The Subjectivity of a Stillspot : Where to Find Silence in NYC

1. The Subjectivity of a Stillspot:Where to Find Silence in NYC Source: www.flickr.com Final Project Presentation By: Maxwell Sokol GSAPP, Urban Planning

2. 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

3. 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)

5. My Subjective Stillspot: The Library • Libraries as Unique Stillspots • Places of Institutionalized/Enforced Silence {Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh…} Source: NYPL Digital Archive

7. To do work / study: • Few distractions • Big tables • Comfortable • Late hours • Internet/WIFI • Printing

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

9. 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.”

10. In-Person Surveys at NYPL Source: knowledgerush.com

11. 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.”

12. The Scale of Stillspots • Are Stillspots confined to individual places? OR • Can entire neighborhoods be Stillspots?

13. Top 10 Most Quiet Neighborhoods in NYC(as rated by locals) • Battery Park City (MN) • Middle Village (QN) • Long Island City (QN) • Kew Gardens (QN) • Pelham Gardens (BX) • Bath Beach (BK) • South Midwood (BK) • Riverdale/Spuyten Duyvil (BK) • Sunnyside (QN) • Carnegie Hill (MN) Source: http://nabewise.com/nyc/overview/r10-top-quiet

14. Most Quiet Least Quiet Source: http://nabewise.com/nyc/nabefinder

15. 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 Stillspottingin New York City.”