An Urban Santa Claus for New York

For 21 years this urban St. Nick has been delighting visitors to the South Street Seaport in New York.

1 minute read

December 25, 2009, 11:00 AM PST

By Ken Firestone


A true New Yorker, this Santa takes the subway to work, and lives in a rent controlled apartment. He has greeted politicians and children alike, and has been doing so for over 2 decades, making him one of the longest-running Santas at any one location in the city. He is 83 years old and one of his friends, a local shopkeeper once told him "Please. I know you as Santa, and you are my Santa, and I don't want to know you as anything else. "

Thanks to Ken Firestone

Wednesday, December 23, 2009 in The New York Times

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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