June 26th, 2009 | 
Author: Based upon an article that appeared in Lux Living we published the following. We have since received an email from Stuyvesant town clarifying their position.
According to a spokesperson from Stuyvesant town:
Personal photography is permitted at Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. After receiving a number of inquiries, we circled back with our staff to make sure everyone is clear on this.
Thanks and have a nice weekend.
THANK YOU for this resolution!!
Our original blog entry on the issue:
Stuyvesant town, an apartment complex in Lower Manhattan, NY, appears to be enforcing a new and unwritten policy banning photography of its property by the very same residents who pay rent to live there. Residents are no longer allowed to take pictures of their friends or relatives who come to visit them unless they go outside to another part of town.
According to the article in Lux Living:
Last week a resident was sitting by the fountain in the Oval which he was about to take a photo of when security showed up and told the resident he needed a permit from the management office to take photos on the property.
Today Lux Living got an email from another resident who was taking pictures of a friend in town for a visit when security butted in, the tenant writes:
“I was out recently on the property with my DSLR in hand, and accompanied by a friend of mine from out of town who was visiting me, when I was accosted by a Peace Officer (whom I’ll refer to as “Sergeant Schulz” because I’m still annoyed at him) who first demanded that show proof that I was a resident of Stuy Town. When I was able to do so, he then demanded to know if my friend – whose picture I was taking – had given me permission to take his photograph. When my friend said yes (obviously enough), Sergeant Schulz then launched into a sermon about how people were “very touchy” about pictures being taken of them, stated that there was a rule that prohibited picture-taking, and then told me that I could only take pictures of my friend, but not of anyone else or of the property.
When I started to object, Sergeant Schulz told me that I could either follow his rules (yes, it went from management’s rules to “my rules”) or I could leave the property, with the rather clear inference that if I did neither, he would confiscate my camera.
Threatening to confiscate the camera is an outrage!!! Why? Does that security guard need a camera for his children? What really does happen to these ILLEGALLY “confiscated” cameras is what we would like to know. The law is very clear on this issue that regardless of any “rule” that may have been broken ABSOLUTELY NO-ONE, NOT EVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT has the the right to confiscate equipment without a court order. Therefore that threat is inexcusable and if it is really happening is nothing more than THEFT.
As for the private property issue we feel that tenants pay rent to live there and they should have some rights beyond mere existence. They should be able to keep memories of their friends or family that came to visit them.
** It appears that the article in Lux Living and here made an impact – we are satisfied with the result.
Posted in Photography and the Law
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“how dare they enforce a “rule” by rudely barking orders at tenants without first sending letters to each tenant informing them of the new rule and/or clearly posting signs”
Welcome to Stuyvesant Town. They make up “rules” as they go along and provide tenants with ZERO information.
There are rules for dogs yet only ONE sign on the complex (on a playground!?).
There are rules for disposing of furniture though tenants haven’t been told what they are.
Now there are rules about photography and in typical Tishman Speyer fashion, security goes after the easy target, a lady photographing her friend.
Tishman Speyer’s Stuyvesant Town MGMT has the reverse Midas touch. They make a mess of everything they touch and are clueless as to why people despise them so much.
My friend who lives in Sty Town was surprised to hear of this.
I wouldn’t be so quick to label one email from ST management a “resolution.” Clearly, they just don’t want this story all over the media, which is why they suddenly recanted their no photography policy after they were exposed on Lux Living and this website.