Queens Chronicle
Ed Sniadecki tried earplugs. He even bought a white noise machine.
Nothing has given him and his wife relief from the extremely loud music at night, though.
“It’s a pounding bass,” the Whitestone resident told the Chronicle last Thursday. “It resonates throughout the entire neighborhood.”
He and others say the problem ramps up in spring and summer. And according to Sniadecki, “It’s no longer a weekend thing.”
Affected residents say the main culprit is the music-blasting cars with big sound systems parked late at night in Willets Point and the World’s Fair Marina parking lot. And police responding to noise complaints have proved them right.
“Bump, bump, bump, bump,” said Dan Lamarca of Whitestone, imitating the bass sound from the cars. When he first heard it, back in 2013, he thought kids were banging on the door to his house.
It is relentless. Even at Easter dinner last month, the obnoxious noise blared in the background at Lamarca’s house.
“We’re considering selling our house and moving out,” he said.
Lamarca isn’t the only one, according to We Love Whitestone Civic Association President Alfredo Centola.
“People are literally moving out of their neighborhood because they can’t take the music anymore,” the civic leader said.
In June 2016, a South Richmond Hill man was arrested for blasting music late at night in Willets Point from a van. The vehicle — which had more than 50 speakers — was confiscated.
Queens Chronicle
Councilman Bob Holden (D-Middle Village) said he can hear people blaring music from the Forest Park Bandshell from his house.
To clarify, Holden lives in Middle Village north, two blocks away from the Long Island Expressway. In fact, when he first heard the music on a night about a month ago, he thought it was coming from Juniper Valley Park.
“It’s one thing to play music but it’s another thing to get stadium speakers and blast it where you can hear it for miles,” he told the Chronicle on Monday.
Holden posted on Facebook on April 23 that the 102nd Precinct was in the bandshell parking lot and would remain throughout the night.
One commenter posted, “This is our way of staying out of trouble .. we are in a open park not disturbing anyone in a parking lot .. yes i agree we leave a mess but add trash cans and it will be cleaner!! We aren’t there fighting killing shooting we just there playing music staying out of trouble!!...”
Holden told the Chronicle he didn’t agree with the post.
“Weren’t disturbing anyone? That’s ridiculous,” he said. “You’re disturbing people for miles away. That’s how bad it was. If they weren’t disturbing anyone, this wouldn’t be an issue. And the fact that these are grown men who said we’re staying out of trouble, what does that mean? Let us break the law and let us disturb the peace because we’re staying out of trouble. These guys have to grow up.”
Holden added, “These guys are not angels like they say on their Facebook posts. ‘Oh, we just want to hang out and have fun.’ Yeah, you want to have fun at other people’s expense and make a racket.”
He is working with the 102nd and 104th precincts to solve the problem.
“You can get a parking ticket within two minutes of your meter expiring, but the people who are actually creating a nuisance to the neighborhoods aren’t getting fined,” Holden said in a statement. “The NYPD needs to crack down on these complaints or else the disturbances will never stop.”
34 comments:
“This is our way of staying out of trouble .. we are in a open park not disturbing anyone in a parking lot .."
So if they're not allowed to Blast their crap, they'll get in "Trouble" ?
Sounds like extortion to me...
Guys, guys-- be happy. They're not "fighting, killing or shooting..."! Didn't you see that that's their only other choices in life? Sheesh!
This has been going on in Forest Hills as well for at least the ten years I’ve lived here. FMP all weekend. Police do squat. Politicians swear every year they’ll do something. How about putting locking gates on the park entrances? Oh I know! Too simple.
THIS is why I hate, no loath, the warmer months.
"L'enfers, c'est les autres." - Jean-Paul Sartre ["Hell is other people']
Asians blasting their music again?
This has always been a problem. Nobody has any consideration for hard working people in Queens who have to wake up early for work. I’m guessing these culprits are in their late teens or early 20’s. They should try and get a job.
If the cops shut down a Rock or Hip Hop concert mid way you can end up with a very dangerous riot.
It happened at the Forest park bandshell to my band in the summer late 70s. The well "stewed" crowd of 2000 was fine, happy listening to the likes of Black Sabbeth and Led Zepplin covers with no problems. Well that was until the Keystone 104 cops and park people stormed in totally mishandling the situation cutting not only the band power but the park lights also. Then started pointing flashlights
The people totally freaked out, bikers smashed benches and lit them on fire, destroyed a B-55 bus that didn't stop, flipped every trash can on Myrtle ave.
Lots of damage.
Bob Holden and many from Glendale/MV may remember this incident.
Remember this is the police department everyone wanted. The ACLU/AOC would have a field day if these poor young kid were issued tickets.
The barbarians are not just at the gate, they're in your front yard, Whitestone. The smartest thing I ever did was leaving that city and town years ago. I could see it coming and now here it is. That kind of crap would not be tolerated where I live now.
That's horrible. I would lose my mind for sure if subjected to that. And the police don't do much? Ridiculous. This is a crime.
These parties sound absurd and it's insane the NYPD aren't cracking down more. Setting aside just the parties, the window-rattling stereos have gotten relentless and oppressive. Blasting loud music is bad enough but the BASS- the subwoofers shaking my home and setting off car alarms have to be stopped. Banned, ticketed, fined, confiscated.
Why are we letting these people treat our personal environment with such contempt?
Someone with such narcissism or outright disdain for the citizens of this city, someone who wastes their money on weapons designed to pollute and degrade our public space, has no place here.
A boombox would be sufficient enough for playing music. But these lunatics don't spend thousands of dollars for these arena sounding speakers for them to gather dust. Not to mention the overwhelming market demand for these bass cannons.
This sort of thing has been a chronic problem in many areas of the city for a long time now. The NYPD does nothing, our elected representatives do nothing, and 311 complaints are usually closed out fraudulently way longer than the allotted 8 hours.
No one other in this country barring a few *holes would tolerate this. Only in NY is this allowed. The question is why?
Also, many of the people doing this are older and aren't just kids. They also tend to not work or are on programs. So how do they have the money for these speakers and cars?
Anonymous Joe said...
If the cops shut down a Rock or Hip Hop concert mid way you can end up with a very dangerous riot.
It happened at the Forest park bandshell to my band in the summer late 70s. The well "stewed" crowd of 2000 was fine, happy listening to the likes of Black Sabbeth and Led Zepplin covers with no problems. Well that was until the Keystone 104 cops and park people stormed in totally mishandling the situation cutting not only the band power but the park lights also. Then started pointing flashlights
The people totally freaked out, bikers smashed benches and lit them on fire, destroyed a B-55 bus that didn't stop, flipped every trash can on Myrtle ave.
Lots of damage.
Bob Holden and many from Glendale/MV may remember this incident.
Joe - this is totally different.
At Forest Park, this is a group of 3 to 12 people, maximum. They are playing music unbelievably loud, sometimes until 3am - and drag racing - in the parking lot next to the bandshell. I used to hear it at my apartment at the Forest Park Coops nearby and called the cops multiple times. I even went there to document it with video.
If CM Holden is hearing it in Middle Village, imagine how loud it is in the immediately surrounding communities of Glendale and Woodhaven. It is truly unbearable.
The simple solution would be to put up a gate at the parking lot that the park workers can close at dusk. Since the park is supposed to be closed at dusk anyway, it makes sense.
- a Forest Park Coop resident
They play the music this loud to promote it and make me more money biches
prrrra
Dont forget the drug junkies who use meth, weed, coke and god knows what else. Willets point and flushing meadows is a hotspot for drug deals. Trees cover these criminals from being spotted. Im planning on moving to brooklyn its getting hectic out here.
Thats right take away all forms of young culture and having fun, take away summer outdoor music and concerts , ban speakers because some old fucks want to go to bed 8PM.
Some people should be retired in Florida living in some HOA policed neighborhood if thats what they want. How about move back to Ohio or some other west bumblef_ck dump !!
Oh, speaking of retirement homes. That 104 PCT is a especially useless and that fact (IMO) has always been that way. And Im sure everybody knows it!
No new better laws please, what we need is better brains.
Anon below me:
I disagree, these people are gainfully employed. In fact, I'm pretty sure the majority of them city, government and park workers. And probably cops too.
Last anon. I think the proliferation of park privatization for outdoor events has led to this tolerance of these obnoxious lot parties. Besides, you don't think there aren't people gathering blasting shit from their cars in Florida and Ohio?
Forest Park Coops ?
They put Co-Ops by forest park or is he talking about the large boxes where the old Jewish people live on the other side of Woodhaven blvd?
All you nags,close your windows at night. Kidding me? Its music!
And to confiscate a vehicle for a violation of a noise ordinance is overkill and BS to make the nags happy.
And you get 6 minutes on an expired meter.
And why don't the naggs get their own party started, already?
kapimap, I hope you one day have this problem right next door. Maybe then you'll have some empathy for others.
I live very close to FMP and this has been an increasing problem for the last several years now. Look, I moved in near a large and very well-used park, so I expect a lot of weekend and summer activity nearby. I have nothing against people enjoying themselves, music playing, raucous games, kids running around, cooking out, public events and all of the other activities of summer that folks enjoy, often well into the evening hours.
But to the people who would call us "nags", there's a huge difference between all of these fun things and booming music out past midnight using stadium PA-level speakers with massive bass that can be heard not only in the adjacent residential area, but several neighborhoods away. That's just plain not acceptable behavior in a civilized society and shows a complete lack of respect for everyone else in the city. Folks don't necessarily want to call the law on you, or to make new laws to stop this ridiculousness, they just want you to turn it the hell down.
But your adamant refusal to do this, your defense of your clearly anti-social actions, and your lack of consideration for the people around you, says really all anyone needs to know about you.
I hate these inconsiderate douchebags- they’re drunk, high &
Selling illegal drugs -fighting - selling drugs & alcohol to minors, gambling - sounds like pay to enter parties
you would think they would keep it quiet but no-
Get a bit more creative as to what agencies you make complaints to - hint
Make complaints to multiple agencies
I truly hate noise at night & dislike the summer because of all the idiots who blast what they call music.
It’s just loud noise.
There’s a YA book called The Pushcart War
It’s suggested reading
The ghettotization of our new society or at least NYC society. But alas, this the future of the country.
Sorry. Not the country. You're not living in the country. I am. It's not happening here, and won't. We won't tolerate it. Clean up your city or fire your Mayor and police chief. Chop of the double head of the snake.
I don't get this crap in NYC and why nothing is done about a long standing problem or other issues that NYC does not address. Happily I moved away from this shit hole city. I have lived in other cities in the country and I do not know of any other city that allows such nonsense to go on for years. No other city or neighborhood outside of shit hole NYC deals with such nonsense. Don't know why so many of you still live here, I mean, why............overcrowded, the filthiest city in the country, no parking, takes forever to get anywhere, a broken down transportation system, sky high rents and nothing original anymore, even Broadway pretty much sucks.
Not enough cops. Remember Zero Tolerance,Quality of life? All that work down the drain by our communist mayor. Don't fifgt crime,just decriminalize it!
Nothing for working people gets done in this city. Drive the highways,no lights,no cops. At least the 70's were fun.
Anon and all others.
No offense but stop calling our corrupt mayor a commie. He's an opportunist crony capitalist like those he feigns to oppose. He's just exploiting socialism policies to bolster his pathetic stature in politics
Crapper Jr. - Oh, Let the old boys have their little fun. They don't get out much with the way air pollution is these days.
Unless of course you and DeBlaz are working out at the 9th Street Y together. I hear the rooms upstairs are scrumptious - just like the former Bowery flophouses
You have to remember that when these people say " we are not bothering anyone" you need to take it in the context of who they are. As young boys, their definition of "bother" was holding an ice cube to the caved in cheek of their 16yr old mother as her latest boyfriend, and the father of their soon to be newest sibling, took the proceeds from her recently cashed welfare check, and stormed out to buy drugs. So some idiot who wants an evening with their family, or some moron who wants to read a book, or listen to their own music, or a loser who wants to sleep so they can go to work, is as foreign to them, and as relevant to them, as discussing life on mars.
Re Aunt caca (love that handle btw):
What makes you think I condone the corruption and work out with the crooked derelict mayor? And don't call me junior (winking emoji face)
As for the why, look at the April posts when I pointed out that the Blaz uses the Y to continue his pay to play donor whoring.
To whoever plays this bass driven shit:
I hope you develop some form of incurable brain cancer and die a slow painful death.
Thank you.
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