built in four days

zero power tools used

Just about a year ago, Brooklyn lost one of its greatest local businesses:

While hardware stores aren’t exactly our beat, we LOVE them, we can’t imagine (a good) life without them, and we know how vitally important they are to our communities.

So, we made an episode all about them! (Well, about two of them.)

We made this unforeseen little episode when we were still just designing what our first season of Debt Heads was going to be. We didn’t really know where to fit this random episode in the greater Debt Heads universe, but we made it anyway.

So last July, over the course of four days, we:

• found ourselves lightly weeping in the backroom of our local hardware store

• found ourselves lightly weeping over a pig in a garden center

• met an iconic New Yorker lamenting a “f*cking travesty”

• got a free loaf of bread whilst walking down Metropolitan Avenue

• captured a bittersweet moment in Brooklyn history

We first published this episode in a simpler time when we got mostly blank stares from people after explaining that we were making a “funny podcast about the economy”.

They’d say “oh, that’s cute!” before running in the opposite direction.

So we’re really excited to be re-sharing it today on our now-official Debt Heads feed. If you’ve never heard it, you’re in for a treat. If you’ve already heard it, feel free to share it with a new friend!

We made this with no budget (or power tools), but TONS of support and kindness from everyone who offered to speak with us, and especially those who shared a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into running a small business.

They include:

Chris Mendez, Alex Mendez, Lester Mendez & Gustavo Mendez from Clinton Hill Hardware.

Gabriel Fowler, owner of Desert Island Comics in Williamsburg.

Meg Costello, owner of Coz Salon in Greenpoint.

Rebekah Ambjor, Williamsburg-based energy-shifting massage therapist & spiritual ice-dyer.

The entire Crest Hardware team and family.

With gratitude & grout,

J+R

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P.S.

This is the kind of work we love to do, and hope to continue doing. If you enjoy it, and it’s within your means, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for less than the cost of a package of screws per month, so we can continue telling stories about communities, for the community.