Seattle Citynoise:

Seattle, WA - Paul Dexter - Thursday, May 6th, 2004 : goo

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Seattle Citynoise:

Years and years and years ago, I lived at the southern base of Queen Anne Hill, two blocks from Mercer, four to six blocks from Seattle Center. One evening, a girl I knew - she lived in Everett - came over for a visit. I took her up to Kerry Park, to show her the tourists’ view of the city. But she stood with her back to the view, looking instead at the houses and apartments at the top of the hill.

“It’s so quiet,� she remarked in amazement.

At first, I didn’t understand what she was getting at. Then it occurred to me that, until then, she had been to only four locations in Seattle: Pioneer Square, Broadway, a hair salon on Rainier Avenue, and my apartment. I could imagine what a shock it was for her to discover that Seattle was not entirely crowded and busy and noisy.

Several years later, a couple of friends from Olympia visited Phillip and me on Capitol Hill. We decided to have a picnic lunch. I directed the four of us to one of my favorite outdoor spots: Foster Island, in The Arboretum. As we hiked under 520, our Olympian friends voiced their concern about being able to enjoy a peaceful lunch so close to the noise of the freeway. Don’t worry, I told them, we’ll be far enough from the freeway that they won’t remember it’s there.

We reached the edge of the water, spread out a blanket, and began our picnic. See, I told our guests, it’s like the freeway isn’t even there. To my surprise, they could still hear cars zooming by, but they decided it wasn’t loud enough to disrupt lunch. All I could hear was water, boats, and other people. To me, it was a quiet, natural setting. To them, it was a park next to a freeway.

What noises do I habitually tune out of my daily life? What noises do I pick up on that someone else wouldn’t notice? What would Broadway on a Saturday night sound like to a visitor from a more densely populated city?

Why do I feel more comfortable at home with background noise from the TV or the stereo than when it’s quiet?

It’s amazing the things that pop into my mind on the bus ride home.

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