Free waterfront concerts in Williamsburg are once again under attack.
Residents in Williamsburg and Greenpoint railed against the popular concerts at a Community Board 1 meeting Tuesday night. Some even broached the idea of banning the events, held weekly in the summer at East River State Park.
The concerts, run by the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn, attract thousands in the hot months, last year featuring performances by Modest Mouse, Faith No More and DMC.
But some residents who live in rapidly developed Williamsburg are livid about the crowds the concerts bring, the booming noise and drunk revelers strolling through the neighborhood.
“The tone was, ‘We don’t like the concerts,’” said one Williamsburg resident who was at Tuesday’s meeting.
Community Board 1 member Tish Cianciotta said the board did not vote to ban the concerts, as reported, but voted to ask Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to launch an investigation into them. Members want to know where event revenue goes, and who issues permits. Some concerts are free, but others sell tickets.
Cianciotta, in her 70s, favors a compromise including children’s and family music.
“As a senior citizen, I would love to see the philharmonic,” she said. “Maybe they can just tone it down a bit with the other concerts.”
“I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want concerts,” said Agnes Richtert, 23, of Greenpoint. “I think it’s stupid to ban them.”
