Saturday, June 21, 2014

Filming halted in LIC

From the Daily News:

Long Island City residents sick of living in a Hollywood backdrop will get a respite from the blaring noise and klieg lights that have chewed into their scenery for decades.

The city issued a moratorium last week that puts the kibosh on filming from 46th Ave. to 49th Ave. between Center Blvd. and Vernon Blvd. in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

“It’s such a relief,” said Long Island City resident Kenny Greenberg, 63, upon being told about the moratorium. “That’s exactly what we need. We won’t have as much stress.”

The temporary film ban came after residents griped they were tired of being behind the scenes for popular shows like the HBO series “Girls” and “The Good Wife” on CBS.

The glamour and star sightings, they said, came at a price — excessive noise, trailer fumes and fewer parking spots.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tell me about it. Even here a block from Central Park on the east side, every month or so there are huge caravans that take over 3-5 blocks on the avenues. Add to that the actual location where you have production goons and cops telling people that they can't get on their block till a the company gives the OK.

Even in this neighborhood I've see fights over this sort of occupation company.

We should NOT have to be repeatedly inconvenienced by these productions which are, after all, just private businesses.

There should be a limit of no more than two productions in each neighborhood per year.

That might get their scouts to find more varied locations.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see Crappy's take on this one.

JQ said...

Good For the townsfolk of LIC,it's enlightening that there are still some decent and active people alive there.

these shows and movies that are produced here and the bullies that are involved with them take over a blocks and refuse to let the people who rent and own houses there to commute or shop.You have to see how they treat the elderly,its abominable.
and just like the blade runner tower building developments,the incessant rubber stamping permitting this "creativity" has not slowed down.

And what is the result for these shows disgracing LIC,ridgewood,manhattan and brooklyn really?where is all the money that all this filming is supposed to bring to the city's economy?the majority of the roads are cracked and broken(especially in LIC),we don't have enough cops to battle the recent uptick in shootings,robberies and rapes or to enforce vision tunnel/zero.All we got are the obnoxious sights of massive catering tents,multiple thick cables all over the pavement and those behemoth trailers making streets treacherous for driving.

the city was just fine before all this nonsense.I don't know what it was like when all those awesome classic movies were filmed on the streets in the 60s and 70s but I'm sure it wasn't that intrusive.

Queens Crapper said...

My take on this one is that these film companies not only get to film for free, but they get gigantic tax breaks for setting up shop here. Then they use that advantage to take over via real estate. See Kaufman-Astoria, Suna, Argento, etc. So I'm glad to see that someone is standing up to them, even if it really doesn't cut into their bottom line.

Anonymous said...

So far the Kaufman Arts center has done little more than food festivals and high school art stuff.

Not a single major event (well Frank Sinatra gets a star on occasion)

They used to be involved with the community a lot more (the community board used to be located there).

They along with the LIC Cultural Alliance has an enormous chip on their shoulders - the talk is real estate expansion at the cost of the community - stuff like hotels and the like that have nothing to do with their original purpose.

Its interesting that cultural groups get no real funding until they place a developer at their head - then the city coffers are opened. I guess you need the 'right' people in key positions - of the development chorus.

Watching these people around the likes of Jimmy No-Brainer takes a lot to stomach.