SoHo is rich in old establishments. Old galleries, old cobblestone streets that contrast with the paved roads of midtown, old buildings converted from factories into luxury apartment buildings, and old restaurants. The restaurant I work in has been at its Spring Street and 6th Avenue location for 17 years, and emulates the stuck-in-time vibe of SoHo.
A woman named Michelle, between 60 and 70 years old, is a retired longtime server at the restaurant I have been with for almost one year. She has also lived in SoHo her entire life. Michelle worked at Aquagrill from their opening in 1996 until about 2008, and places a twist on the classic female New York City server persona: bubbly and friendly, with a touch of feisty quirk and jaded warmth. She has that “I know what I’m doing” way about her. I will be interviewing Michelle as the face of SoHo, for I believe she embodies the SoHo that many older longtime residents recall: stylish and artistic and less crowded than what the neighborhood today.
As she has agreed to speak with me, although we have yet to set up an interview, I will be asking Michelle what she believes the future of SoHo holds, how she believes the neighborhood has changed, and ask about anecdotes she may have of the neighborhood over the years. I would love to ask her where she was during 9/11, for SoHo is in close proximity to the Towers. The angle I’d like to take is asking Michelle about “old SoHo vs. New SoHo” with a focus on the “cronut” phenomenon as a metaphor for the overcrowding of the neighborhood. As a retiree from the food industry, she has to have some opinion about the craze over a $5 pastry. She has no children, but she has been married to her husband for many years, so I will ask to speak to him as well about Michelle. She has friends in the area who I will also ask to speak with, and I have the feeling she takes classes or lessons of some kind, so I will ask to speak with her instructors about Michelle and perhaps their encounters with her in SoHo.
I will definitely be asking to take a few pictures, as she is a beautiful older woman with very thin features and an interesting way about her that I am eager to explore. I would love to get some shots of her in her apartment, perhaps.
