These Are the Most Common Noise Complaints in NYC Right Now
Loud music and parties make up more than half.
Living in New York City allows for a great number of comforts, like being able to order food at any time of day and night, but it comes with some sacrifices as well.
Besides being forced to shoulder the high costs of living and the increasingly expensive rents, New Yorkers often have to face another challenge: the city's noise. Complaints for loud music and loud cars are a classic in NYC, but in the last few years, residents have grown more weary of helicopter noise.
A recent bill proposed by Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, and Nydia Velazquez would force the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and local agencies "to substantially reduce the number of nonessential" helicopters, New York Daily News reports. From October 2019 to October 2020, city data shows noise complaints about helicopters rose 130%,.
"New Yorkers are being inundated with helicopter noise," Maloney said at a press conference. "It is negatively affecting their quality of life and their physical and psychological health."
According to statistics from NYC Open Data, between January 1, 2022 and today, noise complaints related to helicopters make up for 4% of all complaint types. Although it might seem like a small number, that comes out to 7,861 service requests to 311 so far.
Yet, helicopter-related fuss isn't one of the bigger players in the noise complaints game. Complaints labeled "Residential" made up a whopping 54%, by comparison, with 108,988 claims filed. The "Street/Sidewalk" category followed with 13% of service requests, while "Vehicle" noise complaints made up 10%.
Take a look at this graph showing the different noise complaint categories since the beginning of 2022:
For a more specific analysis, noise complaint descriptors can help. When graphing the same noise complaint data from a descriptor perspective, new and more detailed groups show up, including "Loud Music/Party," which made up 51% of all noise complaints (101,579 service requests to 311), "Banging/Pounding" (18%), and "Loud Talking" (8%). Last on this list is "Loud Television," which is responsible for 2,087 complaints so far this year.
Here's the graph showing the breakdown of noise complaints according to their descriptors:
