I really liked reading this article for two reasons: it wasn’t a bland piece of work, and it gave me a new perspective on noise pollution. After skimming through some of the responses that other classmates wrote, I agree that New Yorkers complain too much and think that everyone wants their surrounds to adapt to THEIR lifestyle, not the other way around. I agree that if you call 311 about a complaint regarding loud music and parties, then you should relocate. (However, given the high demand for living space paired with high rent, this is problematic for many people and the only short-term solution is to just deal with it.) I also think that people also adapt to their environments; I used to live in East Village, and the windows of my apartment would look out to some restaurant’s garden/terrace, and every evening (especially the weekends), the people would be so loud that it was nearly impossible to even hear yourself think. However, over time I grew accustomed to it and that noise wasn’t bothersome.
In my opinion, what accounts for so many noise complaint calls is that overall stress people face. Living in New York City is like living in the fast lane, you don’t really have a chance to slow down and enjoy what’s around you because everyone around is always in a rush to work, etc and you get caught up in it too. So when you come home, the only time you feel like you can relax, you have to put up with all the loud music and partying, and overnight construction etc and that just gets on your nerves. This also goes to say that this is part of the price you have to pay of living in such a large city. However, not all hope is lost for those who want some peace in quiet. Because the article was able to divide the city into various neighborhoods based on their main sources of sound pollution, people can find many ways to address this general problem (fixing one problem at a time). Lastly, although the article did a great job explaining various aspects of sound pollution on people, I think it should’ve also addressed (at least mentioned) the effects of sound pollution on animals in the city.
