Storage of Vending Property

Online comments: 36

• CHAD E KONRAD

  I and the rest of my household are in favor of this ban. The storage of personal, for-profit sales items on public streets and sidewalks is a nuisance and hampers the enjoyment of our neighborhood. We ask that the Department prohibit the storage of such items on our public sidewalks. Thank you very much.

  Chad Konrad
  Dumbo Resident

  Comment added June 24, 2024 9:30am

• Brandon Guishard

  My household are in favor of this ban. The storage of personal, for-profit sales items on public streets and sidewalks is a nuisance and hampers the enjoyment of our neighborhood. I creates an eyesore and also impacts the flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The Department should prohibit the storage of such items on our public sidewalks as I assumed they are restricted in other neighborhoods.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 9:40am

• B

  I am in full support of this proposal. There is a vendor in my neighborhood, on Washington Street between York and Prospect Streets, that moved there when the vendors were removed from the Brooklyn Bridge. I totally support the vendor selling their merchandise during the daytime hours, but they have a white van where they store their merchandise that is permanently parked on Washington Street and is always running. They have an attendant sitting next to the vendor tables overnight and early morning. I have seen them urinate on the hill adjacent to the street. It seems like there must be a better, healthier way for this vendor to store their tables and merchandise overnight than this.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 9:45am

• Max Aboody

  I would like to see a ban of vendors property on our streets.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 9:52am

• Robert Mallin

  My wife and I are very concerned about the vendors, especially those who do not move their stands overnight. There are seven vendors on Washington Street between York and Prospect who leave their tables out and covered. The vendors watch the tables, either sitting on chairs either by the tables, sleeping in a van on Washington Street between York and Prospect, or hiding under the trees in Clumber Corner all of which create a dangerous environment for people walking home after dark. The vendors leave trash from cups, and food left on the floor, the trash will bring rodents. As a resident and the residents I have spoken with plan alternate ways home that takes them longer, all to avoid the dangerous environment created on Washington Street. We are talking about a resident population that are children and women. We owe it to the residents to create a clean, and safe neighborhood.

  The street vendors have created a dangerous environment by blocking Washington streets for the residents as vendors sell nic nacs to tourists. Walking up Washington Street becomes a daunting experience because of the vendors. I have to plan to change my route to get to the High Street train station, which is up Washington street from me, just to avoid the eerie enviornment created by the vendors.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 10:13am

• Matt Tartaglia

  The vendors ‘storing’ their goods overnight on Washington Street in DUMBO has led to more rats, litter everywhere and their goods being covered in cheap plastic, causing congested sidewalks and safety hazards (this is both when they are operating and overnight).

  Comment added June 24, 2024 10:16am

• Kieran Holohan

  This is a blight on our communities and should be banned. It bring vermin and filth.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 10:22am

• Pete Ross

  I support this amendment. The vendors on Washington Street between York and Prospect Streets in Brooklyn have fully taken over the sidewalks, making it impossible for people to pass, both day and night.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 10:33am

• Matt Russell

  As a resident of DUMBO and someone affected daily by these issues, I strongly support the proposed amendments to sections 1-04 and 1-07 of Chapter 1, Title 56 of the Rules of the City of New York.
  This change will benefit our neighborhood and city by:

  Enhancing pedestrian safety on our busy sidewalks

  Improving cleanliness of public spaces, particularly around Brooklyn Bridge Park

  Addressing security concerns related to unattended vending equipment

  Ensuring fair use of our shared public spaces

  Living in DUMBO, I witness firsthand how stored vending materials impact our community’s safety and aesthetics.

  This rule strikes a good balance by allowing vendors to conduct business while preventing storage issues when not actively vending.

  The $250 fine seems appropriate as a deterrent without being overly punitive.
  This amendment demonstrates considerate city management that prioritizes public safety and cleanliness without overly restricting local commerce.

  Thank you for addressing this issue that affects my daily life in DUMBO.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 10:40am

• R. Perry

  RE: Vendor carts storage around Brooklyn Bridge Park

  Dumbo around Brooklyn Bridge park is becoming increasingly unpleasant to residents. Between a surge of tourists this summer, and the crowding and trash, attempt to set down a Big Bus stop in Dumbo (even though there is ample public transportation), we now have to contend with illegal vendors of food and trinkets all around.

  Please be more attentive to quality of living for residents balanced against commercial interests (and general apathy by the City). Do not permit vendor cards to be left overnight in our neighborhood. Thanks.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 10:55am

• Andrea Matteo

  Public sidewalks are public passages, not private storage units. Vendors leaving their equipment out overnight block the fair use of sidewalks by city residents.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 11:58am

• Victoria Cuomo

  To the Department of Parks and Recreation,

  I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed amendment which would prohibit vendors from storing property overnight on sidewalks in our community. As a resident who frequently enjoys our city’s parks and public spaces, I have observed the negative impact of overnight storage on sidewalks by vendors, especially on Washington Street in DUMBO.

  Firstly, allowing vendors to leave their sales items overnight obstructs pedestrian pathways, making it difficult and sometimes unsafe for residents to navigate through these areas. It can also create an eyesore and detract from the natural beauty and cleanliness of our parks and sidewalks.

  Additionally, overnight storage can contribute to increased littering and waste accumulation. Items left unattended overnight are vulnerable to damage or theft, which could further compromise the safety and aesthetics of our public spaces.

  Furthermore, permitting overnight storage on sidewalks by vendors may set a precedent that encourages other businesses or individuals to do the same, exacerbating the issues mentioned above and potentially leading to even more congestion and clutter.

  I believe that enforcing a ban on overnight storage of sales items is necessary to preserve the accessibility, cleanliness, and overall attractiveness of our city’s public areas. By implementing this regulation, we can ensure that our parks and sidewalks remain enjoyable and safe for all residents and visitors.

  Thank you for considering my viewpoint on this important matter. I urge the Parks and Recreation Department to take action in support of banning overnight storage of sales items by vendors, and I am confident that this decision will contribute positively to the well-being of our community.

  Sincerely,

  Victoria Cuomo

  Comment added June 24, 2024 11:58am

• Jennifer Pariseau

  I support this rule as there are particularly egregious examples of this on Washington Street in DUMBO where vendor previously on the bridge have taken up most of the block between York and Prospect. Most of the vendors keep their entire stands their overnight continually blocking a large part of the sidewalk.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 12:48pm

• Dumbo resident

  These structures that are left overnight are unsightly and unsanitary and are a blight on the once beautiful neighborhood that has been aggressively exploited by vendors looking to make a quick profit. Dumbo might have become a popular tourist destination, but there are thousands of families who have called this neighborhood home, long before the tourists arrived. I therefore support the 1-04 and 1-07 of Chapter 1, Title 56 of the Rules of the City of New York.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 1:34pm

• Rob Moons

  As a resident of DUMBO, my family and I are fully in favor of this ban. I am requesting the Department of Parks and Recreation to support doing EVERYTHING you can to prohibit vendors from storing property used for vending on sidewalks overnight. There are several vendors set up in DUMBO (on Washington between York and Prospect) who are there 24/7 and they not only leave their tables and properties set up (covered) overnight, they also keep storage vans parked nearby 24/7 with people sleeping in them. The workers and persons ‘guarding’ the materials often use the parks, trees, and walls to go to the bathroom, and we find garbage or food/wrappers/bones form chicken wings, etc.. just thrown on the grass areas as well. Please support your NYC neighborhoods and citizens and prohibit the vendors from leaving their items set up all night/overnight. My concern with a small fine is the vendors will gladly pay it. Is there a way to revoke permits if vendors continue to violate the ban (should it pass).

  Thanks You

  Comment added June 24, 2024 1:51pm

• Anita Baier

  These vendors are a public nuisance and have made the quality of life so much worse for DUMBO resident, especially those of us who walk to and from school up Washington Street. They constantly obstruct passage on the sidewalks and leave behind trash and pollute the area with noise. Moreover, they are allowed to store their carts wrapped in tarp like mountains of trash overnight. They need to be banned immediately.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 2:11pm

• William Schaefer

  As a resident of Dumbo I am writing to encourage you to amend the rules to prohibit vendors from storing vending property on the sidewalks.

  Thank you

  Comment added June 24, 2024 4:00pm

• Kendra Collins

  Public sidewalks are for walking. They are not for erecting shanty rent-free storefronts in perpetuity. Much less serve as free private storage units.

  Use of sidewalks for these purposes takes away from desperately needed walking space in congested areas where NYC pedestrians and throngs of tourists are trying to pass and enjoy our public parks.

  The proposed rule is better than nothing so I support it. It does not go far enough. It should ban all storage, ie only actively operating vending allowed. It should limit sidewalk consumption to only some fraction, eg 1/3, of the width so as not to choke to a trickle flow of allowed pedestrians as vendors are wont to do.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 4:15pm

• Sheryl Buchholtz

  As a long time resident of DUMBO, I am fully in favor of this ban. I am requesting the Department of Parks and Recreation to support doing EVERYTHING it can to prohibit vendors from storing property used for vending on sidewalks overnight.

  There are several vendors set up in DUMBO (on Washington between York and Prospect) who are there 24/7 and they not only leave their tables and properties set up (covered) overnight, they also keep storage vans parked nearby 24/7 with people sleeping in them. The workers and persons ‘guarding’ the materials often use the parks, trees, and walls to go to the bathroom, and we find garbage or food/wrappers/bones form chicken wings, etc.. just thrown on the street.

  Please support your NYC neighborhoods and citizens and prohibit the vendors from leaving their items set up all night/overnight.

  Thanks You

  Comment added June 24, 2024 4:49pm

• Chris Richards

  I’m writing in support of this rule change.
  I live in Dumbo near the park and the vendors have increasingly become an issue over the five years that I’ve lived here, especially at night when they’re not selling. Many stay overnight now either sleeping in cars or near their carts to keep their space the next day–there are sometimes shouting matches and threats between vendors over the spots they’ve found and I’ve seen two fights in the last two years. The vendors also leave a fair amount of garbage, especially food, which attracts pigeons and rats. Part of the issue might be poor enforcement of existing regulations–I never see anyone address the litter or the conflicts between vendors–but restricting vendors from selling all night or leaving their carts out all night will help with some of the issues.
  So much of our neighborhood’s character has eroded in support of the overtourism we have, and removing the vendors at night would take a step towards the city helping residents above tourists again.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 5:26pm

• Greg Umaro

  I endorse this rule. It’s long overdue. 24×7 occupation of sidewalks by ramshackle hawkers of gaudy baubles is not only unsightly to adjacent residents but also unfair to sellers who pay to rent proper storefronts.

  I don’t understand why vending is allowed on park adjacent sidewalks at all. Aren’t these sidewalks already sized at a minimum width needed to adequately handle foot traffic? Once just a few people stop in front of a vendor, the entire sidewalk gets choked off.

  It would make a lot more sense to me if vending was allowed only in designated stretches bearing excessively wide sidewalks or concrete regions where the vendors and their customers would not impede foot traffic. I’d strongly support such a rule in addition to this one.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 5:30pm

• Sarah Panagiotidis

  I am an owner in 70 Washington Street DUMBO and vehemently request the overnight storage of vendors items be banned closed to buildings and parks. This is a very slippery slope. What other items will start to crop up being “stored” outside. Residents must pay for storage. Why should vendors be any different?

  Comment added June 24, 2024 6:18pm

• Jaime Konrad

  I ask that the Parks Department enact the new rules as proposed. The continuous, uninterrupted, and permanent storage of for-sale items on a public sidewalk is a health and safety hazard to the entire neighborhood and should not be allowed. Thank you for your consideration.

  Jaime Konrad
  Resident of 70 Washington Street

  Comment added June 24, 2024 6:38pm

• Disgruntled

  There is absolutely no reason to allow vendor storage of tourist merchandise on city sidewalks during hours when they are not in operation. These vendors are operating with unsafe work conditions, employing people without access to bathrooms who are supposed to be watching the merchandise to prevent theft. They effectively live in the vans parked (often illegally) on the street while watching the plastic-covered vending stands. The vending stands are blocking access to areas of the sidewalk for strollers, pedestrian traffic and their overnight presence attracts rats and thieves. We arent talking about a non-profit that is benefiting the city’s underprivileged youth, these are large scale cash operations that underpay migrants to sell cheap imported tourist merchandise which includes signs and t-shirts displaying tasteless vulgarities for children to see when they pass by.
  Sincerely,
  Disgruntled

  Comment added June 24, 2024 7:32pm

• April Kimm

  My family is in complete support of banning the ability for vendors to leave their items and stand overnight for a multitude of reasons. Those reasons include safety issues (propane tanks left on the sidewalk and in the vehicles parked, garbage/litter left all over and leaving it very difficult to pass by on already crowded sidewalks. This is a neighborhood that people travel from all over the world to see and thousands of families have chosen to call home, please help keep our neighborhood in tact and safe.

  Comment added June 24, 2024 11:40pm

• Frank Borsa

  I strongly urge the Parks Department to improve the safety, cleanliness, and overall quality of life in our neighborhood by amending its rules to explicitly prohibit vendors from storing their property on sidewalks adjacent to parks and other Department properties.
  These vendors are:
  • Impeding pedestrian and vehicular traffic
  • Degrading the cleanliness and safety of our neighborhood by increasing litter and vermin
  • Detracting from the streetscape, making this gateway to DUMBO less inviting for residents and visitors alike
  • Contributing to air and noise pollution through the use of generators and running vehicles overnight

  Further, I support the introduction of substantial penalties for vendors who violate this prohibition. Penalties should be significant enough to serve as a deterrent and should escalate with repeated offenses.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 7:52am

• Jimmy Ng

  Dear NYC Parks Dept,

  I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed rule change that would ban the storage of unattended vendor property on public sidewalks for the following reasons:

  1) Public sidewalks are intended for the use and enjoyment of all members of the community. The storage of private vendor property on these sidewalks infringes upon the rights of residents and visitors to freely and safely use these public spaces. By allowing vendors to occupy these areas for storage, we are effectively privatizing public property, which undermines the community’s access and enjoyment of these shared spaces.

  2) Aligning Parks rules with the vendor enforcement code that the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) applies throughout the rest of the city would create a consistent and fair regulatory environment. Currently, the disparity in enforcement between different city agencies creates confusion and inconsistency, which is neither fair to vendors nor to the public. A uniform enforcement policy would ensure clarity and fairness across all neighborhoods in New York City.

  3) The obstruction of public pathways by unattended vendor property poses significant safety hazards and inconveniences. These obstructions can block pedestrian access, particularly affecting individuals with disabilities, parents with strollers, and the elderly. Ensuring clear and unobstructed sidewalks is crucial for maintaining the accessibility and safety of our urban environment.

  4) the current lack of enforcement against illegal vending behavior in DUMBO sets a troubling precedent. It signals to other vendors that the city’s rules can be ignored without consequence, leading to an increase in non-compliant behavior. This not only creates disorder but also undermines the city’s efforts to maintain a well-regulated and orderly environment for all residents and visitors.

  To wrap up, passing the proposed rule change is a necessary step to protect public use of sidewalks, ensure consistency in city regulations, maintain clear pathways, and uphold the integrity of city enforcement efforts. I urge the Department of Parks and Recreation to implement this rule change promptly for the benefit of the DUMBO community and the city as a whole.

  Thank you

  Comment added June 25, 2024 10:52am

• Frank LaSorsa

  Hello,

  My wife and I have been residents of DUMBO for 5 years now and feel very strongly that a ban should be in place for vendors squatting for the numerous reasons I am sure my community members are expressing. That being said, another topic that requires some attention is the mess they leave before during and after they are open for service. We have neighborhood pets getting sick eating things off the floor and the number of birds and bird dropping in certain areas has sky rocketed. Combine this with certain vendors blocking cross walks (the corner of Main and Plymouth) creating very dangerous bling spots for pedestrians and the presence of vendors, as a whole becomes a topic that needs further discussion and attention. Thank you for your time.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 11:09am

• D Sharkey

  Hi,

  As a resident of Dumbo I am writing to encourage you to amend the rules to prohibit vendors from storing vending property on the sidewalks.

  The storage of personal, for-profit sales items on public streets and sidewalks is a nuisance and hampers the enjoyment of our neighborhood.

  Thank you

  Comment added June 25, 2024 12:14pm

• Marc Schauer

  I pass by the unsightly trucks that are constantly on the street all the time. I believe there are “security” guards that stay in them overnight at times. The blatant disregard of parking laws and use of the street and sidewalks makes one believe that at best there is bad enforcement and at worst there is corrupt use of our streets.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 12:18pm

• H

  While the DUMBO community would love to see these vendors gone from our streets forever, this is a great first step. We would love to see the removal of their tables and goods every night. DUMBO has gained such popularity and for these vendors to be the entrance to the community trashes up the place. At the very least they should pack up their goods each night and clear the sidewalks so people can walk safely. Because of these vendors placement on the narrow sidewalk it is next to impossible to safely walk down the street. They have taken over and it is a blight on the neighborhood. Just as bad as it was on the bridge, it’s terrible in DUMBO too.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 12:25pm

• CK

  I am in favor of this amendment. DUMBO, specifically Washington from Prospect to York is lined with vendor carts that are parked there 24/7 and never moved. These carts significantly reduce the size of the sidewalk leading to risky and dangerous pedestrian behavior and conditions. They also store propane tanks that are a risk to people nearby if something were to happen with them. They are also an unsightly welcome to such a historical, beautiful neighborhood for the plethora of tourists coming here every day. Vendors are required to pack up their items and remove them from other city and public sidewalks at the end of the day, so Parks sidewalks should operate no differently.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 1:05pm

• Carina Liebeknecht

  My household are in favor of this ban. The storage of personal, for-profit sales items on public streets and sidewalks is a nuisance and hampers the enjoyment of our neighborhood. I creates an eyesore and also impacts the flow of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. In addition, it creates sanitary issues. Just last night I had to dodge several rats that emerged from underneath the makeshift structures on Washington street. I strongly urge the Department to prohibit the storage of such items on our public sidewalks.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 1:47pm

• Zoe Mackler

  I support the rule change to ban the unattended storage of vendor inventory on streets and sidewalks. If passed, please enforce!

  Comment added June 25, 2024 2:54pm

• Brian Bloom

  These vendors on Washington St between York & Prospect have effectively opened a full-time operation and block the heavily traveled sidewalk 24 hrs per day. I’m all for vendors making money but not in this location. Way too much congestion as the increasing number of tourists pour down Washington St into DUMBO. It’s just a bad spot… and they under no circumstances should be allowed to store their “store” overnight… every night. Please amend the rules regarding this behavior. Thank you for your consideration.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 4:30pm

• Bill Stein

  I support the DPR rule change to prevent vendors from storing property used for vending on sidewalks adjacent to parks and other property within the jurisdiction of the Department when they are not actively vending and to add a penalty for violation of this prohibition.

  Comment added June 25, 2024 4:58pm