NYC Voices: Street vendor Al Rivera’s making less in 2010 (Video)

NEW YORK — Al Rivera has been hawking goods on the streets of New York City for the past 30 years. He loves meeting people as they check out his hats, belts, socks and other items, which he sells for about five dollars. Rivera, 56, has been living in a hotel for the past 15 years. “It’s the only way to survive,” Rivera said in an interview this month. He’s a resident of the hotel, which is in the city, and feels fortunate to make a living on the streets of Manhattan.

Many days during the past 18 months, Rivera makes about $30, he said. “It’s about survival.” When consumers spent more and the U.S. economy was in better shape a couple of years ago, it was common for Rivera to make $100 a day, he said.

What’s next for the economy? Commercial real estate is hurting and will likely get worse, Rivera said. Many retail tenants are not able to pay the rent, he observed from behind his table of goods on the corner of 30th Street and Seventh Avenue on a cold January afternoon.

Rivera sells wholesale goods that he buys from suppliers from countries including China. As the U.S. dollar has grown weaker, his product choices have also dwindled, he said. Rivera shared more insights on retail, the U.S. economy and China in our video interview.