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Welcome to the East Harlem branch of Repair Café
The very first Repair Café in New York City, proudly serving our community since 2022.
What is a Repair Café?
Repair Cafés are free, community-led events where volunteer experts help visitors diagnose and fix broken household items. They started in The Netherlands in 2009 and have now spread to cities and communities all around the world.
At Repair Café El Barrio, we most commonly repair vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, lamps, clocks, clothing, and audiovisual equipment (including computers and cameras). Our goal is to empower visitors with hands-on repair skills. We don’t just fix things for you — we work with you, side by side!
When & Where
We meet once a month in the main gallery of El Barrio Artspace at 215 East 99th Street. Each Sunday session runs from 11am to 2pm and is donation-based: pay what you wish. Enjoy coffee, fresh fruit, and other refreshments while repairing your items.
To participate, send us a photo and a short description of what you’d like to repair. Once confirmed, we’ll reserve your spot for that session.
Repair Cafe El Barrio featured on BBC Earth!
A Day at Repair Cafe El Barrio
Our Story & Mission Statement
Hola! I’m Rocío Salceda, and I started Repair Café El Barrio in 2022 with a simple goal: to create a space where neighbors could fix broken items, reduce waste, and connect across generations and cultures.
At first, things were slow, just a handful of people at the table, but over time, the energy has become electric. I´m specially proud of our passionate, fun, and genuinely amazing volunteers, who bring both skill and warmth to every gathering. They’ve become my chosen family, far from my family in Spain. The group is also super international! Check them out here, and come meet them in person at one of our upcoming sessions.
Guests don’t just leave with something repaired; they leave with new knowledge, new friends, and a sense of belonging. As our very first guest, Evelyn Collazo, said:
“As one of the first to attend the kick-off of the Repair Café, I have seen it develop and expand tremendously. You provided a service to people from various communities and created another community. The Café has brought joy and relief to so many with items that were hidden or stashed away, waiting to be resurrected. Thank you.”
My mission is to continue serving New York City, especially our neighbors in East Harlem. Over the past three years of Repair Café El Barrio, we’ve welcomed dozens of participants and repaired nearly 200 objects, keeping them out of landfills. Through collaborations with organizations like the NYC Fair Trade Coalition, LES Ecology Center, Donate NYC, and the Violence Intervention Program (VIP), RCEB serves as a bridge between communities and a space for activism and social engagement. I aim not only to bring a repair culture into people’s homes but also, as an artist, to make RCEB an incubator of ideas and a platform for art and culture. I have a big dream: to continue expanding this space into a hub where creativity, sustainability, and community connection thrive.
Want to help out?
If you would like to become a volunteer and join the team of Repair Cafe El Barrio, please contact us! Let us know who you are, what you do, what you can do for Repair Café.
DONATIONS
We accept cash donations during our events but please share your support anytime! We can receive online donations via our Venmo account @repaircafeelbarrio (digits 2693) — every little bit helps!
100% of our donations are reinvested at Repair Cafe on equipment maintenance, materials, food for visitors, and marketing materials such as this website.