Black Sheep getting too loud

droppingshadows

I really don't like to complain about business in my neighborhood. I generally support them all and wish them well. I live near Black Sheep on Bergen Street off of 5th. Last night, a Monday, they had a live band playing well past 2am and when we called them to turn it down because some people have to wake up in 4 hours, the music seemed to have gotten louder. Then, around 2:30am, when the band finished, they played bad classic rock at full volume. I don't think I have to tell you how tired I am today. This seems to be getting more frequent with them lately. I can't believe I am the only one in the area that is bothered by this. Has anyone else been kept awake by Black Sheep and is there some way to let the owner know that this is not okay?
Thanks for listening.

drunken revival

You could maybe, uh, go in and speak to the owner. I'm guessing he/she stops in there more than a few times during the week.

bergenites

While the noise is occurring, call 911. That is the best way to let the owner know this is not ok... because blasting music at 2am is illegal.

droppingshadows

Thanks. We have spoken to the owner a few times about this in the past. He is, actually, very open to hear from neighbors and has been great. Unfortunately, he isn't always there to regulate things like this and we have to rely on the bartender on hand. They don't really seem to give a damn. I really want to avoid calling 911 or 311 if I have to. I hope it doesn't come to that.

modsquad

It is a waste of time to talk to the owner. Without some "pressure" from the police the owner will do what he pleases. If he has a successful bar, the money will be too much of an incentive to change. Like I've told others you have to get a network of friends who will call 311 for you at the same time making the same complaint. Unfortunately the noise complaint numbers are purged from the system, I think, within 48 hours. I think the best bet is to get enough complaints coming in on a slow night that will get the quickest response. If you're worried about calling friends at 2 in the morning, call some people you know in California. Its only 11pm there. Oh, they should use their cells.

drunken revival

Love those militant tactics...

I'm sure you all are a blast to hang out with..

bullyboy

DroppingShadows wrote: I really want to avoid calling 911 or 311 if I have to. I hope it doesn't come to that.

Nonsense. Loud music at 2:30 a.m., nonresponse by bar -- that's no time for you to worry about whether you're being inconsiderate by calling the authorities.

modsquad

Drunken Revival wrote: Love those militant tactics...

I'm sure you all are a blast to hang out with..

People seem not to care about your noise problem if it doesn't affect them personally in this city. I have found over many years that you have to play a little dirty with government agencies. They are not there to "serve and protect" they are there to keep their jobs. I think ( I'm not googling it now) Dwight Eisenhower said that "sometimes you have to enlarge the problem in order to solve it."

Probably anybody who gets a full nights sleep would be more of a "blast to hang out with.."

To bad I don't "hang out" fool

drunken revival

As if I need to defend myself...

but, I would, again, speak to the owner. I would ask him nicely and then I would give him one or two more chances. I would ask him for his cell phone # so that when, at 2:30am on a Tuesday, his bar becomes a nuisance I could let him know.

If the problem was not resolved after these steps had been taken, I would give the owner yet one more chance by telling him in no uncertain terms that a multi-pronged attack would be launched... the phone calls, the 311, the national guard.

The point is that I would give the owner every opportunity to clean up his act before wasting the resources of the city. I'd rather have a cop on the beat keeping an eye on my daughter's walk home at 2:30 then at Black Sheep adjusting the bass on the stereo.

bullyboy

From what you've said, Dropping Shadows, sounds like you've given the bar plenty of chances.

It's not wasting the resources of the city to enforce laws that are in place to protect the well-being of the neighborhood.

droppingshadows

I agree, Drunken Revival. I believe in giving the owner every chance to adjust the bass on the stereo or just not have live music on a Monday night. I like to hang out and I personally understand a bar getting loud on the weekends. That is the nature of the city (even Brooklyn). You are also right that the reason I didn't want to resort to getting the police involved is that I didn't want to waste resources and their time. But, I do agree with Modsquad. Sometimes, enough is enough.
With any luck, the owner is reading this and will look into it. I know he has been on these boards in the past looking for community reaction.
Thanks again everyone.

deedee

I agree that you should get so me of your fellow neighbors to call 311 in unison and also send a letterand call your local elected officials - city council, assembly and state senate as well as let your community board contact know about this persisten problem.

lanciano

This sucks a lot and needs to stop.

But please do NOT call 911 for noise. 911 is for emergencies and not getting a good nite's sleep doesn't fall into that category.

As futile as it seems, call 311 every nite, the local precinct, contact the owner, start a petition.

But don't call 911 unless someone's life is in danger. Save their already strapped resources for real emergencies.

pastoralia

Wow...and to think I almost moved into that apartment on the corner at my friend's suggestion. She freaked out when I passed on it. Rule #1: Never live next to a bar.

Call the cops, by the way. You can always drink at O'Connors.

seespaces

Subject: Re: Black Sheep getting too loud

It was the owner's birthday and he was having a special party. I go there twice a week more or less but I rarely am there past 11 p.m.

peanuts

Years ago, I had a problem with the Carriage House on 7th Avenue...I called our Assemblyman at the time...Brennan...was told that if you could hear the music outside of the bar, it was illegal...and yes, someone official (I don't know who) was dispatched to give them a warning - and I was given a case number in case the problem continued to call the police precinct (not 911; and this was pre-311 days)

drunken revival

You know what.. next time they get loud give me a call - I love to PARTY.

prezst

it's up to you to decide how-many chances to give the bar-owner.. personally i think you've given him enough of an opportunity to clean-up his act.

but when you do call the cops.. and i encourage you to do so.. call the 78th precinct directly. as helpful as 3-1-1 can be, don't waste your time calling them with something like this.

raw

That sucks. Live music is awesome, but not in your bed. I would have called 311 as soon as the music stared to annoy me.

Maybe the owner can offer a live music daytime schedule that will only bother people who work night shifts?

Can the place be soundproofed?

littlegal

Just wondering exactly where you live...I live several doors down on the same side of the street and have never really been bothered. Are you right next to them? I do admit that I love this place and would be willing to mention the problem to the bartenders if warranted...and no, i have no affiliation, but happen to consider this place my friendly neighboorhood pub.

spike3185

I'm at black sheep about 3-4 times a week, and was there the night in question. First of all there were 3 people whose birthdays fell on that day, so that's what the party was for. Second of all, the live music wasn't even loud enough to disrupt normal conversation right outside the front door. Third, any of the bartenders there would be glad to turn down the music on any given night if a neighbor came in asking them to. So unless the person who started this topic was homeless and trying to sleep right outside the front door of the bar, then they're just complaining for the sake of complaining.

780425abm

Subject: the owner

Hi,

I am one of the two owners and I want to apologize for the noise level on a Monday night. I think it was already mentioned but it was the owners 30th birthday party. I agree that the noise was over the top but I assure you this was a rare event. The bartender who was working that night was new to the business and we have since made him aware that it is his job to control noise level at all times regardless of whos birthday it is.

I have some points in our defense.

1. We never have bands ever. This was the second time in 3 years!
2. The classic rock you heard after 2AM was coming from the apartment across the street NOT OUR BAR!
3. We have always been respectful of our neighbors to the point that over twenty off them actually signed a statement saying that we were overly co-operative and always kept noise at a respectable level. We took this statement to the community board and the police who we also touch base with on a regular basis! The neighbors who signed it were a mix of young, old and even parents with young children.
4. Most of our neighbors have the owners cell phone number so they can contact us directly if there are problems. We have not had any calls in over a year.

Thats it from me. Sorry again about Monday night.

Tony
Black Sheep Pub

daver

lanciano wrote: But please do NOT call 911 for noise. 911 is for emergencies and not getting a good nite's sleep doesn't fall into that category.
-SNIP-
But don't call 911 unless someone's life is in danger. Save their already strapped resources for real emergencies.

FWIW, police officers have posted on this board in the past that 911 is not only for life endangerment, and that it is generally better to call 911 than 311 on these sorts of noise complaints (amongst other things, like if your car got towed for instance.) I can provide some links (or you can search for yerself) if you want further info.

MOD

Subject: Re: the owner

780425abm wrote: Hi,

I am one of the two owners and I want to apologize for the noise level on a Monday night. I think it was already mentioned but it was the owners 30th birthday party. I agree that the noise was over the top but I assure you this was a rare event. The bartender who was working that night was new to the business and we have since made him aware that it is his job to control noise level at all times regardless of whos birthday it is.

I have some points in our defense.

1. We never have bands ever. This was the second time in 3 years!
2. The classic rock you heard after 2AM was coming from the apartment across the street NOT OUR BAR!
3. We have always been respectful of our neighbors to the point that over twenty off them actually signed a statement saying that we were overly co-operative and always kept noise at a respectable level. We took this statement to the community board and the police who we also touch base with on a regular basis! The neighbors who signed it were a mix of young, old and even parents with young children.
4. Most of our neighbors have the owners cell phone number so they can contact us directly if there are problems. We have not had any calls in over a year.

Thats it from me. Sorry again about Monday night.

Tony
Black Sheep Pub

Right on Tony!
I've been at B.Sheep many nights and have seen how respectful they are about the noise levels. I also LOVe the fact that they come on board and have the testicular fortitude to face commenters :P
How's the tapas place working out BTW?

780425abm

Tapeo is about to hit the 1 year mark, so I guess we r doing ok. The talk is that most places fail in their first year so that was a hurdle I was keen to get over. Not to advertise but we are also putting together a new menu for 08/09 and its gonna include some things we thing have been missing.

Thanks for asking

username

funny, i know exactly which apartment across the street was making all that noise..no surprise there.

the chipster

Tony! You rule! I wish more people were honest like you, and man up to whatever it is. Nothing wrong with celebrating; matter of fact, I'm gonna have my next b-day there!! woot woot

MOD

Yo Tony, We're probably going to start the PS Brooklynian Bar crawl at your fine establishment. Can't wait!

landlord

I own a building with a bar on the first floor. I inform all tenants that they will be able to hear music from the bar on the weekends. If it gets too loud they ask the bartender to lower the volume (which he does).
However, I have not heard a complaint in over 3 years now.

We live in the city and can expect a certain amount of noise during the weekends. If you live in Manhattan you will hear delivery trucks driving narrow streets at 4am every day!

Whatever you do please don't call 911. As mentioned before, 911 is for emergency only.

daver

landlord wrote: Whatever you do please don't call 911. As mentioned before, 911 is for emergency only.

At the risk of repeating myself for the millionth time, I will instead just offer these quotes from officers and non-officers, which perhaps may clarify this:

ParadeRest wrote: Let's make it easier on everybody in the future. Just call 911 instead of 311 and the precinct. Calling the precinct or 311 is a completely inefficient means of gaining police assistance. Most calls to the precinct or 311 are the last priority. It's highly possible that the poor guy answering the phone can't get in touch with anybody in the field especially since according to the patrol guide a police officer can lose 5 vacation days for carrying/using a cell phone and station house assingments are given out over the radio. You won't see me losing vacation days for a 311 complaint. When you call 911 (or if you insist on calling 311) please give the operator your name and phone number instead of being anonymous. When the officers arrive, the dispatcher can call you back to help guide the officers to the sourc of the noise.

alafairnadia wrote: okay guys - a purported cop has told us to call 911 for noise complaints. so. I'm taking that as gospel and will call 911 in the future with noise complaints.

ParadeRest wrote: I didn't want to be so obvious about telling you how to get service through 911. In regards to keeping a cop from going to an emergency because you called 911 for noise...either way it's gonna be the same cop who shows up so it makes no difference.

ParadeRest wrote: [quote=BigA][quote=neartoms]ParadeRest, thanks for the suggestions. Do you really think it is OK to call 911 for noise complaints? Isn't that reserved for life-and-death type emergencies?

No, it's not reserved for life-and-death type emergencies.

In another non life-and-death situation - when my car got moved for a film shoot, I called 311. They told me to call 911 to talk to the police.
311 has very inaccurate information regarding vehicles that have been impounded or relocated. That is a good example of when to call the local precinct.