‘Tis the time of the year when we collectively look back at what we’ve done (and read) in 2017 and perhaps draw some conclusions.
I have been making these yearly roundup articles for the past seven years and have always enjoyed seeing what you guys read the most. This year I would like to point out something which has been coming up in the recent years a lot. The impressions (views) of our social media posts, in which we share articles always wildly exceed the number of views of the same article on the website itself. It is safe to conclude that majority of the people who viewed the headline on Facebook (and often times commented on the post) haven’t actually read the article itself, which is not a problem, and I understand that not everything on Facebook warrants our click, but the problem arises when people leave with an incorrect assumption or a conclusion about the information we tried to convey. Often times it is apparent that the commenters haven’t read the article because they incorrectly reference something which is clearly explained in the article, or request that information in a comment.
These days there is a lot of talk about fake news. In my view, people who form and spread incorrect assumptions based on an article they haven’t read are just as dangerous as the fake news creators. I understand that this is inevitable at high traffic sites that attract all sorts of people, but in Bushwick we all are practically neighbors and members of one community. We should strive to be better than that. I would like to urge you to be a responsible member of this community and to be mindful when scrolling through your Facebook feed. Commit to reading full articles and doing additional research if needed before jumping to conclusions. (We always link to other relevant coverage — whether ours or some other reputable source.)
In this political climate it’s more important than ever that our community stands united and doesn’t “eat” itself over disputes that wouldn’t even exist if people actually read our articles.
Another trend I’ve been witnessing, and my team discusses it over and over, is commenters attacking Bushwick Daily for not paying enough attention to community matters and successes of people born and bred in Bushwick.
This too is interesting because we in fact cover community news and Bushwick natives often and with great pleasure. Unfortunately, many times these articles get only a fraction of views of, say, an opening of a trendy bar. Among other factors, it is an interesting game of Facebook algorithms (Facebook remains our largest traffic driving source). The more viewed, liked, shared, and commented a post on Facebook, the more likely it will appear in your newsfeed. The popularity of certain posts then gets multiplied, while posts with lesser engagement get buried immediately. Again, I’d like to urge you to share and engage with posts you think we should be writing more of to ensure that more people see them.
In short, it is up to you, dear readers, which posts will appear in the 2018 roundup, and I hope that next year will make us be a better, more united, and more civil community.
January
by Katarina Hybenova
In January, it seems the entire Bushwick read an essay about turning 30 in Bushwick. While many thought this irreverent piece of writing was hashtag-relatable, many others were agitated because people of certain age, aka Millennials, have become a symbol of gentrification in New York City.
february
Nicandra’s Is Bringing New Italian Cuisine to Bushwick’s Irving Avenue
by Jacque Medina
In February, Bushwick rejoiced over the news of Nicandra opening on Irving Avenue. The restaurant is owned and operated by Taco Tapia who was born in Mexico and grew up in Bushwick. Here’s to local success stories!
March
Maria Hernandez Park Will Get Its First High-Rise
by Magdalena Waz
In March, we ALL got very emotional by the changing landscape of Bushwick, exemplified by the renderings of a high rise building, which is to be constructed at the existing foundation of the church at 260 Knickerbocker Ave. near Maria Hernandez Park.
April
After Six Years of Fulfilling All Our Brunch Fantasies, Cafe Ghia Calls it Quits
by Magdalena Waz
April 2017 was the last month of Cafe Ghia, one of the warmest of Bushwick restaurants. Many people loved it for the daily brunch they had been serving for six years on the stretch of Irving Avenue. Cafe Ghia wasn’t the only place that shuttered in the changing landscape of Bushwick where rents grow ruthlessly and more and more new restaurants open every day, which makes it harder for a business to survive. The story of shuttered Ghia teaches us that it is of vital importance we all support local businesses. Our dollar might be what makes a difference between staying open and shutting down.
May
Dance with Busta Rhymes at the Bushwick Collective’s Block Party This Year
by Magdalena Waz
This year’s Bushwick Collective Block Party was glorious even if Busta Rhymes ended up cancelling on his Bushwick fan base last minute.
June
Say Hello to a New Starbucks Coming to the Bushwick Bed-Stuy Border
by Magdalena Waz
People get very passionate about the news of Starbucks opening at new locations, the coffee chain acting as a symbol of certain type of change, but a word of caution is necessary before you come to an incorrect conclusion.
This news was followed by a public outcry of people who didn’t actually read the article, assuming that Starbucks will swallow the 35-year-old dollar store Fat Albert. The owners of Fat Albert, who own the building at 774 Broadway, clarified that they have only rented part of the building to several chains, one of which is Starbucks. Fat Albert has actually expanded into their basement and now offers also affordable furniture.
July
Local Parents Are Enraged by the $25K Tuition Charged by the Soon-To-Be-Open Bushwick Montessori
by Katarina Hybenova & Magdalena Waz
In July Bushwick was talking about the new Montessori school which was to open at an affordable housing complex on Knickerbocker Avenue. The tuition of $25,500 for 10 months has enraged a group of local parents who demanded transparency and accountability regarding details of the available grants and financial aid.
August
An Astrology-Inspired Cocktail Bar, Mood Ring, Will Open Next Month on Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick
by Brielle Schiavone
You guys got REALLY excited about Mood Ring, an astrology-inspired bar which opened on Myrtle Avenue. Mood Ring offers speciality cocktails, wine, and a limited Chinese menu, all set within a sultry, cinematic space inspired by Berlin’s DIY-mindset and its culturally-rich Queer history.
September
An Airbnb Host Allegedly Stuffed 34 Guests into Nine Rooms in Bushwick
by Magdalena Waz
In September your screens were dominated by this insane story of an Airbnb rental at 19 Fayette St. where investigators found 34 people squished into nine rooms for exorbitant rates of $85 and $115 a night.
October
Radioactive Hotspot in Ridgewood Means Some Businesses and Apartments Must Move Out
by Anthony Giudice
Every once in a while, news of a radioactive spot in our area, courtesy of sewers that have been contaminated with radioactive materials, surfaces and justifiably freaks us all out. In October we debated the cleanup of the Wolff-Alport Chemical Company Superfund site at Irving Avenue between Cooper Avenue and Moffat Street.
November
Bushwick Named Second “Hottest Neighborhood” in America
by Evan Haddad
In November, you guys could have been reading about Torraine Futurum, a Ridgewood-based black trans artist and a model; or about Luv Story, a bar owned and operated by a Bushwick native and an air force vet, or about refugees dining at Bushwick Abbey. No, you got really passionate about this essentially worthless report by an unknown real estate website about Bushwick being the second-hottest whatever in wherever. Yawn!
Decemebr
The Arcade Offers Prime One-Bedroom Views of Food Bazaar on Wyckoff Avenue for $2,315 per Month
by Evan Haddad
This month is not yet over but so far it seems that the huge construction site across from Food Bazaar on Wyckoff Avenue got Bushwick talking. No wonder, the building has sprouted carefully-manicured green grass, rooftop shrubbery, and one-bedrooms for rent at $2,315 per month.
Cover image: Brigitte Tohm via Unsplash