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New Yorkers with bitter jobs

By Justin Rocket Silverman | Special to amNewYork

The deep chill that whips through the city's concrete canyons is bitter enough for those of us who must sprint through it on the way from an office to the nearest subway station to our front doors. But for these resilient New Yorkers, even the coldest winter day is all part of the job.

The Window Cleaner
Patrick J. Shields, 44
Approximate income: $150/day or more

Cleaning the exterior of a skyscraper's windows becomes an entirely different job when the temperature plummets. "You have to work a lot faster because you are worried about water freezing up on the glass," says Patrick Shields, a 20-year veteran of this daredevil industry. Shields says the winter wind blasts can feel like "getting punched," and are all the more harsh because the agility needed to wash windows means no heavy parka or gloves. "Let's just say the first thing you do in the morning is check the weather radar," he says. "But even then you don't know until you actually show up how long a job is going to take."

The Hot Dog Vendor
Margaret Vajda, 70
Approximate income: $120/day
For the past 25 years, Margaret Vajda has been selling hot dogs in all kinds of weather, most recently from a high-traffic, West 34th Street location. While standing over three flaming grills certainly helps keep the winter frost at bay, Vajda still layers on the clothing. "Yes it's cold, but I have to make a living," she says. "Especially today everything is so expensive. I'd rather stay home now, at my age, but I have to pay my bills." Although a steamy hot dog may taste better in the cold, businesses is actually much slower during the winter months. "During the winter, people don't want to stop. They are too freezing to eat a hot dog."

The Street Musician
Mike Mycadi, 46
Approximate income: $5-$500/day
Yes he could go down into the subway and find a warmer stage, but sax player Mike Mycadi says the open air fuels his music. "I actually like the cold better than the summertime," he says. "It's more challenging." Part of that challenge is playing with the thick gloves he wears to keep his fingers agile, and he sometimes practices at home with the gloves. Of course, if the outdoor temperature drops below 32 degrees, the concert must come to an end. "Below freezing and the saliva actually locks up in the keys," he says. And his playlist? "During the winter I like to play warm songs, like 'The Heat Is On,' and 'Summertime.' During the summer I switch it around and end up playing things like 'Let it Snow' and 'Frosty the Snowman.'"

The Newspaper Vendor
Mohammed Uddin, 68
Approximate income: $30/for five hours
For the past five years, Mohammed Uddin, an immigrant from Bangladesh, has been hawking newspapers in front of Penn Station. He works in all kinds of weather, and in winter wears an outfit consisting of a wool beanie under a hooded sweatshirt under a hooded jacket under a wool scarf. "Of course I feel cold, but I can't do anything about it," he says. "I am an old man and I need the money." Uddin says he is given a flat fee of $30 to sell 200 newspapers, and generally works from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. His partner, Mannan Teulukder, 65, works for the same company and makes the same money as Uddin, even though his job is to sell a competing newspaper.

The Teamsters Foreman
John Messina, 49
Approximate income: Union payscale