Parking Ban Becomes Filming Ban in New York's Chinatown

"A month ago, a local community leader finally came up with a plan intended to remedy the situation. Justin Yu, president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, presented the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, the agency that regulates filming in the city, with a map of Chinatown and suggested that the streets he had highlighted be deemed a "no go" zone for film crew parking."

"His effort succeeded. For 60 days starting on July 1, the city has forbidden vehicles for film productions to park in a several-block area bounded by Canal Street, Worth Street, Baxter Street and East Broadway."

"The first casualty of the new policy was "Brooklyn's Finest," a crime drama starring Richard Gere. Mr. Gere had planned to film in Chinatown in mid-July, but the shoot was canceled because the production crew couldn't park on Doyers Street."

"For Gine Lui, the location supervisor of "Brooklyn's Finest," the ban on parking represents a ban on all film activity. 'It's no different from a ban on shooting,' Ms. Lui said, 'because there is no way we can shoot without the service trucks parking nearby.'"

"By contrast, some local merchants are delighted with the ban."