Miss The Sounds Of The City? The Library Has A Solution

Did you ever think you'd miss the sound of a jackhammer? Or the subway? Or someone walking by you in a hurry, talking loudly into their headphones?

Well, now many of us do. A quiet New York City is unsettling. We might hear our neighbors in the apartment next door, but we don't hear all those crowd, loud, city sounds that weave together to create the sonic texture of our daily lives.

Folks at the New York Public Library get that. So they've created - along with agency Mother New York - an actual soundtrack to fill the gap. The Spotify playlist has cab sounds, club sounds - even the sound of that annoying jogger who runs by you so close you can hear their breath.

Angela Montefinise, in the library's communications department, is hunkered down on Long Island with her husband and two kids, but she grew up in Queens. And, like all of us, she's lonely for the sounds she's familiar with - especially the sound of happy kids at a playground. "The first time I heard these tracks, I had such an emotional reaction, especially at the park. I have little kids and I would go to the playground all the time. And I heard the kids playing and the birds chirping. And I really miss that."

That's why library staff decided to put this collaboration together - they hoped it would make people feel more connected to the city that we love.

Click "listen" above to hear some of the sounds from the playlist.