The search for the ENY sound is not a search for the latest beat like the Motown sound, East Coast, or West Coast sound.
The ENY Sound
No, it is a search for the incessant humming of some electrical device in the East New York area. A sound that never ends. A 24-7 365 annoying beast.
The thing about a 24-7 sound is that whether you realize it or not. Your subconscious can still hear the droning.
Here where I live the only relief came from the sounds of the street. Ironically, when the street sounds are high enough, you have a modicum of peace.
The ENY Search Begins
At first, I thought the sound came from a piece of equipment like a transformer, but that may not be the case.
While working on a project that required sound effects, I came across a sound effect of a motor running.
Like a light bulb going off, I realized this noise was the East New York sound. Somewhere out there is a motor that runs all day and night.
Now. If I could only find the source of this noise.
The problem is that sound in this area bounces off buildings, making tracking the source difficult.
Here, dear reader, is where you come in.
The people closest to this sound may or may not hear it. I noticed that at street level, I could not hear the sound.
I asked others who live in ground and first-floor apartments if they heard the sound. They have not.
The ENY Sound: The Theory
My inquiry led me to believe that the device may have walls around it. But no roof. So, the sound travels up and out.
Think of it as a speaker lying on its back.
There are four tall walls around the speaker.
But there is nothing on top. If you raise those walls high enough, you will not hear the sound coming from the speaker.
But once the sound waves are past the walls. These waves will travel up and radiate out like ripples.
And someone in the distance could hear the sound.
Hear the Sound For Yourself
I have captured the sound for you to hear.
While listening to the sound, note the time of the recording.
It is seven in the morning. As I moved around the apartment, recording the sound. I noticed that it was louder in some places. Quieter in other. But it was never gone.
And no, closing windows did not help.
The East New York Sound Captured
When listening to the sound, ignore the sirens. Or fast forward to 1:13 minutes. Then, try to listen to it for the duration. And imagine what it is like to hear this sound day after day, all day and night.
If you live in East New York, you may not have to imagine. You have experienced this first hand.
Below is the audio recording of the sound. Listen to it with headphones on for at least five minutes. And you will get a small sample of what I endure.
A Pause In the Noise
Oh, one last thing. The sound did stop for a short time in July of 2023. I’m guessing that the location where the motor is was closed for vacation. Or the motor was down for maintenance. In either case, this was the first time in a long time that quiet returned to the East New York nights.
The ENY Sound Update 2024
It’s back. Strangely, it is less pronounced now.
It is as if the thing has moved farther away.
It’s times like these when I wish my hearing were not so acute.
There is a change, though. Some days, the sound runs all day.
On other days, it is not there.
So, somewhere out there, someone is turning this thing on and off as needed.
The residents of East New York are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of their property or rental. The machine that makes this sound infringes on that quiet enjoyment.
It needs to go away.
The ENY Sound Found At Last?
You never know what might happen when you go food shopping. On one trip to the Shoprite at Gateway Shopping Center. I heard an annoying sound.
At first, I blocked it out. But then something said. Listen to the sound.
I listened.
And then I turned my head to the source of the sound.
There, across the street from the shopping area, is a construction project. This project has been going on for a few years. It is for new housing in the area.
I looked, and there it was. High in the construction zone, spinning around was the source of the noise. At the time, I didn’t know what it was. But I knew it matched the sound I had been looking for.
I took photos of it with my cellphone camera. Wishing that I had my compact camera instead.
Later I worked on the photo and forwarded it to my wife. She suggested I do a Google search to find out what this construction thing was.
Google IDs The Machine
Turns out Google knows a lot. From the bad image of the construction equipment, Google locked in on the rotary pile driver. This piece of equipment along with others has taken the place of the pile driver of yesteryear. Gone is the kerchunk kerchunk of the old pile driver.
This rotary pile driver and others have taken their place. Amazingly, this pile driver is reported to be much louder than the other new pile drivers. But quieter than the old pile drivers.
It gives you a perspective on how loud the original pile drivers were.
At first, I was skeptical. But then I noticed that when this machine was not working. The noise stopped. When it moved from one location to another, the noise level changed. But still, something was off.
Now There Are Three
From where I was standing when I took the photo, I saw one rotary pile driver. On an additional trip back to Gateway I looked towards the construction site. To my surprise, I saw three rotary pile drivers.
There are three. This explains why sometimes the sound seemed to be chaotic. Three rotary pile drivers working when needed. Moving from one location to another in the construction zone. Running day and night.
You might be thinking that construction has to stop at a certain time because of the noise. But not necessarily. Some pieces of equipment, once started, have to complete their function. In other words, once started, they cannot be stopped. To stop them before completion may cause damage to the equipment or make the job that much harder to complete.
The ENY Sound Solved Or Not
So here it is.
The enigmatic sound of East New York is solved.
Or not. No, it’s solved. I hear the sound less and less as this phase of the construction is hopefully coming to an end..
It also explains why the sound stopped for a while. This construction project is huge. One area that was under construction is complete. The buildings are up and occupied. No construction, no annoying sound.
To my despair, I have no choice but to suck it up and deal with the sound. And if you are in earshot of this sound in your area, you have the same alternative. The price of progress is our discomfort.
Today’s Word From The Bubble
Trump and Tariffs
As he gives the country a slow screw against a wall, he says, “There could be some temporary, short-term disruption, and people will understand that.”
Question? Will you understand?
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