Sure, people complained when St. Vincent's Hospital closed. But now that the Fire Department wants to keep ambulances on a lot at 512 West 23rd Street, residents of fancy High Line condos are upset. One fumed at a community board meeting, "We have nieces and nephews that come to visit, and it was a nice day and they had problems going outside on the terrace because of the fumes." more ›

Have you been laying awake at night wondering if the smell of bacon was still torturing the East Village residents living by IHOP's newish 14th Street location? Might want to try some Ambien, cause folks over there are still sizzling like a thick slab of pork over a hot grill regarding the "stench." more ›

Last month the dismissal of the lawsuit against the Prospect Park West bike lane led to a cleansing, "Tahrir Square" moment for cyclists who felt the community-approved bike lanes were under siege by a few rich NIMBYs. Hopefully that feeling was savored, because Streetsblog reports that Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety have appealed the ruling. more ›

After Judge Bunion dismissed the lawsuit against the Prospect Park West bike lane on Tuesday evening, we wondered if the fat lady had finally sung in the matter, so people could get on with their lives, and the DOT could go back to making the city safer for everyone. But it was not to be so: Jim Walden, the attorney for the two community groups who filed the suit, Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety, issued a "demand" letter stating that the dismissal meant nothing, and the groups will be pressing on to obtain DOT records to prove that the bike lane was indeed part of a "pilot program." more ›

We thought we had it bad in DC, when the president's personal chauffeurs flew over us every 15 minutes, but Brooklyn pols are painting a noisier picture of their borough in a renewed push to ban all tourist helicopters. According to the Brooklyn Paper, Brooklyn Heights senator Daniel Squadron told a crowd on Sunday that "Enough is enough! We need to stop the endless parade of tourist helicopter flights over our neighborhoods." Another Heights resident called the neighborhood a "war zone," with Vietnam vet Duncan McGonagle echoing the sentiment: "I'm having flashbacks because it sounds exactly like being back in Vietnam again." more ›

If there's anything that New Yorkers love more than swirling a champagne flute around in public at 2 p.m. on a Sunday, it's the feeling of swirling it around outdoors. But what about those poor souls who live above these vulgar outdoor eateries? They moved into the most desirable neighborhoods in Manhattan to be left in peace! Today's Post details the "backlash" (scare quotes ours) against outdoor eating by the people who have to put up with "herds of patrons blocking sidewalks with their precious poodles and strollers." more ›

Actor (and NIMBY) Matt Dillon, now 47 years old!, headed to his local Community Board meeting last night on the Upper West Side to express his views on restaurant Calle Ocho changing locales and landing closer to his home base. Donning sunglasses and a hat, DNA Info reports that Dillon doesn't want the restaurant (now on Columbus Avenue) moving about a half block away, to 45 West 81st Street. more ›

The NIMBY fun police in Greenpoint has put the kibosh on what was to have been the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, a 100,000 square foot arts and crafts market with a beer and wine garden, nightly performances from "emerging bands," and large scale art installations. Rowdy freaks who enjoy eating, drinking, and listening to live music outside on the banks of the river on a summer night will have to go elsewhere to get their perverted kicks this summer (unfortunately, the Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City is also on the rocks). more ›

Earlier this month East Village locals rallied against the UCB Theater's Hot Chicks Room, a bar attached to their new comedy venue. The name was discarded, the sign was taken down, and the NIMBYs target heart rates went back to normal... until the red curtains came up. more ›

Some Bay Ridgers are shouting NIMBY, claiming truckers are turning the corner of Seventh Avenue and 92nd Street into a motor lodge. Cops say they are ticketing 'em, but that isn't necessarily prohibitive since its still cheaper than parking and staying in a hotel (a ticket for parking a commercial vehicle over three hours runs $65 and parking overnight starts at $265 and goes up to $515). We suspect the bad press will nudge the NYPD to ticket a bit harder, but in the meantime we don't really know what we'd do if trucks were settling in on our block. Passive-agressive notes? more ›

A Barnard professor whose apartment is located maddeningly close to Nolita "hotspot" La Esquina has predicted that the exclusive subterranean lounge will one day claim the lives of trendy scenesters and flashy celebs. But don't get too excited—the Buildings Department is trying to save them. more ›

The Rockaways are riled up about a... miniature golf course? Allegedly locals fear the fun would lead to parking problems, trash, overcrowding, light pollution and noise, especially during the summer season. (Perhaps the Parks Department should consider Far Rockaway.) The site would operate from March to November, and hours could be from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. more ›

The Jane Street NIMBYs have been pulling out all the stops lately, and their latest stunt brings them offline. Yes, this sign is suggesting dog owners walk their dog right over to The Jane and encourage them to pee on it. To be exact, it says: "Let's face it, every dog needs to do his thing. But when doing it, why not also let him show The Jane Hotel exactly what he thinks about them running an illegal club in a quiet residential neighborhood?" more ›

The nightmare on Jane Street continues, though it still remains uncertain if the real nightmare is the Jane Hotel, or the wealthy NIMBYs who are unleashing every city agency upon their new neighbor. more ›

The saga on Jane Street continues, as neighbors unite against the Jane Hotel's nightlife crowd. Andrea Peyser pens a piece about the battle, pitting children with asthma ("every night, choking smoke fills the family's living space") against bold-faced party-goers like the Kate Winslet and Edward Norton. Yep, the modern-day Tiny Tim lives in a multi-million dollar Manhattan home with a backyard! more ›

Yesterday Curbed quietly pointed out that the West Village residents were rallying against the Jane Hotel, particularly the establishment's plan for a rooftop bar. Rumor has it neighbors were promised entrance to the place if they would just STFU, but since late last month they've been airing their complaints on a blog called Nightmare on Jane Street. more ›

Did anyone actually think a Michael Jackson birthday celebration hosted by Spike Lee wasn't going to be publicized? The free event was set to be held on August 29th in Brooklyn, but The Local reports they're looking to move it after “The mayor’s office has conceded that now that this has been publicized, Fort Greene Park is just not big enough to accommodate the kind of crowds that are foreseeable." The date may also be changed, and incidentally, Jackson's funeral date was also pushed back (originally the 29th and now the 31st). more ›

Buyers at 111 Central Park North, what the Post dubs Harlem's "most expensive condo," are unhappy about a McDonald's making it way into the ground floor retail space. The Post reports, "Aghast at the potential grease stench, rodents, loitering and trash, not to mention plummeting property values, some say they would rather chip in and rent or buy the ground-floor space themselves than have the golden arches move in." Condo board president Gary Davis put it bluntly, "There's a stigma to... a luxury building having McDonald's as a retail tenant," and noted that many residents have terraces, "There would be a concern that every time you're out there, you would be kind of overwhelmed by a McDonald's smell or any fried food." The ground floor space's owner Tom Shapiro tells the Post if McDonald's moves in, "he...envision[s] a more upscale version of McDonald's similar to one in a Philippe Starck-designed condo on 23rd Street. That outlet has padded banquette seating, fancy light fixtures and a flat screen TV." Of course, that McDonald's was also derided. more ›

A number of Park Slope residents have been up in arms over a developer's plans to build three townhouses in addition to a previously announced project. Brownstoner reported that owner Ashwin Verma's admission that he's "no Donald Trump" and blaming "his inexperience for not knowing there was a Con Ed substation on 580 Carroll's site" sent residents at a rally against his project into a frenzy. Various neighbors' homes have been damaged by the construction work—one said, "My foundation was cracked. My retaining wall was cracked," while another complained about the aesthetics of the future building, telling the Daily News the apartment building by noted architect Enrique Norten "is actually ugly, and what it's going to look like doesn't belong here. It belongs in New Jersey." In the meantime, the Board of Standards and Appeals has delayed its decision on whether to give Verma a variance to build the additional structures. more ›

The Daily News suggests that when it comes to drugs, drunks, and overall debauchery, it's all happening in the Meatpacking District. With the NYPD's crackdown of West Chelsea ever since notable, violent crimes, apparently the action has moved south. From the News: "One reporter was solicited by three dealers within two hours on a Saturday night. Reporters watched a pair of twentysomething club girls vomit in tandem; a man urinate as he weaved along Washington St.; another man so blitzed he appeared paralyzed on W. 13th St." One resident complained, "It's gotten cool, and not in a good way." (Of course, the decline of MePa has been going on for years now.) Still, it doesn't mean Club Land is totally rehabilitated. more ›