New York has a bodega, or independently run convenience store, every few blocks. They are the backbone of the city but none is as awe inspiring as the felt bodega art installation titled 8 Till Late by artist Lucy Sparrow at the The Standard High Line. Over 9,000 different grocery items from toilet paper to Frosted Flakes signed by the artist took over 9 months to create and almost all are for sale. You could actually buy the entire felt bodega for $500,000 or just a canned good for $50. There’s even a bodega cat.

When my friend and I visited today, the shelves were starting to look a little bare. It felt a little like a real store before a Nor’easter. I think all the bread was gone. The felt bodega will actually be closed Monday, June 12th and Tuesday, June 13th for restocking. It’s supposed to be open until the end of June but they think they will run out of products before then so I would visit as soon as possible. If you can’t stop by in person, you can also shop the felt bodega online.

The threat of small bodegas being forced out of business by larger chains and online shopping is actually one of the themes of the art installation. Says Sparrow, “I want the work to make people think about the loss of community spaces when these small corner shops disappear; to remind them how valuable these corner shops really are and the color they bring to our lives.”

8 Till Late (Felt Bodega) is at The Standard High Line, entrance at 69 Little West 12th Street, from 8:00am – 8:00pm through June 30th or until the bodega is sold out. The store will be closed Monday, June 12th and Tuesday, June 13th for restocking. 

Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic