{"id":893057,"date":"2024-12-10T22:04:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T19:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=893057"},"modified":"2024-12-10T22:04:52","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T19:04:52","slug":"the-layered-style-of-new-yorks-christmas-tree-sellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=893057","title":{"rendered":"The Layered Style of New York\u2019s Christmas Tree Sellers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Living<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Layered Style of New York\u2019s Christmas Tree Sellers<\/h1>\n
\n
By <\/span>Elise Taylor<\/span><\/span><\/span>Photographer <\/span>Scott Rossi<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
Nico Regrets, a Christmas tree seller at 57th Street and Ninth Avenue. As designer flannels trend on the runway, New York\u2019s Christmas tree sellers are a reminder of the clothing item\u2019s functional origins.<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

On Christopher and Hudson in the West Village, two women named Millie and Mary sit in a red-and-green shed. Their door is wide open despite the freezing temperatures\u2014mostly so anyone can poke their head in but also so they can write your Christmas wish on the front of it in blue Sharpie. (Current wishes include love, success, and Taylor Swift tickets.) But don\u2019t get used to them. They\u2019re only here for five weeks and for one reason: to sell Christmas trees.<\/p>\n

Millie and Mary, who asked to be identified only by first names, drove down from Quebec, Canada, right after Thanksgiving. A tree farm company provided them with firs, their shed, and a baler. (Which, as it turns out, can be used more for just trees: Last night, two drunk men paid them $20 to be netted themselves.) Over the first few days, they decorated the stand, painting their shed and carving wooden ornaments that Millie tells me cost, well, whatever: \u201cWe tell people it\u2019s in between a dollar and a million,\u201d she says. Then she reveals her Christmas wish: \u201cWe\u2019re hoping for a million,\u201d she adds, laughing.<\/p>\n

They also decorate themselves: Mary has pink gems across her teeth and often accessorizes with a colorful balaclava. Both try to wear either red or green each day, under pairs of Carhartt overalls. (Carhartt has recently seen a surge in popularity with celebrities\u2014but its designs were originally conceived for railroad workers in the Gilded Age.) \u201cWe like having colorful items that we can mix and match to do a nice look,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Mary outside her shed on Christopher and Hudson streets in the West Village. \u201cWe like having colorful items that we can mix and match,\u201d the French Canadian tree seller says of her cold-weather wear.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Millie and Mary\u2019s Christmas Tree booth on Christopher and Hudson streets in the West Village, which they painted it themselves. The two women asked only to be identified by first names.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

On Christmas Eve, their job is done. That night, they\u2019ll go do karaoke with some other tree sellers around their age, whom they met at 32nd and Third. \u201cOne of them is my new lover too,\u201d Mollie says, full of joy. \u201cWe have lovers that are Christmas tree sellers!\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1851, a Catskills woodsman named Mark Carr recognized the growing popularity of Christmas trees in the United States; they had been introduced by German immigrants decades prior. So he loaded up his cart, parked it on the corner of Greenwich and Vesey streets, and sold his so-called mountain oddities to citizens of New York City. (The rent he paid to do so? $1.) By 1871, Christmas had been declared a national holiday, and Carr was just one of many tree salesmen in town.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Hans Aubert, a Christmas tree seller at 57th Street and Ninth Avenue in Hell\u2019s Kitchen<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Over the next 150 years, New York went from a trading port to a global metropolis\u2014but the process of buying a Christmas tree stayed almost exactly the same. You don\u2019t need any permits or special certificates from the state to sell trees. You just need permission from the landlord who owns the building you operate in front of. So every year in late November, hundreds of sellers still collect their mountain oddities of balsam and Fraser firs to quite literally set up shop in New York City\u2026just like Carr did centuries ago.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t have much time to make their money. Like milk, their product has a strict sell-by date: December 24. Some operators and their employees are native New Yorkers. But many hail from tree-lined lands north: Vermont, New Hampshire, or Quebec. Since renting an apartment isn\u2019t logistically or financially feasible, they sleep in their vans or makeshift bunk beds they\u2019ve built in their sheds. Several workers I spoke to seem to enjoy what\u2019s colloquially known as van life: living in a motor vehicle full time or part-time. (Mollie and Mary, for example, met while hitchhiking.)<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

A young customer inspects a tree at Tamarack Brook Farm in Windsor Terrace.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Others use the income to support a passion. \u201cI sell Christmas trees so I can paint when I get home,\u201d says Gabe Tempesta, as he gestures toward an oil painting that rests against a chain-link fence. Young children run around him as he pulls out balsam firs to show their parents, later brushing the needles off his green wool sweater and vintage Carhartt pants. (He buys them on eBay: Carhartt in the \u201990s, he tells me, was just made better.)<\/p>\n

Tempesta has done this job for around 13 years. At first, he was just helping the owner of a Vermont Christmas tree farm sell his stock. But now the owner is retiring. Tempesta is taking over his lots and growing his own<\/em> trees up north. Once his trees reach maturity\u2014in 8 to 10 years\u2014he\u2019ll be a one-stop tree shop.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Ulisse \u201cUli\u201d Narici-Porter, an employee of Tamarack Brook Farm in Windsor Terrace, wears a New York Knicks sweatshirt. Some tree sellers, like Narici-Porter, are New Yorkers. Others are temporary workers from places like Vermont or Canada.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Gabe Tempesta, the owner of Tamarack Brook Farm in Windsor Terrace, in a green sweater and Carhartt pants from the 1990s that he bought on eBay. He\u2019s also a landscape painter: \u201cI sell Christmas trees so I can paint when I get home,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Tempesta is just one of many tree salesmen who have been in New York for a decade or more. Vermont-based entrepreneur Billy Romp and his family have had a stand on Jane Street and Eighth Avenue for 35 years. They\u2019re now beloved New York holiday figures: In 1998, Romp published a memoir, Christmas on Jane Street<\/em>, and went on Good Morning America<\/em> to promote it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Then there\u2019s Greg Walsh. On a 30-degree December Saturday, I stand outside his trailer at the Greenwood Park Beer Garden as he asks me what Santa hat I prefer. It\u2019s not really a question because within half a second he answers it himself: He\u2019s going to wear his old one, with the frayed rim and ragged pom-pom.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

The Romps, who have sold trees for 35 years, are beloved New York holiday figures. In 1998, Billy Romp published a book, Christmas on Jane Street.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The hat\u2019s got character, as does Walsh, who has spent much of his life embodying a real-life Santa Claus who sells balsams, Frasers, Nordmanns, and nobles (the Cadillac of Christmas trees, according to Walsh). Born and raised in Woodside, Queens, he got into the tree trade on a whim: One summer day, when he was 18, he noticed a fruit seller outside St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral in Manhattan. He asked him how he got the job. The stall attendant introduced him to his boss, who hired him on the spot. Soon enough they became partners\u2014and switched to selling Christmas trees when demand for fruit cooled in the colder months. Thirty-five years later, he runs seven locations around the city (six in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan) under the banner of Greg\u2019s Trees.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Billy Romp at the Romp Family Christmas Tree location on Jane Street. He and his family travel from Vermont every year to sell Christmas trees in the West Village.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

On the night I visit, he\u2019s having a tree-lighting ceremony for anyone and everyone who stops by. There\u2019s a wreath-making station, plenty of candy, and a giant throne where kids can take pictures with Santa. In past years, that was Walsh. But not this time. He\u2019s currently going through chemotherapy and feared his beard wouldn\u2019t be long enough. So a friend will play the big man instead, and he\u2019ll attend in his Santa hat, red sweatshirt, and New York Jets joggers. (His dental assistant kindly volunteered to be an elf.)<\/p>\n

We ask him to sit on the throne for a portrait. Walsh obliges, telling us a colorful story about how he acquired it from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Afterward, I wish him luck with his treatment. \u201cLife is short for all of us,\u201d he says. Then he turns into his trees, bellowing a hearty \u201cho ho ho\u201d as he goes.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Greg Walsh, owner of Greg\u2019s Trees (one of the largest Christmas tree sellers in New York), sitting on Santa\u2019s throne at his Greenwood Park location. Later that night he hosted a Christmas tree lighting for the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Taylor Crosby and Lena Wilhelm, employees of Greg\u2019s Trees at the new Tin Building location at South Street Seaport<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Rob Walsh cuts a tree for a customer at their new location outside the Tin Building. Greg’s Trees run seven different locations around the city<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Looking south from the SoHo Trees location in Manhattan on Varick and Canal streets<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Lee Vargas, an employee of SoHo Trees, wears camouflage cargo pants to work at their Varick Street location.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Orlando Mendez, an employee of SoHo Trees, wearing the company\u2019s custom hats.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Claudia Power, an employee of SoHo Trees. With long, all-outdoor shifts in a city with unpredictable weather, employees must be prepared for both 30- and 60-degree days.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Employees of SoHo Trees carry Christmas trees from a delivery.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Handmade ornaments for sale at the 73rd and Broadway Christmas tree booth, dubbed Le Chic Shack<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Peter \u201cFir\u201d Pendule, a tree seller at 73rd and Broadway in the Upper West Side of Manhattan<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Amanda, a Christmas tree seller at 69th Street and Columbus Avenue<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

\n
\"Image<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n

Billy Romp tidying up at the Romp Family Christmas Tree location on Jane Street in the West Village<\/p>\n

<\/span>Photographed by Scott Rossi<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: http:\/\/vogue.com\/article\/the-layered-style-of-new-yorks-christmas-tree-sellers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Living The Layered Style of New York\u2019s Christmas Tree Sellers By Elise TaylorPhotographer Scott Rossi December 10, 2024 Nico Regrets, a Christmas tree seller at 57th Street and Ninth Avenue. As designer flannels trend on the runway, New York\u2019s Christmas tree sellers are a reminder of the clothing item\u2019s functional origins.Photographed by Scott Rossi On […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":893058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-893057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-vogue-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/893057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=893057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/893057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/893058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=893057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=893057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=893057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}