Planned rave in Crown Heights outrages residents

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On the evening of November 20 into the morning of November 21, thousands of sweaty strangers plan to cram into the Crown Heights Armory and writhe in the dark to skull-splitting beats while blinding lights flash at them from all directions.

Those who live in Crown Heights just learned of this rave and want its organizer -- the company time warp -- to take it somewhere else. At an anti-rave rally held Thursday, assemblymen, councilwomen, the Community Council, and other local leaders said the city approved this event and failed to notify any of them.

"It is absurd that we had to find out through social media and through emails," Assemblywoman Diana Richardson said.

"The kind of event that is being smuggled in over here without anyone knowing, this is an event which raises major, major safety issues," Rabbi Eli Cohen said.

Raves often bring drugs.

"They going to come in crazy," one woman said. "They going to come out extra crazy."

"A lot of partying, a lot of drug usage," Richardson said. "Let's talk about what a rave really is."

For many of the neighbors, before they could object this event required some explaining.

"First, it's like: What is a rave?" one woman said. "Then when they finally explained what it was, it's like: Oh, no. Not in my neighborhood."

But once they learned of an army of outsiders armed with glow-sticks and water bottles planned to descend on their neighborhood for an all-night dance-party, seemingly no one in Crown Heights thought that seemed like a good idea.

"It's absolutely outrageous to site an electronic dance festival in the midst of a residential neighborhood, any residential neighborhood," Marsha Borenstein said.

"We don't want a rave," Richardson said.

"Have a rave," one local said. "Have it somewhere else."