The Parks Department has backed off from a law introduced in the fall that bans performers from practicing their craft within 5 feet of a bench or 50 feet of a monument, a rule that would have all but cleared Washington Square Park of its superb buskers. “Generally, expressive matter vending rules do not apply to buskers and entertainers,” a spokesperson for the Parks Department told DNAinfo. Unfortunately, taking your shoes off on a hot day while sitting next to someone who is eating is still 100% legal.
City Backs Off Law That Penalized Performers In Washington Square Park
New Law Keeping Street Performers 50 Feet From Monuments Makes Parks Safe, Boring
New Yorkers don't just love parks for their serenity or greenspace, but for the excitement of possibly breaking an arcane law while enjoying them. Eating a donut in a public playground without a minor? Enjoying a widely-sold, heavily taxed carcinogenic product? You're breaking the law! Add a new statute to the mix: it's illegal for buskers to perform within 50 feet of a monument or landmark. Finally, unobstructed views of the World Famous Garibaldi statue.
Video: Meet This Year's MUNY Subway Busking Champs
It's that time again: meet this year's crop of underground musicians, an elite unit selected by the Music Under New York [MUNY] committee to fill the city's subway stations with sweet, sweet music.
Buskers Audition at Grand Central Terminal
Today, more than 50 musicians and musical acts gathered on the northeast balcony of Grand Central Terminal to audition for spots in NYC Transit's Music Under New York program. MUNY grants buskers spots in subway stations to entertain commuters and make a little cash in the process.

