Recent records indicate that a rally at Forest Hills Stadium featuring Zoran Mamdani, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sen. Bernie Sanders generated as many noise complaints from locals as a recent Phish concert at the same venue.
At the mayoral candidate rally on Sunday, the city’s 311 service recorded 29 complaints, with 12 specifically related to noise levels.
Residents expressed their frustrations through descriptions that mentioned “loud music,” “loud conversations,” and a “loud party” that went on until nearly 9 p.m.
The number of complaints was greater than those made during a summer concert that was so noisy it led to a violation from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.
For instance, the performance by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on August 1, which included St. Luke’s Orchestra, was one of several concerts that received violations for excessive noise. However, only 10 of the 311 complaints from that event came from local neighbors.
Other concerts, like Dr. Dog on June 21, Phish on July 23, and Above & Beyond on September 5, each garnered 311 complaints, mirroring the noise issues reported during Mamdani’s “New York Is Not For Sale” rally.
Interestingly, these particular events did not face penalties from the DEP for breaching noise regulations.
All complaints made during the rally were marked “closed” the same night, indicating that the NYPD responded and reportedly took measures to address the situation.
However, it remains unclear what actions were actually taken by the officers.
Mamdani’s campaign has not responded to requests for comments regarding the rally.
Moreover, noise issues weren’t the sole complaints from Forest Hills residents that evening. The rally also led to significant illegal parking, with numerous vehicles obstructing fire hydrants and crosswalks.
Concerns about parking had already arisen before Mamdani spoke, as residents reacted against a last-minute order from the NYPD to clear cars from the streets for the event.
This directive did not clarify that it was related to Mamdani’s rally featuring Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.
This situation could heighten frictions among local residents, city officials, and the stadium itself.
Just last week, the Forest Hills Garden Corporation, a group of homeowners, filed a federal lawsuit against the city. They claim that police “unconstitutionally” occupied private property for over 30 days to support the stadium’s significant revenue from various summer concerts.
The organization, which consists of about 4,000 members, is seeking compensation for what they allege was an unlawful takeover.
