High Rent District Hot Dogs

In the NY Papers today a story of a gentleman who has been tossed off his rented space at the foot of the
Metropolitan Museum of Arts steps--------it would appear that he is a little behind in his rent which is
$675, 000 a year. 
 
The man has to sell a lot of dogs to cover the over head @ 7 days a week it is almost $ 2000 a day before he pays the food supplier etc.  It's a dog-gone shame !!!!

That's a lot of Monet'

Monet----wow Joe ---Now your either showing off or can't spell.  I go for the
fact you are a high class, world class, classie guy and scholar. 

I though the Metropolitan was where Pavarotti sang to a 300 LB soprano type babe about carrying her off and being happy forever.  Because the song was in some foreign language I missed the part about needing a dump truck.

53k a month, and there's a vendor on the otherside , that's there rent free, he's a Vet.
 
alot of everything ......................................

the ancient mariner

I though the Metropolitan was where Pavarotti sang to a 300 LB soprano type babe about carrying her off and being happy forever. 

That was the Metropolitan Opera House, not the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
 
Well, this story hit the AP Odd News Wire. I remember the original story in the NY Post when the concession was announced:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01072009/news/regionalnews/hot_dog_ide_dish_149016.htm
 
The NY Daily News ran two stories about this eviction:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/08/08/2009-08-08_hot_dog_heartache.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/09/2009-08-09_hot_dog_vendor_booted_by_met_lands_new_gig.html
 
The Daily News reported that the hot dog vendor formed a corporation.  That goes into Chapter 7. The Parks Department also did not specify how much money they actually collected from the vendor. But if the vendor is $310,000 in arrears, it sounds like he paid little of the total rent bill. The Daily News quotes one of the cart workers as saying a cart would only bring in $1,000 to $1,500 a day in sales, less than the rent alone. In the January Post article, the Parks Commissioner was gushing about the high bid amounts the auction brought in. He now looks foolish.

David I know the difference, but I don't know if Joe does.  he is from the boonies---But he got Monet right, so he may know the difference.  I gonna give him the benefit of the doubt---or else he may come break my legs. 

Just for your info---I was going to the old Met when I was a teen.  Long before Lincoln Center.  There was standing room back then, and Sat afternoon matinees.  I also visited the Museum of Art many times, and have done work in many of the buildings across the street-------I even went to vaudeville on 42nd St.

the ancient mariner


David I know the difference, but I don't know if Joe does.  he is from the boonies---But he got Monet right, so he may know the difference.  I gonna give him the benefit of the doubt---or else he may come break my legs. 

Just for your info---I was going to the old Met when I was a teen.  Long before Lincoln Center.  There was standing room back then, and Sat afternoon matinees.  I also visited the Museum of Art many times, and have done work in many of the buildings across the street-------I even went to vaudeville on 42nd St.

Zio Mariner, I think I've been hanging around you too long.    What else were you doing on 42nd Street back then?  BTW, Is Vaudeville a restaurant?

The musuem is at 82nd St and Fifth Avenue. If you walk over three blocks to 3rd Avenue and up to 86th Street and can enjoy franks at Papaya King.

Madison
Park
Lexington
Third

Four blocks.

Franks are better and the rent is probably cheaper on 3rd, also.

Seems like after spending a day with Monet and his peers a hot dog is not
appropriate ------ some sushi, or some pate', maybe quiche,  something with hushed tones and soft music.

Hot dogs go better at Yankee Stadium, or Madison Square Garden.   
"Kill the ump, that blind ............." 

The story made the "Early Today" NBC News at 4:30 AM this morning. Since it was surrounded by the helicopter/plane collision "highlights", and the previews of the Today Show schedule, I almost missed it.

Somehow I don't think this a "typical" cart operation (nationwide!)

MiamiDon


Madison
Park
Lexington
Third

Four blocks.

 
Those are avenues, not blocks.  

When ya live in the NY area the space between an avenue or a street or anything else is a block.

I yusta live up the block from my friend Fat Al Rosen and he lived round the corner from my other friend Sal The Hat Marino.  Sal lived 2 blocks from Maureen who we all had a crush on.  So Avenue, or Street, or Court, or Boulevard everything was measured in blocks.  Ya see what I mean ?????

the ancient mariner


When ya live in the NY area the space between an avenue or a street or anything else is a block.

With all due respect, that just isn't true, not when referring to Manhattan.  A block is a block- and there are 20 of them to a mile.  Everyone knows that and everyone knows how long it takes to walk one (generally, about a minute per block).  Walking across avenues takes (generally) twice as long, and must be factored into the equation when considering how long it will take to walk somewhere- be it for a better hot dog or to the new Schnitzel Truck. 
 
Of course, below Canal, all bets are off. 

I'm with the ancient one here. Pigiron is right that in Manhattan a block is a certain distance when going up or down town, and distance between streets when going cross town is usually much longer, but everyone I have ever know still just calls them "blocks" whether going up, down, or across. 

Even in Brooklyn we had blocks and when we moved to Queens we had blocks there too.  And there were no measurements involved.  Our Block was long, but the one between Bedford Ave and Rogers was not so long.  It was just a short block-----

---------and below Canal there are a lot of short blocks.  There are 8 million stories
 in the Naked City and this is just one of them.

the ancient mariner


Even in Brooklyn we had blocks and when we moved to Queens we had blocks there too.  And there were no measurements involved.  Our Block was long, but the one between Bedford Ave and Rogers was not so long.  It was just a short block-----

 

Especially up by Atlantic Ave...on some of those streets you could lie down and stretch out the entire length of the block!

Hey Tony I understand they want to build a Brooklyn version of Madison Square Garden on Atlantic where it meets Flatbush------the old LIRR Station and train yards---just like over Penn Station.  What do you think----would it be a winner ?  

And who wants to bid on the hot dog vendors spot on the corner ????

the ancient mariner


Hey Tony I understand they want to build a Brooklyn version of Madison Square Garden on Atlantic where it meets Flatbush------the old LIRR Station and train yards---just like over Penn Station.  What do you think----would it be a winner ?  

And who wants to bid on the hot dog vendors spot on the corner ????

The neighborhood could use a boost, but not sure if this is it. It seems like the project has been getting scaled back since its inception, and now, with the economy in the hopper, it is shrinking even more. There have also been a lot of fights about "saving" the area from such development that have further delayed things. Do those "saviors" ever travel a few blocks east of the area and see what they are saving? I keep wondering when they will just give up on the whole matter.

I believe I read somewhere on RF that there was supposed to be a tour of these high end food carts in The Big Apple.  Was it Queens to be specific?
 
I hope it's not Brooklyn, I hear there's a lot of tough guys from there. 

joerogo


I believe I read somewhere on RF that there was supposed to be a tour of these high end food carts in The Big Apple.  Was it Queens to be specific?
 
I hope it's not Brooklyn, I hear there's a lot of tough guys from there. 

The carts aren't high end...just their rent.

There was supposed to be a tour of some sort. Probably some lazy bum was organizing it and just didn't get to it.

Hey Youse guys jus cause u ain't from Brook-a-lean don't mean ya can say nasty
things about us guys what are.  Ya gotta give us respect if ya no what I mean.

I wonder who the lazy bum is/was Tony.

While the rubes from the other side of the Hudson are visiting the high rent carts someone would probably sell someone from Pa the Bridge Too Far. 

I was on the Upper East Side about 3:30 PM, so I thought I would see what fine dining choices were available in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were six vendor carts there, five of which had signs indicating they were owned by veterans. I don't know how many carts were there Tuesday a week ago, but I always remember more than two when driving by. All had a steady flow of customers today. There was one Halal food cart, one "Shangrila Express" cart, and four generic NYC hot dog carts.

I took a look at the City of New York's web site. Apparently these are sealed competitive bids with no review.  High bidder gets it. I found a few other awards much more reasonable. All the high bidders were corporations, with an address that of a private house or apartment. One recent award went to a corporation  for Central Park at 96th Street. The five year rent schedule is Year 1, $18K (for only a partial year), Year 2, $39K, Year 3, $41K, Year 4, $43K, Year 5, $49K. The city approves the price list, which must be posted. They all seem to charge $2 for a small skinless Sabrett, and $4 for a jumbo skinless Sabrett.

As it stands right now, some nut can put in an impossible bid to make sure he gets it, sell a ton of food while stalling the city on rent payments, and then put his corporation in bankruptcy. The parks commissioner couldn't see this in January?
 
ADDENDUM: I took advantage of Papaya King's limited time special. Two franks with sauerkraut or onions for $3.00 plus tax. Natural casing. Grilled to perfection. Delicious.

David_NYC


I was on the Upper East Side about 3:30 PM, so I thought I would see what fine dining choices were available in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There were six vendor carts there, five of which had signs indicating they were owned by veterans. I don't know how many carts were there Tuesday a week ago, but I always remember more than two when driving by. All had a steady flow of customers today. There was one Halal food cart, one "Shangrila Express" cart, and four generic NYC hot dog carts.

I took a look at the City of New York's web site. Apparently these are sealed competitive bids with no review.  High bidder gets it. I found a few other awards much more reasonable. All the high bidders were corporations, with an address that of a private house or apartment. One recent award went to a corporation  for Central Park at 96th Street. The five year rent schedule is Year 1, $18K (for only a partial year), Year 2, $39K, Year 3, $41K, Year 4, $43K, Year 5, $49K. The city approves the price list, which must be posted. They all seem to charge $2 for a small skinless Sabrett, and $4 for a jumbo skinless Sabrett.

As it stands right now, some nut can put in an impossible bid to make sure he gets it, sell a ton of food while stalling the city on rent payments, and then put his corporation in bankruptcy. The parks commissioner couldn't see this in January?
 
ADDENDUM: I took advantage of Papaya King's limited time special. Two franks with sauerkraut or onions for $3.00 plus tax. Natural casing. Grilled to perfection. Delicious.

One article mentioned that bonds were seized from the corporation. There is no mention of an escrow account but I would only imagine that one was in place (quietly or not).
 
Shill corporations entering into a lease or contract will have every asset locked up hidden elsewhere or transfered to another account before any ink dries...otherwise. 
 
Shame on the City of New York for not doing an advance investigation/audit/appraisal of the future business  (via inventory & delivery accountancy)  to see as clear as day that this was an inflated and unreasonable bid. The devil is in the details and the proof is in the numbers.

y'all can have all that snooty high rent hoi poloi, our food is the best in the world, thats why its so expensive BS.
been there, lived that. & got out alive.
I swear, New Yorkers live to argue.

sk bob


y'all can have all that snooty high rent hoi poloi, our food is the best in the world, thats why its so expensive BS.
been there, lived that. & got out alive.
I swear, New Yorkers live to argue.

 

I recall from my days in the shop class in High School that Chevy made a bunch of "Short Blocks" some years ago. Were they all in NYC???

Tony Bad

joerogo


I believe I read somewhere on RF that there was supposed to be a tour of these high end food carts in The Big Apple.  Was it Queens to be specific?

I hope it's not Brooklyn, I hear there's a lot of tough guys from there. 

The carts aren't high end...just their rent.

There was supposed to be a tour of some sort. Probably some lazy bum was organizing it and just didn't get to it.

It's not too late ya know......Coach.  Unless of couse you were told to stay away from me

SK Bob ---- Some live to argue, many just like to bust horns.  I like to smile and comment on the world which is going around pretty fast (except at the poles) .

David I am glad you took advantage of Papaya King's 2 fer Sale.  You can't get too much of a good thing. 

No one from NJ should ever criticize NY

Tony --- where did you find my beer mug ????  Chill it up and the beer has that certain jenn-a-say-qua--------if you know what I mean.

The short block at Chevy between Ford and Chrysler is just around the corner from that long stretch between Block and Tackle.

And, Joe who would ever tell anyone to stay away from you?  Maybe some girls father when you were a teeny-bopper---but not now. 

joerogo

It's not too late ya know......Coach.  Unless of couse you were told to stay away from me

 

Maybe sometime in fall would be a good time to do it...cooler.

Oh, and yes, I have been warned to stay away from folks like you...after all this is your favorite shirt...