Vendors who formerly sold their wares on the Brooklyn Bridge have moved onto Dumbo’s streets since a ban on vendors went into effect.
Photo by Adam Daly
Former Brooklyn Bridge vendors say they are hoping city officials will find a solution that will allow them to sell their wares once again on the iconic landmark, as they struggle to turn a profit in Dumbo under tight restrictions.
The city’s ban on vendors along the Brooklyn Bridge walkway took effect on Jan. 3 in a bid to tackle the influx of sellers that City Hall called a public safety issue due to the sprawling stalls taking up sidewalk space causing congestion for pedestrians.
There was an exodus to Dumbo by many vendors hoping to catch tourists on the Brooklyn side of the bridge but a recent crackdown by the Parks Department saw the volume of sellers slimmed down to just two per block.
Michael Seri, a Dumbo local and former vendor on the bridge, said the recent ban and current restrictions on where they can sell in the area has caused his profits to plummet.
“It has been horrible for business. I don’t know how it’s all going to unfold,” Seri told Brooklyn Paper on Thursday evening as he stood next to his stand on Washington Street, seeing just one customer in the space of an hour.
“It needed to get cleaned up and tighten up but they didn’t have to us throw all off the bridge, they could have done it without going to drastic measures,” said Seri. “I think officials have shot themselves in the foot because the sale taxes that were coming in are gone now.”
Seri, who had been vending on the bridge since early last summer, said officials ought to focus on enforcement on the bridge that would allow legal vendors to continue to make a living.
Sharing the block with Seri on Thursday evening was Hosam Khedr who told Brooklyn Paper he had only managed to make $50 a day since moving off the bridge.
Khedr has been a staple on the Brooklyn Bridge for the last two years…
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