Seen & Heard: Four Seasons Food Cart

••• After I wrote about the newly opened plaza at 30 Park Place, a garish food cart—with the smells of street meat and generator fumes emanating from it—started parking on the north side. I’m no fan of food carts, so many of which sell the same items, but I get that they’re here to stay. Perhaps, however, whoever distributes the permits could bear in mind the impact they’ll have on their surroundings.

••• Then again, it could be worse. Anyway, the cheesiness of New York Dolls got me to thinking about how strip clubs appear to be the opposite of all those businesses—such as medicine, spas, and weddings—where an upscale sensibility is of paramount importance. Is it possible that guys actually want a strip club to be sort of low-rent and skanky? Because the women might be more pliable?

••• Related: As expected, the Remix space is for rent.

••• In yesterday’s mention about the imminent opening of Canal Street Market’s food hall, I neglected to mention that one of the six vendors is Nom Wah Kuai, a spin-off of Nom Wah Tea Parlor (which I don’t think we knew). And the Facebook page says it’ll offer delivery.

••• 19 Park Place sent out a press release saying the façade was finished, but I guess that excluded the ground floor (still covered on both the Murray and Park Place sides). Peeking through the porthole on Park Place, however, you can see the framing for the bulbous entrance.

 

7 Comments

  1. I agree Eric, the food cart is inappropriate and should be moved.

    • There are no assigned spaces for mobile food vendors on public sidewalks and streets, only restricted locations.

      See: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/permit/mfv_restricted_streets.pdf

      Other limits on food cart locations on public streets and sidewalks:

      * must be located on a sidewalk no less than twelve feet wide

      * must be at least 10 feet from any crosswalk, driveway or subway entrance

      * must be at least 20 feet from all building entrances

      * must touch the curb

      * cannot touch other objects, including other carts, although they can be adjacent or close

      * cannot vend in bus stops or sidewalks next to no standing zones of health facilities

      * cannot be located on sidewalks adjacent to and controlled by the Department of Parks (without a permit from Department of Parks)

      • Dr. Gross,
        Call the NYPD.
        They are the department responsible for the carts.
        This particular cart, which I passed today, is too close to the fire hydrant, therefore it’s current position is illegal.
        There was a similar cart at SW corner Murray and Church which for months was parked very close to the hydrant; after visiting Community Board 1’s Quality of Life Committee meeting on Dec. 15, 2016: “Street Vending Modernization Act – Discussion with Vincent Fang, Director of Legislation and Budget, Office of City Council Member Margaret Chin and representative of the Street Vendors Project and possible resolution.” We learned of many of the allowances and restrictions.
        It’s a broken system (what’s new?), but many details worth knowing regarding violations.
        The vendors are belligerent when told by any individual that they are in violation so, send the police.
        Surely, Four Seasons would want to weigh in.

        • NYC dept of health does inspection of these food carts. There are 5000 permits issued citywide and there is a proposal to increase that number (championed by street vendor project).

    • Seriously. If the cart is doing something illegal, then fine. But the idea that a food cart is “inappropriate” is just elitist.

  2. I live across the street and have been enjoying the recently opened park. I am not offended in the least by the presence of the food cart. There are many food carts in Manhattan, last I checked, even in Manhattan’s dearest neighborhoods.

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