Welcome to New York City, where your Christmas tree vendor is from Quebec and lives in a van.
Sebastian, hailing from Lac Saint-Jean in Quebec, is a self-described nomad, but for the past three Christmas seasons Sebastian has called the corner of 88th and Broadway his home. This year Sebastian arrived on the 21st of November to line the street with nursery grown trees. By Christmas day, Sebastian will have lived in a van for thirty-five days with two fellow vendors: his girlfriend Stephanie, also from Quebec, and Alex from Paris.
While the corner is theirs the sidewalk becomes an extension of their living room and the trio erected their own Christmas tree—the tallest Douglas fir they had in stock. The tree, propped against some scaffolding, is complete with ornaments and a star; the only thing missing are presents. But that’s okay, because Sebastian does not celebrate Christmas anyway. Instead, he and Stephanie will spend the 25th of December traveling to Honduras, where they hope to learn some Spanish.
Until their departure, however, the corner of 88th and Broadway is a moveable forest. Sunlight slipped through Douglas and Fraser firs as I spoke to Sebastian about his seasonal occupation and his nomadic lifestyle.
Sebastian at work in his movable forest
What draws you to 88th and Broadway?
I started selling trees here, and I love it because it is the best spot ever. I like The Duane Reade because it’s open twenty-four hours, the Equinox Gym is right next to us and we can take showers there. And then we go to Hot and Crusty, which is also open twenty-four hours.
How are the customers?
The customers are sometimes grumpy, but most of them, ninety percent of people, are quite friendly. They bring us some soup, things to eat, blankets, gloves, hats, anything they find they think about us and bring it here.
Why do you live in a van?
We stay alive here on the sidewalk! We have to be near and alert if anything happens so we are living in the camper, which has a queen sized bed, no bathroom, but a nice DVD player and a fireplace—electric of course. We have luxury! There are people who have it worse than us.
Where do you use the bathroom and shower?
We go to the Duane Reade, our next door neighbor. It’s very nice. As for the shower, we go to the Equinox qym. For a month they gave us membership so we have sauna and shower, but no free massages!
How much do you pay for membership?
We don’t; we have their friendship because we distribute their business cards when people buy Christmas trees. It’s a nice exchange.
Do you have any exciting stories about sleeping on the street?
There’s nothing exciting about it. You have the garbage truck, the fire truck and the ambulance and the cops coming, so if you like the noise it’s pretty exciting. Just last week we looked out the window and the building in front of us was on fire. We have a lot of things to watch from the window. We can spy on the people who could steal Christmas trees.
How much sleep do you get each night?
Four to six hours. It’s a luxury! I used to sleep on Mondays only.
We carve reindeers and make wreathes from the waste branches and the waste wood. We listen to music, we play cards, we draw—things that most people do, but we do it in front of a thousand people a day.
What do you like best about selling Christmas trees?
What it’s over. Ha ha.
What’s the worst thing about selling Christmas trees?
The weather and the psychology. The first week you tend to enjoy it, you talk about trees with everybody, but after that you get tired of it, and it’s repetitive, but we try to do it with a smile every day for thirty-five days.
What do you do during the rest of the year?
I travel with my camper, and I stop where I like and find work there. I find work as a rafting guide, a climbing guide…I have worked in the Canadian Rockies as a cook. I went to France and worked there for a year as a cook in a hotel in the Alps. And now this is my campground. We bring the trees with us so we can camp!
Left to right: Alex, Stephanie and Sebastian
Very cool. I’m a native New Yorker, but never thought about these Christmas tree sellers . . . until now. Great photos, BTW, and of course the writing/interview made Sebastian really come alive. I practically feel like I know him just from this short piece.