Home improvement:
How couple living
under FDR
Drive plans
on moving
BY DEAN MOSES
Alex Lively and April Saccoccio
have been sleeping rough under
the FDR Drive with their two dogs
inside a makeshift shelter since the onset
of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this
time, they have created a unique home out
of found and donated objects.
Earlier this month, amNewYork Metro
spoke with the couple regarding their background
and living conditions. We followed
Lively holds a sign as cars pass by.
up with the pair this week to discover how
they are preparing for the cold weather.
Lively now spends hours of his days
holding up a sign as cars zoom down by
the FDR Drive by Avenue C. He hopes that
a few kind New Yorkers will briefl y stop
and hand off some spare change. This effort
is not just about making money in order to
afford food, but instead about saving for
an investment.
With the winter growing more treacherous
by the day and construction work
beneath the FDR Drive slowly crawling
closer to their dwelling, Lively believes that
it may soon be time to move on.
“Do you want to stand over here so
you don’t get snowed on?” Lively asked,
inviting amNew York Metro into his modest
shelter in order to take refuge from the
falling snowfl akes Tuesday afternoon.
With the predicted snowfall incoming,
he had just fi nished using tarps and zip ties
to keep his belongings from becoming waterlogged.
Losing their only possessions is
a constant worry when living on the street.
“I only worry if our stuff is going to get
wet, or if the snow comes while we are
sleeping. That’s a problem because once
our stuff gets wet it is cold and it will never
dry—that’s how you get sick. We have the
dogs under the blankets and hand warmers
under the blankets, so it keeps them warm,”
Lively said.
Unfortunately, the bleak weather isn’t the
only concern for the homeless couple when
it comes to keeping their items secure. Food
items for both themselves and their pets
are under siege from one of NYC’s most
notorious pests: rats. Since their arrival
beneath the FDR drive, they steadily garnered
a humble array of treasures that have
been gifted to them by nearby residents and
passersby.
To keep rats out of the food and the
bleak weather off their clothing, the
couple have begun collecting containers
Alex Lively stands in front of his makeshift home under the FDR drive.
in which to store their goods. While they
are grateful for the kindness of others,
owning these items is both a blessing and
a curse.
“That’s the biggest issue for us. When
we fi rst got here it was just a bed, nothing
else… none of it. It grew in size because
people bought us stuff. We would like to
go places together but as it is, we just can’t
do that because we worry about losing our
stuff. We have to get a storage unit,” Lively
explained.
The couple have been saving to rent
out a storage unit in order to save their
beloved gifts, but as of right now it is just
not economically feasible for them. Still,
they are beginning to pack just in case they
are one day forced to move. Lively pointed
to a construction site in the distance with
fears that he and his wife will be forced to
relocate one day soon.
“We want to try and get out of here.
They are doing construction in this area.
They are starting down there between 23rd
Street and 20th Street but they are going
to be moving down this way. We don’t want
to have to be rushed to move out, so it is
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
better to start getting prepared for what we
have to do,” Lively said.
Although his wife was away at an appointment,
Lively also took the time to
express their gratitude for the positive
feedback he read online in amNewYork
Metro’s comment section. Stunned by the
outpouring of support, he is thankful and
open to meeting those interested in helping.
Lively receives emails on his cell phone
at Shakesomega12@gmail.com. However,
Lively was most worried about readers
mistakenly believing he was feeding his
beloved dogs Buddy and Snoopy chicken
bones.
“People thought we were feeding them
chicken bones. We wouldn’t do that. We
give them milk bones and rawhide bones,”
Lively said.
Once the couple can procure a storage
unit, it will be one step closer for them
in their search for a permanent home.
For now, the small family will continue
trying to survive beneath the FDR using
umbrellas, tarp, donated blankets, and
other materials to stay dry, warm, and
COVID-19 free.
Snoopy and Buddy stay warm amidst Tuesday’s snowfall.
4 February 4, 2021 Schneps Media