Where a Brief Walk in a Random Street is Worth Countless Movie Scenes
The intersection of Broadway and Prince Street hosts an organized chaos of pedestrians seemingly in a rush: A pink-haired woman with oversized red glasses navigates on her electric wheelchair, a small dog trying to keep up the pace; twins in strollers push through with great difficulty, and a couple refusing to unclasp hands press into the overbearing crowd. Their impatience skyrockets as yet another set of cabs approach along a touristy Big Bus.
Once the lights switch in their favor, the New Yorkers hustle to the opposite side of the street where a halal stand offers chicken biryani and shish kebabs, with a strong smell that draws some in and others out.
The white-bearded vendor in a navy apron keeps the window of his stall slightly open to avoid discouraging customers from ordering, but keeps it closed just the right amount to stay warm and read his newspaper without distraction. Making sure to check the crowd every now and then, he waves at a gentleman whose outfit matches the yellow and blue umbrellas of the cart.
Seven steps ahead of the stand is a street artist showcasing his paintings on subway maps, accompanied by rap music so loud, it attracts a crowd. Somewhere between his speaker and his art equipment, the artist begins to dance and so do his potential customers and passerby.
The corner becomes a party spot as a man in a designer outfit and a purple-haired friend are joined by a little girl with a shiny pink bag.
A man in cargo pants and a hoodie purchases two posters from the artist, whose words: “Thanks again man, appreciate it!” echo along the ongoing rap ‘concert.’
Twenty steps and fifty pedestrians later, a professional photo shoot is staged. A supermodel in black vinyl pants and a matching crop top, holding a metallic clutch poses for a photographer in an all-white outfit lying on the dirty sidewalk to capture the perfect shot.
The photographer keeps guiding the model to “tilt her head a little bit more to the left, and gaze at anywhere but the camera.”
Two girls pass through the fashion scene as they try to figure out which direction Google Maps is pointing towards, and right behind them are a father and a son enjoying the last bit of their ice cream.
A few seconds later arrives a man with long white hair and a matching beard, reaches the trash can to collect plastic bottles, and looks deep inside the can once again to make sure he has all. He slowly heads back on the road with two bags overfilled with garbage…
One random place and one incomplete hour yet countless faces and numerous stories unite to unravel the harmony behind the chaotic image of the city.
Becoming A New Yorker 