Jimmy's Fresh Food New York
Push cart food
Food carts are everywhere, their numbers growing; Jimmy’s Fresh Food is at 72nd and Columbus, my neighbourhood. Where I grew up, the local fair had a joint called Jimmy’s Lunch. Good karma name, I guess.
It’s a workingman’s lunch spot---no seats, no tables, no roof, low prices, hot food, long line=good value. No one says ‘no smoking’. Two guys work this 4’x10’ trailer. It comes and goes, every day. That’s the rule, if you run a lunch trailer and if you do, be strong.
Nobody is going to tell you what these guys really make but this will give you an idea: for the right to sell on the street, the guy outside the Met Museum pays yearly $400,000, the guy at 72 and CPW sells around 15 cases of water a day and 200 hot dogs, and pays more than a $250,000 for the right to do so. These are city fees.
How can this be? Well, the Met Museum has 5 million visitors a year and Central Park has 40 million. That’s a lot of stomachs with a lot of money.
Who gets the best spots? Vendors mostly police themselves---no encroaching. If they do, something bad usually happens.
USA military veterans get a break---their fee is waived under a 20th century law, so they are valuable employees of cart owners who are not veterans. A lot of money changes hands both outside and inside those carts.
Read more here and here, and there's plenty more online.
About this spot
101 West 72
- 09:00 - 17:00 daily
Sandwiches:
US$
6
Find your way with 304 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:
Discover all other hidden gems in New York
Pain d’ Epices
French / American patisserie
"Pain d' Epices" is a French bakery in NYC that makes croissants so flaky & buttery, the only way to avoid the crumbs is to 'put your back to the wind...'
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Django
Tribeca jazz boîte
"Django" in NYC is proof that the city's jazz club world is recovering. I celler/cavern is intimate enough that after performances I walk over to engage...
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
The Dublin House
Irish Bar Centenarian
"The Dublin House" in NYC has been around since Prohibition and it still is neighborhood-sized. By the end of the night, everyone speaks Irish here...
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Pastrami Queen
Traditional kosher Jewish deli
"Pastrami Queen" in NYC has if not the best, among the very best pastrami sandwiches in the city. It's the kind of American excess you just can't miss...
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Grandma's Place
Inclusive Books and Toys
I stumbled across a store about which I had read but never visited—the very inviting and colourful playground of Dawn Harris-Martine), retired teacher, now famous—named Grandma’s Place.
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Sisters Uptown Bookstore
African diaspora hub
"Sisters Uptown Bookstore" in NYC is a hidden shop/cultural center w/ an eye-opening trove of books by African diaspora authors. A true neighborhood spot!
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
El Sabroso
Ecuadorian lunch counter
Look behind the grey steel doors and find El Sabroso! A satisfying wayback experience rewarded with good-tasting Ecuadorian food, lovingly prepared.
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Color World
Curb Side BBQ
Color World sets up on the corner of 116th and 2nd Avenue, rain or shine. There they serve beef, pork, goat, oxtail, and chicken for $10 a plate.
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Don Alejo Coffee
Coffee, toasts and burritos
Their prices are in keeping with the neighborhood: a plate of two eggs, two pancakes, 'home' fried potatoes and your choice of sausages or bacon, is $12.
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Icons' Homes
James, James & Dorothy
There are three houses not far from each other in NYC of three icons: James Dean, James Baldwin, and Dorothy Parker...
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Heckscher Field/Central Park
Broadway show league
"Heckscher Field" in Central Park, New York, is used for softball. Here you can see games played for the Broadway Show League. Celebrity stars may be seen.
by
Geoffrey
Dunbar
Heading to New York?
304 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
Authentic Stories by Real People
Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
... for just €9.99
✓ 0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
✓ 304 Insider Tips
✓ Escape the Crowds
✓ Find Spots nearby
✓ Authentic Stories
... for just €9.99
City guides by those who know the city in and out!
Our Locals' Favorite Coffee & tea
Our team loves New York
Get to know our other Spotters from New York
As featured on:
