Exactly. At least weed use should be banned from public places. Non-smokers should not be forced to inhale that pollution. — Marcus on Ukrainian gallery for “cannabis enthusiasts” coming to Reade

I've called 311, 911, the so-called counterfeit hot line, spoken with numerous police officers, written to the mayor, written to city council, etc. All of those multiple times. In all cases, I either get a "noted" response, no response, or a "we are doing all we can". Police tell me all they can do is write a "summons". Obviously that has zero effect. They say if they tell the sellers to pack up, the sellers just set up on the next block. Truly a joke. — Marcus on Seen & Heard: Canal Street vendors busted

The sellers are back. I walk through these areas multiple times a week and have not noticed any thinning of the bazaar. In fact, it has spread. It's all the way down Canal from Broadway past the gym. For a while the bazaar was all around 401 Broadway also, even starting to stretch down Walker Street, but in recent months, 401 has somehow managed to enforce that perimeter. It looked like they had a guard for a while. Haven't seen a guard recently, but they somehow allow one lone weed seller with a tiny table, but nothing else. How does 401 accomplish this? Whatever methods they use, why don't other businesses on the counterfit strip do the same: Chase bank, Champion Parking, the "Inter" building. (I'd like to bring family to the "Inter" exhibit, but don't want to have to fight through the crowd of counterfeiters to get to it...so shouldn't they be concerned they are losing business? I also avoid that Chase bank now, which is the one we used to use.) Does anyone know how 401 does it? Then again, the solution is not just to displace the bazaar to the next building; it's to eradicate it. Those methods can include programs to transition these sellers to operating or working with legitimate businesses. — Marcus on Seen & Heard: Canal Street vendors busted

The busts are so rare as to be useless. if there were a will to eradicate this scourge, it would be gone. That requires repeated busts, probably daily as needed, and real penalties, not a "summons" which is ignored. There are numerous laws broken here daily by this "market": - businesses occupying a public place without a license - obstruction of sidewalks and building entrances - selling of counterfeit goods - buying of counterfeits goods - littering - public urination - presumably tax evasion (sales tax, income tax) Furthermore, such "business" fuels organized crime, and has even been linked to funding terrorism. Clearly the law has no "teeth" here to do anything. The lack of any concern by the powers that be makes a joke of the law. — Marcus on Seen & Heard: Canal Street vendors busted

I'm curious, if I were to call 311 or even 911 to say there were people on my street illegally selling fake merchandise (and sometimes drugs) what would they do? Has anyone here ever called? If I was a store owner, I would be making that call daily. — Randy on Seen & Heard: Canal Street vendors busted

Marantz is such an iconic brand! — John H on Seen & Heard: Revolving retail on Church?

Are you serious? Yet another weed shop! WHERE CAN WE COMPLAIN!!! This will be total of 5 within the same block. — Sandra on Ukrainian gallery for “cannabis enthusiasts” coming to Reade

Oh brother! Sympathy lease. — NY’r on Ukrainian gallery for “cannabis enthusiasts” coming to Reade

On Saturday (the 8th) the sidewalks on Canal and up and down the corners of the cross streets all the way from Church to Broadway were so jammed with merchandise, including a big glass jar of cannabis, that there was hardly any room to actually walk. Some weeks ago, experiencing the same thing, I told the cops in a nearby car waiting at a red light about the cannabis and the said "Yes, we are aware of it." So?? — George Bacon on Seen & Heard: Canal Street vendors busted

I guess we don’t yet know all the details, but most reports are consistent in saying that there’s a toll for driving from the congestion zone on to the FDR or the West Side Highway and vice versa. And that residents of the zone are not exempt. Assuming that’s correct, won’t that increase rather than decrease traffic within the congestion zone? For example, if you live and keep a car in Tribeca (or any other area in the zone) and need to get up to Columbia Presbyterian, for example, won’t you be incentivized to use local streets rather than the WSH to avoid the tolls? How does that reduce congestion? Assuming that the goal is to reduce congestion, then what behavior is supposed to be influenced by this? Is someone who comes into the city to go to a museum from LI or NJ once in a while really likely to take a bus or train just to save $30? They’d probably need to take a cab from the train or bus station anyway to get to their destination, right? So what congestion is being reduced? If this is really just a way to raise $$ for the subway system, then I’m sure there are more rational ways to do that, no? Like putting tolls on the bridges that are not currently tolled? Or increasing the NYS subsidy? — SW on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

Politicians make a big noise about the environment and the air pollution in this city and ban cars from many area. Yet, every block in every borough has at least 2 smoke shops so that wherever people walk, they have to breathe in pot smoke. Real healthy for people. I read there are only about 15 legal smoke shops or places where people can have their own pot parties. How is this place legal? — Sara Ross on Ukrainian gallery for “cannabis enthusiasts” coming to Reade

Congestion pricing is just another way the city is putting their hands in everybody's pockets to put in their own pockets. Subway fares go up, tolls go up, muni meters (in some areas have a 15 minute maximum parking time) and on and on. The roads are in horrible condition so where are the millions (if not billions) of dollars that are made from all of these charges, not to mention from parking violations, going? People are coming back after the ghost town effect of Covid. I bet that people who have city, state or federal permits for their cars won't have to pay a dime. Too bad bicyclists can't be charged and can go wherever they want and not even pay for parking or for breaking traffic laws. — Sara Ross on In the News: A record closing on Vestry

The counterfeit bazaar situation is worse than ever. They are also expanding. This lawlessness is not only shameful but also menacing. Clearly the city deliberately turns a blind eye, but why? No politician in the past decades since Bloomberg ever came forward to address the problem, what are we missing? Does it really go all the way to the top of City Hall? Has Eric Adams, the mayor of law and order ever mention the glaring crime scene on Canal/ Broadway? I always wonder why they occupy the sidewalk mainly on the westside of Broadway as if that’s the agreement with the city? Looks like this and outdoor dining are never going away. — R. on Seen & Heard: Canal Street vendors busted

NYC residents should be exempt. As residents we now pay more in taxes than any other part of the country. This is double dipping -and cruel and unusual punishment! — Steven Levkoff on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

Why has no one pointed out that most of the traffic in Manhattan are Ubers? Check the license plates on all the cars driving around they all have a T. I think we were much better off when we had taxis that had to purchase a medallion. It kept things in check. Now it’s a free-for-all if you have a car and you need extra money come on in. — Kit Kat on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

There are many quality of life improvements that I want to remind folks of, that have not been getting a mention. A great benefit to local residents will be air quality improvement from reduced traffic, especially idling from diesel delivery and trash trucks. The particulate matter (PM) that comes from traffic is measurable and extremely harmful to residents, especially the young, elderly and those with health issues. Just because you cannot always see the traffic air pollution in the same way that you can with wildfire smoke, it is still dangerous. It will also reduce noise from traffic (honking, etc.) and improve pedestrian and cyclist safety if traffic can be reduced. These are all tangible benefits for residents or workers in the CBD of all income levels. — Deep Breath on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

Yes, but it's not only the rich being taxed. What about all of us who take Ubers or taxis, because it's too dangerous to take public transportation? — Lisa Modica on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

If you live in Manhattan below 60th street and have a car you’re not middle class. — Cd on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

sounds great, marijuana and ukraine!!! ❤️ — alan kaminsky on Ukrainian gallery for “cannabis enthusiasts” coming to Reade

Why are Manhattan residents going to be charged to go to and from their homes? We have the right just like every other NYC resident to own a car and not be subjected to pay a fee to drive it home. I hope there will be a class action suit to oppose this biased money grab that will only hurt the middle class residents of the city who should be exempt from this fee. — K on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

We are at a point where it's time to prioritize and properly fund public transit. In Tribeca I see cars priced north of 50k parked on the street. I think its ok to charge a toll to allocate the true cost of transit. And use of public space. People will complain. But if you move cause you drive then you're taking your traffic to the next location. — Patrick Valentino on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

For the complainers... You wanted to "tax the rich," well you got it! — Zach on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

Just checked out their yelp reviews for their LI location. Lots of negative ones and while I always take yelp with a. Grain of salt, most are complaining about the lack of price transparency, which also solidify with their lack of pricing on their website. This just sounds more like a party/club restaurant than one fit for the locals. — Gar on New restaurant coming to The Palm space

You will be charged when you leave the city on Friday and when you return on Sunday. — Tribeca Citizen on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle

I believe so, yes, you will go through a detection point when you make the left at 56th off the highway. — Tribeca Citizen on The Latest: Congestion pricing clears another hurdle