Maybe money does grow on trees — at least in Marine Park.
Christmas trees — along with art and literature — are the only things vendors can sell on public sidewalks without a permit. But if you want to swap cash for conifers in Brooklyn’s parks, you have to show the city some green.
The Parks Department allows hawking tannenbaums in just three Kings County greenspaces — Macri and McCarren parks in Williamsburg, and Marine Park in Southern Brooklyn. Regulations only allow one dealer per park, and the rights to sell firs in each of the parks goes up for bid every four years. The highest offer lands the permit — with Marine Park being the hottest spot of them all. Superior Vending, Llc. controls that location for a whopping $17,505 a year.
By comparison, Greg’s Holiday Center rents McCarren for just $1,185, while Dominick Consolazio pays a mere $926 for the exclusive rights to sell in Macri.
But all three evergreen dealers must obey the same regulations, with price caps keeping their trees comparable to sidewalk rates. They also become responsible for keeping their area of the park snow- and trash-free, and must provide their own electrical power.
