As the popularity of filming in North Brooklyn has been on the rise, so have the complaints from residents and businesses whose day-to-day activities get disrupted. The loss of parking, having to detour around an active film location, the loss of business if the detour impacts foot traffic, etc. can be minor obstacles if filming is a rarity. Not so in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and Bushwick as it has become more commonplace — some of the same streets are used several times in succession as a location.
In addition to taking up parking and blocking foot and other traffic, there are also noise or lighting issues. Although this wasn’t during a filming, fireworks went off the night of October 12, 2023 that sent the neighborhood on a quest to uncover the purpose behind this aural torture of their pets. It was revealed on YouTube and elsewhere on social media that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel had celebrated the table read of their final episode at the Brooklyn Navy Yard with fireworks.
NYC Council Member Lincoln Restler has come to the rescue and introduced legislation on December 7 that will put a cap on how many times a location can be used. NYC Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez is a co-sponsor. The bill, Int 0847-2022, would limit the number of filming days on any given census track per permit to only ten days per month.
Restler tweeted, “The film & tv industry is a great asset for NYC, but shoots shouldn’t overwhelm our neighborhoods. Let’s place sensible regulations to support our communities.”
The Greenline 