By Noah Fowle
Vanessa Smith and her son Rocky had all the accouterments of a normal Christmas Eve at their humble tree stand on Hudson and Christopher Sts. Surrounded by the remaining centerpieces of the holiday, they kicked their feet up on a few comfy chairs found earlier in the day, and shared some wine and cheese with some of their most loyal customers from the neighborhood. Earlier in the evening, a local resident had stopped by with their Christmas dinner, sausage and roast potatoes.
“This is Christmas right here,” said Vanessa. “We have our tree. What is Christmas anymore? It’s the spirit.”
“And she extends that spirit,” said Rob Stern, a neighbor who met the family earlier in the week while shopping for a tree. The reflexologist was so taken by their gregarious demeanor that he stopped by to share a little cheer with his newfound friends, and offer some simple massages for their hard work.
Truth be told, Vanessa, a self-described “old hippie,” never cared much for all of the stress and planning that came with Christmas, and for the last few years, she has enjoyed this distinctly Village style of Christmas on the street.
“It’s awesome that this is all I have to do,” she laughed. “I’ll just clean up the sidewalk tomorrow.”
After another busy year, both Vanessa and Rocky were looking forward to a little respite on Christmas Day before they would pack up in their van and head back to their home in Canada. For the last month, along with Desmond Smith, Vanessa’s husband, the trio manned their corner 24 hours a day, with only the help of their two dogs, Zoe and Diblo.
For Rocky, an art student back in Toronto, the option to spend Christmas in New York, albeit working, was one that he couldn’t pass up.
“I love it,” he said. “There’s just a buzz about being here. Hopefully, next year I can come back in the summertime.”
