The Soundwalk

I’ve decided to do the Soundwalk in one of my favorite places in the area where I live – on Roosevelt Island East River Waterfront Pier. It doesn’t get as crowded as during warmer days, and, in fact, I was the only person sitting there at 6 pm.

The sound of traffic was the only infinite element of the sound, sometimes accompanied with the sounds of siren or honking. Motorcycles were passing by, with a loud sound of the motor, compared to the passing cars. Even when there was no other sound present, I could hear a non-stop car movement, a never endless traffic.

The Pier is not far from the road, and there were buses passing every now and then, followed with a brake sound, and sometimes with a very creaky one. “There’s a stop sign, that’s why,” was my first thought. I could hear the footsteps of people passing by the road, and the echoes of their talking.

Before the exercise, I expected to hear more nature-like sounds. Only the sound of wind passed by, and it rustled the leaves. No birds chirping – which was surprising, taking into consideration how isolated is the island from the city. But maybe I expected to hear it in the wrong place.