The art vendors on Fifth Avenue, just steps from the Met, selling paintings, photographs, magnets, Russian dolls, and souvenirs are a common sight. I usually glance at the items for sale, but rarely do anything more. But the other day a Polaroid of Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel. caught my eye. I was in a nostalgic mood and Coney Island is a place I’ve always held dear.

The artist, standing in front of dozens of matted prints all neatly displayed in boxes, wore impenetrable dark sunglasses. He explained, with a Japanese accent, his technique of printing Polaroids while showing me other images I might prefer. But I continued to prefer the saturated colors and grainy framed image of the Wonder Wheel.

After the purchase was made, I inquired where the artist was from.

“Tokyo,” he replied. “How long have you lived in New York?”  I asked. “Long enough.” he answered. I smiled, said goodbye, and thought of the many ways I might interpret his response.