Sidewalk Entrepreneurs Have Grown Up

As the recession continues to make it difficult for some people to find new jobs others are taking to the street. This summer if you look out your door to find a grown man trying to sell lemonade next door to your 8 year old’s stand now you know why. The New York Times recently reported on a new trend in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn.

Michael Orobona, a restaurant consultant who celebrated his 40th birthday this month, has been setting up a table outside his apartment on Union Street near Fifth Avenue every weekend this summer. He said he originally intended to strike a partnership with some neighborhood children in a mutually beneficial joint venture, but refused to let their lack of interest dissuade him.

“I’m getting to know my neighbors and my community,” he said on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, selling what he said was organic lemonade to a woman in a floral dress ($4 for a 24-ounce cup). “I don’t just sell them lemonade, I tell them about my life.”

A few blocks to the east, in the shadow of the food trucks parked along Grand Army Plaza, sat Jim McMahon, a sophomore at the University of Rhode Island. His colorful homemade sign read, “College Tuition Smoothies, $4.”

Mr. McMahon, a lanky Park Slope native, has set up shop on the stoop of his family’s brownstone every weekend afternoon since early July with a blender, some fruit and a sunny disposition.

“I love smoothies, my parents love smoothies,” Mr. McMahon said in a phone interview. “Everyone loves smoothies.”

The blurring of childhood and maturity has long been a theme in Park Slope. It was here in 2008 that parents raged against a local bar that tried to ban strollers during happy hour. And good luck telling the difference among members of the X, Y and Z generations based solely on their taste in sneakers or skateboards.

Photo by EvinDC

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *