the subjectivity of a stillspot : where to find silence in nyc
DESCRIPTION
The Subjectivity of a Stillspot : Where to Find Silence in NYC. Source: www.flickr.com. Final Project Presentation By: Maxwell Sokol GSAPP, Urban Planning. Morningside Heights (vast majority) Chelsea Nolita Clinton Hill East Village TriBeCa Park Slope Ridgewood Hells Kitchen - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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The Subjectivity of a Stillspot:Where to Find Silence in NYC
Final Project PresentationBy: Maxwell Sokol
GSAPP, Urban Planning
Source: www.flickr.com
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• Morningside Heights (vast majority)• Chelsea• Nolita• Clinton Hill• East Village• TriBeCa• Park Slope• Ridgewood• Hells Kitchen• Astoria• Carroll Gardens• Fort Greene• Gramercy
• Greenpoint• Lefferts Gardens• Midtown West• Crown Heights• Murray Hill• Hamilton Heights• NoMad• Washington Heights• Yankee Stadium neighborhood• Midtown East• Riverdale• Williamsburg• Marine Park
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• Parks (vast majority)– Central Park– Riverside Park– Hudson River Park– Morningside Park– Bryant Park– Madison Square Park– Washington Square Park– The High Line– Battery Park– Fort Greene Park– Prospect Park– “Pocket” Parks
• Other answers– Libraries– Museums– Theaters– Art Galleries– Places of Worship– Public Plazas– Transit / Taxis– Fire Escapes / Rooftops– Restaurants / Cafes– Gyms / Yoga Studios– Spas / Bathhouses– Beach (in summer)
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Less than 5 minutes
Between 5 and 15 minutes
Between 15 and 30 minutes
More than 30 minutes
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Travel Time to Find Silence in NYC
Number of Respondents
5
My Subjective Stillspot: The Library• Libraries as Unique Stillspots– Places of Institutionalized/Enforced Silence
{Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh…}
Source: NYPL Digital Archive
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Daily Once a week Once a month
A couple of times a year
Never0
5
10
15
20
25
Frequency of Visits to a Library in NYC
Number of Respondents
7
To do work / study: – Few distractions– Big tables– Comfortable– Late hours– Internet/WIFI– Printing
Librar
ies ar
e quiet
.
Librar
ies hav
e colle
ctions o
f books
and re
source
s.
Librar
ies se
rve as
mee
ting plac
es.
I don't u
se lib
raries
in NYC
.
Other (plea
se sp
ecify)
01020304050
Reason for Library Use
Number of Respondents
8
• Museums• Places of Worship• Art Galleries• Theaters• Yoga Studios• College Residence Halls• One bar in NYC:
– Burp Castle (7th Street & 2nd Avenue)
• “Quiet cars” on Amtrak
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Online Survey Highlights: Interesting Quotes
• “I don't have a need to ‘escape the noise and find silence.’ ”
• “I usually have to leave the city to experience pure quiet outside of my [apartment].”
• “Silence isn't really silence - there is still noise around me - silence for me is more ‘in my head silence.’ ”
• “The library may be quiet, but there's way too much mental noise going on there when things are busy and there's a lot to do, so I prefer other places.”
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In-Person Surveys at NYPL
Source: knowledgerush.com
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In-Person Survey Highlights
• Interesting Findings:– One-third of respondents were tourists.– Most non-tourists visit this library for its resources, not the silence.
• Interesting Quotes:– “I’m never looking for silence.”– “I can’t think of any silent places in this city.”– “For me, a silent place needs to have Wi-Fi.”
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The Scale of Stillspots
• Are Stillspots confined to individual places?
OR• Can entire neighborhoods be Stillspots?
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Top 10 Most Quiet Neighborhoods in NYC(as rated by locals)
1. Battery Park City (MN)2. Middle Village (QN)3. Long Island City (QN)4. Kew Gardens (QN)5. Pelham Gardens (BX)6. Bath Beach (BK)7. South Midwood (BK)8. Riverdale/Spuyten Duyvil (BK)9. Sunnyside (QN)10. Carnegie Hill (MN)
Source: http://nabewise.com/nyc/overview/r10-top-quiet
14Source: http://nabewise.com/nyc/nabefinder
Most Quiet Least Quiet
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Conclusion
• There is no single definition of a Stillspot in New York City.– What a Stillspot is, and where you can find one,
depends on who you ask.
• To visualize my research process and findings, I created a mind map, entitled “A User’s Guide to Stillspotting in New York City.”
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