Union Square

A girl in a lime green scarf wails homemade lyrics with her guitar; a man wearing a sky blue cap dances and performs air drums; a German art student discusses her new camera with a friend. An old Jamaican lady proselytizes with a worn Bible; a parade of Chihuahuas pull a tall blond girl; some preteens scream about a spilled Jamba Juice…these are just a few of the people I saw today in Union Square.

I walk through Union Square every day and it has become one of my favorite spots in the city. Just north of NYU, and between the East and West Villages, Union Square is a meeting point for a wide variety of Gothamites.


This is Nicholas the Cat with his human friend. They appear mostly on the weekends and calmly walk around the area to the amazement of all who see them. When I took the photo I was asked by Nicholas’s friend if I could spare a few dollars. I didn’t realize their Sunday constitutional was primarily a way to earn a buck. Since I took their picture, I of course helped them out a bit.

There’s a lifeguard stand in the middle of the open square facing 14th Street. I think it’s an advertisement for NYC lifeguards (apply today for the summer!) but mainly people use it to perch themselves up above the masses and do some lofting people watching. Evan and I hung out up there for more than an hour and saw some Jewish guys “save” (?) the blanket violinist dude (I don’t know their names, I just observe them and give them straight forward nicknames). The Jewish guys go around asking if you’re Jewish and then inviting you to Jewish events if you are. The blanket violinist plays most days somewhere in the square and is always seen wearing his blanket poncho and head scarf.



There are also hip hop dancers in purple hoodies, hacky sack players in shorts, police officers with crackly walkie talkies, and gothy teenage girls giving out free hugs (they had a sign). The diversity is endless and very inspiring and I love watching who passes by and eavesdropping on their conversations (eavesdropping is a NYC pastime!). Trust me, there’s a whole cast of characters for almost any movie or novel you’d want to write (especially if it’s some sort of drama series). I sometimes take a step back and realize that I’m also just a random person someone else is watching. That’s when I want to dress up like a superhero again and run around yelling, “CRY HAVOC!” Maybe when the weather warms up.