It can be tough finding a quiet place to work or hold a meeting. We’re here to help.
Finding a quiet place to do business in a noisy city like NYC can be a struggle. In fact, the biggest civil complaint in the city is about noise, year after year.
In 2020, there were just over 800,000 noise complaints made to the city’s 311 hotline, a 68 percent increase compared to the same time the previous year. Residential noise and street and sidewalk noise topped the list for the two biggest complaints made by New Yorkers.
And, with ambient city noise capable of impacting not just your sleep schedule and concentration but also your health, there’s even more reason to search out quiet spaces across the city.
How loud is New York City?
Decibel units are used to measure the intensity of sound. They’re logarithmic, which means the intensity of sound increases faster than the loudness of a sound. For example, a sound at 20dB is 10 times more intense than a sound at 10dB.
According to the CDC, which often weights dB to the “A” scale to simulate human hearing, prolonged noise levels above 70 dB(A) can be damaging to your hearing. It can cause cardiovascular and psychophysiological effects, and can reduce performance.
In terms of everyday sounds, the City of New York measures an average whisper at 30 dB(A), normal conversation between 50 and 65 dB(A) and on the other extreme, the sound of a stereo/boom box between 110 and 120 dB(A).
A 2018 study looked into noise levels at restaurants and bars across New York City and found the average sound level was 77 dB(A) for restaurants and 81 dB(A) for bars.
Based on decibel level readings by NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection, the noise level on a street in Midtown Manhattan can range anywhere between 70 and 85 dB(A).
Quiet places in New York City
But where can you go to escape the noise? We’ve listed a few locations where the decibel level is below 70 – making it the perfect environment to either work in peace or network without needing to shout.
Enjoy peace of mind between meetings in a Blacklane vehicle
We asked one of our New York Blacklane chauffeurs to use the app Decibel X to take a noise meter reading from his vehicle in June, 2021.
At 12 p.m. on a weekday with his window down on Park Avenue between 40th and 41st street, he recorded 68.2 dB(A). With his window closed, he recorded 59.1dB(A), a noticeable drop in sound level.
Our chauffeured fleet is made up of premium vehicles, which offer the perfect quiet backseat to get some work done between meetings or to network with clients.
Our professional, local chauffeurs are trained in the art of secrecy, with your privacy and safety their number one priority.
Whether you’re in-between meetings across town and need some time to think, or you’d simply like a quiet space to talk with clients or colleagues outside of the office, Blacklane chauffeurs have you covered.
Make successful work calls from the quiet interior of Devoción
Users of the decibel meter reading app SoundPrint recorded an average of 65 dB(A) at Devoción’s Flatiron outpost – just three blocks from both Madison Square Park and Union Square on 25 East 20th Street.
The fact they FedEx their coffee beans in from Bogota and roast them in-house should be enough to lure you in. Otherwise, the exposed-brick walls, lush greenery, and leather couches offer the perfect place to host a casual meeting.
Enjoy a quiet moment before the hustle and bustle of New York City begins in either of their outdoor or indoor spaces. They also have outposts in downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg if you find yourself on that side of town.
Boost work productivity during lunch at Kajitsu Kokage
Kajitsu’s townhouse setting on a leafy street down from Grand Central Station is the perfect and quiet — 62dB(A) — place to reflect and recharge.
It helps that the Michelin-star restaurant’s playlist was curated by a regular diner, the renowned musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Kajitsu is a split-floor establishment, offering lunch and dinner on separate levels. The ground floor restaurant Kokage, opens for lunch. It’s an authentic Japanese restaurant with seasonal meat and vegetable produce.
At night, the second floor opens to diners and celebrates Shojin cuisine, a type of vegetarian cooking originating in Zen Buddhism.
Hold important meetings over dinner at Caviar Russe
SoundPrint users recorded an average of 61 dB(A) at Michelin-starred restaurant Caviar Russe, making it the perfect place to dine in peace.
Visitors get buzzed into the Madison Avenue establishment, adding a sense of mystique to an experience that is sure to leave an impression on your guest.
Doubling as a U.S. direct caviar importer, the restaurant hosts a fine selection of caviar to sample – but stay for the seafood-forward three-course tasting menu, it’s sure to delight.
Global chauffeur company Blacklane is the perfect choice for you and your company’s ground transportation needs, wherever you are. With a streamlined online booking process, cashless payment, and real-time status updates on rides, you can rest easy knowing that wherever you’re traveling to, Blacklane will be there. Find out how your company can benefit from Blacklane’s high-quality chauffeured fleet today.
