City Hall: Street Vendor's Paradise

City Hall's fairly constant stream of foot traffic make it an ideal location for street vendors. Metallic carts, green news stands and cluttered tables dot the sidewalks surround the building.

They sell fruit salads, shish kebobs and, in light of the Flyer's Stanley Cup run, t-shirts and other orange-and-black paraphernalia.

Abdul Rashied and his associates, with their table located just across from TUCC, have been selling books for about 4 years.

"We love doing it. We love everything about it," he said as he set up his merchandise for the day.

Generating enough business to "pay the bills," as he put it, Rashied's table is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., though it's not always in the same location.

The recent bomb scare in Times Square, in which a street vendor alerted a police office to a suspicious vehicle, has served to increase Rashied's awareness of his own surroundings.

"[We're] out here for our customer's safety," he said.

Rashied and his vending peers are often the eyes and ears of the streets and, in a location as important as City Hall, it can't hurt to have them on the lookout.


By Michelle Welk and Manuel Agurto, Group 20, City Hall