Closing Bell: Keeping Quiet in Park Slope
Park Slope isn’t known as a particularly noisy neighborhood, aside from the normal mixture of traffic, sirens, screaming school kids. But some folks are seriously bothered by the rumble of low-flying planes. So bothered, in fact, that they’ve created the group Brooklyn Against Aircraft Noise, replete with a signable petition and a call to spread…
Park Slope isn’t known as a particularly noisy neighborhood, aside from the normal mixture of traffic, sirens, screaming school kids. But some folks are seriously bothered by the rumble of low-flying planes. So bothered, in fact, that they’ve created the group Brooklyn Against Aircraft Noise, replete with a signable petition and a call to spread the flying routes out evenly, so no one neighborhood will be targeted with blaring engines…not to mention that blue ice.
Photo by judester1213.
Benson:
That was not the deadliest civil aviation accident in the US prior to 9/11, not by a long shot, though it doesn’t make it any less horrific. The death toll was 90. PSA 182 crashed on September 25, 1978 in San Diego, killing 144 (including my father – that’s how I know this), but that was quickly surpassed by other disasters.
Great find z. That was cool to see.
One of the trade-offs that people make for living in an urban area is the proximity of other people and the noise, smells, waste, and other environmental impacts that this proximity contributes.
I wonder how the folks of Park Slope would react when they discovered that the impact of their attempt to curtail aircraft noise was that they had to travel to either Islip or Stewart Airport to get a flight to their all-important vacation.
Perhaps they would be happier on a farm. Of course the crop-dusters might be a bit noisy, too.
I’ve lived in Park Slope since June and I had absolutely no idea there was any plane traffic overhead. I’ve never noticed it, outdoors or in.
NOMBY: Not over my backyard
Especially when I’m grillin’!
I’d like to add one more bit of info to NOP’s summary of the mid-air collision in the early 60’s.
Until 9/11, this collision was the greatest civil aviation catastrophe in US, in terms of loss of life. You can see photos of this accident in the Puritan Diner on the corner 7th Ave and 6th (?) Street.
Being a recent resident of Park Slope, I have no trouble believing that the nimby’ism has reached this level. I’m sure that this is being done for the “sake of their (precious) children”. In my building, you can’t get two folks together to have an adult social, or to discuss our condo’s business affairs. Announce a party for the precious ones, and they come out of the woodwork
When I lived park Slope I remember the noise of the planes. If my window was open and i was on the phone, i would have to wait until the plane was gone to continue speaking, that’s how loud it was. However having lived in one of the five bouroughs my whole life, I was used to this because there are three major airports in within 40 miles or less of each other. So no matter where you lived, you’ll hear planes. I didn’t even think of complaining.
Too much time on their hands.
I used to sit and stare out the window and watch the planes fly by and it was pretty pleasant to watch.
people always find something to complain about
NOP, thanks for that story. i looked it up to find out exactly where the crash hit (Seventh at Sterling) and found an old newsreel video of the crash site:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/tsgtv/index.html?id=TSGV5-38&link=TSGTVshlk