Out and About in the East Village

In this weekly feature, East Village-based photographer James Maher provides us with a quick snapshot of someone who lives and/or works in the East Village.

By James Maher

Name: Madeleine Von Froomer
Occupation: Artist, Fashion Consultant
Location: 2rd Street between Avenue A and B
Time: 4:34 on Monday, August 14

I've lived in this neighborhood for 5 years. There's still an old neighborhood family feel here, although I’m probably one of the people who moved in 5 years ago and everyone said, 'Oh god, there goes the neighborhood.' I was living in Chinatown ... I worked around here and then I found out how amazing the neighborhood is. Everything I need is right here: there's the health food store and Gracefully is 24 hours. I love my Laundromat right here, Klean and Kleaner. It’s an amazing Laundromat.

I heard Mama’s was closing. I LOVED Mama’s. They had the best fried chicken in the world. I’m from New Orleans and their Fried Chicken was the best that I’ve ever had.

I’m in a big transition period right now. I’ve been working in fashion design for the last eight years in New York, but I’m recently getting more into the arts, so I’ve been painting a lot this summer and I had a sculpture in a show in LA at the beginning of the summer. Now I’m doing more freelance fashion consulting instead of committing to a full-time fashion job. I became really sick of it; I'm never having a real job again. I'll have jobs, but I'm not going to have a job ever again. And my life has gotten a lot better since then. I want to enjoy my life; it's more important than stability — apparently.

I live in a studio right here. I love my apartment but I don't have enough room to paint, which is the real issue. I used to have studio space at the Bullet Space, on 3rd street between C and D. It’s a great art space and they have shows there.

In my building, there's this very lovely gay couple, who introduce themselves to me every time I see them ever since I moved here. They never remember that they've met me before. Usually they're happy and outgoing and it took me awhile to understand that they were drunk all the time, or something, cause they were always falling over and introducing themselves to me.

Then there’s my other neighbor. Once in a blue moon I see her running around. She's very secretive, but once I saw in through the crack in her door and it looked like the apartment was knee-deep in newspapers and stuff. Then one day these guys came in these white 'Andromeda Strain' suits. It was like an episode of 'Hoarders.' They had to come and totally redo her apartment.

James Maher is a fine art and studio photographer based in the East Village. Find his website here.