Pedestrian plazas might be all the rage in midtown, but in Brooklyn one is causing nothing but trouble. Last year's Williamsburg Walks was terrorized by local skateboarding teens, and this year organizers of the temporary pedestrian plaza on Bedford Avenue are considering changing things around, following criticism from local merchants.
According to Courier-Life, business owners are claiming their sales suffer when the street is closed to cars and illegal vendors set up shop. Currently the Neighbors Allied for Good Growth community organization has suggested six closures to Bedford on Saturdays in June and July—but business owners claim that's too many. Spoonbill and Sugartown's owner Miles Bellamy is all for one car-free Saturday, but told the paper that the event hasn't been good for retailers because "there's so much going out on the street. No one wants to shop then."
For now, Williamsburg Walks coordinator Gregor Nemitz-Ziadie said he's been working towards making things run more smoothly for everyone involved, and encouraged the 94th Precinct to come down more aggressively on illegal street vendors. There's also talk of moving it to a different street in the neighborhood.
