Jose Matias Interview 08/08/2026
Photo by Mattie Branson-Meyer
Jose Matias Interview Transcript:
KRYSTAL: Hello, I am Krystal Lee and I am here with:
JOSE: Jose Matias
KRYSTAL: At the Park Slope Old timers Day at 4th Aven– 4th street and 5th Avenue on Saturday, August 8, 2026. Can you please spell your name for me?
JOSE: It's capital J-O-S-E. Jose. Last name is capital M-A-T-I-A-S. Matias.
KRYSTAL: Thank you so much. So what is your relationship with Park Slope?
JOSE: So, Krystal, that's a great question. Oh, I didn't even see that dog there. I have over- almost 50 years of a relationship in this neighborhood. I grew up in the neighborhood. I worked two blocks from here, and it used to be Levine Brothers sporting goods store. I did about 15 years there. This gentleman here was my- one of my junior high school teachers in this school behind me used to be, you know, PS51 right? PS51s. So there's a lot of memories here. A lot of people that I know come every year.
KRYSTAL: Okay. Are you still living in Park Slope?
JOSE: So, so I left in 1991. I left Brooklyn, I migrated to Staten island where I presently reside. I have a business– I own my own real estate business. I'm a broker/owner of Matias Real Estate, so I've been out of here since 1991, but this is like the fourth year straight that we come to this event, which is a great event.
KRYSTAL: Very good, thank you so much. Do you have a particular powerful or important memory of Park Slope you would like to share?
JOSE: So growing up in the neighborhood, we- I personally met a lot of great people in the basketball courts back here. We had a mixture of all ethnicities, we got along. We're still friends to this day. We actually– there's a group of us that travels together to this point, and that's going back 50 years almost. So we– we still in touch and we go on vacations together.
KRYSTAL: Wow
JOSE: Yeah, it's actually a nice thing.
KRYSTAL: A lifelong relationship.
JOSE: A hundred percent, a hundred percent.
KRYSTAL: That's amazing.
(PASSERBY): Did you say my name here?
KRYSTAL: Why did you decide to come to the Park Slope Old Timers Day today?
JOSE: It's actually not a decision, it's actually on the calendar as soon as it comes up. So it's- it's because of the friendships that we've made over the years. Everybody knows each other, so it's always great to see everyone when you come here. It's always a good time.
KRYSTAL: Very good. I'm happy you guys enjoy the event.
JOSE: It's always a great event.
KRYSTAL: Thank you. What are some things you think more people should know about Park Slope based on your own experience?
JOSE: So the area has drastically changed over the years. I think back in the days, it was more community involvement, more people spoke to each other, It was a different type of era. Now I see it's been gentrified. A lot of people come here, property values have triple, quadrupled in this area. It's just insane. But it's still a great area.Nice neighborhoods.
KRYSTAL: I absolutely agree. What are your hopes for the future of the neighborhood and Brooklyn?
JOSE: Well, Brooklyn in general has exploded in the last few years, all the way down to downtown Brooklyn with the addition of the Barclays Center. I think it's, you know, the evolution is still continuing, I mean, there's no telling where we stop with that.
KRYSTAL: And what about Park Slope?
JOSE: So Park Slope, as long as this doesn't change, everything else doesn't matter, because this will keep bringing us back.
KRYSTAL: I love it, I love it. What are your hopes for the future for the neighborhood, which I think I just–
JOSE: You just asked that question, yes.
KRYSTAL: So my apologies. So I want to let you know that it's not a date that you no longer have to look out for. The Park Slope Old Timers Day is the second Saturday of every August.
JOSE: Okay.
KRYSTAL: So whatever the date is for that second Saturday, that's the date for the Old Timers Day.
JOSE: Okay.
KRYSTAL: So that's something that you could put on your calendar, but for the end of time.
JOSE: So now that you have my email, am I going to receive an email on that or no?
KRYSTAL: So we don't necessarily– Maybe that's something we can start doing!
JOSE: Because I hear it from my brother. My brother tells me, hey, I got the event coming up and I put it on my calendar.
KRYSTAL: That's a good idea, okay. And also we'll go a little offline about how you can follow and keep up with everything that's going on.
JOSE: Okay, alright.
KRYSTAL: But thank you so much, so much for sitting down.
JOSE: Thank you for having me.
KRYSTAL: And we look forward to seeing you next year.
JOSE: One hundred percent.