[Photo courtesy of a GL Correspondent]

The real estate agency rapidnyc.com that put up a marketing banner on a wall over a Community Garden on Fifth Avenue at President Street is taking it down. We had the first report yesterday about anger about an “intrusive banner” that was subsequently picked up elsewhere later in the day. We received a long comment from the agency, which we’re posting, because it’s important in the context of how peeved some residents became about the banner, which advertises apartments for rent. The email says:

The point is, we were simply advertising and had no intent on causing any issues with anyone. But we’re taking the sign down. It’s unfortunate that people may be misinformed about our business. For those that wish to do so, visit our office and see for yourselves that our operation is a big one and we stand by our product and provide a good service.

The writer says they were simply trying to advertise and that the angry community emails weren’t necessary:

Look, obviously you guys hate the sign. We get it. It won’t be an issue. We will take it down as soon as possible. Our goal was to post the banner up for branding purposes…not to upset anyone. We do plenty of business in Park Slope. We’ve been a member of the community for a long time.

The agency said it received an email that reads as follows:

“I am writing in regards to your advertising, specifically the new sign on 5th Avenue & President in Park Slope…The way you go about advertising is disgusting, tasteless, classless etc. Thanks to you, my corner is now an eyesore with your sign. I am going to make the necessary phone calls to different agencies to put you guys in check.”

Here is the agency’s response:

“First of all, we simply are marketing our product. Just like any other business. What exactly is classless about utilizing outdoor billboard advertisements? It’s unfortunate that you feel this way about our banner. Our intention was not to be “intrusive” on your garden. All we are trying to do is make the community aware of the services that we rovide…Apartment Rental Services. Currently we rent many apartments monthly in your local community. The last thing that we wanted to do was upset the community by posting up a banner.

The owner of this building contacted us through a mutual business relationship and asked if we would like to put up a sign on his building. At first we thought that the location sounded great but the placement of the banner was not as visible as we would wish. Upon thinking about it we decided to post up the banner because we have a presence in the neighborhood and felt that enough passers-by would see it to warrant the expense of having it up. We had a professional sign company hang it up.

I wish that you would have contacted us with a little less hostility and simply told us that the sign is causing problems. I don’t feel that it is necessary to say that our form of marketing is “disgusting, tasteless and classless”. Or to threaten us by saying that you’re “going to make the necessary phone calls to different agencies to put you guys in check”. Why? For advertising on a wall that a local landlord gave us permission to?

Look, obviously you guys hate the sign. We get it. It won’t be an issue. We will take it down as soon as possible. Our goal was to post the banner up for branding purposes…not to upset anyone. We do plenty of business in Park Slope. We’ve been a member of the community for a long time. We were renting apartments in Park Slope before it was, what it is today. We do feel that brokers like us and other brokers in the neighborhood helped encourage developers, Manhattanites and out of state renters to migrate to the neighborhood prior to it becoming Prime. Playing a role in this has helped us become Brooklyn’s fastest growing and most successful rental company, all the while helping in the development of the local area.

We’re here to service the community any way we can. Our lines are always open for communication. Feel free to get in touch with us. You know our number, just look at the sign while it is still up.”

They added this final comment to the story of the Park Slope Banner Brouhaha originally broken by a Special GL Correspondent:

The point is, we were simply advertising and had no intent on causing any issues with anyone. But we’re taking the sign down. It’s unfortunate that people may be misinformed about our business. For those that wish to do so, visit our office and see for yourselves that our operation is a big one and we stand by our product and provide a good service.

End of this quintessential Park Slope neighborhood story.