Based on some data crunching released by amNY today, there is a decent chance you are listening to the faint hum of construction at this very moment, prepared to grab your phone and complain to 311. If not, it seems likely that you will suffer a similar fate tonight, the dulcet tones of the jackhammer replaced by a drunken recitation of “Bye, Bye, Bye.” Last July, nearly 14,000 noise complaints about residential or sidewalk/street noise were filed. This July, there were nearly 26,000 complaints. The newspaper spoke to aggravated landlords, politicians, and residents, who offered a few theories for what they believed was responsible, including Airbnb, audio-technology innovation, the smoking ban, tourists, and brunch. It was not clear whether the neighbors irked by amplified revelry had found a way to persecute brunch for its sins, or whether the continuation of a 311 cold war was in fact the only way to fight back against people trying to enjoy summer before the seasons change and everyone begins complaining about snow removal and the cold instead.
