NYC: Where to go for a night out based on noise complaints
Fast Facts
1) Pick your borough wisely…
The height of the bars represents the average number of noise complaints by bar by year for each borough. The width indicates the number of bars, relative to the other boroughs. It’s obvious that in terms of quantity and quality of bars, restaurants, and clubs for a night out a person should target Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens. You can probably skip the Bronx…
2) The subway line matters…
I predicted the number of noise complaints for a subway line based on the number of bars that are closest to stations on that line to determine which stations over-performed. That is, which had more noise complaints than they should. The labels to the left show which lines you should ride to maximize the craziness of your night based on the number of bars and past noise complaints. A good rule of thumb is to stick to the avenues: 8, 6, and 4 Avenue subway lines. They each had a higher proportion of bars mapped to stations on their lines, as well a higher number of noise complaints. If you are looking to avoid the decision making, hop on Nostrand. They have ~20% of the bars that Avenue 8 has but like to party just as much, if not more, judging by the distance from the line.
3) Or just target the “party” stations directly…
Top 5 Stations (Based on Number of Bars):
- 96: Bedford Av
- 91: 2nd Av
- 70: 86th St
- 65: 95th St
- 62: 1st Av
Top 5 Stations (Based on Number of Complaints):
- 3,875: 2nd Av
- 2,975: Bedford Av
- 2,634: 86th St
- 2,302: 95th St
- 2,294: Dyckman St-200th St
If you don’t want to target boroughs or lines, then maybe just go for specific stations. 2nd Av, Bedrod Av, 86th St, and 95th St might be your best bet. If you are looking for a rowdy time, especially compared to the number of bars, then checkout Dyckman St-200th St station. If you are looking for the variety of a top 5 station without the commotion, then 1st Av is for you.
Now that we have created some baselines for you to plan your night, it is time for the creme de la creme — actual maps to base your decisions on.