Sounds of a City

This morning while walking into the office, I was reminded once again why I love DC. I had just turned the corner at 7th and F Streets NW, walking past the Verizon Center. It was closer to 10 a.m., so the streets were more quiet than usual as most of the foot-traffic had found their way to their respective offices for the day. That's when I noticed the slight hum of the city. It's a sound so exclusive to city life that sometimes we forget it's there. It's every large building for blocks running a/c or heating units on their rooftops, creating a buzz that never seems to go away. And it's a sound I can remember hearing whenever I would visit a city considerably larger than my hometown.



I was very lucky to grow up in Dover, Delaware. Dover is probably the perfect setting for a child to be raised. We had safe streets, good schools, a good mall and we were really close to the beach. But Dover has a population right around 30,000. It's not a large town at all. When sitting outside, it's very easy to relax and enjoy a peace and quiet not found in most major cities. I notice this every time I go home to visit. Last time home I literally fell asleep on my parents patio because the only sounds to be heard was the wind and the birds (okay, maybe an occasional car with an obnoxious sound system). But you get the point...it's quiet.

Living in DC we're surrounded by sounds all the time. We hear emergency vehicles, motorcades, car horns, and people just out and about walking. There is an energy of living in the city that makes walking out my front door in the morning so exciting and enjoyable. So when all of those ancillary sounds disappear, you're left with that hum of our buildings. I used to hear this when I'd visit Allentown, PA for drum corp performances. We'd walk out the front door of our hotel located in downtown Allentown and there it was...the hum of a city. I'd hear it while enjoying dinner on the rooftop of my office in downtown Tampa after most of the city had gone home. I'd hear it walking from the Tribune Building to my gym most evenings in downtown Oakland. Next time you're in a city, try to find some time to walk around when the rest of the population is either sleeping or hard at work. See if you can't notice this sound of the city.

Labels: DC, Random, Urban, Washington

posted by DVS @ 11:26 AM