Sidewalk

Duneier and photographer Ovie Carter head six blocks away from Sixth Avenue to Jane Street, which is situated in Jane Jacobs’s old West Village neighborhood. They meet with Billy and Patti Romp—a white couple—and their three young children: Ellie, Henry, and Timmy. The Romps have been traveling from Vermont to New York during the holiday season for the past ten years to sell Christmas trees. The Romps have set up their wares along two city blocks in accordance with Local Law 17 of 1984, which allows individuals to sell trees during the month of December, so long as they have permission from the necessary authorities in charge of the premises—in this case, the West Village Committee. Duneier observes that the family’s customers feel comfortable in their presence. He notes that Billy’s jovial demeanor helps put shoppers at ease, such as his using the German word for Christmas tree (Tannenbaum) when speaking with a German customer. The children also assist with the business; Billy’s son, Henry, regularly sweeps up debris from the trees and even sells small branches to two elderly women who specifically request Henry’s services.

The Romps live in a camper van that has no restroom.