Why You Need A Bodega

Not quite a supermarket, but so much more than a convenience store. In New York, the show can’t go on without a good bodega.

Every NYC neighborhood is, on a hyper-local level, a show. Some neighborhoods are box office smashes playing to sellout crowds every night for years on end while others are community theater played in the round to a passionate audience of less than a dozen, but romance, comedy, and tragedy play out on these streets and avenues all year long.

The people who live and work locally are players, and like any good show, every neighborhood needs a stage manager. Someone who makes sure all the players have what they need and are never left empty-handed in a critical moment. While the show is the reason you’re in the theater, the show cannot go on without a stage manager to show everyone to their places.

Part of picking a place to live in New York is picking the right bodega. Even the best actors with the best directors on the best stages can have subpar shows if their stage manager is sloppy, and the same is true for neighborhoods and bodegas. Eggs can be runny, toilet paper might not be restocked, the ice cream can be a brand you don’t like — there are as many reasons a bodega can be sloppy as there are items in a bodega.

Get to know your bodega

Before you settle on a new place to live, it is absolutely crucial to check out nearby bodegas. Two apartments on different sides of the same city block can have their own bodegas and completely different living experiences. Each is unique and reflective of a different aspect of the neighborhood.

To get a feel for your potential bodega, visit it a few times at various points throughout the day and take in the scene. Look at who’s shopping, what they’re buying, and what’s on the shelves.

• Are the late-night shoppers barflies on their way home or local parents running out for last-minute diapers?
• How are the egg sandwiches in the morning?
• Do they sell beer you like?
• How much do pints of ice cream go for? Is the toilet paper 1-, 2- or 3-ply?

If this is your first time living in New York, these questions may seem unrelated or outlandish. You’ve always stocked up on toilet paper, ice cream, and beer at your supermarket, and they’ve got supermarkets in New York, right?

Oh you sweet summer child.

Yes, supermarkets are in New York, and yes, you’ll do most of your “stocking up” there. But stocking up looks a lot different if you don’t have a car to put everything in. Hauls get cut in half when you have to carry it seven blocks home by yourself. You will become very familiar with your bodega very quickly after a couple of treks home laden with the handles of 8 plastic bags full of groceries digging into your fingers.

Cost vs. convenience

Bodegas aren’t the cheapest, but 99% of the time they’ll be the most convenient shopping option in your neighborhood. It doesn’t matter how close your grocery store is — it isn’t as close as the bodega when you run out of toilet paper at 3:30 in the morning.

You’ll learn to love the loosey at your bodega: the single roll of toilet paper, the 5¢ peppermint candy, the tallboy can of beer. Nothing trims the fat of an average grocery list shopping at a bodega — you find out what you really need when shopping at convenience prices. (Hint: probably not the pint of premium ice cream.)

Bodegas are the beating hearts of their neighborhoods. They see everything and miss nothing. They know who’s new to the neighborhood, who’s got a new late-night booty call, who’s in a fight, and who’s breaking up. They know when one of their players is having a bad morning and need their usual breakfast order on the house.

Like commutes, local restaurant scenes, and neighbors, bodegas are one of the unnamed factors in how good an apartment will end up being for you. Yes, floor plans and kitchens and natural light are all undoubtedly important, but walking even one extra block every time you need butter or a quart of milk can make the difference between a neighborhood you love and a neighborhood you can’t wait to move out of.

When you’re looking for a new apartment, it pays to look with someone who understands the lived NYC experience — including the value of a great bodega. If you’re ready to look, shoot me a message.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I’d love it if you tossed a few Claps my way — just tap on those hands over there — or share this on Twitter or Facebook. And if you want to take this relationship to the next level, message me now!