Walking around NYC as much as I do, I have the opportunity to see many of the thousands of men and women who work hard to keep the city running.
The work never stops in NYC, it’s always something. There are 5,500 DOT workers, 12 million pieces of mail to be delivered, and 28,000 acres of parks to be maintained.
From the bottom of the island upward, here is my Labor Day homage to these hard weekend workers.
The fellow above is keeping things safe down at The Battery. I came across this scene the other morning. What better backdrop could you ask for than One World Trade?
However, I want this guy’s job – cutting the grass at my beloved Battery:
This fellow was standing here as one of the Statue City Cruises ships was getting ready to dock. It was he who made the call when the ship was securily docked.
I always jump at the chance to get a photo of the pipes under the streets in NYC. They’re so old and twisted! These men are working in front of 95 Wall Street, in the Financial District.
I’ve seen this man here a few times, outside the north side entrance of One Wall Street. It seems like it took forever before they finished the refurb of the building, but it looks gorgeous! I’d love to get in there (past the Whole Foods section, anyway) and experience all it’s Art Deco glory. Check it out here.
Morning break from the road construction on Water Street, Financial District.
Keeping it clean, at one of my favorite parks – Zuccotti Park in the Financial District. In the foreground is one of the legs of “Joie de Vivre” by Mark di Suvero.
The park site was the location of the first coffeehouse in colonial New York City, The King’s Arms which opened in 1696. On November 5, 1773, the Sons of Liberty organized a large crowd here to protest the Tea Act. It may have been the first public demonstration in opposition to the Tea Act in the American colonies. Not surprisingly, it was also the site of the 57-day Occupy Wall Street protest in 2011.
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This policewoman is monitoring traffic at the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge, on Canal Street at Bowery. It’s an incredibly congested intersection…this takes nerves of steel! View is west up Canal Street.
A job that is literally never done. Many thanks to this member of the SoHo Broadway Initiative’s Clean Team. In 2022 the Clean Team removed over 44,000 bags of garbage, cleaned up over 8,000 incidents of graffiti, and serviced 31 trash receptacles year-round. You can read about them here.
Another road emergency, this time on Grand Street at Wooster St., SoHo. Water line breaks happen somewhere in the city almost every day. New York City has about 6,800 miles (10,900 kilometers) worth of water mains — enough pipe to stretch from Times Square to Tokyo!
I remember taking this photo and being happy to see these guys smiling. The FDNY responds to more than 1.8 million fires, medical emergencies, and all sorts of crazy incidents each year. This photo was taken at FDNY Hook and Ladder Co. 3, Water Tower No 2 firehouse, East Village.
I don’t believe this fellow was one of the Flatiron Clean Team, but he was working hard, nontheless. Hope he’s got Labor Day off.
Must be OT with that smile! Keeping an eye on things on 5th Ave at East 31st St.
Picking up the trash from Bryant Park. The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is the largest sanitation department in the world, with a 2022 budget of $1.9 billion and approximately 9,800 employees.
The Department of Street Cleaning was formed in 1881…but the first female workers weren’t hired until 1986.
100 Park Avenue is 36 stories of glass. It was a pleasure to pause for a moment and watch this man clean the windows.
The end of a long day in Times Square for this Top View Tours worker. Top View tours has a huge selection of double decker bus tours for those who would rather ride than walk. You can check them out here.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos of real New Yorkers, getting it done. Your comments are welcome, and I’d love it even more if you subscribed!
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