Will The City Ever Sleep?

NOISE: it's part of New York City. From helicopters, tour buses, air traffic, subways, neighbors having sex, Brooke Shields doing construction on her townhouse, clubs... this city is never going to STFU. But did you know noise complaints have gone down 21% since Bloomberg's noise code went into effect in 2007? A city EPA spokeswoman told the Daily News that in February we even got an award for the marked improvement.

This Wednesday is the 15th annual International Noise Awareness Day (party!)—but should we just embrace our loudness? The paper looks at some top notch noise complaints last year, which include a celebrity spawn in Brooklyn "crying out in passion at all hours," and a loud turkey in a basement! At least we're mixing things up.

And if you don't like it, you can do what Brad Pitt did: move out. When he moved to the Meatpacking District in the 1990s, the late-night set "would come in the middle of the night and yell, 'Hey Brad! Come out so we can party!'" He only lasted a few months.

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By Jen Carlson in News on April 26, 2010 1:07 PM

Comments [rss]

Paul

It would be great if they could stop killing the character of this city. Instead of all these whiners coming to the city and trying to make it like some mid-west suburb, why don't the realize that these things are part of what makes NYC NYC, and stop telling everyone else what their bedtimes are.

Gothampc

"But did you know noise complaints have gone down 21% since Bloomberg's noise code went into effect in 2007?"

No, Bloomberg just rerouted noise complaints to 311 and they never bother picking up the phone.

My solution is a box fan set on high. The noise from the fan acts as white noise against a lot of interference.

kazubes

The garbage trucks compactors whirring into action at 7:30 in the morning is my equivalent to birds chirping...makes me smile. Get used to it transplants!

Tower18

7:30? I wish. They start between 12:00am and 2:00am by me.

RoboticInsides

I close my windows, which sucks since there is no ventilation and I use earplugs. They do help a lot. But they are also annoying and I think I pull them out in my sleep. Also, my cats like to eat them.

ronshapley

Thanks... I live in a spanish neighborhood of upper Harlem where these Dominican hoodlums are partying on the street until all hours of the morning like it was Santo Domingo where there are no noise laws..

Ill try the earplugs and get back at you..

silver

Get disposable foam earplugs (Duane Reade, Home Depot, etc) and you reclaim the city from noise. Cars sound miles away, jackhammers sound like a can opener, and you sleep better at night too. Earplugs let your sleep until noon even though an army of landscapers descended on your block at 7AM sharp with leaf blowers and mowers.