We’re the city that never shuts up.
An analysis of a year’s worth of complaints lodged with 311, the Big Apple’s non-emergency line, reveals that in 2024, the thing New Yorkers hated the most was noise.
Since being launched in 2003, fed-up city residents have relied on the service to file grievances regarding high costs, overcrowding, and rodents running in the streets and subways.
But the No. 1 reoccurring grumble from the millions of calls dialed in from Dec.1, 2023, to Nov. 30, 2024, were assaults of an aural nature, data showed.
The findings were collected from NYC Open Data, also includes information from the city’s Office of Technology and Innovation.
Over 738,000 complaints, categorized as street/sidewalk noise, vehicle noise, helicopter noise, and others, were submitted for noise, with an average of more than 2,000 objections every day.
When a call comes in, it is logged and the specific complaint is then sent to one of the city’s agencies, such as the New York Police Department or Sanitation Department, to address the issue.
The data also explains that residential noise consumed the majority of the complaints, with over 356,000 requests filed across five boroughs.
Aside from obnoxious noises, New Yorkers were dialing the 311 line with complaints of people urinating in public with 1,157 calls, illegal animals kept as pets, and 539 related service requests from suspicious neighbors.
Although New Yorkers can dial in to share their troubles, they can also submit requests online, through the mobile app, or via text message.
