8 Calming Spots to Find Quiet in New York City

By Cailey Rizzo
August 01, 2017
Barry M. Winiker/Getty Images
There are 8.5 million people living in New York City — and only one real luxury that everybody’s after: quiet.

With ceaseless traffic, constant construction, and colorful personalities on the street, it can seem almost impossible to find a minute to oneself. And it's only getting worse: From 2011 to 2016, the number of noise complaints made to the city's 311 service doubled to more than 400,000.

Related:Secrets of New York City's Central Park

However, hidden off the beaten path, there are a few calm pockets in the city that never sleeps. For those looking to escape the bustle and noise, these eight spots throughout the city are an oasis for the ears. From sound-proof hotel rooms high above busy avenues to basement meditation studios, here’s where to find quiet.

No sirens, no incessant car alarms and (perhaps best of all) no other New Yorkers.
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Snug Harbor Cultural Center

Credit: Courtesy of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden

Escape to Staten Island and find one of the most calming places in the city. Snug Harbor Cultural Center located along the waterfront and filled with pagodas, reflecting pools and a bamboo forest path.

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The Tatami Suite at The Kitano New York

Credit: Courtesy of The Kitano

This suite, decorated in traditional Japanese style, comes equipped with soundproof windows to drown out the noise of the midtown streets below. It's a haven of quiet at the Kitano.

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MNDFL Meditation

Credit: Claire Esparros/Courtesy of MNDFL

Close the door behind you at this meditation studio at shut out the noise of the outside world. MNDFL Meditation offers classes for those who prefer guided meditation, but it’s also possible to book a smaller, back room for private practice (or the quietest nap you’ve ever had).

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Inwood Hill Park

Credit: Getty Images

Head all the way uptown for a riverside park that feels like something much further upstate. The park is as far north in Manhattan as you can get and features prehistoric caves (yes, really!), forests and forts.

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AKA Sutton Place a.lounge

Credit: Halkin Photography/Courtesy of AKA Sutton Place

Sit near the water wall fountain in the Zen garden at this lounge at AKA Sutton Place, where you can relax and reemerge completely restored.

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Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House Wine Cellar

Credit: Courtesy of Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House

Book a private dinner in the underground wine cellar at Del Frisco’s for a dining experience that feels more at home in the seclusion of the Napa Valley than a busy midtown restaurant.

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The Frick Collection

Credit: Michael Bodycomb/Courtesy of The Frick Collection

This early 20th-century mansion on Fifth Avenue is a great place for a quick escape. The halls of the Frick Collection are calm, filled with gorgeous art that dates back to the 1400s and almost always very, very quiet.

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Ichiran Ramen

Credit: Courtesy of Ichiran

Get some quiet while filling up your stomach. There are small cubicles at the back of this Brooklyn ramen spot where people can eat alone in peace (the restaurant requests that everybody silence their cell phones). Diners place orders through a small window and are served without ever seeing their waiter.

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By Cailey Rizzo