Every year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when the trees are bare and a gray hue blankets the borough, patches of green pop up on the sidewalks of Brooklyn. Christmas trees—brought over from different states and our chillier neighbor up north—are propped up against walls and fences, and hopeful sellers stand nearby to make a deal. For these vendors, ’tis the season to be jolly, cold, sometimes far from home and to work late into the deserted night. These are some of the faces who help bring that fresh fir smell and a little magic into Brooklyn homes.
| Neighborhood | Williamsburg |
| Location | Engert Ave and Graham Ave |
| Name | Nelson |
| Where are you from? | Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | Just started this year. Needed some money, this came up and took the opportunity. |
| How do you like it? | It’s long hours and very cold. Not sure if I’ll do it next year. |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | Retired three years ago from the Department of Environmental Protection |
| Where do your trees come from? | North Carolina |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $45 |
| Neighborhood | Prospect Lefferts Gardens |
| Location | Corner of Franklin Ave and Empire Blvd |
| Name | Steve Duranceau |
| Where are you from? | Montreal, Canada |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | This is my first year. |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | I pick fruit from spring through October. |
| Where do your trees come from? | Don’t know. |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $30 for a Douglas Fir, $60 for a Fraser Fir |
| Neighborhood | Park Slope |
| Location | Corner of 7th Ave and 3rd Street |
| Name | Aiden |
| Where are you from? | Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | This is my second year. I have the day off from school and am helping out with the family business. |
| Where do your trees come from? | Don’t know. |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $70 for a Fraser Fir |
| Neighborhood | Bay Ridge |
| Location | Corner of 93rd street and 3rd Ave |
| Name | Dave |
| Where are you from? | Quebec, Canada |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | Nine years |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | Landscaping |
| Where in New York do you stay while selling trees? | In a camper |
| Where do your trees come from? | Canada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $60 dollars for a Douglas Fir, $75 for a Fraser Fir |
| Neighborhood | Carroll Gardens |
| Location | Corner of Smith Street and President Street |
| Name | Theresa Geritano |
| Where are you from? | Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | 13 years |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | Odd jobs |
| Where do your trees come from? | Canada, Michigan, and South Carolina |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $60 dollars for a Fraser Fir |
| Neighborhood | Cobble Hill |
| Location | Corner of Clinton Street and Atlantic Avenue |
| Name | Mike |
| Where are you from? | Staten Island, but originally from Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | 35 years on this corner |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | Retired from the military |
| Where do your trees come from? | North Carolina and Nova Scotia |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $35 for a Balsam Fir, $60 for a Fraser Fir |
| Neighborhood | Dumbo |
| Location | Corner of Jay Street and John Street, in front of the Brooklyn Roasting Company |
| Name | Tom Kenny |
| Where are you from? | Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | First night doing this. I’m the café manager at Brooklyn Roasting Company and one of the owner’s daughters wanted to sell trees this year. We’re donating 20 Percent of the profits to Water.org — an organization that provides safe water to communities in need. |
| Where do your trees come from? | Not sure. |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $60 |
| Neighborhood | Greenpoint |
| Location | Corner of Manhattan Ave and Calyer Street |
| Name | Vinny |
| Where are you from? | Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | 25 years on this corner |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | Construction |
| Where do your trees come from? | Canada and North Carolina |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $60 for a Fraser Fir |
| Neighborhood | Williamsburg |
| Location | Driggs Ave, between Manhattan Ave and Lorimer Street |
| Name | Michael Gibson |
| Where are you from? | Brooklyn |
| How long have you been selling Christmas trees? | First year: Came to New York from Albuquerque a month ago and needed a job. |
| What do you do the rest of the year? | Yet to be seen. |
| Why did you come to New York? | Everybody’s got to get to New York sometime. |
| How do you deal with the cold? | You’ve got to smile. |
| Where do your trees come from? | Canada, North Carolina, Oregon, and upstate |
| What’s the average cost of a 6-foot tree? | $80 to $160, for Noble Firs, Grand Firs, and Nordmann Firs |