Brooklyn Bodegas: You Gotta Love 'Em

Many of us here at Stay BK hail from different parts of the world. I myself have recently moved over from what was once my home base, Los Angeles. The best thing I learned about moving to Brooklyn was how incredibly convenient the shops around you are. For instance, every other block is lined by either a laundromat, bar, or fruit stand conveniently open for ridiculously long hours each day.

Perhaps my favorite discovery, however, was the Brooklyn bodega. These small convenience stores aren’t really a thing where I come from. I never even heard the word until I arrived in the city. But they’re AWESOME.

Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, Bodegas offer the essentials. They have that one thing you forgot to pick up during your trip to target. They have that bottle of Tylenol you need to pick up on your way to work. I can’t explain to you, reader, how much I rely on the bodega system in NY.

And there is a system. Each Bodega is pretty similar to the next, just a few blocks away from one another, carrying everything from milk, to mouse traps, to mars bars. Hungry? They have just about every kind of sandwich on the menu. Thirsty? My bodega shopkeeper has recently become a bit of a barista behind the counter as he makes his iced coffees with multiple Torani syrup blends. Want something to read? Pick up magazines dating back to 2004. The wide selection will not disappoint.

Bodegas in Brooklyn are indeed a beautiful thing.