Ghosts of Union Square

Certain people I only see in Union Square. They seem to vanish once they cross Broadway or 14th Street. Sometimes they disappear into the clutter of Gramercy or the Garment District once they cross 17th Street. Sometimes they emerge from the dark shadows in the first warm day of spring, after hibernating for the cold winter. Sometimes they appear in the orange-hued darkness of night.

I don’t know, they may be real people, but they may not be. Maybe only I can see them, maybe there are more who are only visible to you.

Michele Bayard and his pinhole photos

Dave, never in the same jacket twice

Some people I saw nearly every day, and maybe have some sort of contact like with Dave. Other people I only saw a few times, but from a distance and never had any contact.
The break dancers were good and an odd group of people.
They’re ghosts as well.

The break dancers

There were others who had multiple roles in Union Square, like me. Nick was a bike messenger but also a tattoo artist. He was from Philadelphia, and last I heard, had gone back there. As for me, I may have been a ghost as well, on some days.

I spent my fair share of time in Union Square while working as a bike messenger. One company, Dragonfly Courier, had me start and end my day in Union Square, roughly. The area I covered was surrounded by the square, so I returned there when things were slow.

Like Dave, I was also a photographer there. I mean, I was before NYC and after (I still am now), but it was one of my roles in Union Square. It’s how I met Dave and Mickey and Natasha and Kasha and other people whose names I can’t remember. I met the ghosts with whom I communicate because of photography.

Nick and me, our bikes and newspapers

Natasha, Hoop Girl Extrordinare

Hoop Girl

And then, there are the ones who passed through one dark night and never returned.

Probably Kasha

I have no idea what her name is

T shirts and art late night in Union Square

The girls sold shirts, the guy stunk

Irina

And of course there are the ones who drift about in their own world.

He always had a mouth full of chewing gum

Random guy interrupting Dave and Melissa

He was obnoxious