Street Vendor Project

Six feet long, three feet wide

A standard fruit and vegetable cart in New York City is about six feet by three feet. That's not much public space to ask for. But even that can be too much for building owners who don't want vendors on the sidewalk. One technique that some building owners use is to place...

Behind closed doors

As we saw from the food truck proposal last week, the public are huge supporters of street vendors – if they are given a chance to weigh in. But vendors and their fans are typically excluded from the decision-making process. Here’s how it works: a powerful business group commissions an architecture...

Punishment not befitting the crime

Ever wonder what local politicians spend their time doing? One thing they seem to enjoy is thinking up new rules to punish street vendors! The latest idea, by Council Member Jessica Lappin (left, who btw represents the UES) would revoke the vending permits of food truck vendors who recieve more...

A street fair for street vendors

Last year, a couple SVP board members had an idea: let's do a street fair! We've got the vendors -- all we need is some space. So we got permission to close down Park Place near City Hall for one day. And next Friday, June 11th, it will happen. Instead of big corporations running the street...

Vendors swiping plastic

As SVP grows older and wiser, we're spending more of our time time helping vendors advance their business in a positive direction - instead of just fighting to get the city off our backs! One of our most recent ideas is to link our members up with credit card processing machines, so...

Making history in LA

SVP was honored to co-sponsor Contesting the Streets, the historic vending conference that took place at UCLA last weekend (photos here). It was many things at once: a stellar academic conference with fascinating speakers and presentations, a first-ever meeting/strategy session for vending organizations from around the country, all capped off by the first-ever LA Vendy Awards. SVP was...

How to celebrate a merger

SVP celebrated our merger with East Harlem's Esperanza del Barrio yesterday at the Sixth Street Community Center, and what better day than Cinco de Mayo. More than 100 friends and supporters showed up to feast on amazing food prepared by our members, salute mother earth with an Aztec dance troupe (left), and build...

Hail the heroes!

In case you haven't heard, NYC street vendor Lance Orton (left) and other vendors are being declared as heroes around the world for spotting the car bomb in Times Square yesterday and taking quick action to report it to the NYPD. Thank you, Lance, for your quick and selfless thinking. You are a hero...

SVP supports park artists

SVP made a strong showing at the street artist rally today in Chelsea, with more than two dozen SVP staff, interns, and members turning out. Outside (where the art vendors showed their creativity and strength) was more fun and empowering than inside the hearing, where the suit-and-tie set lied about congestion and "dangerous conditions."...