Manhattan, NY – Homeless Man Living In Cardboard Box In Front Of B&H Photo Store Says Best Day For Him Is Shabbat

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    William Colon with his box on West 33rd Street. [photo credit:Corey Kilgannon/The New York Times]Manhattan, NY – William Colon can sleep late on Saturdays.

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    Mr. Colon, 53, spends nights in a cardboard box on the sidewalk right outside the executive offices of the huge B&H photography store on Ninth Avenue, which is owned and largely staffed by Jews who close the store on Saturdays to observe the sabbath.

    “The other days, I have to get the box out of here before they open, but on Saturdays, I can relax and leave it here,” Mr. Colon said as he put the finishing touches on his latest cardboard shelter, which for years he has been erecting on West 33rd Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

    He methodically fastened the box to a sidewalk bicycle rack, using plastic pull-tight strips from a local hardware store. He spread neat plastic covering of clear wrap over the top to make a waterproof roof, on this brown flimsy home next to a dumpster full of demolition trash.

    “It’s fine sleeping in there, as long as nobody bothers you,” he said. “You’ve heard of camping? It’s like camping.”

    Mr. Colon said he grew up in the Bronx in a family that had its problems. His older brother was his role model.

    “One day I walked into his room and he’s sticking a heroin needle in his arm,” Mr. Colon recalled. “He said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be doing this when you get older.’ And he was right.”

    Mr. Colon has spent time in prison for drug possession, and he has lost his teeth except for his molars.

    “I have a hard time eating solid food,” he said. “I have to break it up by hand first.” He has kicked heroin, he said, and has to go up to a 125th Street clinic every morning to get his methadone. He said he lived for years in a spot under the tracks in Penn Station, but the police cleared him out after 9-11.

    Yes, there are people who kick his box while he sleeps, but there are also ones who help him out, like the guy who bought him a Martha Stewart pillow and quilt set recently.

    His clothes were clean and he wore brand new Starbury sneakers and a P.G.A. Tour golf hat. Inside his box, it looked comfortable and orderly, like a bunk in a Pullman car.

    “I’ve been living in these things for 15 years,” he said. “I get the materials from the hardware store and fix them right up.” He had a blue plastic tarp underneath and a covering of clear plastic on the top to keep out the rain.

    “I saw them delivering refrigerators down on 14th Street and just leaving the boxes. If you’re living on the street, that’s a home,” he said. “So I picked up four of them and flattened them out and brought them up here. So I’m set for a while.”


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    29 Comments
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    Oy Gevald
    Oy Gevald
    15 years ago

    Sheloy, sheloy, sheloy asani Goy!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Why does’nt B&H offer him a job as a security guard and let him sleep inside the building??? That would be the biggest Kiddush Hashem

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    you go to bh

    power up
    power up
    15 years ago

    There is really a lesson to learn from this, this guy is more happy then a lot of people who live in 8,000 sf. Mansion.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    its a big pitty on such a person, and mike bloomberg when he sees this story in the times, he should go find him and put this person into a normal house not they should be busy with shtusim. and btw in thilim it says vrachmov al kol masov even a guy

    Fish and Cochunyo
    Fish and Cochunyo
    15 years ago

    He has no dagos in his life

    Lebediger
    Lebediger
    15 years ago

    he’s a very cute guy he sings lebedige songs when he prepares gis house at night

    I Can't Afford Obama!!!
    I Can't Afford Obama!!!
    15 years ago

    Dont worry Mr. Colon, Obama’s tax & spend attitude will affect you as well – and it wont be good!

    tenant
    tenant
    15 years ago

    at least he doesn’t have 2 pay rent!!! lol

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I guess he can afford to live in Manhattan.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    This article also points out one of the unanticipated humanitarian benefits of yidden being shomer shabbos.

    hacnusas urchem
    hacnusas urchem
    15 years ago

    It a kidish hashem that BH is letting him stay for so many years

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Bloomberg is going to charge this guy rent if hears he has been doing this for 15 years.

    mike
    mike
    15 years ago

    what he does when its freezing?

    yuntshe
    yuntshe
    15 years ago

    For a good night’s sleep, you go to B&H

    Obama's Plan For You
    Obama's Plan For You
    15 years ago

    Isn’t this the Democratic Plan for America? Get the people hooked on drugs. (NJ approves Medical Marijuana) Then the unemployed and drugged up can get SROs in your hometown. Jobs as community organizers. And all of this paid for by Global Warming CAP AND TRADE

    Neviah
    Neviah
    15 years ago

    We should all learn to be happy with what we have, from this homeless man.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Tomorrow they’ll be 400 homeless camped out at B&H…Then when B&H gets tired of their cutomers being harrassed they’ll be singled out as “orthodox jewish business hates the homeless”

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I think he was better off in prison. At least he had proper food and shelter!!!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I read there are over 30,000 homeless people living in NYC. Their is less the 10,000 people that live in the city I live. That mean NYC has a homeless population of more then 3 times the population of my city. I want to move to NYC. I live in a box in NYC if so may people are doing it in NYC.