“Sleep No More” producer claims Tribeca alley as his own

The city is trying to regulate traffic in an alleyway Arthur Karpati claims to own

Arthur Karpati is suing the Department of Transportation over this Tribeca alleyway.(Autopilot, front; Google Earth, back)
Arthur Karpati is suing the Department of Transportation over this Tribeca alleyway.(Autopilot, front; Google Earth, back)

Arthur Karpati, producer of the immersive Macbeth theater performance “Sleep No More,” is taking one for the team: he’s suing the Department of Transportation for attempting to regulate traffic in an alleyway he claims to partly own.

The alleyway in question runs between Franklin and White streets in Tribeca and has been used by residents and businesses for parking and deliveries for over a century, according to Karpati’s lawsuit which references historical documents dating back to 1913. This longstanding history made the “No Standing” signs, which appeared early this summer, an unexpected surprise for Karpati and his neighbors.

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Karpati, who owns a building — 70 Franklin — at the corner of one of the alleyway’s entrances, responded by filing a lawsuit arguing the DOT can’t regulate a private area and that he is the owner of at least half of the alleyway.

So far, owners of three neighboring buildings have joined Karpati, including Mike Moezinia, owner of 365 Broadway; Laurence Fink, who owns 373-75 Broadway; and the condo board of 377 Broadway.