A 5-Borough, Once-in-10-Years, Extremely Unofficial Census.

Thursday, April 1, 2010, was Census Day, the day of the population count that will serve as the national reference point for the next 10 years. While the official census delves into people's private worlds -- their lives behind closed doors -- The New York Times took a census of a different sort, one that captures New Yorkers in their everyday glory, filling the very public canvas that defines the city. Taking a page from the venerable Harper's Index, and a few from ''A Day in the Life of America,'' this flash census took a snapshot of gathering points in each of the five boroughs: a food court, a ferry, a cafe, a park, a bus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]