Ivy Hill Park Apartments, known as "Ivy Hill" or "Ivy," have become home for many Seton Hall students over the years. With all the things that come along with having college students as neighbors, mainly partying, ordinary tenants that live in Ivy Hill said they do not have a huge problem with some of the house parties Seton Hall students host in their apartments.
According to an Ivy Hill security officer who declined to be named because she was not authorized to speak for the complex, buildings 240 and 250 are where most Seton Hall students reside and where the most parties take place. The security officer works at the entrance of those two buildings often and said she's never had to shut down a party. The officer said a lot of students come in and out of the buildings during late hours but other tenants have not filed complaints about noise.
Non-Seton Hall tenant Kofi Maneta lives in building 250 and has two children. He said the parties do not disturb his family.
"I really think they (students) understand that they live amongst regular families," Maneta said. "The music is never too loud. I've never had to bang on their door to turn it down."
Senior Stephanie Mathelier moved to Ivy Hill building 250 in August 2012 and has hosted two parties.
"I had a party for my roommate's birthday in October and another one in January," Mathelier said. "We didn't invite a lot of people. We don't want to have sour relationships with our neighbors or risk getting evicted for having several noise violations."
In the past students have received noise violations. Senior Christopher Johnson received a noise violation in 2011 from the Newark Police Department after hosting a party.
"There were about 25-30 people in my apartment," Johnson said. "When the officer knocked on my door I knew I was going to get a fine because it was my second noise violation."
Johnson received two letters the next day from the Ivy Hill Leasing Office and the Newark Police Departments that stated he was in violation of the noise ordinance on the lease.
According to the letter, after the first noise violation the tenant receives a warning, after the second one the tenants receives a fine of 55 dollars, and after the third noise violation the tenant will receive an eviction notice.
"After I got that letter and the fine, I never had another party," said Johnson. "Once in a while I'll have a few people over but no more than 10."
Ivy Hill tenant Rosa Perez, lives next door to Johnson.
"Chris is a very good kid," Perez said. "When he has people over he always tells the day before or morning of."
Assie Bangura can be reached at assiebangura@icloud.com.
