Residents in Manhattan’s West Village are up in arms over some sizable billboards promoting pricey gym chain Equinox. Curbed has been receiving correspondence such as this: “Have you seen the horrible new cloth billboard covering the entire facade of the Equinox on Greenwich Ave and West 12th? Anything you can do to make people aware of this and hopefully stir up opposition would be appreciated.”
There’s been plenty of opposition already as nearly 50 complaints have been filed in the past ten days with the Department of Buildings regarding the ads, which Equinox apparently never got proper permits for. While the brand immediately defended the ads, saying the “My Body. My Biography” campaign “celebrates our community of extraordinary members and their remarkable stories”, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the DOB are both on the case. The LPC has given Equinox 20 days to apply for a hearing to “cure the violation” and the DOB is sending out an inspector to “take enforcement action as soon as possible.” Still, we can safely says that Equinox’s monstrosity is not quite as obnoxious as this Canal Street eyesore from last year.
Via Gothamist