Farewell Vegetable Peeler Man

I moved to NYC over ten years ago, right after graduating from college. And while Massachusetts is where I’m from, Maynard my hometown, and Boston my first love, right now I consider NYC my home. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t turned into a Yankees fan (shame the devil if that ever happened). I’m still a Masshole at heart and always will be (despite pronouncing my “R’s” correctly and restraining from using the word “wicked” in everyday conversation). But right now, NYC is my town.

Over those ten years, I’ve witnessed a lot of changes. Some good. Some bad. But all just a reflection of a larger ebb and flow of life moving forward. I remember when Madison Square Park was a shady fenced-in pit instead of a beautiful mini-oasis with art exhibits, barbecue festivals and a stand where people wait in line for hours to eat burgers. I lived in Alphabet City before most people thought it prudent to cross Avenue C. I lamented the closing of the speakeasy Chumleys – an establishment from the 1920’s. And I was horrified to see the original Second Ave. Deli turn into a Chase bank. I appreciated the abandoned Bradlees building becoming a Whole Foods in Union Square. I’ve watched Little Italy disappear as Chinatown slowly encroached throughout the downtown area. I moved from Hoboken, NJ to Alphabet City to Brooklyn to K-town to the East Village and finally, to Hell’s Kitchen. And, of course, I lived here through 9/11 – bearing witness to and experiencing firsthand an entire shift in the mentality of New Yorkers and the country as a whole.

But despite the on-going changes, there have been things that remained the same. The vendor at the Union Square Greenmarket from whom I always buy my shallots and hot peppers. The crowds that gather for the Rock Center Christmas Tree Lighting every year (despite a large majority of them standing in places where you can’t even see the tree, never mind the performers – of which, I learned that half are pre-recorded). The creepy “living statues” in the corner of Central Park by The Plaza. The insane tourists in Times Square that stop in the middle of the sidewalk. And of course, the Vegetable Peeler Man.

Throughout the years, Joe Ades was the consummate street salesman. I first remember him selling children’s books in front of my office at 1290 in Midtown nine years ago (ironically, my company left that building for the Flatiron district…and years later I left that company for Microsoft whose office is back on the same floor of 1290 – talk about going full circle). Then he would appear in various locations throughout the city selling vegetable peelers.

Photos taken from Serious Eats

I would normally see him in Union Square during my weekly greenmarket shopping. However, he would often pop up in other random places throughout the city. You could always hear his booming, British-accented voice: “Watch how quickly and easily I can peel this potato.” He had large plastic bins of potatoes and carrots as he sat on his tiny stool in his suit and tie with a giant pile of peelings between his legs. I couldn’t help but admire his tenacity and his charm. He was always well-dressed and he always had a crowd. I’ve heard the spiel countless times. It always made me smile but I never actually bought a peeler from him.

And now I can’t. And it makes me sad. Joe Ades died last Sunday at the age of 75. The Union Square Greenmarket will continue, but it will be a different place – a less vibrant place – without him in the northwest corner of 17th St.

So, farewell Vegetable Peeler Man. NYC will miss you.