Monday, October 27, 2008

Amalgamated Parking Fury

A City Room article, Bronx Asks, Is There No Parking on Mars? by David Gonzalez and Nate Schweber chronicles the famed Alamgamated Houses co-op community's fight against the imposition of a TV series shoot that would have taken away 400 parking spots.

The series in question is an American remake of a British hit, Life on Mars (the Office coattails anyone?). Only this series doesn't seem to be funny, or even plausible. I don't even have a clue what this show is about, but thankfully Messrs. Gonzalez and Schweber decided to ask. It turns out "[t]he drama is about a homicide detective who finds himself transported back to the 1970s after a car accident." [City Room]

Hmmmm... Anyone think this one's gonna translate? Time travel, detectives, and apparently classic old-school cars. The shoot required some 70s type cars to come and fill up all those lost spaces to make the time travel aspect of the series really pop. Unless this series adds Tracy Morgan as the detective's side-kick, I ain't watchin'.

Lucky the old lefty rabble-rousing complex rallied the troops and procured some parking on desolate Goulden Avenue with a shuttle bus hustling remote parkers to and from their buildings.

Glad these residents weren't completely put out.
At least not for this series.

Photo of parking sign by Rob Bennett for New York Times, cheesy promo shot of Life on Mars courtesy of
http://www.cultfiction.com.au

~ErLu

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

the Amalagamated residents have bigger problems than a shitty tv show that disrupts their parking situation.

a corrupt board

a thug manager who was unanimously voted out as manager of Seward Park houses because she was keeping illegitimate waiting lists, among other things.

drugs and drug paraphenalia in the halls

a carrying charge increase implemented because said thug manager signed a heating oil contract without attorney review or approval from the State Agency designated to supervise all financial and aparmtment allocation affairs of the Amalgamated

the Amalagmated management office was paid for the use of Vladeck Hall by the production company of Life on Mars therefore they knew well in advance that parking for residents would be an issue.

check out: www.amalgamatedshenanigans.blogspot.com for more info if you are interested.