Making Barclays Sparkle

The first impression one gets when they meet Henry DeJesus is that he really likes his job.

DeJesus works as a cleaner at the renowned Barclay’s Center, as he has since it opened in 2012.

“When Barclays first opened,” he explained, “I looked [at it] as most the convenient place to work, with the most opportunities.” DeJesus’ instinct proved correct, and twelve years later, he’s still here, working a regular shift of 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

While night owls might shudder, as the proud father of two young children, ages six and seven, DeJesus doesn’t mind the schedule, as it allows him to spend weekday afternoons with his kids.

DeJesus was born in the Dominican Republic, and lived there until age nine; asked if he has a favorite Dominican restaurant, DeJesus vouched for Rico Pollo at 3352 Fulton Street.

He grew up in Brooklyn and still lives there today in Cyress Hills, where he enjoys such nearby historic attractions as Highland Park and Ridgewood Reservoir.

And while he gets to see many sports players and concert artists at work, the chance to meet them is rare. But DeJesus is proud of the excitement the arena brings to Brooklyn, which ranges well beyond its big-time basketball tenants, the New York Nets and WNBA New York Liberty.

He and his team are responsible for helping the venue transition from one event to the next. He loves that there’s always something different happening.

“My favorite part of the job is being part of this team,” he said. “One day we could go from a basketball game to Disney on Ice. From Disney on Ice we go to UFC, from UFC we go to boxing.”

“It’s pretty nice to be part of that, and to see how we get that all done in a short period of time.”

Keeping the venue clean is a lot of work. But it’s rewarding.

The next time you find yourself tingling in excitement at Atlantic and Flatbush at the Barclay Center remember it’s an early-rising cleaning crew of people like Henry DeJesus who make the magic happen.