One building on the Upper West Side has become a mini-Universal Studios. The building at 194 Riverside Drive was booked 19 times in 2015 by directors seeking a certain prewar elegance, according to City Council member Helen Rosenthal.
Some residents of that area have bemoaned the constant filming, which leads to parking restrictions and other inconveniences. We published an op-ed by a nearby resident who was tired of all the filming.
Rosenthal says she secured a moratorium on film permits at 194 Riverside for “the first part of 2016” and has worked on making sure the film companies are more considerate of causing disruptions on holidays like Yom Kippur (Rosenthal’s staff did not respond to a question about what “the first part if 2016” means).
She says the city doubled the number of filming permits from 2014 to 2015, with the UWS seeing a very large increase.
“Film shoots seem to be taking over our neighborhood. While they offer a great source of revenue and jobs, they also disrupt the daily lives of residents ranging from loss of parking, blocked streets, and general disruptions from noise and lights at all hours. My office is in touch with the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, which issues the film permits, about being more cognizant of holidays (we had film shoots over Yom Kippur that required moving cars during the holiday, for example), proper notice for those who do need to move cars, and being mindful of not overburdening any one particular area. My office was also able to secure a moratorium on film permits for an address, 194 Riverside Drive, that experienced 19 location permits in 2015, 11 of which were concentrated in the last four months of the year.”
(The Americans, which has been shooting constantly in the neighborhood and already had permits for 2016, will get to go ahead with their shooting despite the moratorium.)
But Peter Ferrara, the president of the board of directors of the 194 Riverside Drive Owners Corp., wrote in a letter in New York Press that Rosenthal should not have publicly singled out his building, and noted that the film shoots also bring lots of benefits.
“For the record, we have had eight (8) film shoots between Sept. 1 and Dec 20 in our building, not 11, as Ms. Rosenthal states. There are three or four other buildings in our immediate area that host film /TV shoots. Do the “no-parking” zones of film productions cause inconvenience—yes, but let’s be clear, a film “shoot” is one day, and parking is typically held for no more than 20 hours. Moreover, we always ask the production companies to release their parking immediately if it is unneeded and as soon as possible (and they do so). We are neighborhood-minded and also ask the production companies to donate to the Riverside Park Conservancy and several have done so, as do we. Additionally, the production companies that film scenes in the park, connected to those filmed in our building, donate $4,000 each time to the Conservancy.”
“We are neighborhood-minded”
not-so-much
If one is objective, there is no way to conclude anything other than the film shoots are a net benefit for the area.
Objectively, extending a good thing 19 times makes it excessive.
That’s subjective. 😉
Stop whining about your parking! The film industry is GREAT for the UWS and NYC in general. We need more of it not less. I live on 92nd street and actually called the number offered here in the Westsiderag a few months to tell them to do more filming not less. Only British Columbia benefits for this.
That’s a pity – this is a great attribute to our neighborhood. It brings excitement to the neighborhood, not to mention money. And just about everything benefits people unevenly, so yes, some people do get paid for it, but we all enjoy the cachet and some of us enjoy the excitement as well.
after dvd release,most of these movies and shows wind up in the Walmart closeout bin
So what?
Maybe Helen Rosenthal should mind her own business. Unless the majority of the residents at 194 are upset she shouldn’t tell private owners what they can or can’t do within their building. Focus on more important issues Ms. Rosenthal!
Mind her business? Is that a serious comment? Of course is her business!
Yes its serious. She has no right to tell people in a private building what they can or can’t do with their property. She can deny parking spaces to the crew etc., but can’t say someone is not allowed to have a film crew in their apartment.
Typically film shoots in the RSD/89-92nd area last 2-3 days and take up BLOCKS of parking. The displaced cars have nowhere to go! It’s excessive. It’s a good thing for the hood but just needs to happen far less frequently.
Try using UBER. This isn’t Scarsdale.
Absolutely!
One nipshit gets to decide thai? I am not surprised… but amazed that NYC allows so much weigh-in by its residents.
Hello
Do the people who park their cars on the street get free parking in a local garage?
Also the crews bring their own food so where is the benefit to the neighborhood food establishments. What is the other benefit?
I addressed this issue in the previous complaint thread–if your car is in the way, it gets towed to a free space elsewhere in the neighborhood, at the production company’s expense. A bit inconvenient to the car owner but not problematic, per se.
Free on-street parking is a strange privilege of New Yorkers. Complaints about noise, light, trash and traffic are more valid, to their own degree, although the film crews are generally quite good at cleanup.
Yes not problematic unless your car is AWD and requires a flatbed, but they tow it with a meathook and now you need a new transmission.
You might think free on-street parking is a strange privilege but the fact is NYC has free on street parking. It is no less a valid complaint because you think it’s strange.
If 194 Riverside is having trouble with an overabundance of interest, maybe we Lincoln Towers residents have something to offer the film industry. Anybody in need of some classic brick and mortar 1960’s architecture? We’ve got you covered eight ways, all exposures. You can park the trucks in the hockey rink.
Lincoln Towers has a hockey rink?
Yes, and mink covered toilet seats.
I’m confused. Aren’t there actually important issues for our “elected” officials to focus on, rather than whether hollywood films in the neighborhood.
Like maybe the substandard education system, like maybe the disproportionate proliferation of UWS shelters, like maybe working on getting new businesses to fill the wasteland of the 90’s…just sayin’
I 100% agree with you. This may be a nuisance, but certainly its not a priority!
“Our elected officials” are the ones who decided on the laws governing parking, blocking off public areas for private use, and the permits associated with this. We don’t want public officials to only focus on what you think is important, or what I think is important, at the expense of the day to day of the city and its people.
Elected officials do not “make laws” regarding suspension of parking, closure of streets, etc (DOT, Mayor;s Film Office )., and yes I agree, if this were an ideal place there would be no special interest, including that of entitled people who pay their taxes out of state and then seeth over the loss of parking spaces. Ask yourself: Do you think the commercial blight on Broadway is not deserving of community activism, do you make donations, however small, to Riverside Park to improve the community? I thought not. Ban the Pope, the President, the UN, the Marathon, and the 5-Boro Ride-all are inconvenient.
Maybe the production companies could pay for resident parking in a garage space for the time they are making no parking zones. That would be a nice gesture.
Excellent idea.
And a lot more constructive than telling people who own cars that they should be living in Scarsdale.
194 Riverside Drive has hosted 11 movie & TV shoots in 2015, not 19–7 were between Sept 1 and Dec 31. Making evaluations based on reports by publications like this Rag and the West Sider, which can’t even check the basic facts–but instead just cite :”The building at 194 Riverside Drive was booked 19 times in 2015 by directors seeking a certain prewar elegance, according to City Council member Helen Rosenthal.”–is a lazy substitute for any kind of non-emotional objectivity.
Peter Ferrara, 194 RSD
WSR does make it clear they are quoting their source, but they should be fact checking.
Since you live in the building of concern, what is your take on the filming? You were quoted in the story as not being opposed, but what has life been like as a result? Any changes? Any concerns? Anything other than inconvenience?
I’m personally only tangentially affected. I dont own a car. And, I kind of think its fun to find my apartment building or blocks I know on TV or in the movies.
It is a problem for the entire community when something as large as a film shoot occurs in one building. So, the City has to balance out how many times a building can be used a given period. From what I have read, it is great when a film company donates to the Park, but it should be mandatory, not optional. These film shoots are good for NYC because they bring jobs to the people in the industry and kudos to NYC, when people watch the film.
So tell us 194, how much do YOU receive as a location fee? Just rhe facts please.
Could I complain about the building noise on Broadway and 80th St. I can’t stay home during the day AND before long there will be another building going up on Broadway and 81 St.
Who can help? No parking, bedrock drilling starts at 8AM.
HELP!
Agreed!! HELP
I have seen production crews yell at and inconvenience passersby, including elderly people, for going about their daily business and getting in their way during shoots. I’ve seen flower beds trampled on and trees snapped off at the trunks, parked cars damaged, generators polluting the air for hours on end and tax-paying residents inconvenienced in countless other ways.
And for what? “Several have done so” in terms of donating to the Riverside Park Conservancy does not justify the serious undermining of our already jeopardized quality of life these film shoots impose. They shoot on the streets of NYC to SAVE PRODUCTION COSTS, yet block associations, community centers, schools, and shop owners don’t see the result of that savings.
The current system stinks. Money goes into the pockets of the producers and City Hall – not into the community (or haven’t you noticed the food services tables that feed the crew rather than using local eateries), with little of it being sent back to the communities (and the UWS is at the top of the list these days) that bear the burden of the realities/problems involved.