Permission to Sell

STORY BY AMIYAH LOUIS + NYLAH MYERS + JODY ANN THOMAS

RESEARCH TEAM: MAYA SANCHEZ + DANIEL ORTEGA + PAOLA SOTO

PHOTOS BY FAHIM REZA + ANDREA ORTEGA

Published Jun 2023

On 149th and 3rd Ave. in the South Bronx, locally called “The Hub”, you can find many stores and restaurants, but the coco, mango and cherry icee, and the 4 for $3 churros sold by street vendors is what holds the essence of The Hub. Yet the conditions that these vendors go through are more than meets the eye. Remedios Martinez, who is one of the many vendors on 3rd Avenue, sells produce. She gave us deep insight into the sacrifices of street vendors, such as the constant battles trying to obtain a license, a green cart permit, and the long working hours throughout the year. Martinez is from Oaxaca, Mexico. From a young age she started selling fruit on her own, because of family issues. Eventually, she decided to move to the United States to explore better job opportunities. “I’m happy to be able to work and still be healthy,” said Martinez, when speaking about her transition from selling fruit in Mexico to working in the South Bronx. She works Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 7 PM. She enjoys meeting new people on the job and is very passionate about selling her produce.

Street vendors come from all backgrounds and cultures. For many of those we interviewed, working as a street vendor gives them the opportunity to meet and connect with different people in the community. It gives them the freedom of flexible working hours and of being their own boss. To be a street vendor in New York City, one needs to obtain a Green Cart permit and a license to work. For some street vendors, the difficulty in obtaining a permit, or the lack of a license, can cause many issues, including fines. At times, Sanitation Dept. workers even confiscate their stall items and the vendors lose all their produce. Yet, according to a representative of the NYC Department of Sanitation, “our involvement with street vending enforcement is only focused on cleanliness, street accessibility, and quality of life.” Martinez has a license but not the Green Cart permit. This is one of the biggest issues for street vendors because the Department of Sanitation isn’t giving out the permits on a regular basis. 

According to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Sanitation gives out 350 permits to vendors in the Bronx. Through our investigation covering 149th Street from Courtlandt Ave to Brooke Ave, we found that there are an estimated 48 vendors in the Hub alone–and this would indicate there probably aren’t nearly enough vendor permits for 50 neighborhoods in the Bronx. “As a street vendor you need to show your fierceness and not let anyone try to take advantage of you,” said Martinez. She said that “vendors have to be wary of their surroundings. Especially in a high crime area like the South Bronx, vendors need to stand their own ground against those who wish to do harm to them and their belongings.” She added that she’s had to stay vigilant when selling her fruits, as people can become aggressive or attempt to steal her fruits. According to the Street Vendor Project, affiliated with the Urban Justice Center, street vendors are “small business people struggling to make ends meet. Most are immigrants and people of color. They work long hours under harsh conditions, asking for nothing more than a chance to sell their goods on the public sidewalk.” The Street Vendor Project’s work and our own investigations indicate that the work and contributions of street vendors needs greater public recognition. “I have enough with this money that I earn, as God has given it.” said Remedios Martinez.