The Barclays Center oculus stayed on until 1 am. Arena says "glitch" has been corrected, but no longer offers phone number for neighbors to call.

View from Pacific St. Jan. 18 early evening (not after hours)

As I've written, the Barclays Center is a remarkably tight fit, which leaves little margin for error.

So, what are arena neighbors supposed to do if the lighting at the oval oculus and associated LED advertising wall stays on past their midnight shutoff?

Not much, apparently.

The issue occurred in mid-December, after a late start to a Madonna concert meant the arena kept the lighting on past midnight so that exiting guests could exit safely.

That was a not unreasonable explanation, but the arena rep, who called it a "rare occasion," did not answer a Pacific Street neighbor's question about whether there was "someone attentive to and accountable for this light pollution."

A recurring issue

For some on Pacific Street, the neighbor told me, the late-night bright lighting penetrates their bedroom windows, despite shades, and disturbs sleep.

On Monday, Jan. 8, the neighbor wrote to the arena at 12:25 am, "with deep concern and frustration," as the lights were still on.

The neighbor didn't get a response, so I followed up.

I got a response from the arena's Rachael Lewis, who blamed it on a "glitch":

The oculus and glass LEDs at Barclays Center’s main entrance were on until 1 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 8. Both lighting systems are automatically scheduled to turn off at midnight at the latest, and after the arena’s operations team looked into the issue they determined there was a glitch in the system, causing the lights to stay on for an additional hour – a glitch which has since been resolved. It is very rare Barclays Center keeps these lighting systems on past midnight, however as we are responsible for ensuring our guests can exit the arena safely and head to their destinations following an event, the lights may occasionally be on longer if a show runs late, causing a later departure time for our guests.

What next?

But Lewis did not answer my question about what neighbors should do if they see the oculus lit past midnight or whether there was still a number they could call.

After all, it's been a periodic problem.

After a series of overnight problems with the oculus in 2018--example below, showing how the oculus light stands out past midnight--arena reps promised improvements and even instituted a phone number for aggrieved neighbors to call.

That was before the arena in late 2020 added a digital wall of LED advertising signage at the glass over the entrance doors.

As late as February 2023, the Barclays Center still offered that phone number. 

The neighbor I spoke to said that the phone number they'd been given led only to arena security and was not helpful; nor was 311.

This raises a question: if the Brooklyn Nets can spend so much money and effort at recruiting an international fan base, why can't they do more to ensure that neighbors don't suffer from future "glitches"? 

After all, as shown in the photo below, shot early yesterday evening, the arena, with the brightly lit oval oculus (purple) and LED wall (blue) to the right, is still a presence to those living on Pacific Street.