Store fronts

Eating tacos in Sunset Park /  by Liesl Pfeffer

Sunset Park, NY
September 2014

Our taco club walked a route of Sunset Park to eat tacos this summer. It was Mexican independence day and Fifth ave was dense with people, corn grills and stalls. 

Don Pepe Tortas & Jugos (This place gets top marks for ambience - it's crazy in there. Great al pastor tacos and candy selection, as well as an extensive and amazing juice menu).

Taqueria El Maguey (Pictured above. This place has seating for about 10 people and is really home style and great. Excellent al pastor tacos here).

Tacos El Bronco (This is a food truck at the moment because the restaurant caught fire a while back. I had the vege taco here - it was so so, but the condiments were good). 

Tacos Matamoros (This is a sit down restaurant with a huge menu. Great chorizo taco here and the back room has awesome wall murals). 

Ricos Tacos (The music here is loud loud loud, and the al pastor taco was probably my least favorite. My friends ordered the pork skin taco and it was seriously blubbery).

Sag Harbor /  by Liesl Pfeffer

Liquor store, Sag Harbor, NY
May 2014

I bought Girl Scout Cookies from the man working in this liquor store. Four boxes between Adam and I. I had never eaten or seen them before - they were just a concept from movies and TV up until that moment. 

Well, I can confirm they are pretty great. Samoas were my favorite - coconut and chocolate. 

Cuba /  by Liesl Pfeffer

Fruit and vegetable stand, old town
Coop, Vedado
Havana, Cuba
August 2013

When I was photographing this sign, my friend was standing to the side in the shade. A man approached her and almost whispered: you are beautiful; and then he went inside this store. We were constantly baffled by experiences like this in Havana. 

Mexico City /  by Liesl Pfeffer

Mexico City DF, Mexico
August 2013

I have just returned from three weeks in Central America. Life in Mexico is lived openly and joyfully. Amorous couples caress and kiss in the street and the parks. Freshly prepared food is enjoyed on corners, in bars, on patios, in plazas. Everything is colorful, patterned, rich with decoration. I can barely put into words yet how much I loved being there.

Records /  by Liesl Pfeffer

Record store
New Orleans, LA
February 2013

Sometimes my connection with New York City feels barely tangible. I can walk here for hours and not expect anyone to know me. The staff at the local bodega that I visit nearly every day do not recognize me. Why should they, when I am one of millions. 

When I moved to America, I purchased a record player. It was a strange decision, since I had not ever owned a record before. But I suppose when I think about it, I moved to this country with two suitcases of clothes and a few small objects to remind me of home. Nothing permanent, nothing that couldn’t be moved in one taxi ride. So it made sense to start amassing records. On their own they are slender and lightweight, but when you lift a stack they are surprisingly heavy. Maybe nothing anchors you more than records and books, and maybe that is why each time I return to my apartment with a new record I feel like I am building my home.

Knickerbocker ave /  by Liesl Pfeffer

Knickerbocker Ave, Bushwick
Brooklyn, NY
June 2013

These are two of my favorite store fronts on Knickerbocker. In fact all of Knickerbocker is an amazing feast of awkward sign writing and well-preserved neon. I can’t decide what I love the most: the kitsch patriotism of Tony’s Heros or the faded glamor of Circo’s pastry shop. Whenever I pass by, I wonder why Tony made the decision to juxtapose a happy frog with a proud American eagle. Maybe the yellow memorial ribbon is a clue, although I believe the yellow ribbon signifies support for America’s troops. Tony, you’re a mystery.