Lara Gomez seizes every opportunity to eye up those around her and perhaps even eavesdrop on a conversation or two.

The 36-year-old freelance artist and writer from Burlington, Vt., had ample opportunity to engage in her favorite pastimes while waiting for friends beneath the canopy at the Circus Cafe on Broadway in Saratoga Springs one recent evening.

It was mere moments after the Saratoga Race Course unleashed thousands of people onto the city streets.

“I’ve been lucky tonight. Sometimes, I don’t find anybody good to watch, but a little while ago I was sitting next to a guy and his significant other, or so they seemed to be. They were talking about their food. One had a sandwich. The other ate a salad with no dressing. Then they were talking about traveling to Maine for the weekend and about whether the water would be warm enough to go out for a surf,” she said.

Gomez surmised that both men were in their early 40s and were also probably pretty important people in society judging by how they spoke and the clothes they wore — crisp white shirts and ties with dress pants. She suspected they were either real estate moguls or attorneys.

“I was bummed when they left. It was like my soap opera had ended and I was being forced to change the channel. My mind wasn’t ready to close that chapter yet,” she said. “Fortunately, though, there are lots of channels to choose from. As long as there are people, there are always people watching people.”

Secret safari

People-watching is something most people indulge in at one time or another. It’s a fascinating way to spend some time and can turn anyone into an amateur social scientist.

For the most part, it involves studying subjects, guessing who they are, where they are coming from, where they are going, what they are doing and what they are thinking. Watchers also try to observe things like an individual’s speech, relationships and body positions.

Dan Howard, chairman of the marketing department at SMU Cox School of Business in Dallas and an authority on the subject of consumer research and behavior, says the practice of people-watching has multiple motives.

“One major motivation is that human beings are comparative by nature. We look at others as a means of evaluating ourselves,” he said.

He also noted that human beings like to daydream, oftentimes looking at others to feeds their fantasies.

“Many people live emotionally as Walter Mitty in disguise and observing others helps in the construction of separate lives and realities that help to relieve the tedium and disappointments of what we experience on a day-to-day basis.”

David Eigen, author of “Shut Up! And Listen to Yourself,” which takes on the likes of pop culture to really look at why we do what we do, said people-watching is some of the best free entertainment around.

“It offers insight into what not to do, wear and say. It allows us a sneak peak into other people’s lives, and it also helps us feel connected to others,” he said. “We are after all human, and that makes us very social animals as we look out at the world through the lens of our own lives. Watching other people can offer us not only entertainment but perspective,” Eigen added.

Entertainment galore

Jucinda Bob and her husband, Luke, spared no time getting into position.

“This is our favorite spot,” said the pair, while relaxing on a downtown bench.

The couple, Virginia Beach residents who make the trek up to Saratoga for a week each year to enjoy the horse races, admit there is no better way to experience life than by immersing themselves in the sea of people surrounding them.

“We like to grab an early dinner, and then we basically head downtown to watch everyone. It’s better than television or a movie or anything else you could watch. It is real life, unedited — such a pure form of entertainment” said Jucinda.

Mary Lee Gardiner and her husband, Joe, regularly perch themselves in front of Uncommon Grounds, one of Broadway’s most popular coffee spots for a cup of Joe and some always-satisfying observing.

“This time of year, you see such a wide range of people,” said the Malta residents.

“It’s fun to see what people are wearing and look at how they carry themselves. The styles changes so much from season to season,” said Mary Lee.

Joe noted that he likes to study people as if he were trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle. “I like to try to guess what their occupation is or where they’re from.”

On this night, the pair were particularly struck by a lady they saw who was dressed in head-to-toe pink.

“She had on everything pink and had like a mad hatter-type hat with sequins and gauze. Everything was like a Pepto Bismol pink.”

Looking and learning

When he’s not studying people, Joe loves paying attention to the traffic. “You see people in BMWs and Jaguars,” adding that he often lives vicariously through these showy modes of transportation, including plenty of limousines.

Diane Fleischer and Leona and Ray Homic, all of East Glenville, were gathered together to relax and feed off the energy in the air.

“Everyone seems so happy. It is wonderful to feel a part of that happiness,” Leona said.

Homic also enjoys “tourist-watching.”

“You can tell so much by looking at the fashions people wear. You can sometimes figure out where someone came from.”

Ray said he loves checking out license plates. “It’s a chance to see that people are coming from everywhere,” he said.

If you’ve never engaged in people-watching before, it’s never too soon to start.

First, advise experts, decide why you are watching. Maybe you are an actor trying to learn about real people — the way they stand, walk and interact when no one’s looking. Or, perhaps you’re a budding artist in search of inspiration.

Next, find a location from which to watch. Some good bets include a quiet cafe looking out on a busy street, under a tree at the park, at a party as people enter or leave or even waiting to be seen at the doctor’s office.

The important thing is to be somewhere you won’t look conspicuous. Look busy by reading, writing or have something else to do while you watch.

Then, simply choose a person. Ask yourself questions about them: Why are they here? Are they happy? Angry? Nervous? Why? What does the way they hold themselves say about them? What about the way they talk? Does it match up?

Of course, not everyone takes people-watching so seriously.

Tony Canzone, who owns Saratoga Horse and Carriage, said he watches people for two main reasons.

“I look for celebrities and good-looking women,” said the 56-year-old. “That’s a big part of it.”