EN AQUEL TIEMPO:
AN ODE TO OG BUSHWICK

On view May 2021 – July 2021.

“This photo was taken on the corner of Irving and Greene for our Kindergarten graduation. I remember when this neighborhood was full of Puerto Ricans. And the Puerto Rican flags were hanging on almost every block with the sneakers also hanging from them. The Puerto Rican parades were super  super lit. I remember block parties with the fire hydrant on blast. I remember the snow blizzards and my dad making a Slide and snowmans. I lived there until 5th grade then moved to Myrtle Ave then to Bushwick Ave then to Rhode Island. I moved back to NY because this is where my heart belongs. As crazy as it is I feel very safe and protected in this city no matter the time of day. I am very proud to say what neighborhood I came from, and if I had the chance I would choose to live the Irving days all over again. I moved back a few years ago and used to live one block away from where I grew up it was wonderful until the building got sold and we had to move out. ”

Christian, Elizzette, and Elvis after Kindergarten Graduation. Irving and Greene Avenues, 1998. © Nuevayorkinos / Elizzette Mercado.

Photos 1 & 2: Steven riding a horse during a street fair organized by St. Martin’s Church. Halsey Street and Knickerbocker Avenue, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 2002. © Nuevayorkinos / Steven Hernández.

Photo 3: “Irving Square Park Winter 1994. I’m a baby in this picture and the older kid is my cousin Kenny. As you can see from my facial expression I was really excited to be in the snow for the very first snowstorm.”

Steven and his older cousin Kenny during Steven’s first snowstorm. Iriving Square Park, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1994. © Nuevayorkinos / Steven Hernández.

“We were in the middle of playing in front of our apartment building like we usually did when the weather was nice. We lived with our This is my great-great grandfather, Don Guillermo Vazquez also known as Don Guillo. He is standing outside his son, Santo, home on Monteith and Bushwick avenue. Santo lived there with his 3 children, Fina (Josephina), Santito (Santos Jr) And Jorge. This is likely around the 1960s. Now there are condos at the location. My mom’s cousin tells me there were all small homes like that.  Maybe 1-2 stories.  Several were rental apts and they were shotgun apartments. A few had bodegas or businesses on the bottom right on the avenue.  It was always a busy area but nothing like now.”

Don Guillermo Vázquez. Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1960s. © Nuevayorkinos / Katie Vázquez.

“This was taken in front of my very first home on Schaefer St and it was right before my day care graduation. All the kids on my block went to Audrey Johnson and when I started attending I had just gotten back from a long stay in DR. They would feed us breakfast but I refused to eat it. All I wanted was mangú y salami. My mom still tells me that she would constantly talk with the teachers to excuse my behavior. But whats funny is that now I love eating pancakes and applesauce for breakfast which is a dish they introduced to me.”

Bryan Hernández. Schaefer Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 2004. © Nuevayorkinos / Bryan Hernández.

“This photograph means so much to me. It’s the day of my parent’s wedding in 1965. What makes it so special is that the photo was taken in the house they purchased in Bushwick, Brooklyn. They got married there, shortly after they bought the house. 1965 wasn’t an easy year for interracial couples, but against all odds, my parents got married. A year later, I was born. The thing is, my father never cared about what people thought. He married my mother knowing his family didn’t approve. That’s love!”

Dan and Sheila Nolan on their wedding day. Bushwick, 1965. © Nuevayorkinos / Jill Nolan.

Photo 1: Mama Irma and Papi Cheo. 238 Troutman Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1975. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 2: Papi Cheo in his usual work attire. 238 Troutman Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1977. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 3: Mama Irma and Papi Cheo. 140 Stanhope Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1999. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 4: Mama Irma and her daughter, Laura Espinosa. Starr Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1982. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 5: “Papi Cheo with my Tio Justo on the left and his friend on the right. After decades in various Bushwick apartments, Papi Cheo was finally able to purchase his first home. A corner property right under the Central Ave train tracks for him, Mama Irma and his four children. He'd install the red fence around the house himself. The home was bought out by developers a few years ago, but a slither of the red fence remains there today.”

Papi Cheo, Tio Justo, and a friend. 140 Stanhope Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1986. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 6: Papi Cheo and his grandson Edwin Ortiz. 140 Stanhope Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1994. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 7: George Espada with his first love, Laura Espinosa. Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1991. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 8: Titi Mari and her friend. Dekalb Avenue L Train Station. Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1993. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 9: George Espada and his daughter Mariah. Ainslie Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, 1998. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 10: Titi Mari, cousins Cynthia, Chris and Jacob, Mariah, her mother Laura, and brother Edwin on their way to the movie theater. 140 Stanhope Street under the Central Ave train tracks. Bushwick, Brooklyn, 2004. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.

Photo 11: “I remember this day like it was yesterday! My mom agreed to let my cousin Chris, my brother Edwin and me do one of those movie photo booth pictures. I was mad hype... my luck day! We were at the Myrtle Ave. movie theatre (I think it's a gym now) and got White Castle after. The ultimate Sunday vibe!”

Mariah with her brother Edwin and cousin Chris. Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick/Ridgewood Movie Theatre, 2001. © Nuevayorkinos / Mariah Espada.