Utica’s Instant Neighborhood Cafe [VIDEO]

When John Ossowski moved back to West Utica in 2011, he was disturbed by how much the neighborhood he grew up in had deteriorated during his 4½-year absence. So Ossowski decided to employ his interests in bicycles, creatively repurposed materials, and community development to foster social connections, combat urban decay, and give his old stomping grounds a new shot of energy. The guys from *Utica Firefly interviewed Ossowski and accompanied him on a couple of Joe Cart runs.

“I don’t think this was ever more than a working class, middle class neighborhood,” Ossowski says. “But it was always well-kept, it was always modest and clean. You had a sense that people actually cared about this place, and they cared about each other, and they were invested in living here.” Over the years, however, Ossowski’s childhood community became more and more run down. Homes were abandoned and left to deteriorate. Blight and crime crept in.

Ossowski doesn’t believe traditional methods like increased police presence are enough to reverse neighborhood decline. Instead, he advocates working from the bottom up, re-establishing community connections and reviving neighborhood pride. “I just started to notice around this neighborhood there weren’t any places people could meet, gather, get to know each other,” he says. And where do people often gather for conversation? Over a cup of coffee. “Poof,” Ossowski says. Everything just sort of came together out of that.”

Joe Cart is born
As an enthusiastic supporter of the green movement and an avid cyclist, Ossowski decided to create a mobile café. Using repurposed materials, he constructed a coffee service cart that could be towed behind a bike. Community members sponsor Joe Cart runs by purchasing the coffee and condiments, which is then handed out for free at Joe Cart stops. The only stipulation is sponsors purchase the coffee locally from the Utica Coffee Roasting Company. Sponsorship is relatively inexpensive, an investment of less than twenty dollars. Ossowski sees the Joe Cart, and sponsorship of it, as a community service. “Even spending a buck or two bucks on a cup coffee, in this neighborhood, there are a lot of people who can’t even do that,” he says. “Money shouldn’t be the thing that excludes people from connecting with one another.” As an extension of the community service aspect, Ossowski created a newsletter called The West Utica Voice that he hands out on Joe Cart stops. The pamphlets include neighborhood news and contact information for area non-profits, law enforcement, and political leaders.

“I don’t think people knew what to think of it at first,” Ossowski says. “You’re going to give me free coffee so you must want something.” But all he wants is for people to connect around the Joe Cart. Ossowski says one benefit is “it puts eyes on the street.” He also hopes periodic Joe Cart runs will give people “something to look forward to. Maybe new friendships start from that.” And from that, there’s potential for residents to become more active in community revitalization. Sure enough, County Legislator-elect Harmony Speciale is seen organizing a community meeting—around the Joe Cart.

Ossowski admits some people might see the Joe Cart as a “token gesture.” But he doesn’t think of it that way. “I think of it as the beginning of something,” he says. “You’ve got to plant these seeds and create a brand new way to crack the really tough nut that we have in terms of our neighborhood life, our culture here, our economy and its stagnation.”

What ideas do you have to improve your community?

The Joe Cart - Utica's Instant Neighborhood Cafe from Utica Firefly on Vimeo.

*Utica Firefly is a collaborative effort started by the Tramontane Café, Ryan Miller, and Geoff Storm to document central New York stories, to record the people, places, and events that form the fabric of the community. At the same time, Firefly aims to promote and further the art of storytelling. Some stories, like the Joe Cart, are told documentary style. Others are crowd sourced during open-mic format live storytelling events at the Tramontane Café. For more information, visit Utica Firefly’s website.