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Counterfeit sales on Broadway are worse than ever
I guess it’s the holiday rush? But I got several notes from neighbors and then had to negotiate the sidewalks myself last week — I was forced out in the road for most of the top of Broadway to Canal.
The crowds of counterfeit vendors on Broadway between Walker and Canal are denser than ever. Throngs of buyers and sellers, at least five deep along the curbside. The garbage was disgusting.
So much for the threat of ICE! And so much for the law! Gothamist reported four years ago that “the NYPD and other city agencies must keep sidewalks clear of obstructions or risk violating federal law…Prosecutors wrote that the Americans with Disabilities Act has clearly established that ‘ensuring access to public transportation and public rights of way’ is a principle focus of the law.”
Here’s how this situation has evolved (or rather not evolved) over the past few years:
- A crackdown in July 2018 had almost no effect.
- A crackdown in November 2022 brought some relief.
- The sellers were out in force for the holidays in December 2024.
- A group of neighbors on Lispenard started a petition to get City Councilmembers to take action in June 2025.
- This was a big topic for neighbors in the primary race for our City Council seat.
- The SoHo Broadway Initiative held a panel discussion in October 2025 with the precincts, who admitted it was a “constant churn” with little they could do.
- ICE arrested nine vendors in October 2025 as part of a sting that included tanks and federal agents with machine guns.
I have worked here for over 20 years, and this was by far the most crowded and rowdy I have ever seen it.
Yesterday, I observed two police cars arrive with lights and sirens. The officers remained in their vehicles for several minutes with the lights on while vendors on the east side of Broadway packed up and walked away at a leisurely pace.
What was striking was that only the east side of Broadway shut down. Vendors on the west side of Broadway continued operating as though nothing was happening. I assume this was because the officers had arrived from the 5th Precinct.
Ten minutes later one officer exited his vehicle on the east side of Broadway and stood glaring over at the west side for a minute or two. He then got back in his car and moved on to Canal Street near Lafayette to address similar activity.
I’m at a loss on what can be done. It’s clear that the police are extremely limited on what they are allowed to do.
@Randy, can your building management get involved?
They will call 3-1-1 or the local police and that does so little. What else can you expect them to do?
There is a mentality among good-hearted people like Dan that are okay with and support the vendors selling counterfeit illegal goods. Perhaps they believe that the money for basic services including hospitals, police and sanitation will miraculously arrive from the sky.
Virtually all of the major tax-paying businesses that were once on this area of Canal Street have fled and this counterfeit bazaar is completely tax free and the revenues solely benefit the vendors and their criminal suppliers.
NYC currently has a budget of roughly $116.5 billion with a potential deficit of over $10 billion. Facts are facts and reality does not care what you believe.
NYPD can legally order dispersion when obstruction creates danger
This protects residents, workers, visitors, and vendors alike
Key Phrases That Help Get a Response and escalate:
“Pedestrians are being forced into traffic”
“This is a public safety hazard”
“ADA access is blocked” (especially effective)
“Someone could be hit by a car”
“This requires crowd control”
The vendors essentially have a “free pass” to sell their illegal counterfeit goods because selling illegal counterfeit goods is not considered a “serious crime.”
As a “Sanctuary City NYC’s sanctuary policies limit local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement (ICE) for civil violations, focusing on serious crimes”
Of course I am not an expert on the matter and this is only my opinion based on what I see and what I have read.
I’ve spoken numerous times with police, on the street and at the precinct. They claim there is little they can do. They always say something like, “If you want this to change, you have to vote for change at the top”. But I also witnessed police on several occasions chatting, laughing, joking around with the vendors, even shaking hands with them.
In separate but perhaps related issue, I recall during a night of rampant looting and vandalism during the pandemic in the area between Tribeca and Soho, there were numerous police cars lined up in the area. Windows of stores were being smashed in. Police were either just sitting in their vehicles or standing around doing nothing, at a distance from the action. I asked some officers why they were not intervening and they said they had orders not to intervene.
Someone please explain this world to me.
NYPD can legally order dispersion when obstruction creates danger
This protects residents, workers, visitors, and vendors alike
Key Phrases That Help Get a Response and escalate:
“Pedestrians are being forced into traffic”
“This is a public safety hazard”
“ADA access is blocked” (especially effective)
“Someone could be hit by a car”
“This requires crowd control”
Yes, good ideas. I’ll try those with 311.
Your last statement is correct. The law makes it difficult for the NYPD to make arrests. See this Q&A. But why they can’t clear the sidewalks of crowds is a mystery.
Are there any community BIDs we can start for residences and business in the area? There are ongoing proposals for improvement in the area, but they do not address this illegal counterfeit vendor issue.
Long term solution: Suggestion for beatification and enhanced pedestrian walkways by add extra large staggering planters. encourages pedestrian flow and deters loitering
Short term solution:
1. NYPD enforcement of dispersing DANGEROUS sidewalk crowding
2. Increased NY department of sanitation clean ups
3. Increase of sidewalk cleanings from buildings
The SoHo Broadway Iniative
https://sohobroadway.org/
THE ICEMAN COMETH
Please Don’t Invite ICE to return. If NYC continues to allow the open-air criminal activity of selling counterfeit goods that fuels organized crime and possibly terrorism (such as what happened in the Charlie Hebdo murders in Paris) we are regretfully inviting ICE to return.
Canal Street in NYC faces ongoing crime issues, primarily illegal counterfeit goods sales, leading to frequent NYPD/ICE crackdowns, but vendors quickly return, creating a cycle of lawlessness. Beyond counterfeiting, residents and businesses report rising concerns about drug use, muggings, public defecation, fights, and general disorder, linked to the chaotic market, with some calling for better city action against these escalating safety issues (when you google Canal Street New York City Crime) AI Overview
If you care about quality of life (i.e. crime) in our neighborhood (and city – this is happening in other parts of the city also), please start writing to our future mayor now.
Surely the counterfeit bazaar is a major reason every business that attempts to operate at that once-beautiful bank building fails.
Not to say that ICE is the way to enforce the law, as that should be done by local law, but for a couple days after the ICE raid, the area around Canal and Broadway was the cleanest I have ever seen it – almost no trash or litter at all at night.
Of course, now we are back to living in a trash dump. The most expensive trash dump in the world?
Zohran Mamdani, from what I understand, ignores both the criminality and the destruction of the quality of life that we are facing. He only criticized what he called “aggressive and reckless raid on immigrant street vendors” and expressed no concern whatsoever for our community.
Hopefully, when he is Mayor, he will wake up to the needs for both safety and quality of life in NYC.
We can debate whether it was aggressive or reckless. What we do know is that it was useless.
Why would you NOT want ICE to intervene? If the bulk of these vendors are illegal, or have orders of removal, why not let ICE do their job? Do you remember how clean and safe it was when they did enact an operation a few months ago. I don’t think I ever saw Canal that peaceful in over 20 years. It’s always been a place for illegal goods and vendors thanks to the Chinese, but it’s at a whole different level now. But back then it was manageable. Most illegal vendors just had a sample or two on them with a picture book and they just direct you to a mini van or a back room shop. But as time has gone by, the new wave of illegal immigrants have been more bold, ignoring law enforcement. They just don’t care anymore. Because even going to a U.S. jail is better than their going back to their home country. Especially with NYC being a sanctuary city where they know they will be taken care of.
Enough already. Let the law do their job. It’s what we pay them to do. I agree, we should help immigrants, but this is NOT the way. This shows they do not care about our laws. And that in itself is troublesome. I get it, they got to eat, but at some point our hospitality has been beyond abused and now our own safety and that of our loved ones is at risk.
If Trump and our elected officials were smart, they should give them temporary work authorization. So they can go find work, legally, while they wait for their cases to be heard. Tax them, and attach conditions that if they violate any laws (aside from tickets or minor infractions – they are in anew country, so some.laws may not make sense to them), it’s immediate grounds for dismisal and deportation. Have them report once a month, make sure they are good. Miss 3 appointments, grounds for dismisal.
People need a purpose. People can’t just sit around doing nothing, especially if they are hungry or have other mouths to feed.
This is the only way this will work. But until a politician with common sense is elected, and none of these left or right wing extremists – yes, both of you are crazy. Trump, Mamdani, Harris, Biden, etc… all idiots. A politician who puts aside their political affiliation and instead serves the people, because that’s what a real leader does. Reality is not always so black and white.
There’s a PH on 57 Lispenard – mere feet from that corner – that went for $20K a month in May.
Imagine paying for that and having those people right outside your door lol
Start busting the customers. When they stop coming, it all goes away.
what exactly would you like to see it replaced with? another bank? some soulless chain? the street vending is what makes this part of nyc special. move to the burbs if it bothers you
Well, Dan, if you’d lived here as long as I have, you’d know the street vending on Canal, in its curent form, isn’t classic NYC and was never like this until recent years, what with suburbanite tourists jamming the sidewalks & as much in the way as the sellers. At least, not until uncaring chains & vacant space began appearing on those parts of Canal. I’d love to see it all replaced with mom&pop stores, like the parts of Canal currently where the street vending is chased off — like the entire north side of canal, or both sides east of maybe Baxter.
From what I have heard from a friend that is knowledgeable about the situation, they are reluctant to arrest the vendors of the counterfeit goods because they are undocumented individuals and they could face deportation if charges are brought against them.
This sort of squares the circle for me, since until now I could not understand how such open flagrant violations of the law were allowed to continue.
So if one of them rapes or kills someone, your saying don’t arrest them for fear they will be deported? You realize how insane this argument sounds, right?
If you come to a country illegally, and you don’t uphold the laws, you SHOULD be removed. Period. If you have a pending case, sit tight and show us that you will be an asset to our society. Because if you come here and show me that your ok with not obeying our laws and customs, well how are you going to be when you are a citizen? And you have rights and privileges? How far will you go?
Sorry, this is just insane thinking. Arrest them.
So being in the country illegally gives them a pass to engage in criminal activity?
I cannot know where your “friend that is knowledgeable” is getting their information, but the reason they are reluctant to arrest these people — and a few people who respond here have been reminding others endlessly of this — is that it is _expensive_ to arrest and incarcerate people. It is less expensive to let them earn their pittance and go to whatever they make as their home and feed themselves. Either they do that, or they go into the system and WE (taxpayers) pay their room and board until the waaay overloaded legal system gets around to dealing with them. That has been the inside word to the best of my knowledge since it was first researched and recorded publicly during the first Giuliani term. It’s an unfortunate fact. They idea that law enforcement is sensitive to their deportation is not plausible.
who cares… i love a few blocks away and if i want to avoid the scene, i just avoid the scene. it’s quite easy actually … see, you simply walk around it.
let people earn ffs
“let people earn”?
These sales fund terrorism.
They create an environment of lawlessness.
They don’t pay taxes and hurt legitimate small businesses.
They promote other illegal behavior – slowly evolving to an open air drug bazaar.
Every other store on Broadway is looking for workers. Get legal, get a real job, or get out.
I fear this will end very poorly – and ultimately either a customer or vendor will die.
“these sales fund terrorism”
lol
Some sources on the link between counterfeiting and terrorism:
“Documents from Al-Qaeda propaganda have referenced counterfeiting as a means to raise funds for the organisation’s operations and the terror group has received funds through the sale of fake goods.”
https://lsj.com.au/articles/the-new-blood-diamond-how-cheap-knock-offs-fund-terrorism-and-crime/
“Counterfeit trade poses a U.S. national security threat because of its links to international crime networks and terrorist groups. ”
https://diplomacy.state.gov/teacher-resources/counterfeit-trade/
Counterfeiting: An ABC of Terrorist Financing
https://www.visionofhumanity.org/counterfeiting-an-abc-of-terrorist-financing/
etc.
Hi Dan,
How long have you lived in Manhattan?
There are sidewalks crowded with street vendors – selling various things – throughout NYC.
There are sidewalks all over NYC that are impassable too.
BTW the City Council just passed legislation lifting the caps on street vendors.
Per the NY Times, the bill requires NYC to make 2,200 food vendor applications available every year from 2026 through 2031 and 10,500 general-vending applications available in 2027.
“By 2031, there would be nearly 17,000 permits available for food vendors, as well as nearly 1,300 specifically for veterans and disabled vendors. The limit on licenses for general vendors would increase to more than 11,000 in 2027.”
In the meantime, the City does zero for local retail and businesses which have been suffering for years – high rent, ecommerce, crime. And street vending impact too.
The City cares only about restaurants (street dining benefits) and street vendors.
But zero for stores.
Please take the Canal Street Redesign Survey:
https://sohobroadway.org/take-the-canal-st-survey/
Please insist in the comments that first priority should be to clear the sidewalks of illegal vendors.
The proposed plan will actually make the problem worse. It recommends widening the sidewalks, which I would be all for in normal conditions, but in the current lawless conditions, this will just attract even more vendors and customers who don’t care (or get a thrill from it) that they are supporting organized crime in our neighborhoods.
F.Y.I. The article on the I.C.E. raid back in October was written with the utmost fear mongering‼️There weren’t any ‘tanks’. That is called a Police armored vehicle that I.C.E. was using. The N.Y.P.D. has used one over the years along with every other local & State law enforcement agency in the country! When Gov. Hochul travels to Manhattan she has a N.Y.P.D. security detail with machine guns as well! Go into Penn Station or Grand Central Station & you will see National Guardsmen with machine guns‼️
The Feds are the only ones who care about this issue. NYPD is incapable and Christopher Marte is worthless.
Keep reporting it to ICE. Go to Ice.gov and fill out the online form or call the number. You can remain anonymous. You can also submit photos online. In the individual name portion, you can write “unknown” or “na” as the objective is to report the organized crime.
There is nothing “special” about the human trafficking, forced labor, child labor and terrorism being funded by this organized crime operation.
Are there some higher up powers that have been protecting these African fake vendors and their Chinese counterparts? It’s inexplicable why they could operate with such impunity for so many years with no sign of subsiding. All the cat and mouse show raids and police-can’t-dos by now are nothing more than tired smoke screen, and we are suffering from being voiceless and defeated as residents of the neighborhood. It’s baffling how a city government can turn its back on its citizens with zero accountability! Christopher Martē is reelected, he can continue with his inaction and indifference. Mamdani? Probably already retracted all his ridiculous campaign promises and already working on his reelection campaign with new ones!
The solution is to have a nice local market or farmers market there before they setup early in morning
I live on Lispenard and these guys really bother me.
They block the sidewalks.
They gobble up the on street parking. Believe it or not, many of them drive luxury vehicles like Mercedes and Range Rover.
They leave half eaten food containers all over the place which attracts hordes of rats.
Worst of all, they use the street in front of our building as a toilet because they don’t want to leave their stuff unattended. Every day our super cleans up turds and Gatorade bottles full of pee. They use planters and construction stuff for semi-privacy. We have dozens of photos of these guys en flagrante.
When I pass them I say, “Ice is coming in 10 minutes.”
I talk to the cops every day who say, “We can’t do anything because our bosses told us not to.” In other words, our elected leaders want them there. Why? They’re neither voters or taxpayers. I think that the reason is because our racist politicians regard them as a “protected class” because they are black and illegal which gives them sainthood in the eyes of progressive white politicians.
The street vendors are only part of the problem. The real issue to solve is why aren’t the importers and wholesalers.being jailed and/or fined very heavily?
Good point. With such a massive flow of counterfeit junk, by now the authorities should have been able to trace it to source, at least the local (US-based) warehouses and shippers. They might not be able to do much about the makers (who are probably overseas) but they can cut off the supply at the docks, shut down and penalize everyone local involved in the supply chain.
It was out of control today. All around the post-office, a federal building no less. Total disregard for the law. No police in sight.
Of course, if they killed all the counterfeiting operations, the sellers might still be here peeing on our streets; they would just sell non-counterfeit junk. So from our perspective as residents, that wouldn’t necessarily improve much.
So there also has to be proper vending enforcement. I’m fine with more legit vendor licenses, but they have to follow the rules about places designated for vending. They can’t just set up anywhere in front of residential buildings or other businesses, or block up access to subways, or block pedestrians (not to mention wheelchairs, baby carriages, etc.).
Gothamist (which quotes this very Tribeca Citizen post as counterpoint) claims that there is a “slump” for the Canal Street vendors. What? This is the worst I have seen the situation in all these years.
If individual crooks are selling less, maybe that’s because they are competing with more crooks now.
The Gothamist article unfortunately neglects to condemn this criminality, and it doesn’t call out the buyers either who are of course the actual enablers and funders, and therefore accomplices, of organized crime networks.
Feel free to comment on the Gothamist article:
https://gothamist.com/news/canal-streets-vendors-describe-a-holiday-sales-slump-after-immigration-crackdown