Friday, December 27, 2013

Angry residents don't want this food cart on Avenue A and East 2nd Street



Some residents who live on Avenue A and East Second Street are unhappy about the recent arrival of a Halal cart. And there is a movement afoot to get the cart booted from the southeast corner of Avenue A and East Second Street.

Here's a flyer hanging in a nearby apartment building:



According to one resident: "Aside from blocking bike racks, garbage cans (upon seeing me photograph, the cook moved the garbage can further into the crosswalk (ILLEGAL), he has deposited grit and ashes from his grill on the sidewalk."




The resident also talked with the Halal employee about all this. "He simply stated that he knows the residents aren't happy but simply — talk to his boss."

Another couple took up the argument with the employee as well. "All the vendor said was, 'Tony likes our food. Do you know Tony?' Well, we don't know Tony and the block doesn't like your food truck blocking our sidewalks."

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

He should bring an umbrella. Someone might just dump a bucket of water on him and his cart from one of the apartments above.

OWR said...

Hmmm. Sounds like an East Village Lynch-Mob mentality. What happened to the "live and Let Live' ethos of the the progressive LES?

Anonymous said...

Why do people like the writer who is complaining live in NYC? They have the sensibility of a bland and intolerant suburbanites. What is worse, they want to shove their puritanical and boring, homognized, intolerant views on the rest of us. Why live in NYC, if you hate what makes NYC what it is?

I have news for this person. Among the reasons most of us moved to this neighborhood, and NYC in general, is precisely because we have things like halal food carts selling inexpensive and delicious meals at 3 AM. I suggest the writer move to Long Island, where they will likely find more kindred spirits. In the meantime, give this poor guy a break. He is just trying to make a living, and the vast majority of us support him.

And to the cart guy... If this holy nightmare of a complaining bire becomes too much of an ordeal. I suggest you move to the south west corner of 3rd street and 1st ave. There is a long empty wall on the east third street side perfect for a cart. There is great foot traffic on the way to the F Train. And I can guarantee that my neighbors will welcome you with open arms.

Anonymous said...

I live in the buliding and the generator noise disrupts my new born. The city law states he has to be 500 feet from Union Market and he breaks this rule everyday.

Anonymous said...

LET THE MAN EARN A LIVING!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This hyperallergenic, hypersensitive, complaining suburbanite, crybaby reminds me of the Julianne Moore character in Todd Hynes fabulous film "Safe"

Anonymous said...

I live near that corner and am not happy at all. The smell is horrible, the cook is rude and there is not enough space on that corner for the truck. Hopefully he moves to a more appropriate location soon!

Anonymous said...

Look, those generators are loud. In our canyons (aka: streets with masonry or concrete buildings), they reverberate like crazy. I don't live on that block, but I understand that complaint. Otoh, I also get that he needs to make a living and, frankly, it is impossible for anyone who's not massively bankrolled to get a storefront easily, especially in this neighborhood. Personally, I think I'd be trying to arrange that his food cart gets a nice, quiet alt-energy generator. There are ways to do this.

Anonymous said...

You people are such hypocrites is sickening.

Anonymous said...

THE GUY DOES NOT USE GLOVES!!!!! VERY UNSANITARY. THE SMELL ALONE FROM THIS TRUCK IS DISGUSTING!

Anonymous said...

I agree with this guy...he was already kicked out of the other corner for breaking city zoning laws...now, hes still breaking the law claiming management agreed. Funny, I just spoke to management and they are furious.

Anonymous said...

To those going against this writer...lets talk about preserving our city and devalueing it from trucks and corporations such as the 7-11s and Gap. LES is rich in character and has such individuality from the rest...lets maintain that while not permitting a domino affect of takeovers and name brands...thats the meaning of LES...a community fighting against those that wish to break the will of the people.

Anonymous said...

I thought the guy was on the NW corner, not the SE. I wouldn't touch his manufactured processed food unless I were starving on a desert island with no other food available.
Go for the 7/11 option and vote with your $$$ for better fare, such as Commodities, Whole Foods, etc.

Bill the libertarian

Anonymous said...

The original complaint has some valid points. The lunch trucks do block sidewalks, pollute from the generators, generate litter from the careless among the patrons, add noise, and are generally unsightly. Hygiene questions are another matter also, as the questions of running water and refrigeration in these carts and trucks is an issue. We have more than enough food options in the various storefronts. There is no need for food carts and food trucks in the neighborhood.

There is welcome noise and unwelcome noise; unfortunately no one seems to be able to agree on which is which. I welcome the "noise" of street musicians, the jazz band that practices next door, etc, but do not welcome the noise of unnecessarily loud sirens and motorcycles.

If we must have food carts, then they should at least park in the street, not on the sidewalk. Our sidewalks are narrow enough in the Village. Either that or let's widen the sidewalks substantially.

- East Villager

Anonymous said...

I want to see a Help Remove Emmpire Biscuits movement for devaluing hipsters. Or the Help Remove the Girls Mural for devaluing ... well Girls devalue everything.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to NYC NIMBYS

Uncle Waltie said...

The wonderful friends who lived in 20 Avenue A 35 years ago would have been delighted to have a food truck parked outside their house at night. Zoning Laws my a**. If you're bankrolled sufficiently, you simply buy your way around them. Stop trying to turn this area into the place you supposedly wanted to get away from.
Food trucks of all stripes have been a presence in this town forever. And if the generator noise is such a problem, why not invest a few bucks and buy the guy a quieter version. Consider it a capital investment in your "property value".
Whew, now I feel better.

Scooby said...

OH NO - NO GLOVES!!!! People - remember when you went to a deli and they didn't even own gloves? Amazing some of us have managed to live as long as we have growing up eating food made by people with bare hands! We must be scientific miracles of immunity. No gloves is not that big a deal - really.
I understand the noise issue as wellas the exhaust issue but this ain't the suburbs - if ya want silence perhaps consider relocating. We humans believe we must control our environment as opposed to adapt to it. Hmmmm - talk amongst yourselves...

Welcome To NYC said...

Everyone speaks on the core of NYC...well, the core resides in the late 70's, early 80s. Teamsters ran the city and gangs threatened and won in defense of their community. If everyone wants to say Welcome to NYC, then lets bring the intimidation and payouts back. Someone call Local 817 and Hells Angels...then we can get this guy out of here.
If you just enter a community, within 3 days get kicked out of one corner and disrupt another blantantly acknowledging that the community do not wish for you blocking their streets then let there be NYC then. Calling all 817 and Hells Angels

Anonymous said...

The neighbors' complaints aside, this doesn't seem like the best location for a food cart unless he is doing business well into the night when the party crowd is out and hungry. But this sounds more like a day operation, though? Is that right? If he could move near Astor Place he might make more money? How do their permits work? Is he allowed to work anywhere in the neighborhood or is he stuck working within a few block radius?

Anonymous said...

Dear Hipsters,

if this is really such a terror, we have a community board, go make your case there. posting your bitching and moaning won't do a thing for you.

Anonymous said...

NYC bylaws state that food vendors must be 500 ft from a market and 200 ft from a school. He's nearly 100 ft from a market hence why police told him to leave...whats he do? Move three paper machines elsewhere so he can squeeze in and position himself. Completely illegal. Tampering of city property. Cops are not following this closely regardless that he has a permit. Building owners have contacted city representatives to do something and are not happy although the cook tells pedestrians they owners welcome him.

Uncle Wally said...

UNCLE WALTER,
First you speak of being bankrolled, then you talk about buying a generator...nuff said. (THINK ABOUT IT)

Anonymous said...

While these folks are not necessarily pleased with the food cart outside their location could we in addition get the food truck/cart removed from the corner of east 11th st and first ave? In addition to the truck taking up space on the street they keep a Honda van parked their continuously that acts as their storage of provisions. I really enjoy the fact that these individuals have taken to taking over our streets and no one has been doing anything about it. How about in the case on east 11 they had actually parked a commercial vehicle in the street continuously overnight for a period of years without violation, when such an act is in opposition to the vehicle code.The ones getting paid today are the police and political entities helping to make our streets less safe and without the law of the people being administered. I hope Mr Deblasio intends doing a better job or in the words of George W. If he doesn't than I hope he hears From All of US!

Anonymous said...

take photos and videos....as a police officer told me, "with documentation they are forced to administer fines". enough fines and harassement they go.

Billsville said...

If only the Halal guy painted his food cart bright blue and rented out CitiBikes whle selling overpriced artisanal bacon and egg biscuits, I bet no one would be complaining then.

Uncle Waltie said...

Whenever I hear someone state "...'nuff said..." I suspect that they're not quite sure about the point they're making.

As far as the gloves are concerned: When the 2nd Avenue Deli was on 10th Street, I always was perplexed why the workers were wearing gloves. Everything they did was done with the (same) gloves on. Sweeping, wiping the cutting boards, handling money, making sandwiches etc. Why not just simply wash hands between different activities? Seems to me that bacteria would find those rather sticky rubber gloves a quite hospitable environment.

Anonymous said...

@ anon 5:31 PM
I thought the "hipsters" were the ones saying to leave the guy alone. Now I'm so confused. ohhhhh!!

@ Uncle Waltie
The gloves are to keep workers hands clean; what's wrong with you?!

Uncle Wally said...

Walter,
Food trucks have not been a presence in the LES "forever" as well as being wrong in the sense of classifying one neighborhood as one with wealth and prosperity. LES is a diverse neighborhood of addicts, students, middle to lower class workers and laborers. Perhaps i can offer you a map so you can frame it and place it on your upper west side penthouse.

Anonymous said...

Nothing like a faux-controversy and digital lynch mob to keep things interesting over the holidays. You people are ridiculous. It's a small food cart, not a cavernous IHOP. Skip the egg nog and pour yourself a tall glass of STFU tonight!

Uncle Waltie said...

Thanks for the offer, Uncle Wally. I stand erected.

Anonymous said...

At one end of the East Village we have anti chain store / pro local business activists and at the other we have people driving out the very local business the others are fighting for. What's wrong with you people?!?!?!

shmnyc said...

On Avenue A and 3rd Street is a cart that sells Tacos, which everyone seems to love, but a block away, a cart selling kebabs raises people's ire.
On the Facebook page of a neighborhood activist, I wrote "People in this area are neurotic". This is a perfect example of that.

DrGecko said...

@shmnyc - the taco truck isn't a block away, it's diagonally across the street (2nd St, not 3rd), on the NW corner, and there aren't any apartments right there, just a blank wall. Also the people in the taco truck are much nicer.

Fun fact: the Mexican workers at Union Market get their lunches at the taco truck.

Anonymous said...

shmnyc

Either you didn't read the article, or you really suck at playing "One of These Things is Not Like the Other".

shmnyc said...

DrGecko, Thanks. I realized right after I hit the Publish button that the taco truck was on 2nd St. Of course, this reinforces my point even more.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to make the point that food carts/trucks are NOT local businesses, but rather mostly outsiders who have no vested interest in the community. "Local Businesses" are run by people who support the community and will be around for years.

Unfortunately, the real estate cabal has made it next to impossible for small businesses to operate in local storefronts, and so you have food trucks, paying NO rent, probably little or no taxes (cash business) and have NO ties to the community, save for a greeting to a familiar face. I don't understand why this is all so difficult to understand.

Anonymous said...

Boo hoo, they had an attitude ....how weird is it that they were aggressive when you people Rudely approached them trying to take away their livelihoods with some Bullshit complaints. GROW UP

Anonymous said...

I don't know about anyone else, but I've never ever smelt a Halal food cart and thought anything other than 'that smells like a whole lot of delicious'. Methinks the NIMBYS are exaggerating or are just food wimps.

Anonymous said...

Whoever accosted these guys certainly doesn't speak for the whole building, but somehow decided he did. It's my understanding that food trucks in nyc are subject to considerable regulation by the city and are often slapped with sizeable fines for minor infractions. Anyone who opts to rent on the corner of Ave A and E. 2nd St. should accept the possibility of a food vendor setting-up nearby. As another poster stated, let these hard-working guys make a living. Also, I couldn't help but notice they are offering up mini portions to go with the regular size portions. Allahu akbar! I'm watching my waistline.

angela said...

"We move to the neighbourhood and change it, then we want it to stay this way, after we invaded and changed it." Tell that to the people you displaced. Tell that to the people who do not want to walk into the street when they pass a store selling hipster coffee or baked goods.
White people problems. If your baby cries from the noise, get a white noise generator. Whining will cover the noise as well.

Anonymous said...

I am a 30+ year resident of the EV so allow me to say that this situation is typical. It is a battle between those who would like to see our neighborhood be treated with respect and those would like to see our neighborhood stay the wild west that it was back in the 70's.

You say live and let live? Well the Halal vendor does not live here.

Walk the streets at 5 or 6 AM and you will see the filth and garbage left behind by the people that do not live in the neighborhood. They toss their trash anywhere they please. They toss their cookies up outside of every bar and club. They toss their respect for others out the window.

Vendors are licensed by the city. Go after the Halal's license by reporting violations and any illegal situations you see. The way to stop this problem is to make it financially unviable to them to continue to operate.