CB6 Tackles Noisy Bars
This past Monday, Community Board Six addressed the growing number of quality of life complaints (noise, backyard use, smoking, and overcrowding) associated with the growing number of bars and restaurants in the area, with places like 4th Avenue’s Mission Dolores called out for their outdoor patio noise. Pardon Me for Asking attended the meeting and…
This past Monday, Community Board Six addressed the growing number of quality of life complaints (noise, backyard use, smoking, and overcrowding) associated with the growing number of bars and restaurants in the area, with places like 4th Avenue’s Mission Dolores called out for their outdoor patio noise. Pardon Me for Asking attended the meeting and reported on some commonly forgotten, and often broken, laws: bars and restaurants must keep doors and windows closed at all times to prevent noise from escaping, only 25 percent of an establishment’s outdoor area can have smoking, and places cannot exceed a capacity of 75 people, unless they have a Plan of Assembly Permit. Good to know. Representatives from Sanitation, Fire, State Liquor and Environmental Protection were unanimous in their suggestion that disgruntled neighbors file their complaints through 311.
I second petebrkln,
Any person who live in the city close to other people should keep his noise inside.
And specially bars!
What would one of you think if you lived next to me and i had parties every night blasting music with my windows open?
“This whole phenomenon of using backyard space for bars and restaurants in recent trend.”
“Fans of the old Meow Mix Bar in the East Village may recognize a little bit of that flavor at Cattyshack. Why? Once Meow Mix closed its doors for good, owner Brooke Webster didn’t give up on serving the ladies. After a brief hiatus she got back in the game by opening up Cattyshack in the summer of 2005.
On the second level of Cattyshack is both another bar and another space to dance, though the two are separated by a wall. The real gem of the upstairs however, is the patio out back. During the summer smokers and non-smokers alike line up to find a spot outside on one of the many benches out there. As it’s fenced in, you can take your drink with you. This is a fantastic way to spend a summer evening in New York City.”
I guess 2005 is still considered “recent” but it’s been an outdoor bar area with smokers and drinkers being loud outside for the last 5 years. Well before 4th Avenue turned into the beautiful and quiet residential strip we all know today. 😉
as a tenant in an apartment I am supposed to keep my noise in the apt. Don’t tell people that shouldn’t complain about noise from other residential or businesses that can’t keep their noise confined. Or shouldn’t live there.
This whole phenomenon of using backyard space for bars and restaurants in recent trend. Wished they had stopped it from beginnging. Besides the noise, it has contributed greatly to rat problem also.
Take your frat bars back to your college towns.
Yeah, 311 noise complaints routed to the DEP are only really good for noise that is ongoing (several nights/days each week). For a loud party, I’ve found that calling the precinct is the best route.
bkhabitant, my guess is that “late night unit” is just their euphemism for dudes working the graveyard shift, much like calling a secretary an administrative assistant 🙂
Don’t call 911 with a noise complaint (unless it is the noise of a violent crime). Call your local precinct and they will send over officers but obviously it is not going to usually engender a 2 minute response.
Call 311 to go to DEP, but that requires scheduling ahead of time and is not a quick fix to a one off noise issue like an overly loud party at 2 AM.
mopar, my experience has been the exact opposite.
*construction and jackhammering at 11:30 p.m. down the street from me*
“Not true that the DEP doesn’t work nights and weekends. When I put in my complaint about the leaf blowing fools near me, the DEP called me to set up a time to come by and bust them. Turns out 311 got the info wrong (surprise surprise) and sent it to their late night division. The guy told me he’d have to forward it to their early morning division, as the unit he worked for only investigated late night noise. That told me 2 things…the DEP seems to have people for all hours and that they are quite eager and at the ready to write some tickets!”
It also tells me a third thing – that the DEP has too many divisions. Why do they need a late night and an early morning division instead of just having one division that is responsible for all 24 hours in a day?
It is impossible to file a noise complaint through 311. They will not pick up the phone. And if you call 911, they tell you to call 311 and hang up on you. It’s pass the buck.