A story about about Carloes Bedesus, an employee at Stop One Deli, and his perspective on the Lower East Side's changing enviroment. As new buildings pop up throughout the neighborhood, locals are being forced to leave as prices rise.
top One Deli is located on the corner of Suffolk and Rivington. It's one of four bodegas within a block radius.
As a family owned establishment, the Stop One Deli prides itself in providing locals with gourmet foods since 1982.
" Most of the customers that come in, the regular customers, they come here a lot because we give them good customer service," said Bedesus.
Above: Carlos working behind the deli counter.
Carlos Bedesus, 29, is a former taxi driver who now works behind the sandwich bar of the deli, listening to the radio. His hands are covered by opaque gloves for sandwich making. He wears black brimmed Dolce & Gabanna glasses, and diamond studs the size of macadamian nuts.
Bedesus has worked at the Stop One Deli for six months now, and seems to be right at home. Everyday he commutes from Staten Island to the Lower East Side for work.
"I used to be a taxi driver," Bedesus said. "I thought that was a cool experience but working here in the city is crazy."
Above: Is a map, courtesy of OpenMaps, that shows how far Carloes has to travel to and from work.
"It takes about 35-40 minutes because I drive," Bedesus said. "It usually takes longer in the day, but when I leave at night I get home pretty quickly."
As the Lower East side invites a number of new buildings into the area, the price of rent rises, pushing people out who can't afford it and attracting those who can.
Bedesus believes that the genetrification in the area has both positive and negative aspects to it.
The bad being the rising rent, and the good being it's bringing in smarter people, according to Bedesus.
"I think it's pretty good in some ways but in other ways it is kind of backwards," Bedesus said. "A lot of people are having to move from the area. It's getting so expensive they can't afford it. But at the same time it changes the way people used to see the Lower East Side."
On the other end of the spectrum is the manager Josefine Rodriguez. In an interview with NPR, she spoke about how she believes that with all of the new, the old is getting pushed out.
"We're Spanish people. We got to keep our culture and our things together," she says. "You can't just get rid of pepole just like that."