Fruit Vendor in Turtle Bay

When Edgar first moved to the United States, he didn’t have much in his pocket. After two years, working as a fruit vendor in New York City has not generated extreme wealth for Edgar, but he remains content and optimistic about the future.

Edgar Noel, 23, moved to New York City two years ago with his brother from his home country of Guatemala, where he left his mother and sister. He looks young and is somewhat shy, but is thankful for his older brother who watches out for him. He has a fruit cart on the corner of Third Avenue and 48th Street, with an extensive menu of blended fruit juices, non-fat yogurt fruit shakes and a list of fruits he can combine for a tasty combination.

Guatemala has a fertile coastal plain and tropical climate on the coasts. This combination has allowed Guatemala to make bananas and fruits a large part of the export market. According to the U.S. Department of State, agriculture accounts for 24 percent of Guatemala’s exports.

This is one of the main reasons Edgar is selling fruit in New York. Fruit is one of the things he knows best and he is able provide good suggestions on which fruits to pair together. However, one of Edgar’s main difficulties is that he speaks very little English, and relies on having his main clientele of professional bankers to point to the fruits they want.

Edgar’s fruit stand is there Monday through Friday from morning to sundown. Although he admits he does not make as much money as he thought he would when he first envisioned living here, he is happy he can at least send some money back home to his mother in Guatemala and hopefully return to visit his family in a couple years.