when she was eight years old. See her post

Sabrina Rich is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is majoring in Political Science and considering a certificate in Human Rights and a minor in Asian Studies. She was born and raised in Middle Village, Queens. Read her collaborative post here.

Mora Rizk is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is currently on a pre-med track hoping to pursue a degree in Mathematics. She was born in Hoboken, New Jersey but was raised in Staten Island, New York. Parts of her interview was conducted in Arabic which she translated into English. Read her post here

Nicole Rojas is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College considering a double major in Political Science and Chinese and a minor in Human Rights. She was born and raised in Jackson Heights, and is currently living in Kips Bay at the Hunter dorms. Her favourite activities are sleeping and looking at art. Read her post here.

Noor Sheikh is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Rights while pursuing the pre-med track. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, she moved to Staten Island at the age of three. She has held on to her South Asian culture and takes interest in learning more about her roots. In her free time she likes to read poetry and watch Bollywood movies. Read her post here.

Omar Siddique is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. He is on the pre-med track and is majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience. He was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica but hails from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Read his collaborative post here.

Joelle Tirado is a student at the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College and double-majoring in English and Psychology, with a minor in Human Rights. A third-generation, Proud Puerto Rican, she was born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens and plans to one day become a children’s counselor.

Vanessa Uribe is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. She plans to double major in History and Anthropology with a minor in Education. She was raised in Cold Spring, NY and now lives in Peekskill, NY.

Nicholas Vulpis is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. He is double majoring in Music and Psychology. He was born to Italian and Polish parents and raised in Maspeth, Queens. He is deeply rooted in music, having spent years in a professional band. He is currently composing for a future Broadway production. Read his post here

Peter Yang is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College considering a major in Community Health. After spending the first few years of his life in Beijing, China, he moved back to Queens, NY, and has lived there ever since. In his free time, he can be found obsessively scouring Yelp, planning his next foodie adventure. Read his post here.

Saifeldeen Zihiri is a Macaulay Honors student at Hunter College. The son of Egyptian immigrants, he was born in Brooklyn but currently resides in Staten Island. When he’s not majoring in Political Science he can be found reading or cramming for his latest assignment. Read his post here.