HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) — When Brandon Gage moved into his brownstone on 137th Street in Harlem in January, the sun-splashed south-facing back patio was part of the apartment’s selling point.
What Gage did not realize at the time was this was a buy one get one free deal that he did not sign up for – because with all that natural light beaming into his unit comes with it a blast of artificial light all night long.
“It’s like having two suns in the sky. I mean it’s brighter than the full moon,” he said.
He says it makes it impossible to enjoy his back patio at night.
“It’s shining into our hones and we should be able to have our windows open without having a halogen light, stadium lights, blasting into our apartments that we didn’t ask for,” Gage adds.
It appears the purpose of this light is to light up the parking lot below it, but it ended up blasting every backyard down the block – and the light isn’t angled downwards.
For months, Gage says he has tried everything, including calling 311.
“I’ve gotten my elected representatives involved with this. Unfortunately, because there’s a lack of regulation on light pollution from residential properties, there’s not much they can do. So if that were an office building, for example, they could send the city and they could enforce ordinances,” he says.
A spokesperson for Ezra Management, which owns the light, in a statement said,
“We are aware of the issue and working to resolve it.”
Gage says he has heard that before.
“They tell me that they know about it and have been waiting for contract bids to get it fixed or removed, however, that was over the summer and nothing has been done and when I call the office, I never get a call back.” He added.
In the meantime, he’ll be waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel.
ALSO READ | Thousands of NYCHA apartments sit empty as wait continues for potential tenants
7 On Your Side Investigative reporter Dan Krauth found that there are big delays when it comes to the city turning around apartments to new tenants.
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