I remember when me and my friends were growing up. Whenever we went to play sports, we always went to one place in the neighborhood – Dyckman Field (the marina). We never ventured out to Inwood Hill Park unless it was for Little League. It was just too far for us.
The tradition has continued into our mid to late 20′s. Now, with older age, we only play on Thanksgiving (Turkey Bowl) or when we can setup an occasional softball game in the summer months. Nowadays, walking through those streets is much different than when me and my friends were walking through them in the 90′s.
When we walked through those streets, we knew they were much quieter than the blocks we lived on. But there was nothing ever there. It was just a boring area. It was packed with dry cleaners, bodegas, barber shops and empty storefronts. It never had a bike shop, a lingerie store, an urban clothing store, or restaurants. It was desolate, and before my time, there was a lot more drug use in the area than when I was a teenager. To some, it was one of the last places you wanted to be around after dark.
Now, that isn’t the case. The neighborhood has experienced a great turnaround with all sorts of shops and restaurants opening up. It has become a favorite place for local residents who grew up here and many who have made the move. It’s given many Dominicans a sense of pride to be able to pick and choose from so many different restaurants in their neighborhood. No longer do we or anyone of any ethnic background have to go downtown to enjoy a quality meal.
So when I hear about the noise complaints concerning Mamajuana Restaurant, it saddens me. It saddens me because I’ve seen that part of Dyckman make the transition from undesirable to desirable; not only on an aesthetic level, but in regards to making it your home.
There are currently three restaurants with sidewalk seating on Payson and Seaman. There is Il Sole, Mamajuana, and Mama Sushi. I know that Papasito tried to obtain a sidewalk license, but I don’t know what the end result of that was.
When I saw the video that was shot a few weeks ago in front of the Ring Garden, I felt it was time to make a few things clear in regards to noise complaints directed at Mamajuana. The video that was shot was extremely misleading because all the noise that was being made was by motorcycles and cars driving through the area. Many of them drive through the area to pick up patrons or simply to look at women. Unfortunately, I gather that the latter is more accurate than the former.
Many of the motorcycle groups that come around the area aren’t from here. One thing about Washington Heights and Inwood culture is that motorcycles have never really been a part of it. So a lot of the noise that is being made in these areas is from outsiders. These level of complaints never went on when I was growing up because no one cared to go near Seaman or Payson. It wasn’t a cool area. Now it happens to be the hottest area above 157th street. Maybe even above 96th street.
Unfortunately with the rise of the area, have come the valid complaints of many of the residents who live there. But those complaints are mostly misdirected. When I say mostly, I will agree that Mamajuana deserves some share of the blame, but it’s a very small share.
Mamajuana has contributed to noise in the area after the restaurant closes because they then turn it into a nightclub. That brings loud, drunk residents into the area to party until 3 or 4 A.M at night. Sometimes they even hang out in the area and make even more noise. All this helps to keep us on top of the list of noise complaints city wide. So maybe the solution is to have Mamajuana end the nightclub aspect of their restaurant. The solution isn’t to take their liquor license away or try to remove the sidewalk license they currently have.
With any restaurant that has sidewalk seating, there will be noise. But that noise isn’t the noise that’s being complained about so I wonder why Mamajuana is the target. All Mamajuana and its owners are guilty of is creating an experience with their restaurants and the others they own on the strip, that is attractive not only to residents, but to outsiders. That’s an accomplishment that should be lauded.
In final, when I attend these community meetings there is never any real, civilized discussion. It’s just two rival groups that are vehemently trying to argue their side. It’s time that the community comes together. The object of our anger shouldn’t be at the restaurants, but at the 34th Precinct, who despite their attempts at curbing the noise in the area, have failed miserably.
There has been no urgency or creativity in their plans. They do almost as much watching as the men I mentioned earlier.
In the next five years, no one knows what this neighborhood will look like. I know I will never move away from the neighborhood because I never want to miss out on the changes to come. I just hope the changes don’t bring us back to an era in the 90′s where that side of Dyckman was one that me and my friends didn’t care for. An area which many of the new residents who are complaining don’t know about; and I’m sure if it ever returns, they may have even more complaints than they have now…
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16 responses right now ↓
1 OnTheRealThough // Jun 21, 2010 at 9:27 am
Good piece.
As a “former” resident of Riverside Drive/Payson Ave, I’m just glad they closed the Sunday night Marina parties. That was the absolute worst years ago. I hope nothing like that opens again, but don’t doubt it will eventually.
I despise dudes on motorcycles who like to show off, too.
I like to see the neighborhood businesses doing well, especially with so much real estate on Dyckman (between Broadway & Nagle) not being claimed for years (i.e. where Blockbuster was, among others). As long as it’s not as many of those corporate franchise spots, then why not?
You’re in Manhattan & it’s 2010. There’s going to be noise everywhere. I’m sure the crime rate isn’t high, at least. So, there’s no need for so many complaints.
2 admin // Jun 21, 2010 at 10:44 am
Thank you J.
I totally agree with you on the Marina parties. I remember when that first began, I admittedly used to walk around with my friends because I wanted to see what the fuss was about.
But I always wondered how this affected the residents. I mean there were motorcycles, noise from the people, and cars blasting music late into the night. So I’m glad they closed it down, though it’s only a matter of time before it opens up.
I just feel like the 34th Precinct needs to do more internal planning. They’re the experts on this. Maybe curb the amount of cars that can enter that side of Dyckman on the nights where noise complaints are the loudest. I mean something has to be done.
I also agree with you on corp franchises. That’s the last thing the community needs and I doubt that will ever occur. We Dominicans have managed to really lock up a lot of the area which is great because the entrepreneurship is from our own hoods.
3 aj0010 // Jun 21, 2010 at 10:56 am
“There’s no need for so many complaints.”
This condescension is probably why community meetings on this topic always descend into shouting and acrimony.
I know a couple who live on that block, and their kids haven’t had a single uninterrupted night’s sleep since Mamajuana caught on. I’d strongly advise against anyone telling them — especially the father — that they need to just suck it up, because “you’re in Manhattan and it’s 2010.”
Look: people need to sleep. Period. It’s a question of physical and mental health.
This isn’t about bad policing. It’s about being a bad neighbor.
4 admin // Jun 21, 2010 at 11:01 am
Thanks for the comment aj. I do feel bad for a lot of the people who have to go through the high level of noise they experience. It makes it even worse if they have kids.
I will disagree on your last line though. Like I mentioned before, I feel a lot of the noise being created isn’t by residents. I mean, there are a bunch of guys loitering around on that block so there are definitely people from here. But all that traffic, music blasting from cars, and motorcycles revving up are from outside.
If as you say the neighbors don’t respect and the residents against it can’t stop it, then the police is the only person left to deal with this and they just haven’t
5 anotherdominican // Jun 23, 2010 at 10:33 pm
With all due respect, you don’t know what you are talking about or you clearly suffer from blinditis or deafitis. I have lived here for over 20 years, near by Dyckman. A significant minority of RESIDENTS are LOUD and have no concept of appropriate noise levels. To say that its outsiders, is incredibly blind. I have gone through summers where I only get 2-3 hours of sleep and I wake up exhausted going to work. I have had to pay for hotel nights in NYC to get sleep for important events in my life, away from my neighborhood. You are just another dominican apologist who sheepishly shrugs your shoulder and then says I love my people as if that wipes away all of our more dysfunctional and ANTISOCIAL habits. This is Manhattan, and there is noise but the level of noise and the duration through the night of the noise is well above the average for a manhattan neighborhood. I now have extreme sensitivity to ANY type of sudden loud noises due to the obnoxious low lifes who don’t give an F or are too stupid to realize that what they are doing is tantamount to audio assault, not to dissimilar to what the U.S. did to Saddaam Hussein and the blasting of music for all hours…
-Pissed off Dominican who needs sleep
6 admin // Jun 23, 2010 at 11:15 pm
AnotherDominican -
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate you visiting.
I’ve lived in the neighborhood my whole life. I know Payson and Seaman more than some people who have lived there all their lives. I am no Dominican apologist. Believe that. If you have time, read the blog to see if I’m a Dominican apologist or not. If anything, I criticize Dominicans more than ANYBODY I’ve seen on the net.
I know there are “plenty” of Dominicans who live on those blocks who loiter in front of the laundromat, lingerie store, Nostyalgia, the barber shop, the pricey clothes stores, the juice bar, the bike shop, the gas station, the ring garden, Parkview, Buddha Two, the train station, the bodgea next to Mama Sushi, and soon to open Papasito.
I know this.
I just said I feel a lot of the noise comes from these dumb motorcycles and cars blasting music on Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun. If you went to these clubs at night like “i used to,” you would know that damn near 70-80 percent of the people in there are from CT, NJ, or other boroughs. Most of these loud cars and motorcycle gangs aren’t from around here.
BUT, i do not disagree with you one bit when you say that there are a bunch of inconsiderate, born and raised here Dominicans who don’t care about other residents being able to sleep. There’s no denying that.
Do some Dominicans play loud music at strange hours of the night sometimes? Yes. Do I think it’s acceptable? No. Do many residents have a clear idea of what acceptable noise levels are in Washington Heights and Inwood? Absolutely not.
I don’t disagree with you on that.
But let’s be real man. Do you really think for one second that the noise will just cease? I’ve been here 26 years. My parents have been here 30 years. They said it was loud when they were growing up. Not as loud as nowadays, but it was loud.
So the noise levels aren’t going to go down. That’s damn near specific to the area. We are #1 in noise complaints and will continue to be.
But, how do we curb the noise if we’re being affected by it? 311, Police curbing the amount of cars in the area, fines for loitering and earlier closing times for these restaurants. Those are the only solutions I can think of.
But the noise coming down to an acceptable level? Come on bro. You know better than that. I can handle the noise. I’m immune to it by now because it’s been a part of my life forever. Not to say when I hear a car bumpin’ reggaeton at 2am it doesn’t piss me off. That’s not to say that you not being able to handle the noise is a problem because it’s not. I totally understand where you’re coming from. Different people, different reactions. But sometimes you just have to pick up and leave if you feel your complaints are falling upon “Deaf-itis” ears.
7 OnTheRealThough // Jun 24, 2010 at 8:18 am
Another Dominican -
You now have extreme sensitivity to any loud noises…………….because of the noise in the Dyckman area? Really??
With all due respect, if you’ve gone through so many sleepless summer nights & now have some sort of trauma, why are you still living there?
The average Manhattan neighborhood? Go anywhere from Inwood to Washington Heights to Harlem to the Upper East Side all the way down the Village, and you’ll have the same “noise issue”. Whether it’s cars in the street or bars/restaurants that are open after midnight, you are bound to have the noise issue.
Like I said in my original post, whether it’s unfortunate to us or not, it’s New York, it’s Manhattan and it’s 2010 where there is some sort of commercial spot for socializing on nearly every street. You either deal with it, or you move. It comes with the territory in this town.
If you think the city is going to stop making money off of these hot spots because a few tenants complain about noise, wake up. Good luck with those complaints.
8 Rich from the block // Jun 24, 2010 at 10:30 am
Yo. Pissed Off Dominican. I got an idea. If you’re literally physically suffering from the noise at night, why don’t you become the Pissed Off Dominican with $2 earplugs. Seriously, you clown. Dique renting hotel rooms. Que muelaso.
9 Voice of Reason // Jun 24, 2010 at 11:50 am
While I sympathize with the residents who complain about the noise level, I believe, as the area continues to go through it’s transition from being a ‘non-desrcript valley of bodegas, laundry mats and a recreational area’ to a ‘modern and attractive social district’ full of restaurants and night clubs, it will continue to experience growing pains the Seaver family couldn’t avoid.
With that being said, the 34th Precinct SHOULD pay closer attention to the vociferous and belligerent patrons who roam the neighborhood at the wee hours of the morning after exiting these locations.
The Wash Heights/Inwood area, however, has ALWAYS dealt with these issues and it’s a part of living here. A community that never really sleeps (especially in the summer) is part of the allure that attracts visitors.
10 admin // Jun 24, 2010 at 11:52 am
Thanks for comments ricky, jay and rich
11 yet another Dominican // Jun 24, 2010 at 2:14 pm
I can relate to another Dominican I have lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years and during the summer I have lost count of the occasions when I have stumbled into work with barely an hour of sleep due to the incessant noise. Calls to 311 and the police precinct are made and duly noted and yet summer after summer and nothing is done. The physical assault of the noise thanks to the blaring music from apartments, cars, and restaurants continues unabated. I will respectfully disagree with the admin the majority of the noise from the area is due to the individuals who live here and not from outside forces. I want to thank Another Dominican for the for being honest and calling it what it is: “mental assault through the use of noise”
And as June starts to wind down we have the extra audio pleasure of the unsupervised neighborhood children and local “pharmaceutical sales men” setting off fireworks at all hours of the day and night. I guess that they must also come from another neighborhood? Yes?
12 KT // Jun 27, 2010 at 10:23 am
I think if I lived on Seaman and Dyckman I would hate it. Not for the noise but just for the crowds when I exit the building. But i live one block away and I have no noise complaints. Dyckman west of Broadway can be noisy, especially infront of Mamajuana. However, I view it as a commercial area, so the noise seems normal to me. If i was a resident in the building I may have a different view. The unfortunate thing for Mamajuana is that the restaurant attracts a lot of street traffic of “wanna be seen” folks, flossing their cars, outfits, and conducting every type of attention getting activity. That stretch of the street has become the place to be seen. So in that sense it’s unique. It has somewhat of a South Beach vibe to it on the weekends. There are lots of other restaurants, bars, clubs etc that occupy the ground level of residential buildings, but usually they are loud from patrons or foot traffic. Not many have the added complexity of loud street traffic. But the street traffic is the uniqueness of Dyckman and uptown.
13 Mark // May 7, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I agree with the author of this post that Mamajuana and the other upscale restaurants in Inwood are perhaps doing good for the neighborhood at an abstract level (though I would question: are they sponsoring little league teams? Are they ushering drunken clientele from the sidewalks?), and I like Mamajuana as well–great interior design, though the prices are a tad steep for me. I live in the building Mamajuana is a part of, and I can tell you that the noise goes well above and beyond that of the noisy traffic and drunken passerbys. Mamajuana has begun depositing its recycling outside in the residential alleyway every single night, all night long. I am woken up in the middle of the night and early morning (1- 4 am) to the sound of Mamajuana’s workers shouting at each other and carrying on conversations with no regard to sleeping residents as they pour bottles into containers. Then, they wheel the containers all the way down the alley. I’m not sure where they are depositing these containers, but suffice to say that 1) it is illegal from a sanitation perspective for restaurants to deposit trash or recycling in residential alleyways, and 2) it is extremely poor business practice to fragrantly disregard normal sleeping hours (10 pm to 8 am). I’m hard pressed to show any sympathy for a business that exhibits such disrespect for its community in this manner.
14 admin // May 8, 2011 at 8:18 pm
If they are doing that, that’s unacceptable. As much as I’m in support of local businesses, if they don’t care for the local residents being able to sleep they need to be fined. Thanks for the comment.
15 SocialChange // Sep 1, 2011 at 3:59 pm
First of all I appreciated the article; furthermore the writer of this article took a very challenging or perhaps a sensitive position one because your readers are either “Passionate Dominicans” or “angry residents”. I believe it’s very natural to witness the social changes in our community. I also believe that businesses like Mamajuana, Papacito, Mama Sushi, Guadalupe, I Sole, and many other commercial locations in this area is just the beginning of what’s to come to Washington Heights and Inwood. Dominicans have migrated to the Americas for more then over 50 years we have earn the right to have our community just like the gay community in Soho who stand for their rights. Some people can not accept change (anotherdominican) I respect your position however choose your words wisely nothing in life is perfect! If Dominicans are loud and dysfunctional find another place to live perhaps the Hamptons it’s that simple the world does not orbit around one person. Community leaders should find ways to motivate the business owners and the police department and try to provide a better quality of life for the consumers and residents. Improving a community takes a very long time for it requires people to understand the changing process. Is a matter of educating the citizen not degrading and devaluing a culture. To the writer of this article thank you.
16 admin // Sep 1, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Thanks for the comment. I really appreciate it and totally hear what you’re saying
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