Vendors on Manhattan side of Brooklyn Bridge who have been hocking their wares for years bemoaned on Tuesday the imminent loss of their livelihoods.
Photo by Dean Moses
Vendors on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge who have been hawking their wares for years bemoaned on Tuesday the imminent loss of their livelihoods.
As hundreds of tourists pounded the concrete leading up the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, the vendors selling everything from clothing, keychains, and artwork appeared sullen — and with good reason. In less than 24 hours, under city orders, they will be forced to pack up their products and fold up their tables — their futures uncertain.
City Hall announced the move on Dec. 29, 2023, giving the vendors on the Manhattan landing of the span, just steps away from City Hall, less than five calendar days to prepare. According to published reports, the city says the assortment of vendors has become something of an impromptu bazaar, taking up sidewalk space and causing crowding conditions with the crush of pedestrians heading to and back from the Brooklyn Bridge.
Many of the dealers on the walkway Tuesday told amNewYork Metro that they were resigned to the fact they will have to move come midnight.
“It’s already done,” said one vendor, who did not provide his name.
Others, however, are still trying to put up a fight and aimed their fury at Mayor Eric Adams.
“From tomorrow I don’t know what I am going to do,” Vendor Joe Rak said. “I voted for Eric Adams, and he didn’t promise this. So, he is a liar basically. I don’t know what to do.”
On Tuesday, Hizzoner defended the ruling to remove the makeshift market from the bridge, calling it a public safety issue due to the stalls obscuring pedestrian traffic.
“I was driving across the Brooklyn Bridge, I think it was Saturday … People couldn’t walk. It’s not only a sanitary issue, it’s a public safety issue. People were jumping over the bridge onto the bike path because…
Read the full article here
