Neighbors want Forest Hills Stadium to turn down the volume at concerts
WNYC News | Oct 25, 2023
Forest Hills Stadium capped off its concert season earlier this month with a three-night electronic dance festival that literally shook the surrounding neighborhood.
Christopher Jaray, 46, said he had an unwanted front row seat to the show.
Christopher Jaray, 46, said he had an unwanted front row seat to the show.
“It was like the scene from ‘Jurassic Park’ when the dinosaurs are coming. You see the water start to shake,” said Jaray, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood who lives across the street from the historic venue. “I could be inside my house. I could be outside my house. It doesn’t matter. It feels like I’m on the stage.”
The sold-out blowout — headlined by the DJ Fred Again — ended a season where Forest Hills Stadium celebrated its 100th anniversary. Jaray and other neighbors said the music — replete with throbbing bass — made the outdoor stadium louder than ever.
According to city records, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued seven “unreasonable noise” violations against Forest Hills Stadium in the past two years.
Now, the DEP told Gothamist it is working with the stadium's operators on noise mitigation. At the city’s request, the venue has hired an acoustic consultant to install noise-muffling devices. Those measures come eight years after the stadium operator implemented $500,000-worth of noise suppression measures, including a concrete fence and stairway covers.
Ramsey Khalifeh
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