What I Hear

For my soundwalk, I chose to take a stroll around the Upper East Side during the late afternoon. One of the first sounds that stuck out immediately were the cars. Whether they were motor sounds, horns honking,or wheels on asphalt, the sounds varied but were very New York. People were also a constant source of sound. A woman walking in front of me was talking on the phone very loudly. A young man on a skateboard abruptly screeched to a halt at a street corner. Nearby, a group of friends discussed what they would do for their project. In the distance, I heard the sound of high heels clicking on the sidewalk. A gentle breeze whooshed past my face and continued down the street. A dog walker stood next to me at a corner, waiting for the light to change. I could hear all 5 dogs breathing and happily wagging their tails.

The subway system is something that connects the city, and when I walked anywere near an entrance I could hear the crowds of people going up and down the stairs, in a rush to go where they needed to be. When I walked near any of the subway grates, I could hear the trains passing by and the bell that signalled the doors closing. At the bus stop, a large bus made a wheezing sound as the doors opened and the bus lowered.

I feel that these sounds accurately describe this neighborhood, since it's peaceful yet busy. Not as busy as Times Square, of course, but it does show how a lot of people pass through the area in order to get to their destination. Some of the louder sounds would be the cars, the train, and the bus. Human noises were at a neutral volume, unless it was someone talking on their phone or a really loud group of friends.