UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — New York City might be the city that never sleeps, but it could do with less excessive noise during the summer time, so says Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine in a letter shared exclusively with Patch.
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Levine penned a letter last week to the NYC Community Affairs Unit pushing for the city to come together with state partners to help reduce noise in residential Manhattan neighborhoods, while also offering his own set of solutions.
“In addressing the pervasive issue of noise pollution in Manhattan, we must underscore it’s more than a mere nuisance; it’s a pressing issue of community wellness, particularly for our economically disadvantaged neighborhoods,” Levine said in a statement to Patch. “Now is the time for an enhanced city-state collaboration, encompassing educational drives, fresh legislative endeavors, and reinforced enforcement to ensure a summer of tranquility and enjoyment for all New Yorkers.”
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The letter mentions that excessive noise can be an environmental health hazard, and that evidence shows prolonged noise exposure can lead to a litany of bodily issues.
Levine offered a combination of seven solutions that would go toward minimizing the noise in Manhattan, including education around the danger of fireworks.
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“While the city that never sleeps will always bustle with activity and sound, there are steps to reduce the nuisance and health impacts of excessive noise,” Levine wrote in the letter. Now is the time for the City to begin taking preventative steps to ensure that this is a summer that all New Yorkers can enjoy.”
Noise In Upper Manhattan
There are few more lightning-rod issues in Upper Manhattan than noise pollution, which Levine took part in during his time in City Council.
In May 2021, Levine released a similar plan to combat noise in Washington Heights and Harlem.
In the announcement of the more local plan, he mentioned the work of uptown groups such as the Washington Heights Inwood Taskforce on Noise and the WaHi and Inwood for Respectful Decibel Levels — both of which had also released their own plans on tackling excessive noise in Upper Manhattan.
The Inwood and Washington Heights Community Board 12 had more noise complaints in 2020 than any other Manhattan neighborhood, and has continued to be near the top in the years following.
The issue of noise in Upper Manhattan routinely comes to a head on July 4, when unofficial firework celebrations shoot off all over the neighborhood.
The subject was again discussed last week.
While the majority of people praised the firework celebrations, there were also many mentions of the excessive sound in Washington Heights and Inwood Facebook groups.
“I ain’t mad at the street fireworks until 3ish a.m., but my cats were stressed the eff out,” one uptowner wrote on July 5. “My poor babies. Will need a pot of coffee STAT, hope everybody had a great 4th!”
“It’s sad how people don’t care about anyone else,” another uptown wrote on a post about local fireworks. “Old people, babies, animals, they all suffer from the noise.”
A different post saw community members share the best places to watch fireworks uptown for a new resident of the neighborhood, with many expressing their excitement for the show.
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