(Google, 2020)
Having lived in Bensonhurst my entire life, I have seen many changes that occurred within my neighborhood with the community as well as the physical stores. Bensonhurst was once a small neighborhood but many new stores have popped up recently that brightens up the place. As you can see in the image above my area is surrounded by more recognizable neighborhoods to some such as Dyker Heights. Bensonhurst is actually very deep into Brooklyn far away from Manhattan. Bensonhurst characteristics lives in its store signs and showcases a lot about the community within it. Going back into the history of Bensonhurst, it was actually a predominantly Italian neighborhood but the community has changed throughout the years with more asians moving in.
(Fung, 2020)
Stores like Target show the modernized version of Bensonhurst that I live in. Right off the bat, although there are no actual words, almost everyone that walks by will recognize that this is a Target because of its iconic Bullseye logo in red and white. The bright lights of the store really draws a lot of attention to this store and even though it is still a very new store in Bensonhurst, it is one of the highlights just because this target represents the progression that has taken place in my neighborhood. I think that development within my neighborhood shows how the people in the neighborhood have changed as well throughout the years. Fun fact about this target is that it used to be a theater which is a big change for what it was.
(Hjort, 2018)
Italian Records has been around for as long as I can remember and looking at the sign that the storefront has it can be inferred that it has been there for a long time. This record shop has been in my neighborhood for even before I was born. It can be seen that the once vibrant blue pant that the store had has now faded as well has a lot fo the colors that the store presents. Besides the faded colors of the storefront, you can see that this store contains words in Italian which suggests the demographic that they are targeting. The store front is direct so that anyone that walks by will know exactly what they sell which is records. One thing that I noticed is that the Italian that the storefront contains isn’t simple Italian that just anyone can understand so mostly Italians would shop at this store. Since this place has been around for so long This store represents the past of Bensonhurst and the reason why I say that is because Bensonhurst used to be dominantly Italians in the neighborhood. Italian Records isn’t the only place that has a pattern of showcasing Italian culture.
(Sperling, 2017)
The image above gives some insight to the spirit of Bensonhurst. Santa Rosalia is an event that happens yearly in the neighborhood. The sign above is big and vibrant with two words Santa Rosalia which is to recognize the patron saint of Palermo in Italy. It is a great event to show how the community inside Bensonhurst comes together yearly and how tight knit everything is. Judging from the color scheme of the whole event you can tell that this feast highlights Italian heritage. This event is actually a yearly event and from the image above you can see the entire community coming together to enjoy the many attractions that the event offers. Throughout the years this has become a big melting pot that happens once a year where everyone despite ethnicity comes out.
(Feng, 2020)
The restaurant above actually popped up rather recently compared to other aspects of Bensonhurst and at first glance looking at the sign you may not be able to recognize it as a Chinese restaurant. Despite appearances it’s a small restaurant owned by a Chinese couple that I think can show how Chinese people have integrated into what was once an Italian dominant neighborhood. Looking at the sign above the restaurant you can see how pristine it is. The font of the words for Mama’s Noodle House is in cursive on a black background with is very simplistic compared to its surrounding stores, most notably you can see a small blue sign in Chinese words. Although this block is all Chinese stores the English that Mama’s Noodle House uses can draw in more English speaking customers. Small shops like this restaurant is a gem in Bensonhurst because while most people would go to restaurants in well populated areas of the neighborhood, This place actually resides in a small block and you wouldn’t really know about it unless you are a local.
(Mapquest, 2020)
Now that I have spoke a little on the Chinese aspect of Bensonhurst, I think that its important to also show one of the most prominent aspects of Mexican culture in Bensonhurst as well. Tacos Lupita is a food truck I would say that is the go to spot for authentic Mexican food in Bensonhurst. There are a couple of restaurants in my neighborhood similar to this one and the color scheme alone of the truck shows what culture it represents. Not only that, for me personally I have went to this truck specifically so I have a connection to it personally.
(Papapietro, 2014)
This image is on 86th street of Bensonhurst and emphasizes on how unique the stores are laid out in that area of the neighborhood. Just glancing at the image you can see the colorful storefronts and big signs. The most eye-catching sign is the one with the Chinese characters in front. That is actually a Chinese restaurant and you can see that there is a red and gold color scheme going on. This is because in Chinese culture red symbolizes good luck. You can see the red color scheme is also on the discount store next to it which is also owned by Chinese people. I would say that 86th is one of if not the most populated parts of Bensonhurst and the image above definitely shows that. One of the interesting things about this area in particular is that there are 99 cent stores and well as huge supermarkets right next to each other. For a lot of the people in the neighborhood 86th Street is the go to area for any items anyone might need.
(Zagare, 2017)
Besides Santa Rosalia, the year-round hangout spot for everyone in the neighborhood is Seth-low Park. I would say that this is one of the big defining aspects of Bensonhurst as most people have heard of it. You can see that this image as for most parks is not heavily focusing on a sign but rather there are symbols such as the flags. Not only that looking at the details of the sign and the flags you can see that everything is still seemingly new and that is because it was actually recently renovated. One thing that this image of Seth-low Park has in common with the image of 86th Street is that both show the populated parts of Bensonhurst. I believe that this is the go to park in the neighborhood because of the location being that it is pretty close to being in the center of everything in Bensonhurst.
(Google, 2020)
Besides showing the different cultures that Bensonhurst contains I also want to show how different cultures mix. For example, in the image above in Bensonhurst it contains a Chinese bakery right next to a Dunkin Donuts. Looking at both stores you can see a huge difference in the signs. For Dunkin Donuts you see the classic pink orange and brown color scheme that is apparent at every one of their chains. Next to it you see the Chinese Bakery with Chinese characters in a worn out pink and yellow sign. Not only that above the Chinese bakery there is a blue sign with more Chinese characters which are actually for a martial arts school above. These signs are clearly meant for the Chinese community because older Chinese people in my community don’t all speak and read English. I think that this gives a good idea as to what the people in the neighborhood are like. To elaborate, the neighborhood has evolved so much other the years that American fast food chains like Dunkin Donuts aren’t the only spots that people get their breakfast. Its interesting to see how a Dunkin Donuts and a Chinese Bakery can coexist right next to each other in this neighborhood.
(Bambara, 2020)
These images are an example of how the old and the new have mixed together. In the image there is a 99 cent store as well as an old coffee shop with a sushi restaurant right next to it. It is apparent that the coffee shop has been there for a while considering the aging that can be seen on the sign compared to the other stores. I wouldn’t say that deteriorated and faded signs are neccesarily a bad thing because there is a reason why it has been in Bensonhurst for such a long time. Not only that in the other picture you can see a pizza and pasta restaurant and another store of completely different culture right next to it. Although it is unclear what that store actually is the general vibe of the image shows signs of age despite how different those two stores are. One thing to note is that this image isn’t the most recent so the stores in the last picture are most closed permanently to my knowledge. These images that I have shown show a time where Bensonhurst isn’t exactly all Italians but is still old enough where there has been a lot of change that has happened.
