I'm passionate about taking photos of bodegas in the Dominican Republic. I love how they represent the style of the country, but when I moved to NYC, from the Dominican Republic in 2024, I was lost. I wasn't taking any photos. I didn't find any inspiration in my surroundings, but then I walked into this Dominican bodega. Even though it's so different from the Dominican in terms of architecture, the vibes were the same: loud music, the happiness characteristic of Dominicans, and that messy but aesthetic look so characteristic of typical Dominican businesses
Even though it's so different from the Dominican in terms of architecture, the vibes were the same: Loud music, the happiness characteristic of Dominicans, and that messy but aesthetic look so characteristic of typical Dominican businesses. It was like finding a piece of the Dominican Republic.
Click the play button to hear what a typical day sounds like inside a Dominican bodega:
Since I moved to NYC, I've been constantly comparing things and looking for similarities within the differences. This diagram is a representation of that:
An interesting fact is that in the Dominican Republic, bodegas (colmados) usually don't sell sandwiches, and if they do, they're nothing like the ones here. They're not good.
During one of my visits to the bodega, I collected data on the purchases people made over a 45-minute period. A funny moment happened while I was drinking a soda: an older man looked at me and said, "I'm going to do the same as you, it's too hot" and then grabbed a beer
A series of photos that document the space as a visual archive, and details that caught my attention.
I hope you enjoyed exploring this charming Dominican bodega.