"A lot of people shifted over to the street”

On plazas, an interview with Manhattan's top prosecutor, and Jersey Club music

Issue #12

Back in 2013 the city moved to make the streets around the 103rd St. - Corona Plaza subway station a true plaza, closing the street off to traffic and adding furniture and community programming. David Byrne was there one cold November day to celebrate a $800,000 grant to improve this new pedestrian plaza.

Corona Plaza has changed dramatically since then. During COVID, the number of vendors hawking pupusas and micheladas and cell phone chargers tripled; people lost their jobs but they still had to work. As one longtime vendor told me for a story this week in THE CITY, “a lot of people shifted over to the street.”

The vendors began working on their own association before the pandemic, but the need became greater as more people set up shop. Organizers created a map of where the vendors go, and said their goal is to solve issues on their own and to avoid interaction with the police as much as possible. Most of the vendors are selling without a coveted permit, and many are undocumented, they said. 

But there have still been issues. Nearby shop owners and employees complain about the garbage, the rats, and that the plaza, which was meant for recreation, has now become more of a commercial hub. Last year a propane tank being stored under the 7 train exploded, injuring at least one person. “The reality of the plaza is that there are some serious quality-of-life issues,” an official working on the plaza’s plans said.

You can read more about it in THE CITY here.

LISTEN

One programming note: the FAQ podcast is now a part of THE CITY! And for the 212th episode, we interviewed 212’s district attorney, Alvin Bragg. He spoke about his infamous Day One memo, some controversial decisions, and how often he’s brought up by Long Island guy Lee Zeldin in the gubernatorial race. 

You can listen to it here. 

WATCH (and LISTEN)

I’ve been on a Jersey Club kick lately and enjoyed this short doc that takes a look at its roots and its rise.

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Roosevelt Avenue store cat keeping watch