The Changing Soundscape in New York City

[michael gatonska]

I wanted to post this article titled Working or Playing Indoors, New Yorkers Face an Unabated Roar from the New York Times.  I believe that it is the first article in a series that will explore the changing, and sometimes deafening, soundscape in New York City.

In many restaurants and gyms, the noise can average over 96 decibels, which if sustained for a long period of time can cause hearing loss. I did a quick check in Pierce's book The Science of Musical Sound to locate his chart on Sound Intensities Expressed in Decibels.
Level (dB) 0 = the threshold of hearing.   Level (dB) 120= the threshold of feeling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/nyregion/in-new-york-city-indoor-noise-goes-unabated.html?_r=1

This is an interactive Sound Tour of New York City
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/07/20/nyregion/a-sound-tour-of-new-york-city.html?ref=nyregion