Street Artist’s Optical Illusion Sends Pedestrian Leaping Over “Open Stairwell” SoHo, New York City — A bustling shopping street briefly froze when a realistic chalk illusion made it appear as though a gaping stairwell had opened in the sidewalk, causing an unsuspecting pedestrian to leap backward in shock as onlookers gasped and laughed. The moment was captured as crowds moved through the area unaware of the artwork taking shape. The scene shows a street artist kneeling on the pavement, careful