Adventures of Urban Life

Sidewalk by Mitvhell Duneier

Take a walk down any busy street in New York city. Chances are that you came across street vendors. There are a lot of street vendors in the streets of New York, but most New Yorkers never stop to think where these people come from, what is their story, where do they live. Mitchell Duneier’s book Sidewalk explores these questions and many more. Duneier did research for many years on street vendors, he focused on the street vendors that are located on 6^th avenue (Avenue of the Americas.) To do so he spent years observing and talking to street vendors. In his book Sidewalk, Duneier explores the following themes: survival, social class, race, and issues of poverty.

In his researched Duneier learned that most of the people that dedicate their life to sell on the streets of New York are drug users. However, Duneier did come across one individual that was well know on the streets for his knowledge on the books he sold. Some people went to him for advice. His name is Hakim, he was a black figure in the corporate world, and because of his color felt that he didn’t belong. He dedicated to selling books on the sidewalk because he felt that he had a better connection with people on the sidewalks than with people on the corporate world. Hakim was an interesting character because unlike other street vendors he has a place to stay, and lives a ‘normal’ life. When Duneier asked Hakim a question regarding a book written by Jane Jacobs, Hakim replied with a very sophisticated and intellectual answer. Unlike Hakim, most of the street vendors are homeless and sleep on the streets. The reason why some of these guys sleep on the street is because they want to reserve a vending spot, to save money, and others even said that they felt safe because some of the street vendors were their friends, and they could stay watch while they slept.

Street vendors are public figures because people get used to seeing them in their street, buy books from them and eventually get to know them as a result, people get a feel of safety and comfort. The common misconception of street vendors is that they are drug users and are up to no good. But as Duneier discovered most street vendors have dignity and respect for people because they find a way of making money that does not require them to commit crimes. Duneier disagrees with the government’s point of view in dealing with street vendors. Duneier felt this way because the law makers that try to remove street vendors form the street have never actually talked to street vendors to ask them why they are selling on the streets instead of holding a ‘normal’ job. The government only sees them as the undesirables of the streets.