Forest Hills Stadium noise dispute escalates amid new motion to silence concert venue
NEW YORK -- Two layers of windows plus blinds and curtains are the closest thing to soundproofing at Marty Levinson's house.
"It's a boom, boom, boom, and the windows start to rattle," he said.
Warmer weather brings concert season at nearby Forest Hills Stadium, a 13,000-capacity open-air venue that's more than a century old and the former site of the US Open.
Levinson, who has lived a block away since the 1960s, says the volume of the music has gotten out of control.
"It's disturbing to the point, for example, [that] some of our neighbors have sold their houses," he said.
Community groups want the volume turned down
Excessive noise is the focus of an ongoing legal battle between some community groups and the West Side Tennis Club, which hosts the Forest Hills Stadium concert venue. In a new request for an injunction, the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation is asking the court to quiet the music at the stadium or silence it altogether.
The group's attorney told CBS New York:
"In December 2024, FHGC filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in court regarding the 2025 season. The court has already ruled twice in favor of FHGC on broad public and private nuisance claims. And summer 2024 was worse than ever, as even the NYC DEP has verified with multiple violations. FHGC is therefore seeking either a prohibition on concerts or limits on operations to (1) require compliance with the noise code; (2) prohibition on unauthorized commercial concert operations on private streets; and (3) limits on concerts during the school year. Please note: FHGC is not involved in any litigation with the NYPD. Neither the NYPD nor the City are a party to the litigation with the Club and no relief sought in court relates to police operations."
The concert venue "wants to be a good neighbor"
West Side Tennis Club attorney Akiva Shapiro insists the stadium collaborates with its community and is largely beloved.
"The stadium has spent millions of dollars implementing noise mitigation measures over the past 10-plus years. It wants to be a good neighbor," Shapiro said.
Stadium spokesperson John Kelly calls it an iconic landmark that has endured for good reason.
"When you think about the history of the joint, you have Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, and the Beatles," he said.
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