New York Cutting Down on Street Art Vendors: Why Decrease the Good and Not the Bad or Ugly?

By LAUREN DAGGETT
July 15, 2011

This vendor selling art on Columbus Circle would be affected by a proposal to cut art vendors by 75 percent. (Luke Cusumano/The Observer)

Published: May 5, 2010

Upon my first visit to New York, I was enchanted by the fact that you could buy just about anything off the streets. I can remember the shock in my mother’s voice when she learned that my daily breakfast was courtesy of a man on the street behind a push-cart. Of course, street vendors are a signature part of what makes New York New York, providing everything from food to clothing and beyond. Now, however, the Department of Parks and Recreation is debating cutting the number of street art vendors by 75 percent. It seems to me that of all the solicitors in New York, art vendors seem to be the least annoying, so why is the city so anxious to get them out of the parks?

New York is made up of people who come to appreciate a wide range of art and culture, making the art in the MoMa just as important as the art in Central Park. While some may fill their Saturday afternoons perusing the Picassos, others plunge deeply into the deals in Union Square. It is truly unfair and entirely elitist to regard street art as less important than any other art in the city. If we allow the city to get rid of street art vendors, who will be next? Hot dog vendors?

I can think of numerous friends who have decorated their apartments with art from street vendors, along with numerous friends who have come to New York and had their caricature drawn by a street artist. What I can’t think of is ever hearing anyone complaining about street art vendors being annoying or about how there are too many street art vendors in New York. I’ve never been haggled by an art vendor the way I am by other street solicitors in New York. Think of the many people who come illegally through the trains on a daily basis disturbing riders. When was the last time you walked through Canal street without someone whispering “Guccipradafendilouis” as you passed? It seems to me that street art vendors are some of the more tranquil street salesmen and aren’t bothering anyone. Furthermore, many of the people who sell art on the streets make their entire livelihoods off of that money, and as tough as the economy is right now, it is senseless to put 75 percent of street art vendors out of work for no good reason. Of course there are some annoying things about New York that need to be taken care of, but street art is not one of them. That being said, I’ve come up with the top 10 things that Mayor Bloomberg can remove from New York:

1. The mariachi trio that comes on the 1 train early on Saturday mornings and startles me while I’m trying to read a book.
2. Those annoying people in Times Square who always try to sell you comedy show tickets without warning you about the two-drink minimum.
3. The people who walk around with signs claiming that the end is near.
4. Those bicycle taxi people who speed through crowded streets and almost kill everyone they come in contact with.
5. Tourists who go to restaurants and don’t tip.
6. The fee they charge to go to the beach.
7. Lil Mama.
8. Visitors from the Jersey Shore.
9. The crazy people in the apartment next to me who play reggaeton until six in the morning.
10. People who take up more than one seat on the train.

This list could go on and on, but in the end, when I think about the things that annoy me about New York, street art vendors definitely aren’t one of them, so let’s just leave them alone.