Monthly Archives: December 2020

Latinx artists shine in Papergirl Brooklyn’s Buswhick exhibit

by ANGELICA TEJADA

Papergirl-Brooklyn’s Bushwick exhibit features Latinx artists like 3 Gatos and La Mecánica Popular. Photo by Angelica Tejada.

Papergirl-Brooklyn (PGBK) is a public participatory art project taking place in eight Brooklyn neighborhoods. Submissions of original art were accepted by PGBK and collaged for the public to see around these neighborhoods.

Bushwick is one of the neighborhoods where PGBK has implemented community voices and Latinx artists in their program. The exhibit is at Mayday Space, located at 176 St. Nicholas Avenue, which is a community center and organizing hub that hosts various events for grassroots organizations and groups.

“We really admire the work that Mayday Space is doing, and we are like pretty big fans and wanted to have them in the audio program. It was also amazing to have the chance to do the installation there,” PGBK Project Developer Annie Del Hierro, 32, said.

Each exhibit has an accompanying audio episode from Papergirl Radio. The Bushwick episode features Justin Lin, founder and director of BKC, a learning-focused community center and activist and member of Mayday Space Pati Rodriguez. Continue reading …

‘It could start from just three people interested in making a difference,’ says Bushwick Ayuda Mutua’s admin

by ANGELICA TEJADA

Juan Perez joined Bushwick Ayuda Mutua in August after hearing of the organization through social media. Photo provided by Juan Perez.

Juan Perez, 23, is a volunteer coordinator and administrator at Bushwick Ayuda Mutua (BAM), which is a grassroots organization dedicated to helping those in Bushwick impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Perez recently moved to Bushwick but has dedicated his time to BAM and has helped support hundreds of Latinx families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a Q&A with Perez on his perspective of BAM and the Latinx community in Bushwick. Continue reading …

Gente de Bushwick: Melo’s Block Shop offers educational tools for bilingual toddlers

by ANGELICA TEJADA

Gente de Bushwick: Melo’s Block Shop

Melodi Conze, owner of Melo’s Block Shop, wants to offer services to bilingual children no matter their background. Photo provided from Melodi Conze.

This monthly feature on Soy Bushwick introduces the faces in the Latinx community of Bushwick. 

Who: Melo’s Block Shop is a Bushwick-based online retail store that sells educational posters in both English and Spanish on Amazon. Melodi Conze, founder and owner of Melo’s Block Shop is also an English teacher at a high school in Bushwick.

What: Melo’s Block Shop focuses on offering educational tools for toddlers to learn the alphabet, days of the month and more that can be used both at home and in the classroom. The Bilingual Bear is a cartoon that’s featured on the products and resembles the shop’s mission. Conze combined both her teaching and Afro-Latinx background to create this small business.

Here we speak to Conze, on Melo’s Block Shops background and connection to Latinx culture. Continue reading …

Bushwick Hoy: Historic Queen Anne home will be demolished, Mexican restaurant getting attention for serving authentic pueblan tacos, and more

by ANGELICA TEJADA

It’s Tuesday, November 24, 2020. Here’s what you need to know:

Taqueria Al Pastor serves authentic Mexican dishes on the corner of Wyckoff and Stanhope. Photo by Angelica Tejada.

Demolition permits were spotted outside of the Charles Lindemann House, a historic large Queen Anne home located at 1001 Bushwick Avenue, and permits filed in 2019 show that the house will be replaced by a new six-story building, according to Brownstoner.

Taqueria Al Pastor opened at 128 Wyckoff Avenue just six weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City and had to close to protect its employees. Now they are open and their menu is 100% authentic Mexican cuisine, read Bushwick Daily‘s profile of the restaurant for more details.

Bushwick food pantries are doing their best and serving the community during Thanksgiving in the face of rising COVID-19 cases, the Bushwick Daily reported. Metro World Child, Bethany Food Pantry, Haitian Evangelical Clergy, Family Services Network of NY, Inc. and Make the Road New York will be open on Thanksgiving for donations or volunteers.

Nene’s Deli Taqueria, a new Mexican deli and taco shop located at 54 Irving Avenue, has made its mark in making birria tacos and other traditional Mexican dishes. The owner, Andrés Tonatiuh Galindo Maria opened his business during the COVID-19 pandemic after struggling to find a job as a chef, Grub Street reported.

A private developer has revealed proposals for a large mixed-use affordable housing building at 1250 Willoughby Avenue and 349 Suydam Street. The residential building would be a nine-story building containing 125 rental apartments, according to New York Wimby.