An Entire Year of New York City's Noise Complaints

Noise-sensitive renters in New York should think twice about locating to the Upper West Side near 100th Street. Beginning at 8 a.m., a perfect storm of pandemonium arises from the neighborhood, booming with a god-awful cacophony capable of defeating the thickest of earplugs.

There are people singing and yelling, a marching band rehearsing, roof air compressors humming, and buses idling while their drivers get coffee and doughnuts. Helicopters hover, construction workers bang tools loudly while swaying to salsa music, a man pushes a power-steam cleaner and a mysterious musician toots on a trumpet all morning long. Then there's this complaint submitted to the city's 311 line: "Caller states that the neighbor upstair are on drugs and they are stomping jumping and banging with a hammer on the ceiling from the bedroom to the livingroom. Caller states anywhere he walks they follow him to make noise."