Neighborhood Love

I’ve been a Brooklyn resident for more than three years now and I must say I love representing my city, but more specifically, my neighborhood.


The other day I was walking around the Brooklyn Indie Market in Carroll Gardens when I ran across this genuine borough novelty. The image is of the Kentile Floors billboard that stands proudly in the middle of my neighborhood. The carpentry company has long been shutdown, but their mammoth sign can still be seen from anywhere in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn, making it a true landmark, and one of my first memories from when I moved to New York.


I bought the shirt right away, and even though it set me back 26 dollars, at least I knew my money was going towards supporting a local artist.


Live Poultry, the Brooklyn based company that made this shirt, specializes in silkscreen printing that embodies a more industrial side of the city. “Iron, not irony.” being their online mission statement.


So maybe you don’t live in Brooklyn, but no matter if you call your neighborhood a borough, a quarter, a ward, or a burb, you should seek out and support the local artists that make your spot unique.


And if there aren’t any artists living in your city just grab a silkscreen and start printing clothes with your own town monuments on them. Even your local Wal-Mart could look cool on a t-shirt ... okay not really.

Photo: Garret Hurley
Text Carly Roye