Brooklyn residents voice concerns over illegal vending and sanitation issues

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Longtime Brooklyn residents said they are fed up with illegal street vending on several stretches of busy roads in Borough Park and Bensonhurst.

Complaints range from unlicensed vendors using open flames to cook meat and fish on the Street to people selling trinkets, fruits, and vegetables left outside in the heat.

City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang held a town hall meeting Thursday afternoon so concerned residents could hear what the NYPD and the City Department of Sanitation are doing.

Zhuang's office said the areas with the most complaints in her district are Eighth Avenue between 61st and 48th Streets and 86th Street from 20th Avenue to 23rd Avenue.

There is also a long stretch of dumped garbage and household items on 61st Street from 10th Avenue to Eighth Avenue.

"It's just horrible. No one wants to live like this. I've seen shopkeepers selling fruit from their trucks because they're too lazy to take it out, selling stuff from the Street," Concetta Bologna, who attended the meeting, told PIX11 News.

"It's disgusting, I'm embarrassed, and that's sad when you're embarrassed with where you live," Charleen Grassi, who also came out to the Town Hall, said.

NYPD Deputy Inspector Eddie Lau told PIX11 News that the Department of Sanitation handles illegal street vending issues.

"Unless there's another illegal activity, such as selling marijuana or illegal weapons or anything of that sort, we will be there to enforce it and make arrests," he said.

Councilwoman Zhuang said she is working to create one area for all vendors to go.

"Kind of create an open street, people can go there safely, don't disrupt from business, don't make streets dirty," she said.

When asked if the City Council would make these busy avenues "no vending zones" like was done on the city's bridges, Zhuang said it's hard.

"For this area, it's very hard. I'll be honest with you because we have a lot of people pro-vendor. I'm trying," Zhuang said.

For the illegal dumping, PIX11's Eileen Lehpamer took a video of the garbage dumped on 61st Street and sent it to the city Department of Sanitation.

A spokesman wrote back, saying in part,

"We will investigate this stretch and have it cleaned. We would remind all New Yorkers that they have a legal and moral responsibility to put trash in its proper place. All New Yorkers deserve clean neighborhoods, and this is an area where we have significantly stepped up enforcement: In 2023, DSNY enforcement of core cleanliness rules was up 60% compared to 2022. We take this very seriously."

The Department of Sanitation said any New Yorker who sees excessive litter or illegal dumping should call 311 so that we can respond and have the area cleaned.