This is about the halal carts we have here in NYC. I’m pretty sure NYC is known for many things and one of those is the halal carts/food. If you are in the city no matter where you go you will find a halal cart on the corner. And most of them will look like that. Don’t get me wrong there are many types of carts in other states. I’ve been to many different states, and there is always a food cart different kind of foods. But I never really noticed a Halal food cart anywhere other than nyc and some in Washington. Many of my friends who come from out of state always tell me they want to go to the city so they can get their habibi food. Most of the time it’s a simple 5-dollar chicken and rice that will fill you up for lunch. I don’t get chicken only, I get both chicken and lamb with rice. Every time I see these carts I always think of why there’re not many outside the state of nyc. I was in 3 different countries this past break and none of them even had ANY food or vending carts outside on the streets. Is it a NYC thing or an American thing? I know definitely halal is a nyc thing. I’m pretty sure almost every one of our friends living in NYC now has had one before. I even come to develop good relationships with the carts near my neighborhood because I am always coming to them and buying food several times a month. I guess if one day all the halal food carts disappeared, people in the city will actually feel some type of way because they became a part of our daily lives and/or lunches. It sounds kind of dumb but it’s true. You always know that cart is outside whenever you’re hungry, no matter rain, snow, cold, or if it’s a holiday. One story I always remember when I pass by one, is when I was 15 years old in times square with a couple of friends, we ordered total of 10 chicken over rice’s, and in the end my friend told me that he didn’t put enough chicken in all of them so, I told them it’s not worth it and we ended up walking away. Only now did I realize how messed up that was.
Thanks for starting off our “New York Minutes!” This is a great topic – and you are absolutely right, such a New York City institution. I could see you developing a research project around these carts. I’m always interested in all of the details of carts like these. Where are they stored at night? Where does the food come from? What is the daily routine of the cart worker/proprietor? How do the economics of the business work out? Are the carts profitable? And in the case of the halal carts in particular, there is a cultural/religious dimension too, since I am guessing that they first arose to serve the needs of Muslim customers and then found that they reached a much broader, more diverse population.
I think your comment, “…if one day all the halal food carts disappeared, [the people] will actually feel some type of way because they became a part of our daily lives and/or lunches.” in this post is touching. The idea of New Yorkers stepping out of their high rises and soho apartments and not seeing their halal carts is satirical in a sense as well. People outside of New York deem this as a novelty. Yet, they are integral to someone’s lifestyle routine. This notion also play into the other parts of New York that we must look between the lines for; things that have now been rooted can become extinct or disappear altogether.
Your idea on halal carts being so well known because of the Muslim community. I wholeheartedly agree with that, the Muslim community is one of the biggest religious communities in the city. New York City is so big there is room for services such as halal food courts to satisfy the needs of those who cannot eat food that was prepared the halal way. I want to give my insight on why Halal Carts and food trucks are so on the rise in New York City and urban centers. Population Density is my biggest guess, considering California is dense in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Halal Carts also avoid having to pay rent in lieu of paying commercial licenses for the vehicles that transport the cart from the city to their home or headquarters. Given the culture of New Yorker lunchtime, a convenient business is plausible for convenient income.