Tishman Speyer knows that no elite, private party is complete without pizza, plastic trees and confrontational security guards. Pizzazz!Suddenly realizing that Cetra/Ruddy's floor to ceiling glass walls on their Oval Amenities / Essentials may not create the most inviting atmosphere for a party, private or otherwise, Tish-Spy solved the problem by covering the eyesore with a row of plastic trees, much to the delight of some seniors passing by.
Apparently fearing some unspeakable tragedy may be in store for their guests, extra security was put in place for the event to keep everyone safe, including the pizza. A resident passing by was taking photos when security had the following conversation with him:
"...About 10 seconds after snapping my first photo I was approached by two security officers. One tall lanky one whose name I didn't get and a short stocky younger guy, Officer F, who - swear to god - was eating a slice of pizza the entire time he talked to me.
The two come up to me and Officer F says, smiling, "Can I help you?"
"No, thanks, I'm OK," I respond.
"You a resident here?" the lanky one asks.
"Yes I am. Is there a problem?"
"You can't take pictures. This is a private party on private property," continues Lanky, his voice getting louder.
"Uh, I was just walking by on my way home. I can't take a photo of an event happening in the complex I live in?"
"You need permission from Management to take photos. Those are the rules," Officer F answers, mouth full of pizza.
"It's just that I don't see any signs up anywhere stating those rules," I offer.
No answer from either, just stares.
"Let me understand this," I continue. "Is taking pictures something you could arrest me for?"
"No, no, no" they both say.
"Or write me a ticket for?"
"No, no arrest, no ticket, no one is saying you're getting arrested here," says Officer F.
"So I can snap a few more pictures then?"
Before they can answer a woman comes up to them, a middle-aged ST resident complaining about something in her lobby. She's pretty upset, and during a break in her rant I say to the guards, smiling "Looks like you guys have your hands full tonight," and walk away, but not before snapping three more shots of the oh-so-private event inside.
The fact that Management holds a private party for themselves in space dedicated to serving the residents is ludicrous enough. Add to that the wall of trees put in at the last minute so no one can see inside, and the apparent no picture-taking "rules" and you're getting into the land of the surreal. But when management uses PCVST Security to deliberately harass and intimidate residents from exercising basic rights, well the only word I can think of is shameful."
And at that moment, another Sty Spy was born.
"Shameful" is not the adjective I would have used but this is a 'family' blog! One would have to give Tish-Spey credit for continuity ~ 'private party' would seem to be an oxymoron, which so fits moronics they are now (in)famous for.
Welcome into the world new Sty Spy!
Gee, do you think this might stir up even MORE resentment and discontent among the residents ?
dumb astirds.
Figueroa is probably the worst security guard that there is. I called in a noise complaint once, at 3:00 am, and he said "what do you expect, you live in a tenement". Gee, I'm glad I'm not one of the people paying $4200 to live in this tenement!
Has anyone heard about the assault that took place at Oval Lounge last night. Two males had a few too many drinks. Eventually they got into an argument which eventually led to an altercation where one man struck the other over the head with a beer bottle. Both an ambulance and the cops were called to the scene. End result, one man in hospital and the other in jail. What a disgrace to the community that I grew up in.
Of course the trees were fake, do you really think they could keep something living for a whole four hours???
Peter are you serious?
Dis is one classy joint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG - the noise! I feel bad for the people who live in that building !!
Frozen shrimp. Bud Lite. Fist fights. Savages!
If that's true about the fight...leave it to Tishman Speyer to be the example of why alcohol won't be served at the lounge. Officer Figeuro should have put down his pizza and pistol whipped those elite trouble makers. Now THAT would have been something worth paying $250 for!
Ha! It IS true! Curbed just mentioned it. I wonder if they will now be promoting cage fighting events at the leasing office as an amenity.
http://curbed.com/archives/2008/10/17/stuy_town_fight_club.php#reader_comments
A sitcom called Stuyvesant Town is begging to be written.
Why does everything they do turn into a PR nightmare? Now they can't even throw a simple cocktail party without it turning into a disaster? Give up already.
Dear oval members and tenints,
on beehalf of oval amentitties we wood like to apolojize for the rude behavyou demonstrated by our privit partee gusts. in are defese we were triing to make sure not too run out of snacks and bevriges again for out ghosts and perhaps provided too much georgi vodka and pringles for the party. goers.
we hope that our next ebvent you will come see for yourself that the oxyjin bar does not kill you, the yoga will not hirt your back and we will find a way to legilly screen iron man so the threoater doesnt get shut down.
we would also like to remind you of the knew photogriphy ban in stuyvsont town. just beecuz we cant do anything write at all ever doesnt meen you should be using modern technology against us. thats not fare. if you continue to take picturies of us we cannot promise that you wint get shot by sniper fire or slapped in the face with a slyce of pizza ir even worse i will loose my presteegous job at american leesion.
i have to go now someone esle needs to use the comptyuer at this internot cafe.
dont forget to come see for yourdelf!
Manny
If I had known the A/E's were going to have broker blood sports I would have signed up months ago. Perfect timing with the economy and all. What else do they have to do?
Bud Perrone certainly has his work cut out for him. I'm sure he will tell the Daily News how Tishman Speyer "seamlessly" pulled off the event and the fight was nothing more than just a misunderstanding over a knock-knock joke.
Manny, hysterical!
What do you get when you cross George Hatzmann with Bud Perrone, besides two "r's" and two "n's"? You get double the incompetence and double the bullshit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/nyregion/17tishman.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&ore
Check out this article in the NY Times. Our benevolent landlords T and S never give up. With their pal Michael Bloomberg, "that great financial leader" who is attempting to subvert democracy in New York City, they are now in the business of health and city government.
“We applaud the city’s commitment to development, especially in this environment,” said Rob Speyer, co-chief executive of Tishman Speyer."
Officer Figeuro is probably just under pressure from the regime. He's been incredibly helpful to me in the past. He's a good guy and kinda hot ;)
I think Officer Figueroa is HOT too ! That's why I snuck out that pizza for him !!
I know officer Figueroa very well and he is an amazing person who cares for people. What you people are saying is so unfair. He is the best officer in Stuyvesant Town. He is a sexy man as well. So do me a favor and back off. Officer figueroa rocks.♥♥
I think most people are agreeing that he's a nice guy.I met him once and he was very helpful.
If "Officer" Figueroa is a "friend" to the people who live in Stuyvesant Town, then he wouldn't be making up bogus UNCONSTITUTIONAL rules about people's personal freedoms.
If you think he's a nice guy, then you should have dated Benito Mussolini.
I wouldn't want to be in his position of enforcing management's new "rules" of resident conduct. Are they going to ban us all from using cameras on the property? Perhaps if there wasn't garbage dumped on the loop, cowboys driving on the streets and brokers fist fighting, there would be nothing to photograph. You want to make us live under the constant watch of a camera? Fuck you. How do you like it?
WTG!!
With everyone having a cell phone camera what is the proper etiquette and the legality regarding taking photos?
Badmouthing an individual security person in print is really lame. It's akin to crossing a picket line. Mr F. is a worker here, not the owner.
Only one commenter said something negative about him. There are quite a few that praised him. Even the Sty Spy's retelling of the story isn't rude unless you count talking with your mouth full of food.
First of all lets get it straight- it is not Officer Figueroa- it is Security Guard Figueroa. And I am not all surprised that he was involved in this. About 6 months ago I witnessed him going off on a power trip trying to pick a fight with a teenage boy about 17yo on 14th & A for jay walking in front of his jeep and then not showing him the proper "respect." I grew up here and I can say most of the Security guards here are great- TS is the problem not them- but Figueroa is a total ass.
I'm going to close the comments for this post. Though the Sty Spy's story is rather amusing I don't feel comfortable singling out this guy especially since he's not a public figure like our other friends Rob & Jerry. I've interacted with him a while ago and had a very positive experience with him. He went out of his way to be helpful to me when I needed it. (Plus he's not like YH who can't drive five feet without violating a traffic law in front of 15 people with cameras.) I think this security guard was put in a ridiculous situation by someone higher than him. Of course I could be totally wrong but I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt.