Jackson Heights Life

thanks for a civilized and thought out reply.

i don't imagine we will find a place of agreement here, but that's the way things sometimes go. i've eaten at street vendors for at least 40 years (i'm 43 and my mom got me hooked on them) and as a life long inner city resident, i've always found that the best stuff and the best service comes from individual proprietors/carts/guys selling services on their own. but i digress.

moving to a side street is a potential compromise, and not that inconvenient since these are mobile operations, but losing them altogether would be awful. and in terms of litter? i see candy wrappers, chip bags, condoms, mcdonalds stuff and gum way more often than i see corn husks, radish pieces, onions or other evidence of cart effluvia. maybe i am cursed with selective eyesight.

thanks again for keeping this talk on topic

I felt that some of the posts in this thread were attacking newer residents of the historic district unfairly by siting them as the root cause for Ms. Sears' position on this issue.

Whether or not this is what people intended, I think it is exactly backwards.  Ms. Sears doesn't have any interest in representing newer residents of the neighborhood.  She won't even meet with us.  She represents a much older demographic, the people who inevitably tell me in hushed tones and with a knowing look that "the neighborhood has changed."  These are the people she is appealing to with her war on food carts.

she probably knows the bill won't pass, but put it in to appease her voters.

I've lived in JH for over 20 years and have never eaten from the food carts (where "DO" these guys wash their hands). When I first moved here over 20 years ago, there weren't many at all. In fact the proliferation of these vendors is a rather new phenomena, true New Yorkers cashing in on the "ethnic" vibe of the neighborhood. I am, however, especially opposed to them being placed on 37th Ave. The sidewalks are too narrow and crowded as it is. Several stores who illegally place their merchandise outside add to the conjestion and chaos. There should  be a limited number allowed and they should be restricted to a specific area. They should regularly be inspected by the Dept Of Health as well. At the end of the day, I think Helen Sears should be doing more about the guys selling Chicas, Chicas and Social, Social on Roosevelt ave.

Conversely not all newer residents (like myself) are in full support of the street vendors.

I would personally prefer that they be reduced in number.

The veiled insinuation that an objection to these vendors is racially-based is a pretty ridiculous dodge around the real issues brought up further up in the thread.

This topic has been discussed here recently:

http://www.jacksonheightslife.com/community/index.php?topic=2907.0

Many, many food cart lovers in JH.  And just browse Chowhound.com to see how many people come to JH and surrounding neighborhoods to explore the culinary wonderland of the carts!  I had the squash blossom quesadilla from the cart in front of Coral Aquarium on Roosevelt Ave last weekend after being out of town for 10 days...delicious!

More on the protest outside Helen Sears' office due to her stance against Jackson Heights vendors.

From The New York Daily News:

Her hard-sell stance riling boro vendors