Street Vendor Project

The summer before he started law school, Sean Basinski did what any sensible man who just quit his Wall Street job would do; He opened up a street cart and sold burritos on Manhattan's Park Avenue.

For Basinski, 36, it would be the start of a career made on the street, helping his fellow vendors. After graduating from Georgetown Law School, he founded the Street Vendor Project, an organization aimed to serve New York City's 10,000 street vendors.

Street vendors are a vital part of the city, said Basinski, who still serves as the organization's director.

"Vendors are good for the city," he said. "They liven up our sidewalks. That's where we live our lives."

According to Basinski, there are four distinct types of street vendors--food, merchandise, art, and unlicensed.

A number of challenges face street vendors throughout the city, including the difficulty in getting a permit. At one time, Basinski said there were more than 25,000 food vendors in New York. Now, the city has capped the number of licenses for push carts at 3,000.

The limited number of permits has created a black market, where vendors resell their $200 two-year licenses for upwards of $8,000.

Trying to be a licensed merchandise vendor is even more difficult, he said. The number of permits was capped at 853, and the wait list to get a permit has closed for 16 years.

Vendors who do not have permits are subject to fines and tickets from the New York Police Department, something that Basinski takes issue with.

“It’s a waste of police resources on people who just want to work,” he said.

Besides increasing the total number of permits, there are other ways to improve conditions for street vendors, Basinski said. Many neighborhoods also limit the streets where vendors can sell, putting some high traffic areas off limit.

As Basinski and his group members hit the street to talk with street vendors, they are seeking to make street vendors better aware of their rights.

In order to raise money and awareness, each year Street Vendor Project hosts the annual Vendy Awards, a gala event featuring the best in street cuisine. Patrons buy tax-deductible tickets to have food from five of the city’s most popular street vendors will compete to be named best food vendor in New York City. The popular event, now in its fourth year, will take place this weekend in Dumbo, Brooklyn.