Huntington Implements Parking Restrictions for Spielberg Film Shoot

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. — Parking restrictions have taken effect in Huntington Village due to the arrival of a Stephen Spielberg film being shot in the area. The changes were implemented to accommodate the production team and their crew.

Residents and businesses are feeling the impact of the new restrictions. “I live across the street and there's no parking. Where am I supposed to park?” asked Jill Helmus, a local resident, expressing frustration over the limited parking availability.

While some residents are struggling to find parking, others are more relaxed about the situation. Gerry Federici, who works in the village, said, “It's one day. That's it. It's all good.” The parking restrictions will affect parts of nine roads near Main Street until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Additional closures include the New Street parking lot and the Chase Bank parking lots, which will be unavailable until Tuesday night. Lot 22 at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station will be closed all day Tuesday.

Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth acknowledged that the filming may disrupt normal traffic patterns. He noted, “There's no question it will have some disruption on traffic and parking in Huntington Village tomorrow. However, we're not naive to that. It's a Tuesday; we're not doing this on a Friday night or Saturday night.”

Local businesses are divided on the parking changes. Some owners expressed dissatisfaction with the closures, emphasizing potential losses in foot traffic. However, Deborah Kiley, owner of the Emerald Door Salon, welcomed the disruption. “I think it's a great opportunity for the town to have some heartbeat put into it like a movie is being filmed here, that's great,” she said.

The town anticipates that about 600-700 visitors will flock to the village on Tuesday for the production. “We're expecting them to utilize some of the restaurants and merchants in the Huntington Village area, so we're hoping it's going to be an economic boom for the village,” Smyth added.

Anthony Rossi, an employee at Little Vincent's Pizza, echoed the optimism: “That's good for us, extras coming in for pizza.” The town has implemented some alternate side parking rules, and parking meters will not be enforced on Tuesday. Additionally, Smyth mentioned that the financial contribution from the film crew will “far exceed” typical Tuesday earnings from metered parking, with the revenue going into the town's General Fund.