New life is born every day in a garage in Yonkers, where “the black lumberjack” works all day to transform old trees into a new treasure for others.
“When a building or a tree is demolished, we take that, save it, give it a second life and allow others to enjoy it as well,” said Robert Rising, the owner of NYCitySlab. “The joy is in being able to take something that has a beautiful provenance… or something that has experienced the city of New York and all the different things that it has experienced. If it could tell a story.”
“The Black Lumberjack” is the title Rising claimed for himself after causing a stir on the streets of Mount Vernon.
“I had an old pickup truck with a trailer in the back and a log that I would take with me and leave on the street,” he said. “People would often yell at the red light, ‘Hey, black lumberjack!’ And I’d think, ‘Wait a minute. Nobody will ever forget that name.'”
Rising is now dedicated to saving trees through his business, NYCitySlab. His company began as a one-man operation two decades ago.
“I built a house in Liberty, New York, and it was a ‘dream house,'” he explained. “As I was building the house, I wanted something specific, like a different type of staircase, countertops, cabinets, etc. I couldn’t find the wood I wanted. So I started building it myself.”
Since then, Rising has led teams of all ages in his mission to preserve wood from all walks of life, including his work to break stereotypes about people of color in the wood industry and provide education to students.
“For me, being a minority in this business is very important and I want to make sure people know they’re dealing with a minority business,” he said. “I also try to give back by sometimes approaching kids walking out on the street and asking them if they’re interested in learning the craft.”
The store also offers a do-it-yourself program where guests can come in and learn the basics of the wood industry.
“You come into the storage yard in Yonkers, you pick out your board or your slab … and you all work on it all day until it’s finished,” Rising explained. “In this process, these guys don’t use saws (or) anything sharp. They don’t do any of that. It’s mostly a DIY project where you sand and finish the board yourself.”
NYCitySlab is located at 180 Buena Vista Avenue in Yonkers.
