Noise Recourse?
Looking for suggestions on most effective tools to deal with a recurrent problem. Pane E Vino on Smith street had yet another rousing Sunday night party in their back garden last night, complete with DJ’s and speakers placed outside. DcB level was easily 65+. Called the restaurant twice; was immediately hung up on both times….
Looking for suggestions on most effective tools to deal with a recurrent problem. Pane E Vino on Smith street had yet another rousing Sunday night party in their back garden last night, complete with DJ’s and speakers placed outside. DcB level was easily 65+. Called the restaurant twice; was immediately hung up on both times. Went over to talk to the manager, who told me the music was “not really that loud” and even denied the fact that it was a Sunday evening. When I kept on insisting they turn down the music, the guy who had rented out the space got in my face and told me he could do whatever he wanted cause he paid “good money” for the place and if I didn’t leave “there would be problems”. Cops showed up shortly thereafter and made them move the speakers inside, but the noise/music was still at outrageous levels — there was no way anyone with windows facing the back could have possibly gone to sleep prior to 12:30am, when they finally closed down. Problem is, these events occur randomly and it is impossible to get a DEP inspection on the fly, and the cops can/will only do so much, as they seem only to address the noise coming from mechanicals, not people. Are there any effective neighborhood associations which have effectively dealt with this issue in the past? It would suck to have to spend $50K on soundproof windows because these a-holes have no regard for their neighbors.
I live next to a restaurant which uses it’s backyard for events. Here are my suggestions:
1- go talk to the owner and/or managers of the restaurant during the day when it’s not busy. It’s fine to try to discuss the issue civilly with them. Relate your experience, ask for ground rules (like all amps inside by 10pm, all people inside by midnight on weekends and 11 on school nights.)
2- if it doesn’t work (no apology, manager a jerk); start organizing your neighbors. Put the issue of restaurant noise on your agenda, and flyer the neighborhood ahead of the CB meeting.
3- you and your neighbors need to call 311 every time the rules are broken. Go to your precinct meeting and ask about the lack of follow-up on your calls. That will move them to action.
still a pretty funny comment. cheers!
Spot on Pete. I indeed never said I lived on Smith, nor that I rent an apt on the second floor above a restaurant; any intelligent heckler should have been able to figure that out.
Interesting what gets launched from behind the protective veil of anonymity.
“You likely moved/bought at Smith because it was cool to be on Smith St , w/ the bars and the restaurants and the pretty people and the F train.”
Ha! The pretty people I’m dying over here.
Sucks you may have to move away from Smith.
where did the person say lived on Smith????
and when did this obnoxious/intrusive trend of restaurants/bars using backyards begin?
Yeah noise sucks and the manager came off like an ass, but living on the 2nd floor, right above on restaurant on Smith street – I think you kind of asked for it.
Its like the people families who moved to Ludlow St in the LES in the past few years and then bitch about noise. Or the loftbuyers in Tribeca who complained about truck traffic and factory noise – the noise and the bullshit was there way before you were.
You likely moved/bought at Smith because it was cool to be on Smith St , w/ the bars and the restaurants and the pretty people and the F train. Its a busy commercial strip full of people eating and drinking all day and all night long.
At what point do people lose the right to bitch about noise – just folks who live near an airport or next to an elevated train?
Insert Snappy Name Here, you spoke for me!
Ridiculous to accept horrendous noise levels because
it’s “the city”… contact your CB.
If people like Fire Alarm Guy think people should tolerate noise in NYC then they can march down to City Hall and avail upon Bloomberg to repeal the noise code laws. As it is the laws do exist so here’s a big “whatever” to that kind of totally lame, tedious response.
Thanks Pete & G Man. CB2 was a helpful lead.