ManicDDaily

South Side Zuccotti Park

Downtown NYC was very much occupied today.

I live to the West, so I first came to the entrance of  the new visitors center at the old WTC.  (Ground Zero to those who are not long-time New Yorkers.)  This seems to have become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the City, with perpetual lines waiting to gain entrance to the walled-in Memorial Garden. The tourists, whether from Japan or Kansas, almost all have a certain look–scrubbed skin, khaki on some part of their body, and hats (often of the small bucket variety).

Then, I arrived at Occupy Wall Street.  Zuccotti Square has become increasing crowded over the last few weeks, and sports an increased sense of good cheer.   There seems also to be a much greater variety of people–a significantly higher percentage of middle-aged folks to dredlocks.  (I’m not complaining about the dreds, just commenting.)  Occupiers also have a certain look, but it is different from the tourist look.  Rumpled.  (The park is not a comfortable place to stay.)

Today, the complexity of the scene was magnified because there were not only tourists,  occupiers, gawkers, construction workers,press and police–there were also the Lubavitchers!  Those proselytizing in vans highlighting Succoth.   They were dressed in Hasidic gear with wide-brimmed black hats (as opposed to the buckets) and several held large stalks of grain.

(This at Zuccotti Park)

(This one at Memorial Garden.)

And then (exciting!), we happened onto Jon Oliver, musing to the side of the park across the street.  “Hey Jon!” I found myself calling and then felt surprised (and almost hurt) that he didn’t call back.  (It is odd to think that someone can look so familiar and not know you at all.)   We did speak very briefly  and  I would note that he seemed much better looking in person than on TV, and was extremely gracious.

Later, I saw some occupiers escaping over to my side of the West Side Highway.  My guess is that the grass of Hudson River Park is a lot more comfortable for napping than Zuccotti’s concrete.

(Hard to See - People Napping on Napsacks.)