François from the Lot Radio: Merch as a way to support a community-driven project

François Vaxelaire had been living in New York for years when an unexpected idea sparked in his head. Walking through Greenpoint, Brooklyn, he noticed a small, forgotten triangular piece of land. What others passed by without a thought, he saw as an opportunity.

That space has become The Lot Radio: an open, community-driven radio station where music is shared freely, both online and on the street. Broadcasting 24/7, The Lot is also deeply physical: a container on a corner, a few benches, a kiosk, and an open door to anyone curious enough to stop by. Locals, artists, and visiting musicians gather here to play, listen, and connect.

Without major backing, The Lot Radio relies on what it offers on-site: its presence, its kiosk, and, more recently, its merch. At Merchery, we’re drawn to projects built with intention and care. That shared vision led us to collaborate with The Lot, developing meaningful merchandise as a way to support a space that adds value to its community.

We sat down with François to talk about how The Lot Radio came to life, its bond with the neighborhood, and how music, when shared openly, can quietly build community over time.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us what The Lot Radio is about?

“I’m Belgian, but I’ve been living in New York for about fifteen years now. About ten years ago, I started The Lot Radio, an online music radio that exists on an empty lot in Brooklyn.

We literally rented a piece of land that had been abandoned for more than forty years. From the beginning, the idea was simple: stream live every day, 24/7 and invite artists from all over the world play the music they love.

Today, The Lot Radio counts more than 200 resident DJs from across New York, playing freely across genres and moods. “That freedom in the lineup is really important to us,” François explains. The schedule is intentionally open, welcoming both residents and visiting artists. Over the years, that openness has drawn in some of the best artists of our century like Four Tet, Fred Again, Skrillex, Nina Kraviz, … alongside countless local and emerging artists.

But for François, the project goes far beyond broadcasting. At its core, The Lot Radio is about connection. “What’s really important is that it’s also a physical place. We’re really trying to create a bridge between the online world and the real world. People can come, meet, hang out. We have a small kiosk with affordable prices. It’s a place where people share moments and listen to good music.”

What’s your story, and what brought you to NYC?

“I was born and raised in Brussels. Music was one of my first passions: it was something I shared a lot with my friends, but never something I imagined as a job” he says.

He went on to study anthropology and sociology, disciplines that continue to shape the way he sees communities and culture. “After that, I worked in photography and videography, and I traveled a lot. I lived in Africa, in Mozambique.”

François then applied for a master’s degree in media in New York. What surprised him immediately was the city’s vibrant music scene. “The energy was crazy. The creativity too. It really reconnected me with my first love, which was music.”

After two years in the city, staying no longer felt like a question. “At that time, there wasn’t really an equivalent online radio in New York,” he adds. “I felt like it could really make a difference here.”

How did The Lot Radio come to life?

“At some point, I wasn’t happy anymore working only with photography and video. I really missed something, which was music,” he admits.

At the time, François was living in Greenpoint and spending a lot of time walking around the neighborhood. There was one place in particular that kept drawing his attention. “This corner in my neighborhood, it was just an empty piece of land. A triangular lot with an old caravan. Every time I walked by, I found it weird, but also really curious.” It was well known in the neighborhood, and honestly, we never really understood why it was still empty,” he says. “There was this insane view on Manhattan, and the lot was just there, unused.”

Then, during a moment of doubt, everything shifted. “I was really panicking about my future. And then I saw this sign saying, ‘For Lease - ideal for a food truck,’ with a phone number.” He pauses, then laughs. “Normally, I don’t really believe in destiny,” he says. “But this time, something very strange happened. In my head, everything connected immediately. I thought, I should open a broadcast radio here. It’s perfect. I really felt it. It was one of those rare moments where everything just made sense.”

How would you describe the spirit of The Lot today, and its relationship with the Greenpoint neighborhood?

“The spirit is actually very close to how it was when we started, ten years ago,” François says.

He describes New York as intense, overwhelming, and constantly moving at a fast pace. “The idea was to create a small island inside all of that,” he explains. “A little secret place where people can simply reunite, feel welcomed, and disconnect from the rest.”

For him, The Lot is about slowing down. “You can just come, sit, listen to music, hang out. You don’t have to consume anything. You don’t have to perform. It’s a public place where people can simply stay and enjoy.”

“This triangle feels like a small plaza, something very common in Europe, but really unique in a city like New York.” Because The Lot is free and open, people naturally drift in and out. “You’ll see people coming for the music, people who live nearby, and even people from the church next door stopping by for a coffee,” he says. “That mix is really important to us. It means everyone feels welcome.”

The openness of the space has also made it deeply rooted in the neighborhood. “It’s really integrated,” François adds. “People respect the fact that we took this space and did something honest with it. It wasn’t about money, it was about passion.”

Why do you think artists feel such a strong connection to The Lot, and why was independence so important from the beginning?

“The vision from The Lot Radio was to give artists an open place to play their music, not only at night, but during the day as well. “It’s about showing the full repertoire of what artists love,” he explains. “Not one genre, but a full spectrum of sounds. You can listen to techno at 10am and jazz at 10pm. And for us, that’s exactly the point.”

That’s also why independence mattered from the start.

“I saw a lot of brands doing a number of partnerships and slowly losing who they were,” he explains. “It’s dangerous. I didn’t want to be stuck always chasing collaborations just to have money.”

Remaining independent allows The Lot Radio to stay true to its vision, creating a sense of trust that artists immediately feel, especially those visiting from abroad.

When partnerships do happen, they’re intentional. “They really have to make sense for us,” François adds. “They need to be meaningful and bring an added value to the community.”

For him, that thoughtfulness is what preserves the project’s identity while allowing it to grow without losing its values.

What role does merch play in sustaining The Lot Radio, and how does it fit into the project’s vision?

From the start, The Lot Radio has relied on what happens on-site to survive. “The kiosk helps us sustain ourselves,” François explains. “But some moments are though. We quickly realised that winter is always a low season.” As traffic slows and the space naturally quiets down, depending on a single source of income became risky.

“That’s when we understood we couldn’t rely only on the kiosk,” he says. “Little by little, we started focusing on other things, including merch.” For François, merch isn’t about growth or volume, but about balance. It brings financial stability and helps support the project year-round, without compromising its independence. “It’s not about selling a lot,” he adds. “It’s about surviving in a healthy way.”

That same mindset shaped the collaboration with Merchery. “What I liked is that you don’t add more shitty stuff to the world,” François says. “It allows us to produce high-quality merch that actually makes sense.” Trust also plays a big role in that relationship. “You do the hard part,” he explains. “I know the merch is done the right way, with the right people.”

More than just a revenue stream, merch becomes another way to express what The Lot Radio stands for: openness, intention, and care, while helping ensure the space can continue to exist for the community, even when the seasons change.

What’s your vision for The Lot Radio in the next ten years?

Looking ahead, François is clear that the goal isn’t to change what essence of The Lot Radio is, but to give it the stability it needs to last.

“We want to keep it as it is,” he says. “But also bring more permanence to the project.” One concrete step is renovating the container itself, strengthening the physical space and affirming The Lot as a lasting presence in the city. “We want it to really stand as a cornerstone of music in NYC.”

For him, the future isn’t about expansion or scaling up. “It’s about presence,” François explains. “About being here, and keeping our vision and values solid over time. At least for the next ten years, I hope.”