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Sleep Like A Baby In... Midtown?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 11, 2010
Modified Mar 11, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 11, 2010
Modified Mar 11, 2010
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While silence is nearly extinct in the world, we never really had much hope of being surrounded by it in New York City anyway. But would you believe that the most quiet place you're going to find in Manhattan is in Midtown? At least if you go by the amount of residential noise complaints—which can consist of loud music, talking, television noise, and we're guessing strangers having sex.
According to last year's 311 records, the least amount of residential noise complaints came from Midtown, TriBeca, the Financial District, Battery Park City and the Seaport. The Brick Underground reports, "these relatively quiet zones logged around 93 percent fewer residential noise complaints than the loudest area—Washington Heights/Inwood—where 6,439 such grievances were filed last year."
Harlem came in as 2nd noisiest neighborhood, with the East Village/Lower East Side/Chinatown coming in 3rd. One Chinatown local of 25 years says, "the only intrusive noise I hear comes from the non-Chinese bar hoppers. They shout out in the streets late at night, laughing and screaming for cabs." Find out more about the city's noise codes here, and if you're talking decibels in non-residential spaces, that's a whole other noise study.
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311
complaints
midtown
noise
residential noise
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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