Brooklyn Brick & Mortars Jump on the Anti-Cart Bandwagon
I know this particular article isn’t about Midtown, but we’ve seen this same thing before- and will probably be seeing it again soon. The New York Daily News is reporting that local business owners in Bay Ridge are seeking to have street vendors banned from 5th Avenue. The store owners, who pay up to $160,000 a year in rent, are saying it is unfair that these street vendors are getting a free ride. And “Burger King owner Jay Syed, 56, said not only has he lost 20% of his business since the carts cropped up last summer, but he also believes the vendors are polluting the streets and attracting rodents.” (I love the irony of a Burger King owner being concerned about pollution.)
A letter was written to Mayor Bloomberg and the matter is now being taken up by the neighborhood Community Board and the Small Business Services Department. If they do end up banning the vendors, it could set a dangerous precedent that could spread to other neighborhoods… including Midtown. [New York Daily News]
Posted by Zach Brooks at 10:15 am, July 2nd, 2009 under Street Vendor Issues.
3 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
Screw the mortar shops. 5th ave from Sunset Park to Bay Ridge is a delicious mecca of street food. I hope the street vendors get some support.