The Solar Eclipse New York City Didn’t Seem to Notice

A dispatch from Washington Square and Domino Park

It was billed as a total solar eclipse. In Europe, at least. Here, it would be a partial solar eclipse, something I expected would draw New Yorkers to parks and other eclipse-viewing vantage points in high numbers.

I was wrong. But a few of us still went out for it, special glasses and all.

Photo by Vincent Pflieger

I picked two places where I was sure something would happen: Washington Square and Domino Park. I got to Washington Square a little after noon. There was a jazz band, some older people sitting around, the usual life of the park, but no eclipse. No signs, no vendors, not even one person wearing glasses.

Photo by Vincent Pflieger

Photo by Vincent Pflieger

So I gave up and headed back to Brooklyn. Around Marcy, I finally saw a little kid in dark glasses, holding his mom’s hand. First sign of the eclipse, I thought. I got down to his level and took a picture with the flash. I smiled at his mom and asked if they were going to watch it. “No, he just had eye surgery.” I apologized and kept walking.

Photo by Vincent Pflieger

I reached Domino and started wandering along the waterfront, waiting for something to happen. But it was just a normal summer afternoon. Kids were playing by the water; people were lying on the fake grass. Others were walking around or looking at their phones. Even as the eclipse started, almost nobody seemed to care.

Eventually I found three people with eclipse glasses. One guy was lying flat on the grass, looking up at the sky, and I photographed him. That was pretty much the crowd.