Eva, 40, New York City, NY

Perhaps one of the most valuable privileges Stuyvesant High School offers its students is the option to leave school grounds during lunch breaks and free periods. This gives students the opportunity to explore the neighborhood of Tribeca, which is densely packed with restaurants, food carts, and coffee shops. Over the years, several of these spots have become staples among Stuyvesant students.

The Battery Park City Gourmet Market, a deli christened “Ferry’s” by Stuyvesant students, sits on the corner of Chambers Street and North End Avenue. Its nickname is a portmanteau of the phrase “Fake Terry’s,” a reference to a similarly popular deli, Terry’s, nearby. The student-fueled rivalry between the two delis is an inside joke shared by students, fueling the never-ending debate over which is the superior “-erry’s.” As each generation of students grows attached to their favorite deli, they become part of a tradition that will continue long past their time at Stuyvesant.

Eva M, a Ferry’s cashier who has been an employee for over 14 years, reflected on the student culture that she has observed working at the business. “Every year I see the different kids, it’s a different experience, and it’s nice; it’s nice to see them grow. I would say [the culture] hasn’t really changed, it’s the same people; I’ve known people for more than 13 years, working around—many people in the buildings, teachers—so not [much] really changed,” Eva reminisced. Even as the Stuyvesant student body experiences frequent changes in leadership, policies, and academics, the culture built around Ferry’s persists, remaining a comforting constant in the Stuyvesant experience.

Eva pointed out the unique challenges that she has experienced at her job as a result of the pandemic. “I love this shop; it’s not really a challenge [to work here]. The only challenging thing I’ve had [to face] was when there was the pandemic. It was pretty hard—I mean, I come here every day, and take care of the people walking around, and they really need us to open to buy food,” she explained. “Sometimes I get worried [about] work, [because] I have kids at home.” While Stuyvesant students were able to adapt to an online learning format when the school building closed, the local businesses around Stuyvesant did not have the luxury of shutting down. The lack of students in the Stuyvesant building forced workers to navigate a vacuum within the customer bases of nearby eateries. At the same time, employees had to prioritize their health while their businesses remained open to serve their remaining customers.

Despite the ups and downs, Eva enjoys working among students and is attached to the crowds that swarm Ferry’s during lunch periods and after school. “To be honest, if they told me to go somewhere else, I couldn’t, because I love the place. You know, to serve the kids. I think they’re more gentle, and I think I’m enjoying it a lot. Sometimes they come in with jokes, they make me laugh. Sometimes they make me a little upset, but it is what it is,” Eva said.

A few blocks away at the 1,2, and 3 train station on Chambers Street, Mohamad S has been dutifully running his coffee cart for 22 years. Working inside the cart’s sliding window, Mohammad attends to the flocks of students that exit the subway station and stop by the cart everyday. What the students do not see are the hardships Mohamad faces in running his coffee cart. He explained that a constant challenge for him is his early clock-in time. He wakes up at 2:30 a.Eva every morning, a time when some Stuyvesant students are just getting into bed. At 5:00 a.Eva, he is already parked at his usual location, ready to greet another day’s worth of customers. Mohamad expressed his appreciation for his student clientele. Like Eva, his mood is often dictated by those of his young customers. “[I] enjoy [my job because of] the school. [When] people are coming in the morning time, there’s laughing and happiness. When the school is getting off [for break], I get pissed off,” he said.
While generations of students come and go, both Mohamad and Eva remain as longstanding figures in the high school’s urban campus culture. With over two decades of experience, they express an unwavering feeling of familiarity with the student body even as individual faces fade from their daily customer base.
“Only the students have changed. They graduate,” Mohamad said. “The students finish and the new people come in. That’s it. That’s the only change.”