The number of Midtown food vendors should be minimized, say local business owners

Midtown business owners say street vendors — the ubiquitous halal carts and hot dog purveyors that are arguably quintessentially New York — are actually terrible neighbors, DNAinfo reported.

The 34th Street Partnership, a privately run Business Improvement District, has launched a campaign to limit the number of carts for whom licenses are granted, saying that the street vendors clutter the streets and litter. The non-profit partnership has appealed to Community Board 5 and contacted city officials, DNAinfo said.

“The problem is really simple: the food vendors, with about five exceptions, are the ugliest collection of miserable-looking vehicles we’ve ever seen,” said Dan Biederman, the head of the Partnership and of the Bryant Park Corporation, another BID. [DNAinfo]