New York City is becoming 'Hollywood East'

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Television and movie productions are saying "Lights, camera, action" to New York.

"We have more new dramas shooting in New York now than Hollywood has, so I think it's already here," Steiner Studios Chairman Doug Steiner said. "The crew base here is the best in the world. It's culturally rich, it's diverse."

In 2004, Steiner opened the doors of Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. Today, Steiner Studios has 30 stages.

"We really are the only true L.A.-style lot in New York," Steiner said. "The L.A. lot evolved the way it did because it's very efficient to have everything under one roof."

A decade and a half later, the industry is saying "goodbye" to Hollywood and "hello" to New York City. Weeks ago, Netflix announced it is moving into a new, bigger office in Manhattan and by 2024 is opening a production hub in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, creating nearly 130 jobs.

"We have a lot of potential here in the City of New York—we have amazing people, we have spaces available to make this happen," Council Member Antonio Reynoso said. "Diversifying our economy is important. So there is an opportunity here for this to be a good thing."

Reynoso said he is happy to see that Netflix wants to come to his district. However, he wants the community to have a say. He said he reached out to Netflix to set up a meeting. Under a deal, the streaming service was offered $4 million in tax credits.

"The thing with the tax breaks is if you're coming to the city and you're going to get a tax break, then that means you're going to give us something," he said.

Also jumping on board are Robert De Niro and his son, who are planning to open a production and film studio in Astoria, Queens.