Selling on the streets there is not as easy as it sounds because licenses are restricted, my son was doing that (unlicensed) for a few years before opening his store in Brooklyn.
“You can apply for a General Vendor license if the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) contacts you with a waiting list number. The maximum number of General Vendor licenses that DCA issues to non-veterans is limited by law to 853. DCA’s waiting list for non-veteran applicants is currently closed.”
I’m a service connected veteran. That “waiting list” wouldn’t apply to me, as I understand the rules.
The City licenses street vendors.
You must have a General Street Vendor License to sell or lease goods or services in a public space. This license is mainly for veterans. The number of licenses given to non-veterans is very limited.
You must have a General Street Vendor Distributor License to transport goods to a public space in order to sell them to a general street vendor.
A license is not required to sell newspapers, books, and similar items, but related City rules and regulations still apply.
http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/2938/general-street-vendor-license