Clip File
Independent reporterNico Reyes.
I report on the parts of city life that look straightforward until you have to use them.
Selected reporting
Three sample stories about how a city works.
3 clips
Transit / Reported featureAfter the last bus
A late shift ends at eleven. On paper, getting home takes one transfer. In practice, a twelve-minute gap can turn that transfer into a long walk.
I rode the same evening route on three weekdays and kept the posted timetable beside my notes. Two of those nights the inbound bus pulled in after the final connection had left. That was enough to show how a tight transfer can break, and a reason to ask for dispatch records before saying how often it does.
Housing / ExplainerWhat it takes to keep a room
A rooming house changes hands. A lease, a permit notice and a group of tenants each tell a different part of what happens next.
I read the permit history in order, then checked the dates with tenants who had kept their letters. A change in ownership and an approved permit turned out to be separate events. The explainer marks which decisions had been made and which the tenants were still waiting to hear.
Public space / Meeting follow-upOne lot, two plans
A proposal for a community garden shares a block with a plan for more loading space. What can neighbors actually decide?
I compared the meeting notes with the next published agenda. The garden came up as a proposal at both meetings. I described the idea as a request and kept the promised vote out of the headline until there was a date on the record.
About Nico
I’m a freelance reporter interested in what happens between a public decision and the person who has to live with it. I usually start with a document and a walk around the block.
My work takes in transit, housing and public space. For an assignment I can share the reporting plan, a source list with any access limits, and an annotated draft for fact-checking.
Have a story in mind?
For a commission, I’d ask for the question you want to answer, the intended format and the deadline. If there’s a document or meeting that started the story, send that too.
See a sample assignment brief
Could you report an 800-word follow-up on the garden proposal for our neighborhood newsletter? We can share last month’s agenda and notes. The next public meeting is in two weeks, and we’d like a draft the following Monday.