Convenient store chain 7-11 is hoping to land more than 100 locations in Manhattan by 2017, according to New York Magazine. The publication released an eye-opening story outlining the company's advancing monopoly and, consequently, the demise of bodegas, a staple of the Big Apple. For many New Yorkers, the workers at mom and pop stores make them feel at home and many people fear bodegas will disappear after a corporate takeover.
Because their future is uncertain, photographer Gail Quagliatastarted a project to help document bodegas. She endeavors to take a picture of every corner store in Manhattan. She explains on her site:
None
About 4,000 corner stores qualify for her list: "My criteria is that a bodega sells lotto tickets, beer, or cigarettes (preferably all three)," she said to Vanishing New York. She's also walking to each location, logging her progress on a Google Map and Tumblr.
Aside from the obvious challenge of the amount of stores she's attempting to photograph, she's also had a problem with footwear. "I spent the winter in some basic black leather knee-high boots (re-soled twice due to wear)," she said to Daily Intelligencer. "I swapped in massive yellow galoshes for rainy/snowy days, and I happily traded those in for a pair of basic Vans sneakers when the weather got warm. Lucky for me I've only been sidelined by a foot injury once!"
RELATED: From Metropolitan to Marcy: A Walking Tour of North Brooklyn's Bodegas
[viaNewYorkMagazine]
