EAST END: A little too much night music?

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Alexander Street has changed dramatically since the 1980's, when the Rio Bamba, the Old Toad, and Lloyd's Bar and Grille were about the extent of the strip's nightlife. Today, there are more than a dozen bars within a two-block area of East Avenue and Alexander Street, and thousands of people - most between the ages of 21 to 35 - frequent the area's bars and restaurants on an average weekend. The numbers swell during the summer festival months.

But the area that has become synonymous with Rochester's nightlife may be a victim of its own success. The hot social scene has helped draw an influx of new residents to the area - people of every age group who are attracted to downtown's budding cosmopolitan center. Most of the residents thrive on the ability to walk to restaurants, caf�s, museums, and theater. But some are disillusioned by loud music and quality-of-life issues related to the bars.

The Alexander and East Avenue section of the East End is an odd maze of main roads, back alleys, parking lots, high-rises, and quaint narrow streets with charming little homes built as far back as the 1800's. The area escaped the demolition of 1960's urban renewal, coped with the Inner Loop's partition, and endured years of encroachment by light industry and repair shops. But as bizarre and disjointed as all of this seems, there are signs of a neighborhood struggling to the surface.

Jim Kraus and his wife, Elaine, moved from the 19th Ward to Gardiner Park in the East End about two years ago. Jim was concerned about the noise, so before he bought the home, he made a late-night visit to Gardiner.

"I came down here on a Saturday night and sat right here in my car between midnight and 2 a.m. to see what it was like," he says. "I could hear the music, but I didn't think it was too bad."

But 18 months later, the nights are anything but peaceful for the couple. Loud music emanates from the nearby club, as well as crowd noise from the club's deck. Fights sometimes break out in the parking lot behind their house or on Gardiner, and it's not unusual for bar patrons to use the couple's property as a latrine.

Parking is another concern in the area, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, says Ryan Young.

"People park wherever they want," he says. "And after they've had a few drinks, things happen. My girlfriend's car was scraped along the side and they just drove away."

Too, patrons of the bars don't all leave at 2 a.m., says Casey Haley. They linger after closing and can become loud.

"It's a combination of things," he says. "It's the traffic, it's the language, and it's just people being really inconsiderate."

Kraus and his neighbors say that many patrons are unfamiliar with the area and don't know where to park. It not only generates traffic darting down streets and alleys well into the night, it also attracts car break-ins.

"We've just had two car break-ins out on the street in the same week," Kraus says.

But Lt. Jay Maitland, with the Rochester Police Department's East Division, says that complaints about noise and car break-ins are not as prevalent in the East End as they are in other neighborhoods, especially considering the East End's weekend crowds.

John Billone Jr., a real-estate developer and president of Flower City Development, a property management firm, is the owner of the Medical Arts Building at 277 Alexander Street. The building is one of the city's best examples of Art Deco architecture and Billone has invested more than $6.5 million in renovations. His tenants on the building's lower floors are a combination of eateries and offices, while the rest of the building is dedicated to market-rate apartments. Tenants range from college students to young professionals to empty-nesters, Billone says.

Most of his tenants, Billone says, like their apartments and the location. But some have complained about the noise from the bars. The Medical Arts Building is only feet away from Secret, a bar on Alexander which recently closed.

"We've had people ask for a different location in the building," Billone says. "We've had a person sign a lease and move in, and move out in less than week. We couldn't fight it. They sent a letter from their attorney, breaking the lease."

Like Kraus and his neighbors, Billone says that the last thing he wants to do is deter people from supporting the bars. After all, many area residents are also customers of the bars.

"Without the residents, who will support all of these businesses?" Billone says. "But if you're getting off your shift at Strong at 2 a.m. and you want to get some rest and your neighbor is rockin', I think they have a right to be upset about the noise."

The bar owners contacted for this story either declined to comment on the record or did not return phone calls. But one bar owner says he agrees that there is a problem, and so do many of the other bar owners and merchants. They want to be good neighbors, he says.

City officials embraced the risky investment that bar owners made along Alexander and East, he says, and their gamble has paid off, since it has encouraged more people to invest in businesses in the East End.

But there has been an increased demand for housing, too, which city officials have also encouraged.

The question is how everyone co-exists, says City Council member Elaine Spaull.

"You've got this interesting dilemma with these amazing residential high-rises now smack dab in the middle of the entertainment district," Spaull says. "We have a different landscape than we did 10, even five years ago."

Residents need to understand that living in the East End is different than living in other areas of the city, Spaull says. But on the other hand, concerns about loud music, noisy bar patrons, and drunken behavior are not limited to the East End, she says. Residents on Monroe Avenue and St. Paul have also complained, and the tensions could get worse as more people move downtown.

Spaull and City Council member Bill Pritchard are reviewing the city's noise ordinance, but they admit that they're not sure what, if anything, should change.

The ordinance describes a noise violation as sounds "audible beyond the property line of the premises from which it emanates between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m." That includes music, as well as the human voice.

"This is not an easy issue," Pritchard says. "It's not going to be defined by a single act or ordinance."

Pritchard and Spaull are studying how other cities handle the problem of noise in their entertainment districts. But Pritchard has concerns about enforcement. At the end of the ordinance review, he says, "It may mean that nothing can be done."

Comments for "EAST END: A little too much night music? " (10)

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peace and quiet said on Sep. 30, 2009 at 10:33am

Elaine Spaull is incorrect.

Law-abiding citizens do not need to "coexist" with those who break the law.

She should concentrate on protecting the interests of city residents and city taxpayers--not drunken oafs who disturb the peace and the bars who allow them to get legally drunk.

greg Andrews said on Sep. 30, 2009 at 1:32pm

well, as i see it... the city wants business to grow, they want money to be spent, and this is what 's happening. T he main problem is that people have some disjointed idea of urban living being peaceful ???? Any city has noise at night from clubs and flashing neon lights...to keep you awake. If you want it quiet...live in pittsford and pay those property taxes. The other major thing is.... no one but the 21-35 age group wants to have any fun at night...i understand that they may get over intoxicated and get loud , but it' s a booming business for cabs and the little theatre and the berr suppliers....these " darn kids " are keeping a lot of people working...

rochester99 said on Sep. 30, 2009 at 2:40pm

For years the city has been promoting the idea of 24-7 urban life and thus “heavily” subsidizing new housing units in the downtown Districts. Now that we have people there, they are complaining of the 24-7 night-life! I think it really questions the economic and financial benefits of downtown living.

Downtown’s are regional commercial/entertainment districts…distinct from residential districts. Sure they can be a sprinkle of housing downtown but larger numbers can and will dilute the value of a true 24-7 commercial and entertainment district.

But I do think that Alexander Street does border on the residential area and bars and late entertainment venues along this avenue should be controlled/tempered. …but as you proceed to the downtown district…anything within reason should be allowed in order to create an exciting, dynamic 24-7 environment. Our region has hundreds of residential districts…do we need an additional one in downtown Rochester?....I don’t think so!

MAT said on Sep. 30, 2009 at 10:48pm

There are plenty of areas to live in the city that are quiet, peaceful places. Anyone who chooses to move to Gardiner Park, the Medical Arts Building, or anywhere else in the vicinity of East & Alexander does so with full knowledge that it is the region's #1 late night entertainment destination. Every city/region should have at least one of these "party districts". Twenty-somethings need a place to let loose and be young and stupid; it's part of growing up in modern America. If we put a clamp on East & Alexander, we make this city/region that much more likely to lose its young people.

peace and quiet said on Oct. 01, 2009 at 12:30pm

Mat, any bar that chooses to move into an area where there are residences does so with full knowledge that they are likely to receive complaints from neighbors. It's not the neighbors responsibility to fix the problem. It's City government and the bars that need to fix it.

These bars are not just businesses; they are neighbors also. As such they can do a lot to help alleviate the problem. They can educate their clientele, make sure bouncers spread the word, post signs by doors, etc.

And Mat, most of the folks who leave these bars do not create problems. But those who are loud and disturb the peace, should be dealt with by law enforcement. That is how your "young and stupid" twenty-somethings grow up to old and smart, like me.

Michael said on Oct. 01, 2009 at 12:31pm

I've met Elaine and she absolutely "concentrates on protecting the interests of city residents and city taxpayers". She was not referring to the drunken oafs.....but rather life style choices and noise issues in parts of the city where people choose to live near entertainment. By the way, call the cops on law-breakers yourself,....you don't have to wait for a City Council member to spring into action when you see illegal activity.

James Kaufmann said on Oct. 02, 2009 at 12:11pm

Rochester can have a thriving music scene, and still be an acoustically responsible community. I am a musician, myself, and the director of Rochester Soundscape Society, which deals with noise-pollution. Rochester's noise laws apply in all districts, and it our responsibility to understand our laws, and do what it takes to abide by them, no matter what business we are in.

I encourage all residents to understand our noise code (Chapter 75.) It applies in the daytime and early evening hours as well, but with a different standard. From 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., the sources of noise in question are illegal if audible 50 feet from the property line of the source. Also, civilian witnesses can have a ticket written by their own sworn testimony, via a deposition. (see code 75-21.) You also have 75-5, which bans businesses from placing speakers outside, or in an open window for the purpose of attracting attention.

For establishment owners who are interested in soundproofing expertise, I have had encouraging and helpful contact with the folks at www.oshex.com/. This CAN be done. I welcome communication from all sides, and will do what I can to help people make sure our laws are followed.

James Kaufmann
Rochester Soundscape Society

Alan Unsworth said on Oct. 02, 2009 at 12:15pm

Two solutions: set a decibel level, and enforce it. And stop serving alcohol outdoors.

peace and quiet said on Oct. 04, 2009 at 2:15pm

Mr. Kaufmann--Thank you. I think it is always important to first look to the existing laws, because they are our agreed upon guiding documents. Too frequently we want to make excuses for those who are breaking the law and place the responsibility on others who actually the victims--like the nearby residents in this case.
Sorry to spoil the fun of the noisemakers and the profits of the barowners, but if you can not remain within the confines of existing laws, you have NO RIGHT to just break those laws. But it sounds like Spaull is trying to make excuses for such lawbreaking and that is a very bad precedent for this new council members to make. That will weaken our city.

YVES N AUBRY said on Feb. 12, 2011 at 5:10am

I agree with, "Elaine Spaull," people and their comunities need to respect each others rights. Bars and entertainment clubs that serve alcohol will not go away in my life time.
Patrons need to respect neighboring residents and property. They also need to drink responsibly, why you ask? Well, let me spell this one out for all of you boozers who allow yourselves to go over the legal drinking limit. September 20, 2009, my life had changed forever in a millisecond. I was on my scooter, when I came up onto an intersection within the Fort Lauderdale city limits. There was a vehicle wanting to make his left and I was about to make my left. The first I heard was the roar of his engine, and for my sake, there was no time to react. On impact I slammed his windshield, he kept driving for 75 feet. Came to a stop, got out to see what he had hit when he returned behind his wheel to proceed to drive over my pelvis. Here's the skinny on this outcome...It was a "hit & Run," accident. The judge sentenced him to 30 months jail time and 10 years suspended license. He also awarded me "restitution," but have yet to collect a penny. My lawyer says, "Its not looking good of receiving any remuneration from either insurance cos. Dui's last year, according to MADD, claimed, 10,839 lives. Which one of "YOU" want to be a part of these stats'.
Don't drink & drive, and "drink responsibly." KNOW your limit. Please make your donations to MADD and push for every state to mandate the "first DUI offense, ignition interlock. This saves lives, it may be yours we're saving...

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