I feel and hear the deep throaty rumble of the Queens-bound train above me as it leaves the station. The chorus of shoes against the metal plated stairs comes next as the passengers file out of the station. I walk past my morning coffee stop and one of the grocers, stands outside for his ciggarette break. I hear the slip of a noise that comes with a drag before he bids me an airy good morning. In the background, I hear the steam of another train as it pants it’s way into the station, a subtle creak of the above ground structure. I walk on and catch in the foreground, an argument a young woman is having on her cell phone. It’s not only loud but a juicy bit of story I can’t ignore. As we walk the same direction I lose her about the time the harsh scraping and cutting of the knives of a food cart cook have flooded my ears. I stop to listen to the rhythmic tapping, scraping and surprisingly loud hissing of heat and steam that comes from the food cart. In the background I hear the rustle of a couple’s grocery bags as they walk home from a shopping trip. I walk on to the side street where I’m staying and away from all the common noises of the main street, I now hear the birds in the trees. Their chirping and fluttering makes me feel calm. A plane flies overhead. It’s round, other-worldly whoosh creates a subtle undertone to the birdsongs. The creak of a gate that leads to somebody’s stoop.
In New York, we are so overwhelmed by our overexposure to noise and activity that I think we tend to work with tunnel vision and tunnel hearing in order to remain focus in our environment. Because of this, we forget to hear the subtle music and charming atmosphere that comes with each neighborhood. I was reminded of the noise in the kitchen and at the table when my family has brunch. A mix of function and friendliness. I found my soundwalk strangley comforting. I’m recently displaced and am not at home where I’m staying but this soundwalk made me feel a little more at peace in the neighborhood for the time being.
SailFin Expressions 