So rare to hear from directly from someone going through homelessness. Typically the homeless population is treated like a monolith so getting to hear an individual’s story is really valuable. Great interview!
Hi Rob! Glad you found value in the story. Anytime I interview someone, I can choose to tell the story in my words, or do it Q&A style and have the subject tell their story in their own words, and I am glad I did the Q&A thing in the case of Marcus.
Noooooo! I thought it was a pancake place? I think there is another Tom's in Prospect Heights that is pancakes and I assumed they were owned by the same person (Tom) and offered the same fare.
The Tom's in Prospect Heights is amazing! During the riots on Washingon ave in 1968, Tom's stans formed a human chain around the store to protect it. Worth going for the lime Rickeys alone. Actually, not a fan of lime Rickeys but it felt cool to order one. (2)Tom's on 3rd was its own place from what I understand. Then of course there is the Tom's of Seinfeld/Susan Vega fame..
Ha the last time I went to Tom's in Prospect Heights I got waffles AND a milke shake and then I saw my doctor for bloodwork the next day and he told me I needed to watch my sugar intake. I didn't bother explaining...
Have also been to the UWS Tom's—it's where I interviewed CAPTAIN BAYONNE!
There's so much captured in the second interviewee being in a three-job poverty loop, while the first was able to buy a luncheonette on a whim. We have some questions to deal with. Or ignore. Ignoring them's good for sleeping in.
This is the type of post that explains to me how NYC can sink its hooks into you. Marco Polo's is the local color and character. If I was hosting a party, I would not think to hang strips of prosciutto off the side of plates like a hanging garden -- who knew. Marcus' story is tougher. What seems universal in the story is how fragile so many people's existence is and the lack of a safety net of any sort. It seems we are not shocked by any of this and expend no effort considering and envisioning a different world. A failure of imagination.
Mr. Dolan I'm sure one could write a whole book based on either of these stories. I know I am just barely skimming the surface. And yes, I think you sort of hit on what it is about NYC. All of these stories are all around you all the time and you KNOW that you'll never begin to really understand any of them in any depth.
Jun 27, 2023·edited Jun 27, 2023Liked by Anne Kadet
As I've gotten older so many of the things that seem intractable often just require a change to our thought. I have a friend involved in homeless advocacy. The USPS has a mechanism to establish PO Boxes for those with the challenge of no permanent address. When an advocate gets involved, the vulnerable often get the breakthrough they need. As silly as it might sound, advocates who FOCUS on guiding people through this process can be transformational. I now believe that so many of the things we "coddle in our mind as intractable" can often be addressed with new thinking. As I have shared before "everything is true until it isn't". I know there are advocates who FOCUS on this key element and it changes lives all of the time. This is not the only problem but each hill gets people closer to transformation. A PO Box is an extremely low cost and efficient solution to what seems an intractable problem to many. Grants to cover the nominal cost can be the barrier that unlocks stability for people.
Yes I was wondering about this myself. It sounds like a very simple solution. But then do employers look askance when a person has a PO box rather than a street address?
Its funny how little I know about how the system actually works. You'd think there would be caseworkers who would be familiar with all the solutions out there and could guide the client through, an advocate, as you say with FOCUS.
And then I imagine that it'd be a lot like the public defender system, where each defender is so overloaded with cases they can't do a good job with any of them.
Good lord. Let's get back to talking about bananas and crackers and nuts!
I know people with PO Box. I bet some people use them as a buffer to their identity and privacy. I suppose for some it might raise questions but better than no answer I suppose. I know I'm getting old cause I seem to have a lot of corny sayings. I'm thinking "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of progress". I am sure the system is bad while bananas, crackers and nuts are more fun!
Jun 26, 2023·edited Jun 26, 2023Liked by Anne Kadet
Since we share a connection to WNY you might enjoy my post today. A bit about living in a place with ethnic history. NYC n Buffalo similar with ethnic zones. I always steer visitors to Schwabl's opened in 1837 -- best beef on weck ever
You have to click through to an old post but if you do, food porn images await. I think you advised you "feel sorry for me and my almond milk in lieu of half and half". If you have not been to Schwabl's the feeling is mutual :) -- the rest of the world is even sadder as they think Arby's is a thing -- even my Chicago bigot friends admit Chicago Italian Beef is just an afterthought compared to Beef on Weck once they try it.
Oh, Anne, these both tugged on my heart in different ways. The first transported me back to a NYC I knew and loved. I so wish I'd known about Marco Polo's. I love those sorts of places. I feel them in my bones. I have too many thoughts to fit into this comment box on the second one. Basically, society is a fucking mess. There's enough money and resources to help the cats and dogs and humans if we choose to. No one should be on the streets.
Favorite line: "It's like a funeral, only you're still here!" I said.
What makes me happy is that just a few hours after posting, I've already had eleven readers Venmo me nearly $300 towards an e-bike for Marcus. And maybe more have donated to him directly?
I think it's less that people are selfish and more that these are very difficult problems to solve. But yes, it's a mess!
They need to set up a go fund me account for him. So he can get on feet. Get a place to live to get off the streets. It’s not always nice living on the street. So sad the weather changed everyday.
yeah i can't imagine living in the DMV either .... unless of course there were plenty of Nat'l Geographic magazines AND unlimited Debbies Donuts, maybe a croffle or two (to read or eat? huh...)....speaking of which i can see now how he kept up with you for 10 city blocks while being grilled like a halibut: "Sugar!" heeeeeee
LOL Yes, Marcus really was very nice about answering all my nosy questions for sure.
When was the last time you had a Little Debbie cake, btw? Every now and then I have a Hostess cupcake and they are like pure heroin but don't think I've indulged in the Little Debbie since high school. I need to revisit!
decided to "LIKE" my own comment because i may be "nuts" which is the adult version of the acting-up and out toddler "bananas" and only visits "crackers" on open-house weekends
"In the 40s, he experimented with an Italian café, a Manhattan pizzeria and an import/export business. He opened Louis Restaurant, changing the name to Marco Polo in 1983, naming it after the Italian explorer. "Every week, the same people you used to see, Friday and Saturday," he continued. "They knew the table by numbers. They'd call for a reservation, 'Make sure I get a table with number this, number that.' Steady customers..."
Hmmmmmm....I think I remember that restaurant......
"His pals in the mob call Joseph Chirico “Joe Marco Polo,” because he runs Marco Polo Ristorante in Brooklyn. Chirico, who grew up in Italy, is a restaurant buff but has another side gig going that landed him in trouble with the law."
OMG!!!...being Italian, myself, I picked up the vibe fairly readily...it's the law of gravity for Italians like me and Joe...if you order "Chicken Cacciatore" the legs are served broken!!
I know from talking to some long-time residents of Carroll Gardens that just about everyone who lived in that neighborhood at that time was involved, if only in the most tangential way. Almost impossible not to be, it was just so embedded in the culture.
I would imagine there are people who notice too little and wish they noticed more. I wish I noticed more and then just decided what to do with it. Your memory and connection to GF was awesome.
Always so much food for thought... I had no idea what a panhandler was! But I’ve certainly run into plenty of beggars. Basically the same I suspect, and always so difficult to know how to respond, particularly given the lack of cash we now carry.
I’ve just been travelling in northern Australia - one of the lucky ones with enough money to do so - and I saw so many people, particularly indigenous folk, asking for money for food. If they were near shops it was easier because I could buy them a meal, but I carry so little cash and they can be a little sarcastic about small coins.
But I realised that it was the lack of a fixed address that seemed to be the common thread. When you stop and think through it all, you realise that everything is geared towards an address and contact number and how do you have those when the world falls out from under your feet (or was never there in the first place when you live in remote Australia). We don’t like feeling uncomfortable and beggars always leave us uncomfortable. Sigh...
And then the opposite extreme - those of us lucky enough to have lived through the 80s when you COULD buy a place (or get free education!), which set us up for life. I mightn’t be rich, but life back then gave me a real leg up. I have no idea how young people manage these days. Everything is so expensive.
So much food for thought in these two studies. Thanks so much.
I love what you said about beggars leaving us feeling uncomfortable.
I carry around dollar bills so it's easy to make what feels like reasonable donation. And this is motivated in large part by the wish to avoid discomfort.
Here in NYC, a lot of panhandlers, if you give them a dollar, they will demand $5. And I always say, "Sorry, everyone gets a dollar!" I am myself a lot like the DMV, enforcing my own dumb little inflexible policy, regardless of circumstances.
But I also try to say hi and wish them a nice day. I had a boss whose brother was homeless and he said his brother told him it is not so much about the donation as taking a little time to welcome them into your world.
My understanding KL is that homeless shelters typically offer open barracks style accommodations rather than secured individual rooms, so there is a lot of theft going on and worse—I've spoke to a number of homeless people over the years who told me that's why they prefer sleeping on the street to a shelter.
I stayed overnight in one once for a story, undercover, and actually everyone I met was very sweet and nice and friendly, but that is totally anecdotal. And yes, there was a lot of paperwork!!!
So rare to hear from directly from someone going through homelessness. Typically the homeless population is treated like a monolith so getting to hear an individual’s story is really valuable. Great interview!
Hi Rob! Glad you found value in the story. Anytime I interview someone, I can choose to tell the story in my words, or do it Q&A style and have the subject tell their story in their own words, and I am glad I did the Q&A thing in the case of Marcus.
Also, speaking of red sauce joints near the Gowanus, did you ever make it to Tom’s on 3rd ave before it closed down?
Noooooo! I thought it was a pancake place? I think there is another Tom's in Prospect Heights that is pancakes and I assumed they were owned by the same person (Tom) and offered the same fare.
The Tom's in Prospect Heights is amazing! During the riots on Washingon ave in 1968, Tom's stans formed a human chain around the store to protect it. Worth going for the lime Rickeys alone. Actually, not a fan of lime Rickeys but it felt cool to order one. (2)Tom's on 3rd was its own place from what I understand. Then of course there is the Tom's of Seinfeld/Susan Vega fame..
Ha the last time I went to Tom's in Prospect Heights I got waffles AND a milke shake and then I saw my doctor for bloodwork the next day and he told me I needed to watch my sugar intake. I didn't bother explaining...
Have also been to the UWS Tom's—it's where I interviewed CAPTAIN BAYONNE!
https://annekadet.substack.com/p/captain
S0 glad you linked to that, what a character!
Yep, super singular! It was so funny he never took his mask off the whole interview. I still have no idea what he looks like!
There's so much captured in the second interviewee being in a three-job poverty loop, while the first was able to buy a luncheonette on a whim. We have some questions to deal with. Or ignore. Ignoring them's good for sleeping in.
Mr. Dayle, I asked myself a few times, "What does this say?" and then answered a few times, "I don't know."
Also, I am a very good napper.
Did you ask him how he feels about 50,000+ illegal immigrants being given free housing and food in NYC, while he gets nothing?
You know that would have been a great question to ask Yuri. I'll run that by him the next time I see him.
You mean asylum seekers, Yuri, pursuing their legal right to seek asylum under US and international law?
Good point inky! I forget that and I think others may as well.
I got a deeper sense of place from both of this week’s profiles. You do great work, Anne!
Oh wow that is so great to hear. Thank you so much Denise!!!
This is the type of post that explains to me how NYC can sink its hooks into you. Marco Polo's is the local color and character. If I was hosting a party, I would not think to hang strips of prosciutto off the side of plates like a hanging garden -- who knew. Marcus' story is tougher. What seems universal in the story is how fragile so many people's existence is and the lack of a safety net of any sort. It seems we are not shocked by any of this and expend no effort considering and envisioning a different world. A failure of imagination.
Mr. Dolan I'm sure one could write a whole book based on either of these stories. I know I am just barely skimming the surface. And yes, I think you sort of hit on what it is about NYC. All of these stories are all around you all the time and you KNOW that you'll never begin to really understand any of them in any depth.
As I've gotten older so many of the things that seem intractable often just require a change to our thought. I have a friend involved in homeless advocacy. The USPS has a mechanism to establish PO Boxes for those with the challenge of no permanent address. When an advocate gets involved, the vulnerable often get the breakthrough they need. As silly as it might sound, advocates who FOCUS on guiding people through this process can be transformational. I now believe that so many of the things we "coddle in our mind as intractable" can often be addressed with new thinking. As I have shared before "everything is true until it isn't". I know there are advocates who FOCUS on this key element and it changes lives all of the time. This is not the only problem but each hill gets people closer to transformation. A PO Box is an extremely low cost and efficient solution to what seems an intractable problem to many. Grants to cover the nominal cost can be the barrier that unlocks stability for people.
Yes I was wondering about this myself. It sounds like a very simple solution. But then do employers look askance when a person has a PO box rather than a street address?
Its funny how little I know about how the system actually works. You'd think there would be caseworkers who would be familiar with all the solutions out there and could guide the client through, an advocate, as you say with FOCUS.
And then I imagine that it'd be a lot like the public defender system, where each defender is so overloaded with cases they can't do a good job with any of them.
Good lord. Let's get back to talking about bananas and crackers and nuts!
I know people with PO Box. I bet some people use them as a buffer to their identity and privacy. I suppose for some it might raise questions but better than no answer I suppose. I know I'm getting old cause I seem to have a lot of corny sayings. I'm thinking "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of progress". I am sure the system is bad while bananas, crackers and nuts are more fun!
More like the system IS bananas crackers and nuts!
Since we share a connection to WNY you might enjoy my post today. A bit about living in a place with ethnic history. NYC n Buffalo similar with ethnic zones. I always steer visitors to Schwabl's opened in 1837 -- best beef on weck ever
Oh boy! Looking forward!
You have to click through to an old post but if you do, food porn images await. I think you advised you "feel sorry for me and my almond milk in lieu of half and half". If you have not been to Schwabl's the feeling is mutual :) -- the rest of the world is even sadder as they think Arby's is a thing -- even my Chicago bigot friends admit Chicago Italian Beef is just an afterthought compared to Beef on Weck once they try it.
Ooooooh Schwabls!!!!! SOOOOO GOOOOOD!
I found myself thinking about the German Potato Salad at Schwabl's --now I need a fix
This edition was so bananas that I now I feel crackers and am even worried I'm about to go nuts.
Haha me too Michael!
You're making me hungry!
Oh, Anne, these both tugged on my heart in different ways. The first transported me back to a NYC I knew and loved. I so wish I'd known about Marco Polo's. I love those sorts of places. I feel them in my bones. I have too many thoughts to fit into this comment box on the second one. Basically, society is a fucking mess. There's enough money and resources to help the cats and dogs and humans if we choose to. No one should be on the streets.
Favorite line: "It's like a funeral, only you're still here!" I said.
Thanks Jane!
What makes me happy is that just a few hours after posting, I've already had eleven readers Venmo me nearly $300 towards an e-bike for Marcus. And maybe more have donated to him directly?
I think it's less that people are selfish and more that these are very difficult problems to solve. But yes, it's a mess!
Anne, thank you for interviewing Marcus from Trader Joes. Wonderful writing!
Thank you Nick! Except the truth is I did not write it, Marcus talked it!
yet another incredible Cafe Anne. Lemme just say this about bananas and nuts -- they're a great pairing!! Banana peanut butter sammies >>>>>>>>>>
Yes but also peanut butter and crackers!!!
meh
the crunch of the cracker + the glob of PB which my mouth has to figure out how to consume together is...too much
Alex you really don't need another enemy ala Mr. Sowden so I'll just let this slide.
Welcome to Tupelo
Brilliantly written, insightful, inspiring piece. Thanks for the inspiring, informative work. 👏
Oh wow, thank you Kevin! You made day with this sweet comment!
As you made mine! 🙏
I really enjoyed this week's edition. It was super smart for Marco Polo to buy that building however long ago. The rent alone would be bananas!
Yes, LOL, that is a perfect example of bananas for sure!
Thanks Justin!
They need to set up a go fund me account for him. So he can get on feet. Get a place to live to get off the streets. It’s not always nice living on the street. So sad the weather changed everyday.
Yes it does seem as though he just needs a place to settle for a bit so he can get on his feet, Sweetj. I hope to have another update on Marcus soon.
Anne, I love how you get at the human story for everyone! I never go to that Trader Joe’s, but I want to just to meet Marcus & give him money!
Maybe try the Trader Joe's near you, Jillian—it may have its very own Marcus!
Right! I forgot there were 2!
yeah i can't imagine living in the DMV either .... unless of course there were plenty of Nat'l Geographic magazines AND unlimited Debbies Donuts, maybe a croffle or two (to read or eat? huh...)....speaking of which i can see now how he kept up with you for 10 city blocks while being grilled like a halibut: "Sugar!" heeeeeee
LOL Yes, Marcus really was very nice about answering all my nosy questions for sure.
When was the last time you had a Little Debbie cake, btw? Every now and then I have a Hostess cupcake and they are like pure heroin but don't think I've indulged in the Little Debbie since high school. I need to revisit!
id send u a pic of the devil dogs in my lunchbox right now but suffice to say for me a life without chocolate
or bacon
is Hardly worth living!
go ahead Do IT!!!
decided to "LIKE" my own comment because i may be "nuts" which is the adult version of the acting-up and out toddler "bananas" and only visits "crackers" on open-house weekends
And I just liked my reply to you. It felt great!
"In the 40s, he experimented with an Italian café, a Manhattan pizzeria and an import/export business. He opened Louis Restaurant, changing the name to Marco Polo in 1983, naming it after the Italian explorer. "Every week, the same people you used to see, Friday and Saturday," he continued. "They knew the table by numbers. They'd call for a reservation, 'Make sure I get a table with number this, number that.' Steady customers..."
Hmmmmmm....I think I remember that restaurant......
https://youtu.be/VBl_gvTBO9g
If you Google "Joseph Chirco" and "Marco Polo" you'll find some very interesting background I didn't include in the story JRB!
"His pals in the mob call Joseph Chirico “Joe Marco Polo,” because he runs Marco Polo Ristorante in Brooklyn. Chirico, who grew up in Italy, is a restaurant buff but has another side gig going that landed him in trouble with the law."
OMG!!!...being Italian, myself, I picked up the vibe fairly readily...it's the law of gravity for Italians like me and Joe...if you order "Chicken Cacciatore" the legs are served broken!!
I know from talking to some long-time residents of Carroll Gardens that just about everyone who lived in that neighborhood at that time was involved, if only in the most tangential way. Almost impossible not to be, it was just so embedded in the culture.
You're preaching to a choir boy. I lived that life on the Eastside of Youngstown, Ohio in the 1950's & 60's. https://vindyarchives.com/news/2012/nov/18/revisiting-youngstowns-explosive-past/
But what about my joke?? The Chicken Cacciatore at Marco Polo's arrives with the legs broken! That was funny!!! SMH
OMG you have an Eagle-eye -- film critics should hire you for the details others miss! Hard to imagine too many films better than these movies.
That's the problem with my comments...I have noticed too much, can't forget it, and tend to include everything, which is most often too much...
Loved the comment & learned something
I would imagine there are people who notice too little and wish they noticed more. I wish I noticed more and then just decided what to do with it. Your memory and connection to GF was awesome.
Always so much food for thought... I had no idea what a panhandler was! But I’ve certainly run into plenty of beggars. Basically the same I suspect, and always so difficult to know how to respond, particularly given the lack of cash we now carry.
I’ve just been travelling in northern Australia - one of the lucky ones with enough money to do so - and I saw so many people, particularly indigenous folk, asking for money for food. If they were near shops it was easier because I could buy them a meal, but I carry so little cash and they can be a little sarcastic about small coins.
But I realised that it was the lack of a fixed address that seemed to be the common thread. When you stop and think through it all, you realise that everything is geared towards an address and contact number and how do you have those when the world falls out from under your feet (or was never there in the first place when you live in remote Australia). We don’t like feeling uncomfortable and beggars always leave us uncomfortable. Sigh...
And then the opposite extreme - those of us lucky enough to have lived through the 80s when you COULD buy a place (or get free education!), which set us up for life. I mightn’t be rich, but life back then gave me a real leg up. I have no idea how young people manage these days. Everything is so expensive.
So much food for thought in these two studies. Thanks so much.
Thank YOU for your thoughts, Beth!
I love what you said about beggars leaving us feeling uncomfortable.
I carry around dollar bills so it's easy to make what feels like reasonable donation. And this is motivated in large part by the wish to avoid discomfort.
Here in NYC, a lot of panhandlers, if you give them a dollar, they will demand $5. And I always say, "Sorry, everyone gets a dollar!" I am myself a lot like the DMV, enforcing my own dumb little inflexible policy, regardless of circumstances.
But I also try to say hi and wish them a nice day. I had a boss whose brother was homeless and he said his brother told him it is not so much about the donation as taking a little time to welcome them into your world.
Well now I'm curious what homeless shelters are if they're not rooms for homeless people. I believe they are full of paperwork, though. Ick.
My understanding KL is that homeless shelters typically offer open barracks style accommodations rather than secured individual rooms, so there is a lot of theft going on and worse—I've spoke to a number of homeless people over the years who told me that's why they prefer sleeping on the street to a shelter.
I stayed overnight in one once for a story, undercover, and actually everyone I met was very sweet and nice and friendly, but that is totally anecdotal. And yes, there was a lot of paperwork!!!