Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
If you've recently stopped by the rather nondescript Craft Beer and Smoke on First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street, you may have noticed new signs prohibiting photos and videos inside the shop.
Curious about the reason, we asked.
According to a staffer, the signs went up after a series of encounters with what he described as "YouTubers and TikTokers" who had been coming into the store to film content.
The staffer said groups of five to seven people would sometimes enter the small shop at night and livestream using a mix of GoPros, handheld cameras and smartphones.
"They are making videos in the space and starting trouble," the staffer said. "When I told them no filming, they said there was no sign, so we put the sign up."
He said the groups generally didn't buy anything — save for one occasion when someone purchased beer — and refused requests to leave.
However, since posting the signs, the staffer said the filming has stopped. He added that he warned the groups he would call 911 if they returned and refused to leave.
The staffer said he didn't know the creators' channel names and had not seen the videos himself.
The new signs should serve as a reminder to the neighborhood's viral vexors: not every storefront is looking to become your content studio.
