Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.



By James Maher

Name: Ben Bahud
Occupation: Owner, New York Ink, Magazine and Convenience Store
Location: Avenue A, between East Fourth Street and East Fifth Street
Time: 12:30 pm on Sunday, Nov. 10

I was born in Israel, but my background — I’m Palestinian. I’ve been here almost 25 years. I was 22 when I came over and I’m 47 now. I came by myself. I worked for somebody back home who had a restaurant here on St. Mark's Place. They liked my work and asked me if I wanted to come, and as a young man you always want to get out there and do better, you know?

I worked in Café Mogador on St. Mark's Place for almost six years and then I started my own restaurant. I worked in the kitchen as a cook. I was a chef. But, you know, I never really wanted to be a good chef. It was just something to start with, and then I opened my own restaurant. I opened a few stores like that.

I always wanted to do business. I love business. I always did investments here and there and there. Any small investment that I believe in I will put money into. Right now I just invested in a cleaning store on 6th Street. Any opportunity out there, if I feel it will be successful. So far, I haven't done any bad investments. The worst, I got my money back.

I work online now, day trading. I always had a broker and then one day I saw in the newspaper, I’m talking about like 20 years ago, an add for E-Trade where you could do it yourself. I just couldn’t believe it. And back then I couldn’t speak much English and said, ‘Oh wow, really?’ Because money with brokers, you don’t do very much. I started on my own. I was losing, losing, losing, and making, and losing. Then, you know, as you grow up, kids, college, you start becoming more serious. I trade the right stuff.

I love Avenue A. The storefront glass was broken when I first took the place. This is how bad this area was. [This spot] wasn’t my choice really. You look for an empty spot and it was a few blocks away from St. Mark's Place. I started as an investor. I never wanted to leave my job.

My landlord, rest in peace, was a German concentration [camp survivor]. He had a mark on his hand. I loved him. I worked with him many years. My partner worked as a waiter in the restaurant that I worked in. I asked my partner to go to talk to the landlord to get the place and he wouldn’t give it to him. Then I went to talk to him and he gave it to me. He probably thought, ‘This guy he came from another country, he’s planning to work hard.’ My landlord would always teach me stuff. Do this, do that, why don’t you do this? He was funny but at the same time he was a lawyer and a very good businessman. He passed away and now I work with his daughter. They’re very reasonable.

[Eventually] my friend had to go. He didn’t do very well. He was more artistic. He was nice. He had the place looking much better than it’s looking now, but money wise, no money. So I bought him out and I put somebody else in and then I came in. Then I tried it myself, it worked and I stayed here, and my wife came and worked with me another seven years. When I got in I could tell that I really liked it. I never thought that one day I would be selling cigarettes and magazines, but I did it. I liked it. It was alright.

The neighborhood definitely changed, big time. When I first took this store, I used to pay like $700 a month. And the people — the people were totally different. Especially the magazine business, it’s nothing like before. It’s nothing like 2008, not too long ago. People look at everything online now. People still buy here and there, but nothing like they used to. Newspapers especially. I used to sell like 60, 70 New York Times. Now I sell like 10, 15. There are still drinks, cigarettes. You end up making it. It’s not bad.

No offense to anybody but that’s the truth, you know. Before it was real bad. You even couldn’t walk on this street. The homeless and the rehab places are still here, so you still feel that 20 years ago thing, but it is to me, cool. It’s not bad or good, but it’s true. It’s mixed. Believe it or not, I get along more with people like this. They’re more human. Somebody you could talk to, you could laugh, we joke, they tell you their story. It’s not a hi-and-bye thing. I love them and I hope for the best for them. Hopefully they’ll heal.

Where I come from… I don’t know how to call it, but we’re street people too, so I get along with everybody. It was scary here but when people knew you and how you talk and stuff. I’ve just been blessed, thank God. No problems. I get along with everybody.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.