Recently, while scrolling a social media site, this writer was shown a sponsored post featuring an astoundingly hyper-local background: a basement stairwell on 45th St. between Skillman and 43rd Ave. Is it an AI-powered composite based on this writer’s location data?

Or is Charlotte Stone shoes, an LA-based brand, hoping to conquer Steve Madden’s territory? Research uncovered that Stone, the eponymous designer, worked for Steve Madden for a time, though it is unclear whether that was at their Woodside headquarters. Either way, most residents would agree that this is hardly the most picturesque location our fine neighborhood has to offer, and the choice is baffling. The writer did not purchase the shoes.