Queens residents claim summer concerts in Forest Hills are making their walls crack

Deirdre Bardolf
·3 min read
composite image: upper left cracks in a wall residents said were caused by the concerts; lower left one of the shows; right the entrance to forest hills stadium
composite image: upper left cracks in a wall residents said were caused by the concerts; lower left one of the shows; right the entrance to forest hills stadium

Queens residents are bracing for another ear-splitting, head-banging summer.

Some homeowners near Forest Hills Stadium report their walls have cracked because of constant vibrations from blaring summer concerts — and 700 of them are demanding the venue rein them in.

Photos and videos obtained by The Post show doors and plants in homes shaking from the music, and 7-foot-long cracks in walls that residents said weren’t there five years ago. Other footage shows concert goers peeing on lawns, and piles of discarded booze cans.

One crack in a nearby resident’s home measures a whopping seven feet.
One crack in a nearby resident’s home measures a whopping seven feet.
One unusual, horizontal crack in a nearby resident’s wall has grown to over three feet long.
One unusual, horizontal crack in a nearby resident’s wall has grown to over three feet long.
Another resident has seen cracks sprout near his doorframe and on the ceiling.
Another resident has seen cracks sprout near his doorframe and on the ceiling.

The first show of the season kicked off May 4, when the rock bands Puscifer, A Perfect Circle and Primus simultaneously took the stage at the 13,000-seat venue.

The music was “as loud as ever,” one community group said, and police responded to a 311 complaint regarding loud music during the show.

A judge last month issued a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit from the Forest Hills Gardens Corp. against the West Side Tennis Club, the stadium operator. Judge Joseph Esposito ordered the stadium to cap excessive noise, citing readings approximately 100 times the legal limit.

Community groups complain that concert goers trash their streets and cause a ruckus late into the night.
Community groups complain that concert goers trash their streets and cause a ruckus late into the night.

The ruling ordered the homeowner’s association to hire an independent contractor to monitor noise and file the findings after shows, and the stadium to put up barricades to keep concertgoers from wandering into the residential neighborhood.

“It’s a mess, and it’s the fault of our elected officials and the Adams administration who have utterly
failed to place even the most reasonable restrictions on these events,” said Andy Court, president of
Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, another community group demanding limits on the concerts.

“At this point, it’s not enough for officials to say something — they need to step up and do something
or face the consequences at the ballot box,” said Ann Whyte, a longtime resident of the
neighborhood. “This has gone on for far too long.”

Built in 1923 and renovated in 2013, Forest Hills Stadium was long home to the US Open and later diverse musical acts. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Built in 1923 and renovated in 2013, Forest Hills Stadium was long home to the US Open and later diverse musical acts. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The number of concerts per year has almost tripled from the original 10 to 15 events the community was originally told, according to the Concerned Citizens. Sound checks sometimes begin the day before an act goes on, prolonging the disruptions, and some festivals drag on all day.

The stadium opened in 1923 and was the longtime home of the US Open, eventually being adapted for concerts.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo recently penned a letter to the tennis club emphasizing the need to reduce the number of concerts on holidays and school nights; address parking, trash and traffic issues; and comply with the 10 p.m. cutoff time and city noise code.

The stadium did not respond to an inquiry from The Post.