Thursday, August 13, 2009

Stumped by the SuperNoise

Tonight at around 10pm I was strolling down the North East Village's Avenue A with the husband, when I came upon the new bar, Destinations and noticed that as we walked in front of it, the din from inside, being that there are no windows, was so loud that we had to stop our conversation, not just to gawk at hoards making the noise, or Mason Reese guarding his doorstop, but because we couldn't hear each other.

What shall I do, I thought. I shall call 311 and follow the directions of "How to Complain." So I started to dial when I realized I didn't actually have anything to complain about, not officially. I mean, the noise wasn't disturbing me in any real way. Other than feeling disturbed by how noisy it was, it's not like it was disrupting my sleep or waking me up, or stopping me from enjoying my favorite record. It was just annoying, and I don't think that's a legitimate complaint.

The problem with this is that when the noise is truly bothersome, when it is disturbing my sleep, I can't actually tell where it's coming from, specifically, to make a complaint. I know the direction it's coming from, but which bar out of the eleven that are in that strip, at which particular moment, is making the noise, would require my getting dressed, walking down ten thousand steps, going outside, and laying my eyes on the street to see what's going on. This is not what one wants to do when one is feeling sleep deprived.

So while personally I will support all efforts to try to turn these bar owners into good neighbors, and stop any new liquor licenses from being approved on the blocks of the North East Village's Avenue A, I think that I can't really contribute in a serious way to the piling up of complaints that are required to 311 and CB3 so that the noise can go on record.

The point of this is - if you live above or across from these establishments, and you didn't attend the meeting, please know that if you are disturbed by the noise coming from the bars, or if patrons are puking in your hallway or any other such irritating behavior, please call 311, the 9th precinct, your landlord (certified letter), and log your complaint on the CB3 website. Thank you.

21 comments:

Media glut said...

I suppose when it gets to be late and a few bars have more than a few people in front. Then, when heard from around the corner, it becomes a dissonant choirs of the street with one bar indistinguishable from the other.
But 311 needs specific complaints so it is a problem.

EV Grieve said...

That should teach you from trying to enjoy a walk in the neighborhood on a Thursday night.

Anonymous said...

Have you noticed that you live in the East Village? There are other more quiet neighborhoods to live in. That might be worth looking into. Don't change, or stop, the neighborhood. Just go to a different one. The people are what make the neighborhood. People change. People move. it's what people do.

Dan said...

Yes - but people also stay and try to make a home and the surrounding neighborhood liveable.

Anonymous said...

Previous comment was obviously written by a moron, as the people at Ham Boy's bar are not a representation of our neighborhood.
AND, you should call 311.
I walked by a couple of hours later and an annoying, drunk woman was smoking on the sidewalk next to her table just inside the bar and was so involved in her cell phone conversation she almost jabbed her cigarette in my eye!
There is nothing wrong with defending your quality of life...as in Jane Jacobs.
The East Village is "The Cock" or "Mars Bar" or "Sophie's"....not some lame Gun's and Roses playing, ham-boy owning, beer pong playing, douche bag hang-out.
Not changing or stopping dumb people is how we lost the original Penn station, bad change should be opposed and questioned!

Jeremiah Moss said...

this post is a little depressing. i hope you're not throwing in the towel.

Anonymous said...

"Have you noticed that you live in the East Village?..."

I just love how these self-centered morons are convinced that the sun does not rise until they personally open their eyes.

Because no one lived in these neighborhoods before they opened their bars. They insist that these noise complainers moved in after the bars opened and are now nothing but party poopers. Unbelievable.

Call 311 to at least get the complaint registered. After they pile up the message will get through.

Jill said...

No towel throwing here but I realize that for me personally the noise isn't my biggest issue, but it's the only way to officially complain. 311 won't register a complaint for reduction in culture and influx of boring people in cargo shorts and tiny skirts. (caveat: my husband wears cargo shorts but he is not boring)

ak said...

RE: "There is nothing wrong with defending your quality of life...as in Jane Jacobs. The East Village is "The Cock" or "Mars Bar""

while i do enjoy some cock and mars bar (ha!), i have to say the crowds in front of these places are just as bad/noisy/etc. the difference is, for myself, i generally prefer the people in these crowds. just wanted to throw that in there....

Anonymous said...

Ok, my naming bars that dont suck was silly.
I dont even drink anymore. BUT, if I were to pick a drunk to see on the sidewalk, I would pick one from the establishments mentioned. (also when the Cock was on 12th I would find a lot of money Sat/Sun mornings! All the quick buy's made next to the newsstand created a lot of lost cash..)
The drunks are not really buying drugs or BJ's outside the corny bars they go to...at least if I have to lose sleep and navigate crowds I should be given the opportunity to find their lost wads of cash as I walk to the newsstand.
As for Jill's comment on cargo shorts, I wear collar shirts on occasion...I found a nice lilly pulitzer shirt when school ended last spring and the brats left their unwanted clothes on the street! (I used to find cooler stuff like the steven sprouse jacket I found about ten years ago).
AK-which crowds do you prefer? the khaki's or the normal ? (I use the term "normal" as I can not locate a better description.And the patrons of bars I prefer are normal to me. The Khaki's freak me out...it's almost as if I am looking at aliens)

Anonymous said...

Please. Move. Shut your phone, then turn it on. Call Uhaul, schedule a date to pick up the truck, place your shit in it, and move to Syracuse. It's so quiet, and even if there's noise, you can't hear it behind the snow drifts that have surrounded your precious, quiet home.

Anonymous said...

Why in the world should they move when they were there first?!?!!

Jill said...

Why would we be intimidated to move out of our home of nearly 30 years by a bunch of narcissistic, homogenous suburbanites with very little personality? We will be here long after you find another place to drink and puke. What we can do is to be like everyone else in America and work to make our neighborhood the one we want to live in.

What you might not realize from inside the belly of the snake is that this is a residential neighborhood. I know, it is hard to understand that the earth does not revolve around your excessive drinking and yelling loudly for no reason, but people live here and have for long before you decided that this was the ideal place to overspend on booze so that a few landlords can get rich off your fratboy ways.

EV has never been quiet, that's not really the point. We live here because we love living here and we love the diversity of our neighbors and the community. We will fight to keep it the interesting, artistic, jumbled place that its been. Bars and noise come with the territory. What is so bad about this particular influx is that you seem to add no value to the interesting part of why we choose to live in New York. At least the loud, drunk punks and Puerto Ricans were interesting and fun.

While you may have the mentality of not putting down roots somewhere, and find that moving from place to place when you are displeased with something, we actually like it here.

We will mock your cargo shorts and lack of interesting personality, and that is what you will have to put up with if you want to come here and have your money taken by hamboy and his ilk. Get used to it, or go back home to mommy.

Mason Reese said...

First off, my name is Mason...NOT "ham boy". Second, no one has ever puked inside or outside my establishment. Third, Mars bar doesn't play G&R? Fourth, we do not, nor will we ever have beer pong! Fifth, many of our customers are locals, not "b&t" looking to party and puke. I'll be attending another community meeting soon, and look forward to having a fair and balanced discussion. However..the "ham boy" thing really isn't playing fair...just sayin'

Anonymous said...

Good lord, STOP it with the "if you don't like the new East Village, move to _____" thing. Syracuse?? WTF. Just stop. It's your singular argument, it's powerfully stupid and I'm embarrassed for you.

I find it sadly hilarious that predecessor bar Boysroom, a venue that regularly featured strippers and other debauchery, was ten times the neighbor that Destination is. Probably because Michael Formika Jones is not only a class act and an EV legend, but he still lives in the neighborhood. Johnny-come-latelies are just that: outsiders.

Mr. Reese, I appreciate your attempts to engage, but it's obvious you only care just enough to keep your bar out of trouble. I can't believe your frathole (sorry to say, but that's what it is) makes me long for the early days of Drop-Off Service.

Alex in NYC said...

Why must we berate cargo shorts? They are functional and practical. In fact, I am wearing a pair right now.

Jill said...

Alex, I draw your attention back to the comments on this post:

http://evgrieve.com/2009/07/work-on-upright-citizens-brigade.html

My husband is also very upset about the disparaging of cargo shorts, he wears them all the time and is stumped when trying to think what would possibly replace them.

Mason Reese said...

Anon-
Have you ever been inside my establishment? My patrons are far from "frat-like". There may be some on a Friday and Saturday..but that is absolutely not the norm. I more than engage...I listen. While I appreciate the fact that Boys Room may have been a larger offender to you, I do believe in my heart that we aren't what you're labeling us! One of our "regulars" is a man named Gary, who's lived above Mazzurella Pizza for 38 years!! He loves our food, our staff and are ambiance, and he's certainly NO frat boy! I welcome you to come in anytime you want for a drink on me!
Mason

Mason Reese said...

My apologies...I misunderstood the boys room comment!

ak said...

anon 9:00 PM: i like the non-frat crowd - sorry if that wasn't clear from the first message!

and oh, mars bar plays 1 G&R song. i hate it. it's mostly played on friday/saturday nights when the crowd is, well, uninteresting at best. i'm still cursing the numskull that put it on the jukebox.

Jeremiah Moss said...

i am also wearing cargo shorts. from old navy.