View from Singer Building, New York October 8th 2009
These are views of Prince Street, just off Broadway and walking around the area what caught my attention were the street vendors. For one thing, they've tripled in number since I was here last year - many of whom are vets who receive their licenses for a discount or even free from the city. Other vendors have licenses based on how many years they've been in a spot but have to pay a significant amount according to a jewellery maker/seller I spoke with.
More interesting is the byplay between the formal and the informal economy here in the streets of New York City where the boundary lines seem to blur across the pavement between the little vending stands and tables and the shiny shop windows that line the walkway.
Another thing that's changed since last year is the proliferation of private ATMs or cash machines every few meters in the whole neighbourhood - where Chinatown meets little Italy. These tend to charge very high fees, upto $3 a transaction and seem to have been installed by local businesses, perhaps as a way to add to their income stream.
Lastly what caught my attention were the electric bicycles and mopeds parked around the area. Stu pointed out the new cycle lanes - you can see them painted in green up above. It seems to me these are weak but informative signals of the changing conditions in this urban landscape.
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