Sidewalk

Presents the lives of poor African-American men who make their subsistence wages by selling used goods on the streets of Greenwich Village in New York; and discusses how they interact with passing pedestrians, police officers, and each other.

"An exceptional ethnography marked by clarity and candor, Sidewalk takes us into the socio-cultural environment of those who, though often seen as threatening or unseemly, work day after day on "the blocks" of one of New York's most diverse neighborhoods. Sociologist Duneier, author of Slim's Table, offers an accessible and compelling group portrait of several poor black men who make their livelihoods on the sidewalks of Greenwich Village selling secondhand goods, panhandling, and scavenging books and magazines. Duneier spent five years with these individuals, and in Sidewalk he argues that, contrary to the opinion of various city officials, they actually contribute significantly to the order and well-being of the Village. An important study of the heart and mind of the street, Sidewalk also features an insightful afterword by longtime book vendor Hakim Hasan. This fascinating study reveals today's urban life in all its complexity: its vitality, its conflicts about class and race, and its surprising opportunities for empathy among strangers."--Publisher's description.

The informal life of the sidewalk. The book vendor -- The magazine vendors -- The men without accents -- New uses of sidewalks. How sixth avenue became a sustaining habitat -- The limits of informal social control. Sidewalk sleeping -- When you gotta go -- Talking to women -- Accusation: caveat vendor? -- Regulating the people who work the streets. The space wars: competing legalities -- A Christmas on sixth avenue -- The construction of decency. A scene from Jane Street -- Conclusion -- Afterword / Hakim Hasan -- Appendix: a statement on method.