The Brief
A Manhattan private events company faces a class-action lawsuit for allegedly taking over a public outdoor space on the East Side.
Residents said Guastavino’s, a luxury event space on 59th Street, has been falsely claiming the plaza outside its doors is private property.
A spokesperson for Guastavino’s said, “signage indicating that it is a private space has been removed.”
NEW YORK – A Manhattan private events company is facing a class-action lawsuit for allegedly taking over a public outdoor space on the East Side.
What we know
Guastavino’s, a luxury space for galas and other private events on East 59th Street, has a large trellis that narrows access to a public courtyard leading to the entrance.
The lawsuit announced Tuesday claims the venue has been preventing access to the plaza by falsely claiming it is private property.
According to neighborhood residents, Guastavino’s has taken steps to close off the public space, including placing security guards out front to stop people from walking in.
Some claim it’s been going on for about 20 years, saying people have been arrested and gotten thrown out of the plaza.
A sign outside reading “Private Property,” was recently removed.
What they’re saying
The residents spoke out Tuesday after filing their class-action lawsuit. They were backed by staff representing New York City Council Member Virginia Maloney.
“It’s not their private garden—it never was.”
“They started to market this as their private garden. It’s not their private garden—it never was. This is public space,” Sean Basinski said.
“What Guastavino’s has been doing in trying to hijack this location for their private use, is unacceptable. So we’re all here today trying to reclaim our public space,” Greg Templeton said.
“The people telling us to get off their lawn don’t actually own the lawn!”
“We’re seeing this over and over in neighborhoods throughout the urban core of our city. We all know the old expression, ‘Get off my lawn.’ In this case, the people telling us to get off their lawn don’t actually own the lawn,” said Brice Peyre, a member of Maloney’s staff.
The other side
A spokesperson for Guastavino’s sent the following statement to FOX 5 NY in response to the lawsuit:
“Guastavino’s acknowledges that this is a public plaza. The signage indicating that it is a private space has been removed. We are working with the city to ensure that the space remains a public plaza, and to come up with a path forward for egress during events.”
The Source
This story is based on a class-action lawsuit filed against Guastavino’s and the venue’s response.