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 limited sidewalk space and causing congestion for 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 would 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,” Joe Rak, a vendor, 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 sprawling stalls taking up scarce sidewalk space causing pedestrian traffic.
“It’s not only a sanitary issue, it’s a public safety issue…You can’t have a bridge lined up on both sides with vendors selling all sorts of items [creating a] bottleneck,” Adams said, noting that people would trample over each other if there were an emergency. “We need order in this city, that is one of our major landmarks.”
While the mayor argues that the issue is negatively affecting quality of life, those who rely on the income generated from their stands say their own lives are going to take a dramatic tailspin.
“This is my main source of income, not only for me, but for everybody here. I don’t know why they close it, they could just regulate it,” artist Anton Vas said, who has been selling his work for several years.
When asked if he would try and set up shop tomorrow, he replied: “No, I respect the law. We are law-abiding citizens.”
On Tuesday, a group of 15 disabled veteran vendors sued the city over the plan, seeking an injunction preventing it from moving forward as scheduled on Jan. 3.
The plaintiffs say that the attempt to remove disabled veteran vendors violates state law, and want an injunction against the policy until it exempts them from the enforcement action. DOT did not immediately return a request for comment.
Despite their time almost being up, many of the sellers continued their business as usual Tuesday, as they attempted to earn whatever they could, while they still could do it as such a prime location.
Gary, another vendor who declined to provide his last name, summed up how he felt with a few choice words for Mayor Adams.
“You do this in the dead of winter, the worst possible time. F**k you,” Gary, who has been vending on the bridge for a decade, said.
