Portrait of an Entrepreneur, on the Upper East Side

Photo by myself around 84th Street and Fifth Avenue, on the Upper East Side.

A budding entrepreneur named Charlie was staked out on the sidewalk this week, selling lemonade, cold bottled water and candy. You can see the nice limestone buildings typical of the Upper East Side, behind him.

Charlie says he does this for several hours a day in between the end of school and summer camp. He had a customer while I was talking with him and pulled out a big wad of cash. He's been doing well!

I asked about his sign, which showed 'Dum-Dum's for sale (small lollipops). The original price was fifty cents, but was crossed out and relabelled twenty-five cents.

'How come there was a price drop?' I asked.

'Well, the deli down the street sells them for twenty-five cents', Charlie admitted. 'And they have air-conditioning'.

Ah, Charlie has the makings of a real businessman. First rule of business - know your competition!

The Portrait Series is a once-in-a-while installment, featuring New Yorkers encountered on the street.

Related posts: Portrait of a Young Man, Without a Home, Portrait of a Prince, on Elizabeth Street, and Portrait of a Guy on Sixth Avenue.