Surprisingly Quiet Day for Friends and Neighbors

(CLICK TO ENLARGE) Among the typical city neighborhood’s buzz and hum was a delightfully serene sidewalk, void of the dreaded amplifier and its withering hours-long diatribes. (Copyright © 2006. David Klavitter)

A rare gem of a Saturday—beautiful weather and relatively noise-free for the residents living in and around the 700 block of 8th Street NE. The neighborhood was pleasantly surprised by the absence of the usual blaring amplifier on the southeast corner of H and 8th Streets NE.

And for whatever reason, the fellows responsible for the amplifier—the Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge (ISUPK)—did not appear. This never happens unless the weather is foul. It was the group’s fifth Saturday absence in 2006.

As a reminder, the neighborhood would be just as happy if the ISUPK assembled, but simply stopped using the amplifier.

The only wrinkle in the day was the use of an extremely loud amplifier by an H Street business called the Downtown Locker Room located on the corner of H and 9th Street. The hip and trendy clothing store was having a store promotion. The loudspeakers were pointed toward H Street, apparently sparing the residences on 9th Street.

I’m unsure what the city’s decibel cap is for such amplification in commercial zones, but it sounded much louder to me than the giant video screen broadcasts outside the Verizon Center on 7th Street NW. Those speakers point downward to pour sound on passersby. I’d be interested to know if those speakers affect the residential units tucked aloft in the buildings along the bustling street in Chinatown.