City Limits-Go Newsletters Support
Sorry, Seinfeld's tourist. You will not be able to take photos of an iconic Morningside Heights restaurant for a while. Tom's Restaurant on Broadway is the real scene of Seinfeld's Monk's Cafe. It has been hidden by steel and plywood since the spring, so that the owner, Columbia University can complete the renovation. This may have a blow to the local economy, but at least one Seinfeld tour guide was satisfied with it. "If it saves a life, it's worth it," said Kenny Kramer, a realistic inspiration for his eponymous character. This is the point of (theoretically) temporary structure-even if it annoys neighbors, destroys accommodation destinations or Instagram photos. According to data from the Department of Construction (DOB), there were 9,172 active sidewalk shacks in five administrative districts on Friday — about one-third were built after city officials discovered problems during a five-year mandatory inspection. The remaining purpose is to protect pedestrians during building renovations initiated by the owner. Read more: The bid to change the urban scaffolding law sparked an ancient debate. The first iteration of the law, called Local Law 11, was promulgated in 1979 when a stone falling off the surface of an apartment building hit and killed A 17-year-old Barnard College student. Four years later, these regulations continue to promote a large number of industry transactions in timber, pipes and green coatings. According to the law, also known as the exterior wall inspection safety plan, owners of buildings with six floors and above must undergo regular inspections and keep the buildings in a "safe" state, leading to a surge in scaffolding throughout the administrative district. According to a project tracker on the DOB website, there are now more than 342 miles of sidewalk sheds in New York City, mainly in Manhattan. This is about enough to build a covered bike path between the Bronx and Buffalo, and then continue to Niagara Falls. With so many sheds, some New York City landmarks are sure to be hidden below, such as the familiar signs outside where Jerry, George and Elaine like to drink coffee or eat big salads.
"We do a lot on iconic sites," Arsenal scaffolding boss Phil Susie said. "We went to downtown New York, and we were at 240 Center Street. There are many buildings on Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue." Susie regarded the Waldorf Astoria as his most memorable work. There are several photos of the hotel on the Arsenal website, covered with protective fabric, and a long sidewalk shed decorated with an elegant hotel logo. Another company has erected scaffolding there since then because of the extra refurbishment of the luxurious residence. He said that last year, Susi's company purchased approximately 1,000 gallons of green paint to paint wood in accordance with the urban sidewalk shed regulations. He said that despite the temporary suspension of work in April 2020, the industry has proven to withstand a recession. Strict safety requirements and the changing face of New York City mean that temporary sidewalk shacks are a permanent feature of the urban landscape.
Since 2019, the Flatiron Building has been wrapped up — "Currently covered by scaffolding. It's not worth seeing," reads a bookmarked comment on TripAdvisor. The Federal Hall National Memorial on Wall Street will soon suffer the same fate and will not disappear behind the protective layer until 2030. There is a shack outside the Chelsea Hotel, and there are even some scaffolding along the High Line. At least one landmark has now escaped its architectural cocoon: pipes and nets have recently fallen off from the minaret water tower on the Washington Heights side of the high bridge. In some cases, the shacks were transformed from green plywood to more ornate white arches, which was the result of Urban Umbrella's winning design competition. But when it comes to shacks, companies—even Seinfeld landmarks—are rarely the masters of their field. They rely on the owner to resolve safety issues or complete the renovation in time, so that the scaffolding company can disassemble the structure and discover the true beauty below. Manager John Ieromonahos (John Ieromonahos) said that so far, the shacks on the sidewalk have not affected Tom’s restaurant business. COVID solves this problem. "There is no Seinfeld tour, nothing," Ieromonahos said. He said that early safety regulations forced the restaurant to close in the spring of 2020, but Columbia University allowed them to waive rent. Ieromonahos added that since the spring, the plywood structure has actually helped the restaurant hold rain-proof outdoor dining. "It's good, so we can put the table outside," he said. A DOB spokesperson said that although local organizations, community committees, and elected officials often do this, the agency will not pressure the owners to act quickly when there is tourism impact. However, the city does impose fines, and sometimes criminal charges, on landlords who use local laws to commission sidewalk sheds without performing necessary building repairs. According to data from the DOB tracker, these structures can last about eight and a half months on average in the city. But in some cases, sheds can last for several years or even more than ten years. The DOB stated that these are anomalies, but they do drive neighbors and elected officials crazy and may humiliate negligent owners to take action. For some scaffolders, it doesn't matter whether they work at the Waldorf Astoria or Walgreens in Astoria. John Krivca of Skyline Scaffolding Group said that a job is a job. "We have been in business for 15 years, almost all over the city, and we treat it as an ordinary job," Krifka said. "In New York, there is always pressure. But you just need to make sure everyone is safe." But Arsenal scaffolding boss Susie admits that there are some additional considerations when it comes to landmarks and iconic locations. He said he had counted the number of times he saw the company logo on the sidewalk shed in the context of a TV show or movie. "In this case, you want to go all out, especially in Midtown and areas where you know a lot of people will see it," Susie said. "More attention to detail."
Your email address will not be published. Required places have been marked *
Get all the latest news in 2021 with CityVote, City Limits' free weekly newsletter.
Click here to subscribe to CityVote 2021, our special campaign newsletter.
Don’t miss exploratory reports, thought-provoking columns or news podcasts
City Limits housing and development announcement. News and tools for New Yorkers responding to the housing crisis
Focus on the city’s community report
Notify detallados en español
Your guide to voting in New York 2021
Thank you for registering. Please check your email for confirmation.
City Limits uses investigative journalism through the prism of New York City to identify urban problems, examine their causes, explore solutions, and get communities to take action.
City Limits was established in 1976 during the New York financial crisis to provide information for democracy and help citizens build a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, funded by foundation support, advertising sponsorship and reader donations.