Why do certain storefront marquees? or awnings? have razor-wire around the perimeter? I noticed this the last time I was in the city, but I couldn’t come up with a logical explanation.
Thanks
Pigeons and crooks.
Since Eve nailed this in three notes, it’s time for stuyguy to swoop in with a fun story of NYC historical context (that’s my job here, right?).
I’ve told this story before on the board, but it’s been a long while, so I’ll tell it again. Seems that the company that invented razor wire – as opposed to plain old barbed wire – in the 1960’s or 70’s had an impossible time selling it. Everyone they approached thought the stuff was just too barbaric. That is, until they tried peddling it in crimeridden NYC! Frustrated merchants and property owners and gobbled up the product like hungry pigeons attacking a discarded pretzel stump.
What’s the story on what you can say on those awnings?
I’m led to believe that storeowners are pretty restricted in residential areas – a (probably false) story I heard was that The Wiz" got in trouble for promotion or somesuch because their awnings said “Nobody Beats the Wiz” so they went and changed their name rather than change the awnings.
That sounds farfetched. But what (if anything) are the regs?
Your story doesn’t sound very probable to me, as NYC isn’t zoned into residential and business districts like just about everywhere else. That’s what makes it nice to live here - you don’t have to travel far to do your shopping and the streets are lively.
Chula, what do you mean NYC isn’t zoned? It most certainly is zoned.
True, but in fairness I was sloppy. You got your suburbs where you can’t put a 7-11 in a “neighborhood” and all that, and NYC doesn’t work quite that way. Sure, there’s not gonna be a bank headquarters on York anytime soon, but there is a bank headquarters at 1 Madison, in a mostly residential area. And of course retail establishments can pop up just about anywhere they can pay the rent.
I was thinking more that a store with an awning might have more leeway in Times Square than on Lex in the 80’s.
But again, I’m seeking info here, not providing it.
I’m not saying that there are no zoning laws in NYC, I’m saying that the laws don’t segregate residences and businesses into separate districts. (Houston was the one city that had no zoning laws at all until recently.)