“We’re all from around the neighborhood, 109th, 106th. The veteran of the group, John, has been playing dominoes most of his life but in past years, has seen the group of players grow to more than a dozen men and a handful of tables stationed in the courtyard of a local co-op. “Nobody wants to stay cooped up in 90 degrees.” The goal this summer is to “get everybody out, keep everybody safe,” Rocky added. Even with the mask, it’s kind of hard to,” Bobby said. “I mean, you know, we weren’t used to it.
For these New Yorkers, it’s odd to be playing such a communal game from such a social distance.
Designed by one of the players as a health and safety precaution during the pandemic, the structure allows for each domino player to have their own partitioned, isolated area in which to play their part of the game. Lately, the group has been making similar small talk behind a plexiglass wall.
“And I still have my faculties,” he laughed while speaking with The Tablet July 21 over a game of dominoes with his friends Willie, Bobby, and Rocky. Seventy-six-year-old John has been living in East Harlem for over 50 years. In the Manhattan neighborhood of East Harlem, playing dominoes has shaped the lives of generations of men who, during the pandemic, are now getting to know the table - and each other - in new ways. Padilla)ĮAST HARLEM - “Try to follow suit.” It’s a piece of advice that can serve you well not just in a game of dominoes but also in life. Domino players in East Harlem have found a way to keep the old-school game alive during the pandemic, even if it means masks and plexiglass.
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