Neighbors to Union Hall: Shut Up!
Since opening a little over a year ago, Union Hall’s formula—booze, bands, and bocce—has been a resounding success, drawing crowds of revelers to the North Slope. Some of the bar’s neighbors wish it were a tad less successful, though. In May a group of Union Street residents sent a letter to a bunch of officials…
Since opening a little over a year ago, Union Hall’s formula—booze, bands, and bocce—has been a resounding success, drawing crowds of revelers to the North Slope. Some of the bar’s neighbors wish it were a tad less successful, though. In May a group of Union Street residents sent a letter to a bunch of officials (including Mayor Bloomberg, BP Markowitz, State Senator Montgomery and Councilmember de Blasio) regarding the tremendous increase in noise and nuisance that’d befallen their street since Union Hall opened. The letter, which was signed by 76 people, claims the quality of life for the immediate neighbors has been drastically altered, leading to sleep loss, stress, anxiety and serious health issues. The signatories said the bar’s soundproofing measures were inadequate and that its patrons have terrorized Union Street by shouting, fighting, throwing bottles, urinating and passing out on the sidewalk. Jon Crow, one of the residents leading the charge against the bar, showed up at Wednesday night’s Community Board 6 meeting to expound on Union Hall’s alleged ne’er-do-well ways and to ask for the board’s help in bringing peace and quiet back to Union Street. From the outside, it may look like a library, but it’s not, said Crow, who intends to lobby the state liquor board so that Union Hall’s booze license isn’t renewed this spring.
The Skinny on Union Hall [Brownstoner] GMAP
Park Slope is also a wonderful neighborhood.
There are reasons is gets nominated for these top 10 lists, etc.
Union Hall is a part of that. Very much so, in fact.
Park Slope would not be what it is if it were simply a residential-only neighborhood.
I hope more places like Union Hall open up. One in the South Slope would be a huge hit.
not to mention the fact that the breeder men are always wearing ugly sandals when the weather permits. right? didn’t think to mention that tho, did you?
park slope is the old hoboken too.
I totally agree with you, 1:37.
I was one of the previous Union Hall supporters and no, not paid by the owner either.
The comments about music playing at 3am is simply a lie.
Shows there start with a opening band that goes on around 8 or 8:30, the main act somewhere between 10 and 11 and then the show is over, typically around midnight on night’s of a show. maybe 1 at the latest.
Lots of lies by the anti-Union Hall crowd.
To be expected by people who are desperate for people to listen to them.
Park Slope is the new Hoboken!
1:02 PM- not paid by UH. Don’t even really like to go there. However, I don’t like to see desirable businesses driven out of my neighborhood.
Maybe it’s not a conspiracy by the owners of the club. Maybe the posting just touched a nerve. A lot of people were excited about Union Hall opening, about the fact that there was a place to go that was visually intersting with varied events, and that they didn’t have to leave the slope to get drinks.
Maybe people are addressing what seems like a gross overreaction. Union Street is still relatively quiet compared to other bar streets in BKLN, even at 3AM.
Lastly, whatevs to your 13yo comment. You’re on the board too, so who knows who you really are, how old you are, or why you’re generalizations and name callings are any more valid than the rest of the posters.
I agree that the “frat boy” characterizations here are way off the mark. Anytime I’ve been to Union Hall, I’ve rarely seen that type. It’s a city, folks, and a growing and lively one at that. If you can’t handle that, then sell your $3M brownstone and buy an estate in rural Kansas.
311 calls are not necessarily anonymous. i’ve called 311 on noise complaints several times, and they give you the option of leaving your name and address so you can track your complaint later and see how it’s been handled.
wow. are the people who are so violently (and rudely) pro-union hall paid by the owners or what? who could love a bar that much? or maybe there are just a lot of bored 13-year-olds sitting around at home who think it’s cool to troll brownstoner and mock old people, park slope inhabitants, etc. how juvenile.
listen. i’ve been to union hall twice. it’s not a bad bar, besides being too crowded on weekends and having a crowd that consists entirely of 28 to 31-year-old young professionals checking each other out. i mean, whatever. they need to drink somewhere, don’t they?
but i’ve also lived down the block from a similar venue that had music until all hours of the night. and it drove me absolutely nuts. people don’t realize that at 3 in the morning, when they’re coming out of a bar and calling across the street to their friend to wait up, they’re waking up the neighbors, no matter how good the soundproofing is in the venue itself.
you don’t have to be a frat boy, or a public urinator, or a brawler to wake people up at 3 in the morning. and the street doesn’t have to be dead quiet during the day to make it a decent place to live. this is the city, and there will be noise, we all know that. but people yelling, or singing, or even talking loudly on their cellphones outside your bedroom window at three in the morning, not once or twice but consistently, night after night, for months, or years, will definitely make you a crazy person.
fortunately, there are laws against businesses that make that much noise. and the noise laws just got more stringent, so businesses get fined a LOT if their patrons are disturbing the peace. i’m sure the people who signed the letter will get their day in court. i guess that’s what union hall’s owners are worried about.
for what it’s worth, i know people call the cops on voodoo all the time. i’ve seen a traffic jam of cop cars and guys being handcuffed out front more than a few times over the past summer…