Bushwick Podcast

It’s our season finale, and we’re closing out the year with a look at one of the most quietly radical movements gaining momentum in Bushwick, and across the city: a program that allows members of the community to directly determine how their tax dollars are spent.

This week, we’re diving into the world of Participatory Budgeting with the office of City Council member Antonio Reynoso.

AFTER THE EPISODE:

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Jennifer and Council member Reynoso for helping to open up Participatory Budgeting process to even more people in the community.

To learn more about Participatory Budgeting across the city, head to the City Council’s PB page (https://council.nyc.gov/pb/). If you’re interested in getting involved with PB in Bushwick, you can visit the PB pages for the neighborhood’s City Councilmembers: Antonio Reynoso (https://council.nyc.gov/antonio-reynoso/pb/9/) and Rafael Espinal (https://council.nyc.gov/rafael-espinal/pb/9/). 

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week, and throughout this season. None of this would be possible without your support. We’ll be taking a brief break before returning this Fall, with more of Bushwick’s incredible stories. But in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

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One of the key trends to emerge as Bushwick changes is the importance of space; who has it, who’s welcome in it, and what they can use it for. With rents increasing across the neighborhood, spaces where people can gather and organize are becoming rarer, and more critical—and some businesses see an opportunity to offer communities a home.

This week, we sat down with the team behind a new Bushwick venue that invites anyone in the neighborhood to come, and be themselves.

AFTER THE EPISODE

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Melissa, Sheena, Chelsea, and The Gradient team for taking us behind the scenes of these early days at the venue.

If you’re interested in learning more about or working with The Gradient, you can visit their website (https://www.thegradientbk.com), or get in touch by email ([email protected]) or Instagram DM (https://www.instagram.com/thegradientbk/). 

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week. We’ll be back with another story you won’t want to miss, but in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

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Few things are as consequential to the changes happening across Bushwick as zoning laws—the rules that say what can be built and where, here in the neighborhood. Today, Bushwick is being considered for what’s called a “rezoning,” the city’s formal process for changing those rules. 

Everyone from city government officials to local non-profit leaders, seems to have a different opinion on what those new rules should look like. But one group in the neighborhood is attempting to stop the process altogether, before it can change the face of the community.

This week, we sat down with one of the leaders behind a group fighting to take control of Bushwick’s destiny from the city’s bureaucracy, and put it into the hands of the community.

AFTER THE EPISODE

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Nancy and the Mi Casa team for sharing more about their work around one of the most consequential discussions happening in the neighborhood today.

If you’re interested in getting involved with Mi Casa No Es Su Casa, or learning about how you can get involved in the broader movement around rezoning, you can get in touch by email ([email protected]), or via DM on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/micasaresiste/). 

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week. We’ll be back with another story you won’t want to miss, but in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

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Here in Bushwick, it’s that time of year again: Bodegas have stocked up on pumpkins, clubs are full of costumes even more spectacular than usual, and a certain spookiness fills the air. Halloween is nearly upon us. 

For last year’s holiday, we met with Eugene J, the mad scientist behind Bushwick’s year-round celebration of all things sweet, surprising, and Halloweeny, the Eugene J Candy Company. This year, we wanted to know: What’s he got in store for the neighborhood now?

This week, we reconnected with Eugene at the height of the halloween season to learn more about how he satisfies Bushwick’s sweet tooth during the biggest candy celebration of the year. 

AFTER THE EPISODE

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Eugene for taking the time to open a window into his workshop, especially at the height of the Halloween season.

If you want to pick up some of your own Halloween candy from Eugene J’s, you can visit the shop for yourself at 16 Wilson Ave. If you’re interested in learning more, or getting involved with the Eugene J Candy Company, you can head to their website (https://www.eugenej.com) or get in touch directly by email ([email protected]), phone (718-381-1050), or DM (https://www.instagram.com/eugenejcandyco/). 

As a bonus, you can also check out Eugene J’s punk-horror-rock band, bbigpigg, at their bandcamp page (https://bbigpigg.bandcamp.com).

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week. We’ll be back with another story you won’t want to miss, but in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

Bushwick Podcast is powered by Simplecast.

Before each episode of Bushwick Podcast, you hear a message from an organization called Heritage Radio Network, or HRN. Even if that name is new for you, the organization is anything but. HRN has spent the past decade here in the neighborhood making shows like ours possible—while building one of the world’s most unique audio archives from a secret recording studio tucked inside a storage container within Roberta’s Pizza.

This week, we sit down with two of the leaders behind HRN to learn more about their work, and their mission to give important new voices a platform to reach listeners around the world. 

AFTER THE EPISODE

We’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to Caity and Patrick for sharing more about HRN’s history, and it’s work here in the community.

To learn more about HRN, you can visit their website at https://heritageradionetwork.org or get in touch directly at [email protected]. And if you’re interested in connecting with one of the most dynamic communities in local media, food, and audio, join us at the HRN 10 Year Anniversary Gala on November 11th at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Find out more at https://heritageradionetwork.org/gala. 

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week. We’ll be back with another story you won’t want to miss, but in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

Bushwick Podcast is powered by Simplecast.

Small business owners play a unique role in Bushwick. As we’ve heard throughout the community, many entrepreneurs view their shops as opportunities to serve the neighborhood outside the scope of business as usual, whether that’s by partnering with activists or creating spaces that bride gaps in the community. But as we’ve also heard, the realities of running a business often conflict with more purpose-driven intentions. 

This week, we meet with the wife and husband duo behind Quality Goods, one of Bushwick’s most celebratory and intentional businesses. It’s a discussion that’s been over a year in the making, drawing on conversations from the present, and from last summer, on the eve of their store’s grand opening. 

AFTER THE EPISODE

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Jossua and Kristen for allowing us to step into their journey over this first year. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Quality Goods, you can visit them for yourself at 128 Wyckoff avenue, though you’ll be looking for the entrance on Stanhope. You can also follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shopqualitygoods/), or visit their website (https://qltygds.com/), where you can shop from their online store with options for shipping and in-store pickup. 

Jossua and Kristen are always on the lookout for local artists, vendors, and partners. If you think you might be able to work together, you can get in touch directly by emailing them at [email protected].

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week. We’ll be back with another story you won’t want to miss, but in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

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As the summer comes to an end across the city, it’s the start of a new season here at Bushwick Podcast. That means we have the continued privilege of sharing more of the remarkable stories happening in the community, and the renewed duty to help break down the biggest issues facing the neighborhood today. We have some exciting episodes planned this Fall, and we’re thrilled to begin the season with a story of resilience, hope, and the power of partnership.

This week, we sat down with some of the leaders behind the Bushwick Food Co-op, which, if you haven’t listened to our previous episode, “The Everyone Store,” is the neighborhood’s democratically owned and operated grocer. Earlier this summer, the Coop’s storefront was devastated by fire damage, but today, they’re recovering by embracing the unique strengths of their community.

AFTER THE EPISODE

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Chris, Laurel, Kat, Ali, and Fran for taking time out of their recovery efforts to share some of the lessons of their experience.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Co-op and how you can help out with their fire recovery efforts, you can visit their website (https://bushwickfoodcoop.org), follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickfood/), or visit their GoFundMe page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-bushwick-food-cooperative) to support them directly.

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week. We’ll be back with another story you won’t want to miss, but in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickfood/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

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We’re hard at work getting the new season of Bushwick Podcast ready to be the best one yet, and we can’t wait for you to hear what we’ve got in store. In the meantime, we wanted to share an update on one of our most popular stories from earlier this year: “The Everyone Store.”

AFTER THE EPISODE:

Our sincere thanks again to our friends at the Bushwick Food Co-op for sitting down earlier this year for the original “The Everyone Store” episode. If you’re interested in learning more about the Co-op and how you can help out with their fire recovery efforts, you can visit their website (https://bushwickfoodcoop.org), follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickfood/), or visit their GoFundMe page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-bushwick-food-cooperative) to support them directly.

We’d of course also like to thank you for tuning in this week, and for hanging tight as we prepare our newest season. As we get the earliest episodes ready for takeoff, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better throughout the season. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon.

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"It’s our season finale, and we’re thrilled to close out a summer of Bushwick stories by partnering with our friends at the new community media project, This Bushwick Life. Together, we sat down with an artist whose work captured Bushwick at one of its most defining moments: the early 80s. In that time, she lived many lives, from disco club kid to Bushwick public school teacher, but through it all, she was one thing more than any other: a photographer.

This week, we’re stepping into Bushwick’s Past with an intimate conversation with one of the community’s longtime chroniclers: Meryl Meisler.

AFTER THE EPISODE:

We’d like to extend our gratitude to Meryl, who was incredibly gracious and generous with her time, for joining us in the studio to share her memories, and her work, from Disco Era Bushwick. You can find out more at her website (http://www.merylmeisler.com) and her Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/merylmeisler/).

We’d also like to thank our friends at the new community media project, This Bushwick Life, for making this episode possible. This Bushwick Life was created in July of 2018 to promote the Bushwick residents, local businesses, and community organizations that make the neighborhood a better place to live, work, and visit. Their mission is to create awareness, make introductions, and strengthen ties between people in the community. No story is too small, and nobody is too cool. If you want to learn more, or you’ve got something to share, you can visit them at their website (https://www.thisbushwicklife.com), check out their Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thisbushwicklife/), or get in touch directly at [email protected].

We’d of course, also like to thank you so much for joining us this week, and throughout this season. None of this would be possible without your support. We’ll be taking a brief break before returning this Fall, with more of Bushwick’s incredible stories. But in the meantime, we’d love to know what you’re interested in hearing, and how we can do better. Get in touch by emailing us at [email protected], or by DM’ing us on our instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bushwickpodcast/). We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll see you soon."

Bushwick Podcast is powered by Simplecast.

We’ve heard in previous episodes about how Bushwick has become one of Brooklyn’s most dynamic communities for everything from food to art. Take a walk around the neighborhood, and you’re sure to notice another scene that’s thriving here: thrift stores and vintage shops. But that’s not without some complicated feelings, as some people see the increasingly hip secondhand industry as a herald of gentrification.

This week, we sit down with one of the owners behind Bushwick’s newest vintage shop to discuss: What makes a secondhand store tick, and what role can it play in Bushwick’s future?

AFTER THE EPISODE:

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to Cat and her partners in MCM for taking us behind the scenes of the vintage world, and sharing more about their early work here in the community. To learn more, follow Brooklyn Vintage Company on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brooklynvintagecompany/), or visit them for yourself at 194 Irving Ave.

Of course, we’d also like to thank you for tuning in. We’ll be back next week with our final episode of the season, an exciting collaboration with our friends at the new Bushwick blog, This Bushwick Life (https://www.thisbushwicklife.com). You won’t want to miss it. In the meantime, did you know Bushwick Podcast is made by people like you? We'd love your feedback, and your help. If you’re interested in learning more, get in touch at [email protected].

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