The One World Trade Center is visible in the distance from Washington Square Park during a clear, bright day. Sunday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Chalk artists decorate the ground in Washington Square Park on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Members of a live band in Washington Square Park stop to chat and smile. Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Skateboarders congregate in the fountain at Washington Square Park on the first warm day of the year. March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person takes a phone call while sitting on the edge of the fountain in Washington Square Park. March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Two young people sit on the edge of the fountain in Washington Square Park and watch the skateboarders on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Many people brought their bikes out to Washington Square Park for the sunny, warm weather on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

Birds fly overhead of Washington Square Park on a warm, sunny day. March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person lounges in the sun in Washington Square Park on March 9, 2021. The high was 64 degrees. Photo by Tori Luecking

Dogs and humans alike came out to enjoy the unusually sunny day on March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

A person sits with shoes off, enjoying the warm weather in Washington Square Park on March 9, 2021. Photo by Tori Luecking

The post Early spring lifts New Yorkers’ spirits appeared first on Pavement Pieces.

Due to COVID-19, the business has slowed down at Shade. While its indoor dining area is closed off to the public, you will still find a customer or two enjoying a meal on their patio. The takeout window at Shade has proven to be convenient for both its customers and employees, in view of the restrictions in place. Their variety of food options and beverages, combined with their affordable prices, has shown to be a favorite for people stopping by after work, on weekends or in-between classes. 

In the midst of taking orders, employees usually step out to catch their breath because of having to wear face masks for long periods of time, before heading back in to resume work. Glancing through the door of the bar, passersby can spot an employee in the kitchen, placing money in the register, while awaiting for the next customer to arrive. 

The atmosphere is quite lively around Shade Bar NYC. Among the benefits that comes with the location is that it is in the heart of Greenwich Village, it is situated next to NYU’s Furman Hall, there is an accessible bike path, you’ll always find people sauntering by and there are other outdoor dining spots available at your service. 

The Menu of food options at Shade Bar NYC situated under the takeout window, September 14, 2020. Photo by Kaity Assaf

A motorcycle parked at Shade Bar NYC, September 14,2020. Photo by Kaity Assaf

A customer, eats her meal at Shade Bar NYC, September 14, 2020. Photo by Kaity Assaf

An employee at Shade Bar NYC, September 14, 2020. Photo by Kaity Assaf

Jose, an employee at Shade Bar NYC, places money in the register, September 14, 2020. Photo by Kaity Assaf

The people in a sitting area near Shade Bar NYC, September 14, 2020. Photo by Kaity Assaf

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Hours before Judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court today, about 200 protesters gathered outside of Washington Square Park and mourned the battle they knew was lost, but pleaded with New Yorkers to vote in the upcoming midterms.

“This is a hot mess time,” said the Reverend Doctor Jacqui Lewis, a senior minister at Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village. “Never, never have I experienced this.”

Lewis said that while the current situation looked bleak, Americans have been here before, and know that voting is the only answer.

“We know what to do,” she said. “We know how to pray with our feet. We know how to withhold our vote from all the folks who are taking money from the NRA, who are putting our children in cages, all the folks who believe in incarcerating (f0r) weed, for God’s sakes. Pay attention, let’s vote, and do not let your hearts be troubled. Instead, turn your rage into action.”

Women protestors spoke emotionally, sometimes shouting through tears, speaking to the crowd through a megaphone. Dozens held signs protesting Kavanaugh and the current administration, and a few led chants which included “Believe the women,” and “Find another nominee.” Others shared their own stories of assault and trauma, and were comforted and cheered on by the crowd.

Several speakers implored those in the crowd to vote and proactively support candidates in the upcoming midterm elections by canvassing and campaigning.

“The best thing for your mental health right now is proactive coping,” said psychologist Victoria Barry, who holds an elected seat on the Democratic County Committee. “I think voting is the most powerful and immediate way we have to change the course of the country in a very fundamental way. Not nearly enough people do it. It’s the only way we have to fight back legislatively, as people who are not government officials.”

In the 2016 election, only approximately 55 percent of eligible citizens voted, marking a 20-year low, according to CNN. In that election, New York ranked 41st in the nation for turnout, and in the last midterm election, statewide turnout was only 34 percent, according to The Atlantic. In the 2017 mayoral primary, just 12 percent of eligible voters in New York City voted.

Barry also encouraged protestors to do more than just vote, particularly highlighting buses organized by ActBlue, which travel from New York City to canvass throughout the rest of the state.

Protesters included images of Brett Kavanaugh during his testimony on their signs during today’s Washington Square Park protest. Photo by Kerry Breen.

Others at the protest passed out voter registration forms. Another speaker, Sarah O’Neill, spoke about the organization Postcards to Voters, which sends hundreds of thousands of handwritten postcards across the country, encouraging recipients to vote for specific, usually progressive, candidates.

Lewis, who has attended and been arrested at protests in Washington, D.C., added that voting is one of the most important steps New Yorkers could take in the upcoming elections, and said that people will be able to register to vote outside of the Middle Collegiate Church every Sunday until the election.

“What I want to say to New Yorkers is, if you haven’t registered to vote by now, run,” she said. “Run to the computer where you can do it easily. We only have until October 12th to do it. Two, to read, and educate ourselves on where the races are close. Find the news source that works for you. Pay attention to the races that are close, and send your money to the candidates that stand for what you believe. Find your issue and stay with it. Vote for the common good. Vote, vote, vote.”

Several people at the rally, including those involved with local grassroots organizations, agreed that they had seen an increase in engagement from the general public since the 2016 election, even among themselves.

“I hadn’t been paying attention to who was my state senator, to who was my state assemblyman, until the 2016 election,” said Allison Mingus, who serves on the executive committee of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats. “I think more people are motivated now, more than ever, to get involved at a local level, and that’s what changes things.”

Allison Mingus and Ben Theodore, members of the executive committee of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, came to the Washington Square Park protest to support Christine Blakey-Ford. Photo by Kerry Breen.

Ben Theodore said more people seem to want to work on get out the vote efforts.

“For this past September primary, the number of people who would walk through the door and say “I have never canvassed before, I haven’t canvassed in 30 years, but I’m showing up now” – that is the sign of this is it, that it is hopefully going to be different this time,” said Theodore, who serves on the same committee as Mingus.

Gus Christensen, the Chief Strategist of NO IDC NY, a grassroots organization working to flip the New York State Senate from Republican to Democratic, said the placement of Kavanaugh on the court made it all the more critical for progressive Democrats to take control of the New York State Senate, so that critical legislature covering reproductive health and non-discriminatory measures can be passed.

“The elevation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court presents a clear and present danger to Roe vs. Wade, and to the rights of women, of LGBT Americans, of immigrants and people of color.”

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Monday afternoon, when most have been urged to stay indoors, some of Lower Manhattan’s food truck operators are braving Winter Storm Juno and going to work anyway.

Kale Alfageh cupped his hands together, pressed them firmly against his lips, breathed deeply and muttered, “I hate this, I hate the snow.”

Alfageh, 48, has been operating The Coffee Place breakfast food truck on the corner of Mercer and Washington Street for six months now. He noted his distrust of weather reporting as his primary reason for setting up shop.

“Cause you know sometimes they say it’s going to be something and it ends up being something else,” said Alfageh. “ Last year they said there was going to be too much snow to go out and I didn’t work. The weather was actually really nice that day and I lost a lot of money. This happened three or four times so now I always go.”

Mia Alumghed, 50, who works out of the Halal food truck on the corner of Astor Place and Broadway, expressed a tone similar to Alfageh’s.

“Business on days like this is always terrible,” says Alumghed. “But it’s not really worth not going.”

“I’ve seen it all,” said Alumghed, who has worked out of his truck for five years now. “The weather has been worse, but the regulars still come.”

Despite the steady flow of steam rolling out the window of his truck the storm had Alfageh pining for the warmth of his home country. “I’m from Egypt and it never, never, never snows in Egypt,” he said. “Egypt has the best weather in all the world”.

Although Alfageh was thinking of Egypt, some of his regulars were thrilled to see him coming out to open up shop despite the bad weather.

“I really am thankful,” says Jessica Thomas of Queens. “The guys are always so nice and friendly no matter what the weather is. Whether it’s raining, or snowing, or a hundred degrees outside”.

Thomas, who works as an administrator in New York University’s psychology department, was happy that as everyone was heading inside there was still somewhere to grab a snack.

“They’re so close to the office,” she said as she pointed to the building she works in. “and I almost never see them packing it up.”

As the wind picked up, the snow began to stick to the ground. Alfageh looked out the window of his truck and said, “I plan to leave at 5, but we’ll have to see how the weather looks before I go anywhere.”

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Residents were bundling up and stocking up this morning to prepare for what New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio predicted will be the worst snowstorm in the city’s history. With a high chance of power outages, halted traffic, and over two feet of snow predicted, it was mayhem at the markets.

Morton Williams grocery store in Greenwich Village, was filled with anxious shoppers trying to stock up with flurries already coming down. Lines wrapped around the perimeter of the store as customers scrambled to grab what was left.

“I’m scared and the fact that everyone else is so scared just makes it more terrifying,” said new Soho resident Shallen Ferreira, 27, who moved to the city two weeks ago from Mexico with her husband.

She heard that most stores were closing between noon and 2 p.m. and didn’t want to be stuck home without food. She said the store was already falling behind demand and that she was having trouble finding items as simple as deli meats.

“The first thing I grabbed was water and Dr. Pepper,” she said. “I have Dr. Pepper first thing in the morning, it’s my coffee.”

Having grown up in St. Louis, Mo., Ferreira is no stranger to snow, but not the up to two feet forecasters are predicting.

Losing electricity was the least of her worries.

“We had a few outlets out so I left the electrician, a complete stranger, at my house with my cat who attacks people,” said Ferreira,as she placed packaged meats in her cart. “I hope I don’t go home to see he robbed me blind.”

With minimal taxis and cars on the roads, Ferreira is worried about how her husband will get home from work later tonight. It is mostly delivery trucks and snow removal vehicles.

“We didn’t use the subways in Mexico, they were considered dangerous, she said. “But it’s hard to keep spending $30 on a taxi each day, and today you can barely find one.”

Although Ferreira is not a fan of the snow she told her husband that if they can get the door to open she would build a snowman on their terrace.

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