Several Long Island City residents squared off at Community Board 2′s monthly meeting Thursday as they debated whether Vernon Blvd. bars/restaurants should be permitted to use their rear yards.
Two, well-organized camps put forward their differing views—and the controversial issue was far from settled.
Several speakers, many of whom live adjacent to Vernon Blvd establishments, spoke out against rear yards and supported the current policy that has led to most of them being closed. They claimed that neighboring residents could hear every little restaurant noise – such as a fork being dropped – since the rear yards were like echo chambers.
Furthermore, those opposed to rear yards said that they were entitled to raise their families in relative peace and quiet — and that the bars/restaurants were not suffering as a result of the board’s long-time policy of requiring businesses to shut their yards.
However, a number of speakers, a little younger in age, asked for these residents to be more tolerant of noise, arguing that it was hurting small businesses as wells as the vitality of the neighborhood. They claimed that Long Island City is no longer the sleepy neighborhood of yesteryear but one that is evolving into a hotspot such as Williamsburg.
Furthermore, supporters of the use of backyard space complained that the public hearings/meetings were poorly advertised, which put the general public at a disadvantage when it came to putting forward their input.
“We have heard a lot about quietness and family but Long Island City is changing whether we like it or not,” said Mark Barry, a Long Island City resident. “It happened to Williamsburg, Greenpoint and now it is happening to LIC and Astoria. We either adapt with the changes or we fall behind.”
Fall behind what? Is this a race between neighborhoods to attract the biggest losers?
And what is this about public hearings not being well advertised? Nothing about CB2 meetings changes. They're regularly held at the same location on a monthly basis. Out of all the issues that have come up at CB2, this was the first one that got these folks to attend?
I've been up Vernon Blvd at night and see plenty of restaurants with tables outside, so I'm not really sure what the problem is.
Sounds like a bunch of spoiled brats moved in and want the neighborhood to conform to their wishes. Imagine if these people put the same amount of effort into making real improvements to our country as they do whining about the right to eat in a backyard? Talk about first world problems!
26 comments:
"I've been up Vernon Blvd at night and see plenty of restaurants with tables outside, so I'm not really sure what the problem is."
Do you mean sidewalk cafes? It's more pleasant to eat or drink in a backyard than next to road with cars speeding by.
Hipsters,hipsters,hipsters!
Take your tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers and thick rimmed glasses and go back to the suburbs.
Queens will never be the same...
Yuppies want to bring in their "liberal" ways. They want you to be tolerable of their crappy behaviors and their weed smoking. People are entitled to raise their families in an environment free of weed smokers and partiers. Just because we live in NYC, doesn't mean all of us like the overcrowded streets and the noise. If they wanted those things, they would have moved into Manhattan, not an outer borough.
It wouldn't surpirse me in the least if the people who spoke up at the meeting in favor of backyard usage for these businesses had a vested interest in some of these affected commercial activities.
They may live in the area, sure, but how much you want to bet that they either work at one of these places or their spouse does or they have friends of family who do, etc.
Also, planted people with highly specific grievances who conveniently show up at community meetings at just the right time are not unheard-of in this city. I've seen it myself. If these "suddenly concerned" folks were really part of the community, they'd be at the meetings on a regular basis. But that's not how they operate. After the issue is no longer on the radar, these types magically disappear.
Yes, sidewalk cafés. The whiners in this article just said they want to eat outside, so sidewalk cafés fit the bill. Personally, I prefer eating indoors where the A/C is.
Since when in the history of NYC is it necessary for a business to have backyard seating in order to survive ? Nonsense !!!
Poster #3--- that's black tight fitting jeans...
They opened these restaurants knowing the rules. Let them live with the rules and let the neighbors live in peace.
"Sounds like a bunch of spoiled brats moved in and want the neighborhood to conform to their wishes. Imagine if these people put the same amount of effort into making real improvements to our country as they do whining about the right to eat in a backyard? Talk about first world problems!"
That is spot on!
As someone who lives in Astoria (Community Board #1) and attends the Community Board meetings on a regular basis, all of these new residents need to check their privilege.
Do they live next to the backyards? Do they own or rent their homes? What are their connections, besides being customers, to these establishments? Do they live in Long Island City?
The Strand Smokehouse and other backyard eateries have created copious amounts of noise and disruption here in CB#1. No homeowner or adjacent neighbor should have to endure such behavior.
Please see this link for a peek into what might happen down the road in CB#2:
http://www.astorians.com/community/index.php?topic=25120.0
I gotta laugh at these backyard slackers. Their main argument is that these folks should have known when they bought their property that a restaurant might move in. Well, yeah, but maybe they were hoping that LIC would be more than a yuppie party town, and more than just restaurants would move in - they would have stores that locals patronize like clothing stores, etc. that would CLOSE at night and not be open until the wee hours of the morning. You know, the type of stores that make neighborhoods livable. Like what they had through the 1990s that made living there nice.
I wouldn't eat in a backyard if you paid me.
I wish there was this much interest and vocalizations about our library which is yet to be built or other issue in the neighborhood! When you moved to this area you knew what was here,so if you want something like Williamsburg etc. do what they always say to the residents who don't want the backyard spaces, MOVE!!! No one is forcing you to live in a neighborhood that doesn't have backyard dining.
"Do they live next to the backyards? Do they own or rent their homes? What are their connections, besides being customers, to these establishments? Do they live in Long Island City? "
Chances are they live in one of those hermetically sealed ivory towers by the water where they're shielded from any unpleasantness.
"Fall behind what?" My thoughts exactly, Crappy... the race to become the biggies Yuppie ghetto, perhaps?
Stop you whining and complaining about having a backyard for these establishments.
You want to complain about REAL FUCKING ISSUES, come to Jamaica.
GET REAL.
Blogger Queens Crapper said...
Yes, sidewalk cafés. The whiners in this article just said they want to eat outside, so sidewalk cafés fit the bill. Personally, I prefer eating indoors where the A/C is.
Eating next to a crowded road with speeding cars isn't fun. It's loud and dirty. Eating away from the road, which in the area would require being in a backyard, can be a fun way to spend an evening. Really as long as the heat isn't overbearing, which it usually isn't in NYC, eating on a patio during the day is fun as long as you have a cool drink. It's similar to (at least part of) the appeal of having a barbecue in someone's backyard in the summer. It doesn't mean it belongs in this neighborhood, but don't pretend that eating on the sidewalk would be just as good unless you plan to close the road and turn it into a pedestrian plaza/bikeway to eliminate the noise and exhaust from cars and trucks speeding down the road. Or a step below that, setting an enforced speed limit to 15 and leaving one traffic lane, no parking except for a truck loading zone, and planters to improve the ambiance.
No, it's not the same, but it works just fine in Manhattan, and that's where these people really want to live, so what is the problem? 2nd Ave and 9th Ave are MUCH WORSE than Vernon Blvd, yet every other restaurant has outdoor seating. So why is it acceptable in Manhattan but not in LIC?
"First world problems" Ain't that the truth. What these "hipsters" are really after is a place where they can show off to their friends on how trendy their new neighborhood is. Nothing to do with small businesses. I've driven through there and its quiet as a door nail even on weekends so they think this makes their new place look dull and boring next to their "hip" neighbors in Williamsburg.
Don't you people realize that the extra seating helps generate needed revenue to survive the lethal commercial real estate prices?
Not everything is a goddamn hipster invasion plot, you nutjobs!
Yes, we do. And the restaurants can apply for additional seating in front.
Don't these people store trash in the yard? Who wants to eat next to a trash pile?
"Eating next to a crowded road with speeding cars isn't fun. It's loud and dirty."
First off, it is Vernon Blvd, it is not like their is major traffic, especially in the evening. Also there is a speed limit there (25 I think), so it is not like they are flying back and forth disrupting anything.
"Don't you people realize that the extra seating helps generate needed revenue to survive the lethal commercial real estate prices?
Then don't put in an establishment in an area that is has "lethal commercial real estate prices."
NOW STOP FUCKING WHINING about frivolous bullshit and YES, it is frivolous and will not affect your quality of life what-so-ever in your over developed area. Go back to complaining about how the subway does not run on the weekends, that shit never gets old!
From a former LIC resident when it was Long Island City and not a clone of Battery Park, where people's only complaint was the invasion of over development.
Screw these trust fund hipsters on their NYC playcation, worrying about their next kickball league. These interlopers are fresh meat for greedy developers as they are willing to pay any fee to be part of the next hip 'hood. Last native NYer to leave please turn the lights out. Fuck it all, let it burn!
Astoria is infested with people that give two shits about the larger community in their pursuit of food.
The general consensus is you can move if you do not like banging beer kegs at 4 AM.
Just the kind of people that have a long term commitment to the community.
Generation Gentrification are now defiant and boasting about their self-declared status in the communities that they infect.It seems they are a bit defensive about the wide spreading criticism towards them lately.They should be lucky people are not throwing stones at them.
for a bunch of twats who can't compare physiques with a praying mantis,they are loud and obnoxious.they also seem to be alcoholics.
commenter four: you seem to be missing the point and going off on a complete other argument. I agree that yards shouldn't be opened in primarily residential areas but the people you're complaining about are really a whole other issue themselves. just seems like if you're going to lobby a serious complaint then you shouldn't tack on issues that are irrelevant or are far more exaggerated than what the actual question at hand is.
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