Traffic problems, noise and trash dropped by party goers annoy Norwood Gardens', Astoria, residents ( Pic courtesy: Donnelly Marks)
For the last couple of months, Norwood Gardens, Astoria resident Helen Carter has been waking up on weekends to find broken liquor bottles in her backyard. Donnelly Marks, another Norwood resident filled an entire bag with trash found on her block even as she walked her dog one Saturday morning.
The long time Astoria residents have been noting with increasing dismay the deteriorating quality of life in the quiet Astoria neighborhood of Norwood Gardens- thanks to a huge influx of bars and drunken visitors on 30th Avenue between 36th and 37th Street.
“People treat the street as their own private trash cans,” said Marks, referring to the bar-goers on 30th Avenue. “They empty their ashtrays on the street, dump trash, and broken bottles. People who come here don’t have any investment in the community,” she said
Over the last two years, Astoria’ 30th Avenue has seen a huge spike in the number of outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants. While the neighbors have welcomed the commercial activity in the area, they are annoyed by increasing noise levels in the area and the inconsiderate party-goers.
“They are waking working families at 3 and 4 a.m. with their street brawls,” said Marks, who lives off the busy commercial avenue. “They rev their engines, speed day and night and are destroying our private property, she said, adding a resident’s dog had been run over by a speeding SUV.
During the first six months of the year, noise in Community Board 1, which includes Astoria and parts of Long Island City, sparked more than 3,400 complaints to the city’s 311 line.
Precinct #114 that patrols Long Island City, Astoria, Jackson Heights and Woodside went as far as assigning a task force to monitor holiday revelers over Thanksgiving at 30th Avenue and Steinway.
While two bars were issued summonses over the Holiday, residents are skeptical of the task force’s efficacy in the long run. “The task force is not a band aid that can fix this problem in one weekend,” said Marks.
“It is a complex set of issues,” she said. “We don’t want to be adversarial,” said Marks referring to the business establishments in the area. “But if you are a business owner, you have to be responsible about your patrons,” she said.
“It is a double edged sword,” said Astoria resident Benjamin Duffey, echoing Mark’s sentiment.
“We’re trying to keep Astoria family friendly and business friendly,” he said, emphasizing the residents in the area were not anti-commerce.
Meanwhile, Frank Arcabascio of the 30th Avenue Area Merchants Association says noise and activity go hand in hand. “I feel for the residents, I really do,” said Arcabascio, who runs a hairdressing salon on 30th Avenue, “But when you have a busy street, you get trash,” he said. “You have to make an effort to address the issue, sure, but when you have a vibrant street, this is what you get,” he said.
“Sometimes, customers do get noisy,” admitted Athen’s Café manager Jimmy Naula, “they start smoking inside, and then I have to send them outside,” he said, adding once they are out of the restaurant, it is up to the customers to behave themselves. The café is one of the many locations that serve liquor on 30th Avenue. Jimmy’s views are echoed by Mike Degnan, who works as a bartender in the area. “When you are a bartender, you can only control the bar,” he said, adding “You can’t control what goes on outside.”
Residents also worry about the number of new liquor licenses being handed out to business establishments on 30th Avenue. “There has been a dramatic increase in the number of establishments that serve liquor,” acknowledged Edwin Negron of the NYPD Community Affairs Unit that handles Precinct 114. There are over 24 establishments in a four block radius that serve alcohol on premises. “There has been increased enforcement on our part,” he said, adding merchants were already approaching the police with requests for permits to operate all night on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
“The challenge is to balance this [commercial activity] with the right of homeowners to peace and quiet,” said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria). “I plan to work with the homeowners and merchants to carve out a balanced solution,” he said.
Precinct 114 has also promised increased vigilance. “We will be patrolling [the streets] more often,” said Officer Negron. “There will be zero tolerance for outdoor consumption and public urination,” he said.
But more than the noisy bars, the lack of parking spaces and the party goers, residents say they are just asking for a little consideration from the revelers even as they mourn the loss of their neighborhood’s character.
“When I came here,” recalls Maloney, “it was called Doctor’s Row, because everybody worked in hospitals and what is now Mt.Sinai, Queens. No matter what the time, people walked around. It was extremely safe then,” she said, adding wistfully “It was such a pretty block.”
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This piece originally appeared in Queens Chronicle
