W'burg's McCarren Hotel Is Second Noisiest In NYC, Study Shows

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — It is no secret that North 12th Street's McCarren Hotel has a habit of keeping visitors or neighbors awake with loud parties at their rooftop pool and bar. But what residents might not know, is that the noise is actually close to being the worst in the city.

A new study by researchers at Localize.city put the McCarren second on its list of New York City's ten noisiest hotels, which it based on the number of 311 noise complaints at the hotels between July 2017 and July 2018. It was topped only by the Dream Hotel in Midtown, which saw 69 complaints compared to McCarren's 40.

The data will likely not come as a surprise to neighbors who have complained for years about the hotels loud rooftop parties. But, the study should help new visitors decide where they should or should not stay, the researchers said.

“By showing the full story of every address, including its noise profile, we’re helping New Yorkers make better, more informed decisions about where to live or even where to stay when they come to visit,” said Localize.city President Steve Kalifowitz. “Providing this knowledge helps you ask the right questions before you move or visit. The bottom line is: no one should be surprised.”

The study actually comes at a time when the neighborhood's community board is considering a renewal of McCarren's liquor license, which it has not supported in the past given the noise levels at the raging parties.

Thomas Burrows, chair of Community Board 1's State Liquor Authority review subcommittee, told members at the February meeting that the decision to renew the license has been postponed because committee members want more information about management at the hotel.

A new management team last summer brought the complaints down — by about 600 in one summer down to 7, Burrows estimated — but that team has since left the hotel. The committee is waiting to find out who the new managers are before giving the OK to a liquor license, he said.

"They cleaned up last summer, but we want to make sure that continues," Burrows said.

The data shows that throughout the entire 12-month period, there were 22 days when people complained last year, totaling 40 complaints.

The study also recognized that the issue seems to be the 4,800-square-foot rooftop pool and bar.

“They have parties in their bar/rooftop on the 8th floor on the weekends and music is blasting until 2 a.m.,” one Trip Advisor reviewer wrote. “It’s so loud and the bass is so strong that it’s impossible to sleep.”

McCarren was the only hotel from Williamsburg on the list. Downtown Brooklyn, Midtown and the Lower East Side were the neighborhoods with the most noisy hotels.

Here's the list:

1. Dream Hotel: Midtown, Manhattan
2. McCarren Hotel, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
3. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Downtown Brooklyn
4. Hotel on Rivington, LES, Manhattan
5. SIXTY LES, LES, Manhattan
6. PUBLIC Hotel, LES, Manhattan
7. Aloft New York Brooklyn, Downtown Brooklyn
8. The Empire Hotel, UWS, Manhattan
9. MOXY NYC, Midtown, Manhattan
10. Arlo SoHo, SoHo, Manhattan

Read a full report here.