"Carrot Cake Man!"

I felt lucky when I spotted this very quintessential West Philadelphia scene across the avenue this afternoon. The fair spring weather has brought out both the flowers and our favorite independent businessman. Vernon Wilkins found himself unemployed in 1982 and decided to bake some small carrot cakes and sell them on the streets. He's 57 now and going strong. When I first came to the neighborhood he had a tiny store a block away from where you see him, but he does his baking a few miles away now.

He supplies some of the local cafes with carrot cakes, but he's best known as the guy who walks along with his cowboy hat, his tray full of cakes, and a big smile, announcing himself, "Carrot Cake Man!" That's how almost everyone knows him: I had to look up his name just now. He does't hang around long usually, but chats with people briefly and continues on his route for the day.

In this shot he had just sold a cake or two to the trolley driver at 46th Street. Behind him is the empty storefront that I blipped in December because someone was trying to open a Subway shop in it --blee-yuck! The effort was defeated by popular revulsion. Down with Subway. Long Live the Carrot Cake Man!

I bought two large cupcake-sized carrot cakes for one dollar each and ate them in the park. Still delicious after thirty years!