Friday, June 22, 2012

Noise from sidewalk cafes a concern in Astoria


From DNA Info:

Astoria is becoming clogged with noisy sidewalk cafes that draw crowds of diners and bargoers to the neighborhood and make life miserable for locals, especially at night, some residents say.

The problem has become so bad in some spots that Community Board 1 rejected bids by two businesses at a meeting last Tuesday night to get outdoor seating, despite approving several other applicants for either renewed or new sidewalk cafes.

Dozens of sidewalk cafes on 30th Avenue, some of which stay open late in the evenings, have been attracting young and sometimes noisy crowds, turning longtime residents' lives into sleep deprived nightmares, according to residents.

"It is impossible to sleep at night," Karen Afrides, 54, who has lived on 36th Street off 30th Avenue for 20 years, said at a heated public hearing last Tuesday.

"Why is our quality of life diminished because some people want to have a good time? It’s not our good time."

Afrides, one of several residents who expressed their dissatisfaction with numerous sidewalk cafes and booming nightlife in the area. "We have to have our sidewalks back," she said.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I knew alot of people who moved up around 30 Avenue over the last 20 years, because it was a MUCH quieter commercial strip than Broadway. Now it seems the situation is reversed. Some of the new restaurants are pretty nice, but it is definitely not the relatively quiet area it used to be.

Anonymous said...

Its the fault of the community board made up of people who live north of GCP and crap all over the people who live south of GCP.

Went to a community board meeting once were a resident complained and the chair all but hooted the unfortunate out of the room.

When the Vallone regime finally is defeated at the polls there will be dancing in the streets of Astoria.

Anonymous said...

I love the sidewalk cafes.

They add street life and safety to the neighborhood.

More the merrier.

Anonymous said...

I love the sidewalk cafes.

They add street life and safety to the neighborhood.

More the merrier.

YOU MUST BE ONE OF THOSE THAT COME IN FROM DADDY AND MOMMY IN WHITESTONE WITH YOUR SOUPED UP MAZDAS AND THROW UP ON MY FRONT LAWN AT 3 AM

MERRIER MY ASS.