It seems like it’s hard to find quiet in a town that ought to provide a noise-free environment. One Grover told me that the noise problem is so bad that he would consider moving, except his wife doesn’t mind it. Another recent arrival from Manhattan said that Ocean Grove is noisier than the Gramercy Park area. A woman who lives near Wesley Lake (where we filmed the music video) hates the noise from Asbury. Not everyone likes the music.
At the North End near Wesley Lake we have significant loudspeaker noise pollution from Asbury Park in season. Now “the season” merges left and right into spring and fall. Does the Parking Committee understand that the “season” lasts about nine months?
A couple of weeks ago the noise one evening was unusually loud, penetrating the inside of our house. The Asbury noise comes from the Beer Hall, the Stone Pony outdoor venue and the variety of events going on there. The video above, from Saturday, Dec 3, emanated from a live band at the shores of Wesley Lake, on Asbury’s Lake Avenue. It was nonstop and horrible.
And how about the loud drunks from Asbury returning to their cars in the early morning hours waking Grovers from restful sleep? Talk about disturbing the peace!
Then there is construction noise. They are not supposed to begin work before 8 am, but a noisy bucket loader on Main Avenue was making loud beeping sounds at 7 am that interfered with sleep. They are also not supposed to make construction noise all day Sunday.
For anyone who lives near Main Avenue, the traffic noise can get bothersome, but of course there is no way to fix that unless we only allow electric cars here.
But all week long, into the fall, we have weed wackers, lawn mowers, sanding machines and leaf blowers. You can hear the weed wacker in the top video. Such noisy machines are usually used by landscapers and home owners to maintain their properties, but that is allowed by ordinance.
And the Neptune DPW entertains us with garbage pickups very early in the morning as well as their crews maintaining parks around town.
But shouldn’t loud noises of power equipment, at least on Sunday morning, be restricted even if the source is not a construction project?
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Note: I would feel differently if the New York Philharmonic were playing by the shores of Wesley Lake:
Nutcracker Suite “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies.”
I can certainly relate to the noise issue. I have a neighbor with a “hot car”…and likes his muffler to be loud. Every morning, 7 days a week he leaves his house between 3:30 and 4 am. Wakes me up every time. I was wondering if this would be considered “disturbing the peace” by law. I know it’s disturbing my peace.
Remember that old fashioned gadget called a rake?
It’s a curiosity to me that properties as SMALL as Ocean Grove have to use these noisy leaf blowers.
I have heard blowers who’s decibels are dangerously loud.
Landscaper employees wear ear protection, as they should, but what about the neighbors? Don’t our ears matter?
To some people it’s progress—–a new invention….but a RAKE has lots of advantages:
1.You don’t disturb the Peace.
2.It’s cheaper
3.Excellent upper body workout and calorie burner.
4.Better for the environment!
Editor’s note: But Jean, a rake can do something a leaf blower cannot–if you step on it the wrong way it can whack you in the crotch or in the nose.
Raucous music and vocals wafting from the north over Mt Hermon Way this afternoon (Saturday 12/3) was noticed but not a real annoyance, but gadzooks the train horns from the AP station alllllllll night long – have they been increasing? Sheesh.