In northeast Brooklyn, a taxi ride isn’t always a trip across town. Step inside Taxilandia, and you’ll learn the entire history of the Bushwick neighborhood.
Artist and Bushwick local Modesto “Flako” Jimenez offers passengers a two-hour tour of the neighborhood’s past and present — from white flight in the 1960s to the Puerto Rican and Dominican families building community in the latter half of the 20th century to the gentrification shaping the streets, shops and buildings today.
“What inspired me was driving a cab, asking customers how they felt about the changes, and writing poetry off that,” Jimenez said.
That poetry grew into his immersive Taxlandia tour. Since launching in 2001, Jimenez has shared Bushwick’s stories and resilience with thousands of passengers — some from outside New York and others visiting from just a borough away.
“It’s important to immerse ourselves within our communities, as well as wherever we visit, to understand how it became what it became, and how we can continue to nurture that culture,” said Taxlandia passenger and Bronx resident Emily Rodon.
Watch the video above to see how Taxilandia is helping to preserve Bushwick’s history and plans to expand to other U.S. cities.
