An Ode to New York's Glorious DIY Sidewalk Seating Culture

When I came back to New York in 1999 after an absence of several years, I pulled up in a moving van in front of my new apartment building in Astoria, Queens, and was immediately greeted by one of the things I had missed most about my hometown.

In front of the modest four-story walkup were a couple of old guys sitting on a couple of old chairs, watching the world go by. My fiancée and I introduced ourselves, and as we started moving our stuff into the building, we could see the men sizing up our potential as neighbors. They seemed pleased, for the most part, and a productive acquaintance was begun, one that, as it turned out, paid off for everyone a few months later when one of these same gentlemen had a small fire in his apartment. We were lucky enough to be help him get out safely and at the same time help to make sure the whole place didn’t go up in flames.