New York City makes its comeback as a notoriously high-decibel town every evening at 7.00PM. Before the advent of COVID-19, New York was America’s noisiest city. The standard volume of Manhattan streets was always at 11, day and night. On the crowded sidewalks, pedestrians provided a constant soundtrack that combined shouted, fast-walking verbal exchanges and New Year’s Eve Party-levels of laughter with intensely personal conversations bellowed into mobile phones. The natural loudness of New York talk would gamely rise to compete with construction workers’ jack-hammers and machine tools, honking horns, sirens, and car stereos blasting pop and hip-hop through open windows.
Since it became the hotspot of the pandemic, the city has taken on an eerie quietness, but NYC hasn’t forgotten how to be noisy. Starting with the initiation of the #ClapBecauseWeCare movement on March 27, the city now erupts every evening when the clock strikes 7.00PM. At that time—every day of the week—New York City comes together to generate exuberant, rolling waves of sound to celebrate the courageous efforts of healthcare providers, first responders, and other essential workers who are making it possible for NYC to survive the pandemic.
It might be possible to set one’s watch by this new evening ritual, as New Yorkers mark the hour by drawing upon their innate ability to be transcendentally loud and express their gratitude by filling the air with several minutes of boisterous cheers, claps, shouts, whoops, and car horns. The enthusiastic show of support has been a moving experience for those on the frontlines. As the Independent reports, ICU nurse Kelley Bradshaw told ABC News, “Oh my gosh, you guys, this makes me cry almost every dang time. That gives me such a boost and such hope that we’re going to unite and we’re going to fight this bad boy because this virus is vicious.” New York City is indeed united, and every night the city gathers—at a safe distance, of course–to say “thanks.”
Below are a couple of short videos of 7.00PM cheers in NYC:
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