Photo by Jim.henderson, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Tavern on the Green generates a pretty penny for the city, but for nearby neighbors kept up at night, it may not be worth the ruckus.
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The iconic Central Park restaurant has been back open since April 2021 – after 13 months of a COVID-related closure. The building has a long history – built in 1870 to house sheep, converted to a restaurant in 1934, and temporarily closed due to a bankruptcy between 2009 and 2014. A Central Park landmark, Tavern on the Green has been featured in Ghostbusters, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Edward Scissorhands, and has been frequented by stars like John Lennon, Grace Kelly and Madonna, amongst others.
But some Upper West Siders have found themselves less than enthused about the restaurant’s recent raucous events. As reported in the New York Post, the venue has been blasting music until as late as 4 in the morning, at levels that are disturbing tenants of nearby apartments – so much so that 57 noise complaints have been filed within the past year.
When interacting directly with restaurant staff, apartment tenants have indicated that their grievances were acknowledged and promptly ignored. Complaints have even spilled into the comments section of the article itself, with Post reader Amy writing, “From 30+ floors up and 2 blocks away, we hear the music singing and each word as if it were playing outside our window.”
Shortly after publishing this article, one reader told ILTUWS: “I live on the 19th floor @ 60th & Columbus. It’s incredibly ridiculous how loud it is! The city needs to do something,” adding that “The music reverberates through the streets and bounces off the buildings.”
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In a 2020 New York Times article, real estate reporter Ronda Kaysen anticipated that the rise in outdoor dining would lead to a reciprocal rise in outdoor noise complaints – and suggested some actionable next steps for those disturbed. Beyond calling 311, one might file a noise complaint with the State Liquor Authority or even request free mediation through the city. However, in the same article, it is suggested by real estate lawyer Stuart M. Saft that a restaurant may prefer to pay a fine than stop the music.
“Pretend it’s a City” — Fran Lebowitz
If you wanted quiet, go live in Muncie, Indiana.
I live next to an elevated subway line — I don’t notice it any longer.
We live in the Greatest City on the Planet because it is ALIVE.
Excuse me, but a city being noisy as compared to the country does not mean it’s okay to violate the city noise code, and NYC does have a noise code, with impunity and disrespect your neighbors as well as the law to pander to your customers. If you live next to an elevated subway line and you don’t notice it anymore that does not give you the authority to pronounce what others should do. And we arguably do not live in the greatest city on the planet, but if we do it’s not ear-splitting noise that makes it great.
The noise regulations really apply after 10pm.
I work for a dance studio that’s been in its location for decades. We get complains from new residents from across the street even though the sound levels are under regulatory limits.
1) There are two different noise code regulations for day and night. There is a noise code for before 10 pm, and before you state something as factual you would do better to check the facts.
2) How do you know you’re below the noise code level if you don’t even know that there is a daytime noise code limit? Have you measured the decibels?
Yes I do know there are two codes and the daytime is quite high so few things violate it.
Yes we did measure (dB A scale to be exact as stated, and even dB C for bass sound levels)
That’s why we were able to shut down the complaints from the neighbor.
https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dep/downloads/pdf/air/noise/noise-code-guide-summary.pdf
Okay good Your dance studio was not in violation and you made a voluntary effort to make sure of that so you see that the noise code is reasonable and that it works when it is complied with.
However most of the time, and with these 57 complaints to the tavern on the green they are clearly over the noise code, (one complaint is that her bed is vibrating from the bass, 2 blocks away from the tavern, for example) and the tavern is not complying, and the problem is that there is no meaningful enforcement. The police cannot issue summons or confiscate equipment any more, and the lawyer in the article opines the Liquor Authority can impose fines, which the restaurants prefer to pay to changing the sound level presumably bec thats what their customers want. The police should regain the authority to walk away with the mikes and speakers, and the SLA should be able to increase fines exponentially w each offense. Otherwise NYC is screwing around w kissing it’s tax base goodbye.
Okay good Your dance studio was not in violation and you made a voluntary effort to make sure of that so you see that the noise code is reasonable and that it works when it is complied with.
However most of the time, and with these 57 complaints to the tavern on the green they are clearly over the noise code, (one complaint is that her bed is vibrating from the bass, 2 blocks away from the tavern, for example) and the tavern is not complying, and the problem is that there is no meaningful enforcement. The police cannot issue summons or confiscate equipment any more, and the lawyer in the article opines the Liquor Authority can impose fines, which the restaurants prefer to pay to changing the sound level presumably bec thats what their customers want. The police should regain the authority to walk away with the mikes and speakers, and the SLA should be able to increase fines exponentially w each offense.
I am not one of the neighbors that hear the noise. Growing up in Brooklyn, we lived across the street from an open subway station. We got used to trains coming and going, but that was not a constant. Loud and thumping music is not the same. It’s horrible!! And alive doesn’t mean anyone needs to disrepect their neighbors!!!
THIS TOWN IS MUCH LOUDER THAN IT USED TO BE* when Fran still had her hearing.
I grew up on the UES, there was an enforced no honk law, garbage was picked up after 9AM and any idiot with a boom box or thumping music emanating outta their cars would have been roundly shut up. The horror show, least intelligent idea the city has had since I left is the scaffolding. Scaffolding focuses noise and brings it directly up to the top stories with laborers cutting stone and chiseling brick outside you window from 7:30AM on. I moved back 3 years ago to be with my girl… we both are pondering a move to Muncie, the noise is destroying our love of NYC.
I say to anyone that is bugged- go by the joint that was making the noise with a 100 pack of Cherry Bombs come Sunday brunch and light them up, random timing at least 20/hour. Definitely focus at the outdoor seating.
Don’t believe it?
Here’s results from a little on-line research:
“New York City is getting louder and louder. From March 1, 2021, to June 14, 2021, the city saw in total 242,141 noise complaints, 21.5% higher than the previous year.
Manhattan became the noisiest NYC borough. The borough saw in total 74,319 noise complaints from March 1, 2021, through June 14, 2021, 50.9% higher than the previous year. [Figure 2]
The loudest NYC neighborhood, after normalization, is Crotona Park East in the Bronx. The neighborhood received in total 2,443 complaints or 3,534.4 complaints/10k households. [Figure 3]
In Manhattan, Lincoln Square saw the most dramatic increase this year in terms of noise. The neighborhood received 2,148 complaints between March 1 and June 14, 302.3% more than last year.
In Brooklyn, Williamsburg received the most complaints this year — 3,746 or 1,953.9 complaints/10k households.
In Queens, Kew Gardens Hills topped all others as the loudest neighborhood. The neighborhood saw a total of 3,178 complaints or 2,395.8 complaints/10k households after normalization.”
Definitely a big LOSS in Quality of Life!