Maria

When the residency ended, real life began. Stress and doubts. I applied for an artist visa. I had to find an employer to regulate my stay in the US. I started looking for contacts because this is the most important thing when you want to develop your career. And you have to be damn tough.

I was born in Krakow and have never lived outside of Krakow. And suddenly, New York…

I came here after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Fashion photography is my passion. I deal with awkwardness, which is not quite perfect, usually hidden. I like concept photos.

I applied for a two-month residency in New York and was accepted. The beginning was fantastic. New York: smiling and relaxed people always seemed to be helpful. I fell in love with the city and decided to stay longer.

In Greenpoint, I’ve lived in several places.

First, I found a room on Franklin Street. I met a girl, a student from Parson School, and I moved in with her. I lived on savings. My parents helped me: they have a restaurant in Krakow.

I still had a language barrier when I came to the US, even though I knew English. In the first weeks, Greenpoint gave me a sense of security because Polish is still the language spoken here on the street. But honestly, I was looking for professional and social contacts outside of Greenpoint. The most important thing for me was getting to know the photographers’ community, fashion sessions, and Manhattan.

When the residency ended, real life began. Stress and doubts. I applied for an artist visa. I had to find an employer to regulate my stay in the US. I started looking for contacts because this is the most important thing when you want to develop your career. And you have to be damn tough.

I met Robert Nickelsberg, a photojournalist with great experience, on Manhattan Avenue. He was interested in the district, which was exotic for him; he wanted to photograph it. Today, I am Robert’s assistant, and thanks to him, I got to know this place. I must admit that when I lived in Greenpoint, I didn’t understand what this place was about.

What impressed me? That this neighborhood is changing before my eyes. Americans move here, and children of Polish migrants feel proud that they come from Greenpoint, and this was not always the case. This district is becoming the most expensive and attractive place in New York!

The second thing is the loneliness of some elderly residents. They came from Poland and slowly lost contact with the old country and their families. They lived in very harsh conditions, often in one room with a shared bathroom in the corridor. And so on for the next 20 or 30 years. I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere in Europe. I had the impression that some people were ashamed of these conditions and their profession.

Especially those who had higher education in Poland and in the USA performed simple jobs: on construction sites or cleaning other people’s apartments. The possibility of quick earnings attracted them. And then they couldn’t imagine returning to their country. They became a little bitter, a little distrustful.

It is easier for people my age to make contact with Americans or immigrants from outside Polish Greenpoint.

Now I live in Manhattan. I found roommates from London and Barcelona. We get along well. Friends introduced me to a nice guy. I will stay here longer.

New York teaches you not to be discouraged. You can’t be bothered by the refusal. Doors that are now closed could soon be open. You experience a roller coaster of emotions here. In one moment, you’re euphoric, and then you’re completely down, and you want to go back to your parents. I survived it, and now I feel strong.

Maria Gawryluk, Photo by Robert Nickelsberg

This neighborhood is changing before my eyes. Americans move here, and children of Polish migrants feel proud that they come from Greenpoint, and this was not always the case. This district is becoming the most expensive and attractive place in New York!

Richard

When I was little, I had to read aloud from a Polish newspaper after dinner. It was a pain for me, little one. When I tried to speak English with my dad, my dad said he didn't understand me. He lied as I heard him talking in the store. But my dad wanted me always to remember the Polish language.

Agata

Victoria

Krystyna

Share Your Story

Let me tell you what happened recently. Workers were moving a machine that had its weight at the top. Instead of moving the machine slowly and carefully, they tilted it, and the machine cut one man's ear.

Piotr

Let me tell you what happened recently. Workers were moving a machine that had its weight at the top. Instead of moving the machine slowly and carefully, they tilted it, and the machine cut one man's ear.

Adam “Babyface”

Henry

Karolina

I recently switched to a bar in Williamsburg. People smoke weed, and I hear about ketamine, blankets, mushrooms, and acid, although I don’t see anyone dealing drugs in our establishment. I observe couples who meet at our place through Tinder. I think it’s like Russian roulette.

Emilia

Even if Greenpoint was not well-regarded, for Poles, it was the best place in the world. especially for those who had recently arrived in America and felt that they were losing their footing. Greenpoint emulated a small Polish town. It was such a comforting place.

Nicholas

Basia

Mieczyslaw

One of my students, in particular, stood out with exceptional progress. Jola was doing so well that I advised her to take singing lessons and then asked her to marry me. I didn't want her to surpass me in virtuosity. Fortunately, she became a great doctor. She died two years ago.

Dzidka

I was 13 years old and spoke some British English. It was not enough in Brooklyn. My Mom sent me to the school run by nuns, who were quite stern, and corrected me sharply. "You are in America; you are not Maria, you are Mary."

Daniela

Roman

Jakub

I am proud of who I am, I spend every summer in Poland. I like the Polish diligence. and striving for a goal. Look at Greenpoint, how the living standards have gone up. Poles are prosperous: it's not just asbestos and cleaning. I like the Polish sense of humor and laid-back attitude.

Izabela

Maria

This neighborhood is changing before my eyes. Americans move here, and children of Polish migrants feel proud that they come from Greenpoint, and this was not always the case. This district is becoming the most expensive and attractive place in New York!

Beata & Mieszko

We ran a deli at 725 Manhattan Avenue for twenty-five years. Someone has said there are two great moments for a shop owner – when he buys and sells it. The latter was better for me.

Andrzej

America overwhelmed me because I couldn’t get into the subway. I had to learn how to buy a ticket, how to get through the gate, where to get on, and where to get off. It’s not easy in Brooklyn or Queens. Especially if you don’t speak English.

Teresa

I was born in 1947 in Sarzyna near Leżajsk, Poland. There were eight siblings in my family. Others cut the corn with sickles when my father had horse-drawn machines. The director of the cooperative was coming to admire them.

Daniel

I came to New York in 1981 on the Batory ship, and there I found out that there was a neighborhood like Greenpoint. I've never heard of it before. My father gave me a hundred dollars for the trip, so I thought that at the beginning, we would rent a room in a nice Polish hotel.

Maria

This neighborhood is changing before my eyes. Americans move here, and children of Polish migrants feel proud that they come from Greenpoint, and this was not always the case. This district is becoming the most expensive and attractive place in New York!

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