Upper Manhattan Facebook Group Targets 'Jarring' Noise Levels

UPPER MANHATTAN, NY — There are few more lightning-rod subjects in Upper Manhattan than noise pollution.

Community Board 12, which encompasses Inwood and Washington Heights, had the most noise complaints in 2020 through August that were filed to 311 out of all Manhattan community boards, according to data provided by the Manhattan Borough President's Office.

Noise levels both in Upper Manhattan and throughout New York City seemed to shoot up at the beginning of summer 2020, as people who had just spent two months inside took to the streets once again without their usual restaurants, clubs, and venues to return to.

It was around that time, on May 17, that a new Facebook group called "WaHi and Inwood for Respectful Decibel Levels" was created for Inwood and Washington Heights residents who suddenly found themselves subjected to extreme new levels of noise.

The group's mission is to "advocate peacefully for health and safety in our community, through reduction of noise pollution. We nurture an environment all members of our community can thrive, collaborating together in a respectful, solutions-oriented way."

The group has grown to 950 members.

WaHi and Inwood for Respectful Decibel Levels was founded by 17-year Inwood resident Claudia Schaer, who said the noise started near the end of April.

"When the noise started, it was really jarring. I remember there was drag racing cars revving their engines at 3 in the morning," Schaer told Patch. "It seemed like this year it just spun out of control, it was absolutely excessive. Like you can't sleep, you can't work, how are you supposed to deal with this?"

"And then the fireworks began," she added somberly.

For about six weeks starting in May and continuing into the fall and winter, fireworks were blasted throughout the city at previously unseen rates.

Wendy Guardado, a four-year resident of Washington Heights, joined the group after a firework hit her apartment window. She had at the time recently been forced to start calling out of work because of exhaustion from the lack of sleep she was getting at night due to the noise.

The group understands it doesn't want to just make complaints about noise in Upper Manhattan without also offering solutions.

Part of its solution starts with an explanation for why 311 isn't always the best option for residents in Inwood and Washington Heights.

"Three-one-one is also not accessible to all speakers. Online does have an Spanish option, but it is more like a Google Translate type of option," Guardado told Patch. "So in terms of 311 not being an effective way to solve this issue, it really isn’t, since it’s not reaching all communities.”

Despite the group having issues with the 311 system, it still advocates that people call the number as a way to track noise complaints and compile data needed to illustrate the issue at public meetings.

Members of the Facebook group got in touch with the local Community Board 12 and took part in a meeting on Aug. 4 dedicated to the issue of noise. More than 300 people joined the meeting, including local politicians, organizations, community leaders, and residents.

Other community members had also long pushed for more of a discussion around noise in Upper Manhattan, including members of Community Board 12's Health and Environment Committee.

The committee organized the Aug. 4 meeting.

Solutions such as ensuring red light cameras stay on all night, tracing consistently loud noise to specific license plates instead of necessitating a police interaction, adding speed bumps to Upper Manhattan streets, and promoting apps that measure decibel levels were some of the ideas discussed during the meeting.

The group also put together an informative flyer about the science behind noise levels for members to hand out to fellow Upper Manhattan neighbors.

The group also offers a Spanish version of the flyer on its page.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, possible lasting damage to one's hearing begins at the 80-85 decibel range.

Another consistent idea in the conversation of noise pollution in Upper Manhattan is the concept that complaints about loudness generally come from people who have recently moved into the neighborhood and aren't connected with many aspects of the community.

Guardado, who has lived in the Heights for four years and worked with families in the neighborhood since 2013, said that it goes beyond any "discussion about gentrification."

"We have, in our 900-member group, people who have lived in the Heights for decades, who have raised their families here, very different ages and cultures, and they all came into this group saying this is a noise issue that is huge in 2020," Guardado told Patch. "They have never seen Inwood and Washington Heights sound this loud.

"It goes beyond any discussion about any gentrification, or anything like that. It's about our community and the people that live here and the people that have lived here forever, making sure we want to respect the people we live around," she added.

In terms of what's in the future for the group, there's much excitement about the snow hitting New York City.

"People are really excited about the snow because that maybe means less noise," Guardado said. "Sometimes I think the group is like a weather reporting app, because people will say, 'Oh, there's rain for three hours, maybe it will be a good time to take a nap.'"

More information about the group is available on the WaHi and Inwood for Respectful Decibel Levels Facebook page.