My Block NYC Seeks Participation from Bed-Stuy Residents

The story of New York City is the story of its people. So why not give locals the tools tell it themselves?

This is the idea behind My Block NYC, a website that invites New Yorkers to upload short films and video clips to an interactive city map.

Co-founded by Alex Kalman and Alex Rickard, both 26, each video must be shot outside and within a single block. After a video is uploaded, a link will appear on the My Block NYC map highlighting the street where it was made.

“It’s video tapestry,” said Mr. Kalman, “The intention is to create a resource that helps the world understand what it means to live in New York.”

Two years in the making, My Block NYC was released this past July. In addition to the website, My Block NYC has an interactive instillation on display in the MoMA.

Part of “Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Objects”—an exhibition that explores how people connect with various interfaces, objects and communication devices—MoMA visitors can watch any video that has been uploaded to the website on a 40-inch touch screen.

“When you upload a video to My Block NYC, you are also uploading a video into the MoMA,” said Mr. Kalman, “It’s really wonderful. 

Aside from videos submitted by filmmakers and unsolicited participants—many of whom record and upload from their smart phones—the website has received support from you-tube sensations like Jimmy Justice, a self-described video vigilante, and the popular video-blogger Joey Boots.

Currently, there are over 1,000 videos covering 800 blocks. But in a city with over 90,000 streets the evolution of the website largely depends on public participation.

As it stands, there is a lack of video contributions from neighborhoods in the Outer Boroughs, confessed Mr. Kalman. Currently, Bed-Stuy has fewer than ten videos.

So how can residents get involved? Just pick up your camera and hit the streets.

“Because the videos come directly from the people, there is a great opportunity to create a new, more complete definition of neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy,” Mr. Kalman said. “New York is an amazing place. Why not share it?”