• "Joker" fans are rushing to stairs in the Bronx, New York, to take pictures dancing as the titular character at the iconic film location.
• Photos published by Gothamist showed posters taped to lampposts along the staircase warning visitors not to treat the community as a photo opportunity.
• One resident wrote on Instagram that "constantly trying to claim and re-brand marginalized neighborhoods to make them more marketable for the wealthy is dangerous and irresponsible."
• "Keep your Instagram posts outside of the Boogie Down," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Bronx native, told TMZ on Tuesday.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Some "Joker" fans are being called "parasites" by residents of the Bronx, New York, as influencers flock to take pictures at the stairwell featured in the film.

Instagrammers are heading to the borough's Highbridge neighborhood to strike a pose, but residents have been less than impressed with the influx of visitors.

Locals on social media have expressed concerns about their borough being exploited.

Read more:'Joker is on track to make more money than any other R-rated movie in history at the box office

One resident wrote in an Instagram post that calling the staircase the "Joker Stairs" was offensive.

"Constantly trying to claim and re-brand marginalized neighborhoods to make them more marketable for the wealthy is dangerous and irresponsible," he said, adding that the influencers didn't "contribute a single dollar back into the community you're all exploiting for likes."

"My hood isn't your insta-moment," he added.

A comment on the post said: "Everyone who is not from the Bronx throw dirt on it and bashes us !! now the stairs is a tourist attraction."

The staircase is perhaps "Joker's" most important backdrop: An embattled Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) trudges up it and dances down after completing his transition to the Joker. The scene has also been a key part of the film's promotional material.

Read more:Jared Leto, who played the Joker in 'Suicide Squad,' reportedly felt 'alienated and upset' by the new Joaquin Phoenix movie

However, photos published by Gothamist showed posters taped to lampposts along the staircase warning that "it is disrespectful to treat our community and residents as a photo opportunity."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Bronx native, told TMZ on Tuesday that while the photo opportunity is a good thing for tourism, she also didn't want influencers to claim ownership.

"Keep your Instagram posts outside of the Boogie Down," she said.

While many opposed the staircase becoming a tourist attraction, others saw the funny side in it.

"Them stairs ain't nothing but an asthma attack and a swift robbery set up," one person tweeted.

"Legally as a bronx resident you're allowed and encouraged to tax anyone visiting the joker stairs," another wrote.

"Please make sure you're carrying cash," another person joked. "Everything around that area is cash only so make sure you have a lot of cash. And don't be worried about the locals around the area they're nice individuals."

Fans who want to tick this one off the bucket list should also note it's a long way to the top — 132 steps, to be exact — and you might not be made to feel so welcome when you get there.

• Read more:
• Trying to diagnose the 'Joker' shows what the film gets wrong about mental illness, according to a psychopath expert
• Convicted pedophile Gary Glitter won't receive any royalties for his song used in the 'Joker' film
• A 'Joker' crew member said Joaquin Phoenix gave everyone a personalized joke book suggesting the movie was terrible and it was all their fault

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Mexico has just one store where you can legally buy a gun and it's located on a heavily-guarded military base