Election Day in the West Village: Semi-Celebrities and the 'Longest Wait Times of My Life'

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The Kinsman is a fine barber shop, but the massive line outside the building on Tuesday had nothing to do with getting a trim. Hundreds of voters in Greenwich Village wrapped around the front of the building on Tuesday as they waited to cast ballots in the historic election.

Turnout was strong, to say the least.

Charles Peralo was decked out in a bicycle shirt that read "Gary Johnson" in bold letters on the back as he passed through Greenwich Village on Tuesday afternoon.

"I've known him since 2011, I was the first volunteer his campaign had," Peralo said. "I think he's the only one who's actually experienced and ready for the job. He and his running mate are also right in the issues: marijuana, defense, drug policy. I think they both kick ass."

A West Village man who wanted to remain anonymous, because he is in government, said he was registered as a Republican his entire life but recently changed to unaffiliated because of Trump.

"I actually prefer a number of his policies, but I don't agree with him on foreign trade or on immigration," he said. "I also don't agree with cutting taxes for the very wealthy. I am a classical liberal."

Not everyone was so diplomatic in their assessment of the GOP nominee.

"My opinion is that Donald Trump is a garbage can filled with every despicable human quality there is, and I think after the election we should boycott everything Trump," said Jim, who lives in the West Village. "I've commented that on every Yahoo article I see."

Jim declined to give his last name, he said, "because I would worry about Donald trump suing me because he's so fucking crazy."

Publisher Lucas Wittmann took stock of the crowd waiting in line at his West Village polling place and came to a likely conclusion.

Even semi-celebrity journalists like TV writer Michael Ausiello (1.22 million Twitter followers!?) had to wait in line outside his polling place in the Village.

A fellow voter waited in the same very long line at 155 Bank Street on Tuesday morning.

Amanda Hicks, a California native in the city for the NYC Marathon, was still "proud to support Mademoiselle President" in her Diane von Furstenberg T-shirt in the West Village.

Photo: Patch