The NYC Street Vendor Project Spreads Overseas

Could you imagine leaving the luxuries of New York City - its useful subway system, designer boutiques, and Grande mocha lattes - for a place where about only 0.4 percent of the population has indoor plumbing? Well, one New Yorker can. And this January, Fulbright award recipient Sean Basinski will travel alone to Lagos, Nigera - all for the sake of street vendors.

In 2001, this 36-year-old University of Pennsylvania graduate established the New York City Street Vendor Project - located right on William Street - to act as a collective voice for street vendors. "If street vendors are strong and organized, there's no saying what we can do," Basinski said in an informal New York University journalism class interview.

And now, he's taking that mentality overseas to Lagos, the sixth largest city in the world, with a population of 8 million, according to a 2006 Nigerian census. Basinski, who has spent one year in Africa before, will now remain there for six months, where just plans to "spend a lot of time talking to vendors in the streets and the markets." He said he aims to discover what street vendors in Lagos and New York can learn from one another. Basinski will study vendor laws and the lack of street vendor organization in the country, he said. He also suggested he might make a short film based on his experiences.

"I'm sure I'll have a lot of new ideas and I'm sure I'll see things differently," he said, "I think it's going to be thrilling."

But before he goes, Basinski has to find and train someone to manage the Street Vendor Project in his place. The project primarily educates NYC street vendors about restrictions and regulations. Some violations, like setting up to close to a building entrance, can result in $50 tickets. With each ticket handed out, the fine can escalate to $1000 or more.

Some Community Board One members, like John Fratta, call for even more police enforcement against vendors. Fratta asked for increased NYPD enforcement on Fulton Street, according to the minutes of a July 2008 Community Board One meeting. Basinski, on the other hand, thinks police education about vendors is the greater need. His other goals include opening license lists, opening more streets to vending and reducing fees, Basinski said.

Trips out of the country and possible movie plans make Basinski's job seem almost easy. Yet, he faces challenges in dispelling community myths about vending and in getting vendors to support each other by attending meetings. "They are struggling to get by and... they have no reason to believe that what we are doing can actually achieve change," he said in a follow up e-mail interview.

From Street Vending to Poetry

Would you like to get $100 just to stand outside with a street vendor for one day?

That's what one native New Yorker did when his friend offered him $100 just to keep him company at his vending table. When Tony, who was strapped for cash, realized that his friend earned almost $4,500 a day on Fifth Avenue, he decided to try vending for himself on Fulton Street, between Broadway and Nassau Street.

Tony, a 42-year old military veteran, has been vending "on and off for about 10 years" and tries to fight the economic recession with street vending and poetry. Although he's never performed in public, Tony said he's considered using his poetry to get customers. Maybe you've joked with him before, or haggled with him over the jewelry and shawls he sells on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Vending is a step up for Tony, although it isn't exactly his childhood dream of being a police officer. After his military service from 1985 to 1988, Tony's life spiraled into depression and drug addiction. He lived on the streets, under bridges and in subway cars. Although he felt that he had lost everything, Tony began to turn his life around.

"It took a long time to get my mind right," he said, "I tried different programs, but then I realized it wasn't the programs; it was really what was going on within myself."

That's what he turned to poetry, which he recites with a fast and steady rhyming beat. Tony's poems focus on his past struggles, as well as his feelings of revival and rebirth. "I believe each word serves a purpose," Tony said of his own writing.

Soon, Tony said he will start attending poetry readings and use his talent to make more money to keep food on the table. Until then, he plans to rely on vending to support his girlfriend, daughter and granddaughter. Faced with the upcoming winter and economic downtown, Tony plans to switch his wares over to gloves and hats, as well as offer his customers a discount - the "recession special."

November Events

Now that Halloween's over, the next big thing to look forward to is Thanksgiving, right?
Well, let me fill you in on some neighborhood events to hold you over until then.
(I've organized them by date so you can easily check out the days you're available):

Click here for a full calendar of Community Board One meetings.

Nov. 14, Nov. 15 and Nov. 16: Dance New Amsterdam presents
Bicipital Groove or Echo My Instincts, which "explores changing roles in the dance community."

Nov. 15:
-If you want to be pampered (for $25), check out Trinity Church's Spa For the Soul.
-If you'd rather spend your money on something else, the Panoramasian Dance Project will
perform at Pace University at 7:30 pm ($25 public, $22 students, Pace students free).

Nov. 21:
-Like free events? Well today you've got two, and they're both in the same place! At the
Park Row J & R Music World store, you can get autographs from Brian Wilson (12 noon)
and Twisted Sister (5:30 pm).
-Another event to attend without spending money: Understanding Blogs for Business.

Nov. 22:
-Design your own Thanksgiving Day card! And explore the South Street Seaport Museum's
19th century print shop (12 pm, 211 Water Street).
-The New York City Police Museum offers a free safe teen driving course (12 noon)

Nov. 27:
-Not sure what to do before eating that big, much-anticipated Thanksgiving meal?
Trinity Church sponsors an organ recital and demonstration by Isabelle Demers.

If you know of any other events, feel free to share them!

Shop the Vote

Just hours before the 2008 presidential election, one Brookstone employee remains undecided, not only on which candidate to vote for, but whether to vote at all. He even considered writing Hillary on the ballot. Out of the 10 Civic Center workers and shoppers that I spoke to on Tuesday afternoon, De Yuan was one of only two people without a strong argument for either candidate. The other, Pete LaBrock, doesn't think either is qualified for the position.

Yet, both men could sense the Obama buzz in Lower Manhattan's political core. Along with six others, Yuan and LaBrock predicted an Obama victory tonight.

"I see people every day campaigning for Obama, but I don't see a lot for McCain," said Lana Grolikova, a Century Dental worker. These campaigners, mostly college students rallying behind Obama's plans for change, will be the deciding factor in the election, said Diane Allison, who works at the Christian Reading Room. But it's not just young people who favor Obama. Six business owners and employees I spoke to said that Obama will help bring customers back to stores currently suffering from the fallen economy.

"I think people will get excited about change and they will start spending more," said Sleepy's employee Tanya James, after giving me several other reasons to support Obama. Also, Obama's economic policies will generate tourism, which will help raise the value of the dollar, said John D., who works at Renaissance Jewelers II on Broadway. The mood in the store was tense this afternoon, with two of the employees arguing for McCain and John D. holding his ground in support of Obama.

But even Manager Rick Jude, a McCain fan, admitted that Obama would help the economy, albeit with reserve: "With Obama, we'll have a better economy. With McCain, we would have less money but much more national security."

The third Reconnaissance Jewelers II employee, Charisse S., remained firm in her strong support for McCain: "That Joe the Plumber is close to the heart."

None of these arguments helped to sway Yuan, still undecided, who continued to weight the options as I left the Brookstone store.

"One candidate has a bad track record, and one has no track record," Yuan said.

(Sign in front of Chambers Street polling station)