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A small shop? What’s an incredible concept. Who would have thunk it?
America truly is the land of innovation.
Keep your bodegas. Ain’t none of you guys can beat our local gas station/post office//DMV/liquor store/UPS pickup point. We don’t even need a special name for it. It’s just The Store. Sure it’s not within walking distance. But then not even the neighbors are either.
You can fill up your car, get your mail, buy new tabs for that car/boat/UTV/truck or get a fishing/hunting license, buy a 12 pack of beer, send a fax to your parole officer, and buy a gallon of milk with a frozen pizza to either cook there or take it home. It also has 2 tables and 5 chairs to relax at, (no purchase necessary). I know people who do all of that in one visit.
The only one of these I’m familiar with was deep in the North woods of Wisconsin, but it really was the do-everything infrastructure of the town. IIRC also had propane, ice, fishing stuff, automotive basics, local community bulletin boards, a few old arcade cabinets, and although inside seemed bigger than outside it was only as big as a medium-sized deli in NY.
And I thought the gas station/courthouse I saw was wild.
Yeah, they didn’t go quite that far.
I didn’t grow up quite that rural, but close enough that this comment is making me nostalgic.
I’ve got one of those within throwing distance of my job, it fuckin’ rules
That sounds like a Party Store combined with a really nice gas station.
A bodega is a corner store owned by the guy behind the counter.
Most corner stores in most places these days are run by regional managers of franchisees who hire Clerky The Clowns to work the counter and have to keep producing numbers for corporate.
That’s not true. A bodega is a corner store with a plexiglass container for staff because they’re in a shithole.
Yeah but if you show them your ass they might sell you some weed
Black ass!
NYC here.
If someone asked the average New Yorker what a bodega was, the most probable answer is “What are you, stupid?”
Not me, because I would be mugging you.
Wow! NYC!
MA TAKE A PICTURE I’M GETTING MUGGED BY THE CITY ITSELF :D
You her mother? Give me some money or your next.
My next what?
You care about spelling?
It’s gone from a mugging to grievous bodily harm!
Don’t make me use my accent on you!
Cannibalism???
These comments are so weird. I only found out what a bodega was recently, so I’ve added it to my brain as “corner shop”. I didn’t even know they were peculiar to a specific area until this post.
So they’re corner shops. Everything people comment about them being different still comes under the umbrella of “corner shop”. It’s weird to see people yapping about how they’re different and then giving reasons that… still mean corner shop.
I’ve always called them “convenience stores”, but, yeah, same thing. I once worked with a woman who took me to this place on our break which she introduced by saying “Okay, I’m not trying to be racist, but I honestly don’t know what else to call this place. It’s a chink shop.” So, I’m wondering what this store is going to be like. We walk in, and…it’s a fuckin’ convenience store. Which happened to be run by Asians.
Diaclamer: never been to new york or any store that called itself a bodega.
I think its similar to “all bodegas are corner shops but not all corner shops are bodegas”. They have unique features that group them closer to eachother than to most other corner stores. But they are still a corner store.
All poodles are dogs but some people just prefer poodles.
Then explain what makes them different from corner shops. Because so far, every characteristic is just a characteristic of a corner shop.
It is like claiming there are a species of poodle that are different from poodles.
The big things are the deli counter and vibe of the place. Things aren’t necessarily super over priced like chain convenient stores. They also often also tailor to more specific customers. There is one near me that has shelves of Indian products while another just a block away carries Polish products.
Ah, I see. America has invented “shops”.
Vibes
Americans have so little culture for themselves they have to make even something as common and ubiquitous as a corner shop, all about them.
All this yapping and not a single one of you geniuses figured out the real difference of a bodega. You can get loosies. Single cigarettes and buy beer in single cans/past legal hours.
So what you’re missing is that the defining features of a bodega aren’t offered to foreigners like you because you aren’t part of the culture.
I can do that in my local corner shop.
You ain’t special.
I ain’t explaining shit. It’s a bodega, fuck you. Have a nice day.
Wait till I tell Americans that small discount supermarkets exist within walking distance in Denmark.
Wait until they find out Denmark is filled with Danish people.
wait, you mean like people made out of pastries, or . . . ?
No, it’s even worse
Pastries made out of people?
Good god, no!
Nyc is one of the few cities that you can walk in though
Kamelåsa
Well, that’s different than a Bodega. You see, the bodega is only stocked with inventory the owners purchased at a retail grocery store down the road, so the markup is like paying a convenience surcharge. No discounts.
boodegas, you say, and you’re not a little bit suspicious that it is far too close to the term bottega, italian for general all purpose shop and conmercial activity? like, ‘aprire bottega’ - ‘starting a business’? And i know for a fact that NY is full of Italians.
Bodega is spanish for bottega
zamn i need to think simpler at times, you’re right
See?! Way too convenient!
Nah clearly it’s because Americans are pieces of uncultured swine shit.
The real magic is I can walk to several open bodegas almost any time of day or night.
Just like a corner store!
It depends where you live. Most places in the US you can’t (safely) walk to anywhere, and many places aren’t open 24/7.
A bodega is a gas station without the gas
So a corner store?
Or even a bodega
So synonyms?
True, they’re a lot like Seven Eleven.
I experienced that first hand. Colleagues going to their cars to drive 200m down the road to park again and then walk 100m back on themselves to a deli.
It’s baffling how something as simple as a corner shop that can be walked to is a novelty yet here in Europe, it’s the norm everywhere.
I think back in the day there was a dispute about whether there should be corner stores everywhere. Some disagreed, were put on boats, and sent across the ocean.
You’re right, but that’s equivalent to saying that most places don’t have corner stores. It being walkable is a prerequisite.
And they’re just little shops, no corporate bullshit.
What’s disappointing is that bodegas are as close to a “third space” as you’re likely to get. It’s not a place you’re meant to hang out, there isn’t even seating, and you are supposed to buy something. And yet, there’s a hint at some kind of community.
UK, Ireland and Australia have a slight improvement on that with pubs. They’re also commercial establishments, but culturally it’s more of a community thing. It’s also not just about alcohol. You can get a hot meal too. Even if someone isn’t going out to hang out with friends down at the pub, it’s often perfectly normal to go there and eat alone while reading a book. Even that is a bit of a community activity, because you’ll see some of the same faces and exchange greetings or at least waves or nods.
Places with serious winters (and I’m including NYC in that), really should have third spaces that are not for profit and designed for various kinds of hanging out: board games, indoor sports, gaming, cooking. That just doesn’t seem to be a common thing in the English speaking world, at least for adults.
Til https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place
In sociology, the third place refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and workplace (“second place”). Examples of third places include churches, cafes, bars, clubs, libraries, gyms, bookstores, hackerspaces, stoops, parks, and theaters, among others.
The real beauty of the pub/local/neighborhood bar is that is is local and in your neighborhood! You can walk there and walk back after and nobody gets a dui
A difference between the two (at least from what I’ve seen) is that if you go to a bar, you’re going to drink. Whereas a pub always has drinks, but that’s not always the reason to go.
new yorkers think having an american, chinese, indian, italian, and mexican restaurant to choose from makes them unique. im not even kidding i saw a new yorker tweet that those choices can only be found in new york city
Lol, maybe if it was 1980.
Lol, the old “American food is the best because we have every kind of cuisine”. Oh sweety, that’s just every city now.
They also think they have the best of all of the above, they do not. I was there last month the pizza was ass I’ve had better from just about every other state I’ve been to, and they have fuck all for good soul food. Ask a New Yorker for some grits, biscuits and gravy, fried spaghetti, porkchop sandwiches, or collards and watch their fucking head spin. Then ask about barbecue, and when they answer, ask what style that barbecue is and the head twists right off because half of them don’t know Memphis style from Western NC style if they even knew there were different styles at all.
Then they move anywhere and get pissed off that other places aren’t the exact same as NYC, go the fuck back then idiot!
Tbf I wouldn’t want most of that soul food anywhere. Biscuits and gravy is good, the rest… Not my style. Unsurprised there isn’t a bevy in NYC.
“Ayy if NYC doesn’t have it, fuggheddabbouttid.”
-I’m walkin’ ova heah.
So you couldn’t find soul food in New York, and we’re supposed to take you seriously?
Hey I don’t live there, I ask where to go and I’m told “Idk we have a Popeyes.” If you come to my city and ask for good Italian I’m not gonna send you to fucking Domino’s (even though Domino’s is legit better than the last slice I had in NYC, thing had dough made of drywall.)
Do you have clue how many pizza joints are in New York City? For an idea, at night, look at the sky. But not in New York City.
I’ve been to enough of them.
Southern food sucks. I fucking said it.
Bless your heart.
I’m just going to say it: NY style slice pizza is shit. And the thing is New Yorkers know it too. That’s why they fold the slices in half to eat it, they want it to be over as quickly as possible.
Tbh NY “style” pizza is fine, even great from some places, but it is better outside of NYC than inside. They’re not even best at their own style.
they actually have new york barbecue, but its so sad and pathetic youd mistake it for pig feed
my dude i live in california our barbecue is grilled.
the grass can always be browner
In fairness to them… BBQ comes from Virginia. But we didn’t really develop our own unique style, so it sort of faded out somewhat. We have BBQ here and it’s usually NC or some other style (I think generally sort-of-TX more than anything, but NOT quite TX). We have some good places and some meh places.
It sucks that we don’t have VA style BBQ, but… eh. I’ll take good food whatever the source. :)
Always cute to watch Americans argue about good food 😶🌫️
I’m a food enthusiast, personally. I love the fusion of cuisines. For example, many European cuisines were able to do amazing things with tomatoes and potatoes. And one of my favorite dishes involves Japanese curry, which went from India to England to Japan.
We have so many tasty food options these days, and it’s because you can get so many more ingredients all over, and people share ideas and “steal” ideas and make them their own and make them better. :)
Now that I’ve never heard of, so I assume you’re correct lol.
Even if you do manage to find good pizza in nyc the prices are beyond absurd for what you get. I feel like NJ (I live in south and work in central) tends have more consistent quality pizza for much cheaper, although I must admit it’s been a while since I spent anytime in NYC so my info maybe a little out of date.
I have never tried Chicago or Detroit or any of those styles although I’d be interested if anyone knows anywhere in those parts of Jersey that are good at them.
I will also say that the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers I know talk about the almost omnipresent rudeness like it’s a positive thing? Always has baffled me.
Even if you do manage to find good pizza in nyc the prices are beyond absurd for what you get.
I mean most places raised the price from $1 to $1.50 for a plain slice but I wouldn’t call that absurd.
A big slice with toppings is ~$5 by me, which seems reasonable for what’s essentially a meal.
Oh my god, I’m from central North Carolina, we call New Yorkers “halfbacks” because they move to Florida, hate it there, so they move halfway back, to North Carolina. And then you get “where I’m from, we…”
I have now decided to no longer tolerate that behavior in my presence. Next time I hear a fookin noo yoaka start a sentence about where he’s from, I’m taking hostages.
Tell 'em to keep going!
“Where I’m from we-”
“I don’t fucking care. Go back if it’s so great. Now.”
If they wanted it to be a little similar but cheaper they should have moved to fucking NJ.
I grew up in Florida (sorry about us clogging up your mountain towns in the Fall). I share the rage. That accent actually triggers me.
I had a coworker years ago that was from Miami originally. I still remember the bumper sticker on his car that read “Miami. Flee it like a native”
I was back in Florida a couple years back. I’d been away about five years (I now live in Hawai’i) and had to go to Miami for a day. The overwhelming feeling I got while driving in Florida was that everyone wanted to be somewhere else lol
Swap Indian for Thai and you just described the food options in my Redneck SoCal city.
I’m in a small town in southern North Carolina. I’ve got all that plus 2 Peruvian, and 2 Thai, within a 5 minute drive.
Plus you guys get Cook Out!
Never got the hype. It’s like a backyard burger at best.
It’s cheap which is nice but… That’s about it. IMHO.
Fair and I don’t disagree. Hush puppies are pretty good and when you’re road-tripping, it’s a nice option to have. My wife went to Wake Forest and introduced me to Cook Out. I’d seen the billboards over the years and never paid it much attention. When I was in grad-school in Northern Virginia, I would drive down to South Florida regularly and Cook Out was great for that run. Better than most fast food on the way (unless I was willing to actually stop for a bit, then I’d hit up Waffle House)
Can definitely respect waffle house. All star special ftw
We might be neighbors; is one of them a Thai Orchid in the building that used to be the old Pizza Hut, next door to the ABC store in the building that used to be the new Pizza Hut?
That doesn’t sound familiar, sorry. It’s good to know that other small towns down here have just as much variety though!
So after reading through all the valuable comments here it seems like a bodega is a way to say you live in New York while trying to not seem like you’re bragging about it but you actually try to brag about it
As someone who used to travel to NYC a lot, bodegas are a marvel because the supermarkets are crazy expensive. I still can’t believe millions of people live like that.
Taiwanese laughs in local 7-11 or FamilyMart
