If you’ve lived in North Brooklyn for even five minutes, you’ve likely encountered the ubiquitous brightly colored “No Parking: Filming” signs that adorn our streets.
Film and TV productions bring jobs to the neighborhood and help support local businesses. But it can also be a nuisance for residents, scrambling to find already limited parking options, being redirected from walking down their own street, or the sound of crews setting up shoots disturbing their sleep.
New legislation from council members Lincoln Restler and Gale Brewer of Manhattan hopes to give their constituents a break from productions that have overstayed their welcome.
“The legislation introduced Wednesday by Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) would require the Mayor’s Office to cap the number of days crews could shoot in particular Census tracts — which divvy up neighborhoods into groups of blocks — at just 10 per month,” says NY Post.
“Production crews were shooting in one stretch of Greenpoint between Greenpoint Avenue and Nassau Avenue for 23 days a month on average, according to a data analysis requested by Restler’s office. Nearby, producers were setting up for 15 days a month on average over a two-block wide stretch between Humboldt and Leonard streets.”
NY Post
Complaints about over-filming in Greenpoint are nothing new. Almost a decade ago, we ran a very dramatically titled story called “TV and Film Production Ruining Greenpoint Lives?” based on reporting from CBS NY (be sure to grab some popcorn while you comb through the heated comments section that ensued).
With parking an already contentious issue in the neighborhood, a film shoot taking up more spaces than the need certainly flames tensions.
Lastly, might I suggest a compromise? You can film here if your show is cool. It’s fun seeing a street do a little time travel a la this recent Godfather of Harlem shoot. A lifelong dream of mine came true last month after I randomly encountered the titular runway from Project Runway. But what’s with all these random cop shows? What the hell even is FBI: International? Personally, I think we have enough of those.
8+ yrs. ago when Greenpoint became the Hollywood of the east, everybody was excited ie seeing stars, the action of filming etc. Like you mention they rapidly outgrew their welcome with tremendous loss of parking, not be able to get in houses, leaving trash behind and not supporting local eateries by and large with their own catering outfits etc. Every day there were three or four outside shoots in a small walking area.
Limits are in order. Thank you Congressman Restler and alt side should be lifted on or in the general area of the film shoot to make up for lost parking.
Just like in life you have the friendly people and stiffs re actors. Donnie Wahlberg got my award for the nice guy trophy. I was watching him shoot on Kent St. for Blue Bloods. He went out of his way to call myself and another fan over and let us take personal photos with him. I will not mention the “stiffs” that went out of their way to avoid people. There were a few.
PS: Also many times they would put shoot signs on the street a day or two before and cars would be towed away. Kudos to Tina Fey productions who was the only one who left flyers on cars giving them ample time to move.
I live on Diamond St between Norman & Meserole Competing with the film crews for parking is unfair since they have lots, if the lots are insufficient the studio should build parking structures instead of additional stages. Also they started to cone off streets on Fridays for Monday shoots.
Annoyed and excited all at the same time. They’ve filmed on my block three times in the last few months and and it’s definitely disruptive (stresses out my animals big time) but also fun to watch and Donnie Walhberg came through with the autograph on my New Kids Concert ticket from 1990! And a selfie. Super nice guy.
I agree that filming can be tedious, and lately some of the crews using our block have left behind loads of garbage, which didn’t thrill us. That said, filming is great in terms of generating employment economic activity directly (folks actually working on the film/building sets/etc.) and indirectly (coffee, lunch, dry cleaning, you name it). So on balance it is a net positive for the neighborhood and the city, and really should be encouraged.