As I walk through Washington Heights, the Spanish language fills my ears. I make my way up St. Nicholas Ave as the sound of cars whirring by merges with the Spanish language. The avenue is lined with delivery trucks double parked on the sides of the street. There is a constant clanging of bay doors of the trucks opening and closing. Taxi cabs fly up the avenue hitting potholes at high speeds which makes a sound the causes the axles and tires to squeal in pain.
Latin music fills my ears as I make a right on 186th street, heading east towards the Harlem River.
The residential streets are much quieter as now I can hear the faint sounds of helicopters whirring nearby, and the slight squeal of the brakes on a car that needs changing. I pass through Highbridge Park that’s empty due to cold weather and the sound of birds chirping fills the background. I take the path down that leads to the eastern edge of the island and it’s the most quiet I’ve experienced since I began my walk. The only sound in the background are birds and the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. In the background I hear helicopters whirring and cars traveling at high velocity.
When I finally reach the end of the island, I’m perched up on a cliff overlooking the Bronx as a strong wind hits my face. The Harlem River Drive is below me and the Major Deegan is in view across the Harlem River. Although I can’t see the Harlem River drive I know there’s no traffic because I can hear the cars traveling at high velocities directly below me. The traffic conditions are bleak for motorists travelling on the Major Deegan as bumper to bumper traffic is in effect, as the sound of car horns block out the birds chirping. I sit there a while taking in the sounds of the last authentic neighborhood in Manhattan, and wonder where all the sounds will go once this gem has been gentrified.
