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New York residents complain about noise and crowds at concerts in the new Under the K Bridge Park


New York residents complain about noise and crowds at concerts in the new Under the K Bridge Park

The concerns of these longtime New Yorkers about late-night partying do not fall on deaf ears.

About 20 residents from Brooklyn and Queens met at a town hall on Wednesday to voice their complaints about noise and crowding caused by loud music performances at Under the K Bridge Park, a new outdoor venue beneath the Kosciuszko Bridge.

“We have events here that go on until 2 or 3 a.m. and it’s extremely loud – with the windows closed and the TV on, you can hear everything,” says Rich, 46, a Greenpoint high school teacher who lives a block from the venue on Apollo Street.

About 20 residents from Brooklyn and Queens met at a town hall on Wednesday to voice their complaints about noise and crowds caused by loud music performances at Under the K Bridge Park. Marie Pohl

“When I emailed them asking why they were allowing this, they replied, ‘Well, they have applied for the appropriate permits.'”

Rich’s wife’s family has lived in Greenpoint for over 100 years, he said – but they are considering moving because of the new neighbors.

“The house I grew up in, the house we have, my great-great-grandmother bought it in 1911,” his wife Trish, 46, told The Post about the home where the couple lives with their two-year-old son and Trish’s mother Gin, 77.

“My grandmother was born in our current kitchen,” she added, “and we are thinking about moving because it has become so uncomfortable here.”

Now operated as a park by the nonprofit North Brooklyn Parks Alliance and partially funded by the city, the once-abandoned inter-borough lot opened in 2021 and has since hosted events attracting 8,000 people, such as the LadyLand open-air music festival in June, which attracted Madonna, among others.

Other notable events include the “Summer of Love” festival series, hosted by the “House of Yes” nightclub in Bushwick.

In 2023 alone, more than 64,000 visitors attended events at Under the K Bridge Park, park officials said – and even “larger events” will take place in the fall.

The large events – which authorities say are “critical” to the park’s revenue – have drawn the ire of neighbors. Some of them report blaring concert noise that can be heard in their homes, some as far away as Long Island City and Maspeth.

Tokischa and Madonna host the Vogue Ball House Battle onstage during Ladyland 2024 at Under The K Bridge on June 29, 2024. Getty Images

“It’s not just the music itself … it’s the hundreds or thousands of people,” said Matt, 47, who lives on the same street as Rich and teaches at the same high school.

“There’s no public transportation out here at night, so everyone calls Uber and Lyft… and all you hear all night is honking, honking, honking.”

Lucy, who is originally from Poland but has lived in Greenpoint for over 30 years, told The Post she could hear the events from her home on Nassau Avenue, just a few blocks away.

“My question is, why is it allowed until 4 a.m. when other places have to close at 10 p.m.?” she told the crowd at City Hall.

Katie Denny Horowitz, executive director of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, told the Post that most events at Under the K end at 10 p.m. and never at 4 a.m.

Tama Gucci performs during Ladyland 2024 at Under The K Bridge in New York City on June 29, 2024. Getty Images

“If a neighbor hears music at 4 a.m., it’s definitely not coming from an event at Under the K Bridge Park,” she insisted.

A review of past events at the park posted on Resident Advisor showed that shows didn’t end until 3 a.m.

“I don’t understand how you can have an outdoor event running until 2 a.m., especially when it’s so close to residential areas,” Rich added at City Hall.

“There are a lot of children in this neighborhood and it’s very frustrating.”

In an address to elected officials at City Hall, Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) said the nonprofit is trying to “address these issues” and “find solutions around noise testing and crowd control.”

Katie Denny Horowitz, executive director of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, said the nonprofit is trying to “mitigate the noise as much as possible,” including by changing the orientation of speakers. Marie Pohl/NY Post

Horowitz said the group is trying to “mitigate the noise as much as possible,” including by changing the direction of the speakers.

Representatives of the North Brooklyn Park Alliance said Wednesday they have set up a hotline that neighbors can call if the music gets too loud.

During events, the organization also monitors noise levels at about 20 locations within a half-mile radius.

The Berry Street Alliance, which represents parts of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, has called Under the K a “site of massive noise pollution” — and the group that runs it is “a nonprofit entertainment organization with the goal of branding itself as an environmental venue,” according to a post by X.

“NBKParks creates tremendous car traffic and keeps neighbors awake until 4 a.m. with his money-making concerts,” the Berry Street Alliance wrote.

General view of the atmosphere during Ladyland 2024 under the K Bridge on June 28, 2024 in New York City. Getty Images

The North Brooklyn Parks Alliance’s largest funder is the City Parks Foundation, which is giving the organization $96,900 in 2022, according to nonprofit monitoring tool CauseIQ.

Not all residents object to the park, which also serves as a bike path, green space and skate park during the day.

Kevin, 33, told The Post at City Hall on Wednesday that Under the K is occupied most of the time by “people who like to skateboard or take a walk by the water.”

For him, it is crucial that the proceeds from the concerts go towards improving the park.

“The issue is that there are concerts in venues all over the city where the money goes into private pockets,” he said.

“I mean, the money only goes to investors. It goes abroad… The big difference here is that although there are some big concerts, the money flows back into the neighborhood.”

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