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	October 8, 2003 KATHERINE OLIVER, COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR’S OFFICE OF FILM, THEATRE & BROADCASTING, UNVEILS NEW LOCATION INITIATIVES At a reception at Bridgewaters restaurant this evening, Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor's Office of Film Theatre & Broadcasting announced a new locations service available to film and television productions, and unveiled new/underutilized locations within the five boroughs. Responding to a high demand from film and television productions for private locations, and the need for property owners who are interested in hosting productions to make themselves available to the entertainment community, the MOFTB partnered with Douglas Elliman to offer a new online service. "Locations" is a new feature that will be offered on www.elliman.com, providing property owners and location managers a resource to find previously inaccessible sites. Location Managers will be able to search for properties by neighborhood and desired features for their shoot, online, 24 hours a day - saving time and money. The MOFTB will offer a link to this site from their home page, accessible through www.nyc.gov. "New York City features the most diverse and cinematic exterior locations in the world, and with Douglas Elliman's innovative online service, the entertainment community now has easy access to the City's impressive selection of private interiors," said Commissioner Katherine Oliver. "Entertainment production is a $5 billion industry employing over 100,000 New Yorkers. This service and our locations offer a fresh universe of options, and a further incentive for film and television productions to shoot here." "The untapped potential to create a synergy between homeowners and film productions seeking locations" says Douglas Elliman CEO Dottie Herman. "Our goal is to provide a service to our customers as well as the film industry and the city with the hope that a simpler location scouting process will mean more business for the great city of New York." Homeowners and other private property owners wishing to host film and television productions may list their properties with Douglas Elliman by calling Adrienne Cleere at (212) 891-7246. The Office also showcased a series of new and underutilized locations, including Central Park, Snug Harbor, Sunset Park, Governors Island, Morris-Jumel Mansion and Sylvan Terrace. Central Park As the first major public park built in the U.S., the park measures 843 acres and contains 58 miles of pedestrian paths, 4.5 miles of bridle trails and 6.5 miles of paved roadways. There are 30 bridges and arches, 11 overpasses across the sunken transverse roads, and 51 sculptures. The Central Park Conservancy manages the park under a contract with the City of New York Parks & Recreation Department. Central Park celebrated its 150th Anniversary in September 2003. Contact: Central Park Conservancy Film & Photography (212) 628-1036 ext.29 Snug Harbor, Staten Island This 83-acre National Historic Landmark district features a variety of Greek Revival, Beaux Arts, Italianate and Victorian style buildings. The location’s name is derived from its original function when it opened in 1833 as a maritime home and hospital for retired seamen, who were also referred to as "snugs". In addition to 26 historic buildings, the site offers a Botanical Garden, Children's Museum, an Art Lab, the Chinese Scholar's Garden, the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and the Secret Garden. Contact: Erika Schaefer-Hellstrom, Acting Director of Marketing & Public Relations, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, (718) 448-2500, x214 Sunset Park, Brooklyn Located between 41st and 44th Streets from 5th to 7th Avenues on the slope of "Dead Man's Hill" in Brooklyn, this 25-acre park was built in the 1890s. As one of the highest points in Brooklyn, it affords views of the Manhattan skyline, New Jersey and Staten Island. The site contains playgrounds, a pool, basket ball and handball courts. The area is home to one of the largest Chinese communities in New York City. Contact: Elido Rivas, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation (718) 722-3213 Governors Island Having existed under the Federal Government for restricted military use for two centuries, the island was transferred to the City and State of New York, and the National Park Service in early 2003 - for one dollar! Located just 800 yards off Wall Street, the island contains 172 acres of military forts, shoreline, open lawns and landscaped grounds, and is accessible from a five-minute ferry ride from Brooklyn. Among the island's highlights is Castle Williams, which stands on the northwest point of the island. This location affords impressive views of the Lower Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. Its sister fort Castle Clinton may be viewed across the channel in Manhattan, and together these structures provided a deterrent to British forces contemplating an attack during the War of 1812. Contact: Pnina Michelson (212) 440-2225. Sylvan Terrace Located off Jumel Terrace between 160th and 162nd Streets, Sylvan Terrace is part of the "Jumel Terrace Historic District" and is known for its cobblestone streets and rare wood-framed row houses. It is the former home of Duke Ellington, Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. Contact: NYC Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (212) 489-6710 Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest remaining house in Manhattan, built in 1765. Its elevated position offers views of the Harlem River, the Bronx, Long Island South to the east, NYC and the harbor to the south, and the Hudson Riverand Jersey Palisades to the west. Contact: Sheena Lee Brown, Curator of Collections (212) 923-8008 In September 2003, The MOFTB launched a new website designed to market the City as the ideal location for entertainment production. The new site contains a number of enhancements to agency services, including a new Locations section featuring photos from location shoots around the City, a location of the month and a list of current film and television productions. The evening's reception was made possible through generous contributions from Boru Vodka, Bridgewaters restaurant, Douglas Elliman, Getty Images, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Morrell & Company and NYC & Co. The partnership with Douglas Elliman marks the beginning of an expanding initiative to offer private locations to location scouts/managers and productions on a convenient basis. The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting (MOFTB) welcomes other real estate concerns to join this program. Due to the popularity of this service, real estate companies interested in participating would need to offer a dedicated section on their website for film/television productions and sufficient technical and staffing resources to accommodate the demand. If your company would like to offer a similar specialized service to New York’s entertainment community, please call the MOFTB at (212) 489-6710. Visit the Douglas Elliman Website