Working a Bronx Parking Lot at Age 100
In this “City Room Street Take” from the New York Times, we meet Joe Binder, a fulltime parking lot attendant on Arthur Avenue who is nearing his 100th birthday. Everyone appears to know and love Joe, a fixture in his old Italian neighborhood in the Bronx. The video excels at framing his life story and capturing his upbeat personality.
Binder spends his days in his tiny parking lot office — decorated with a long life’s-worth of souvenirs — writing poetry about the Rat Pack and energetically greeting customers. He says the restaurant he works for must have healthy food since he’s eaten there for 50 years, and the bar next door is his Fountain of Youth.
Refusing to live like an old man, Binder avoids the bench outside his apartment where all the men his age once sat, but have since passed away. Instead, he goes ballroom dancing with his 45-year-old girlfriend, where the girls say, “Joe, you’re recycled.” His secret? Be nice to people and help if you can, and “don’t forget the glass of wine at night.”
CHANNEL: New York Times
Length: 3:44
Produced by Corey Kilgannon
SEE ALSO:
A Parking Lot Poet Turns 100, and Arthur Avenue Rejoices
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/a-parking-lot-poet-turns-100-and-arthur-avenue-rejoices/
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