Hey kids, when I was a tot (at the end of the last ice age) Jacksonville's downtown sounded like a large European metropolis. Every hour on the hour perhaps a dozen chimes, bells, tunes and whistles sounded all across the city. As I was just in such a place, I started wondering, what happened to all of that beautiful urban sound? Could we get any of it back? While we're at it let's toss in some streetcar gongs and bells, the buses sound more like a turd honking for the right-of-way.
Yes, I know a few still have bells and we have the big steam whistle, but it's just not the same without the bells and tunes, chimes and whistles. Somebody PLEASE turn the sounds of the City back on.
BTW, I still think a steam calliope atop the water works playing FREE BIRD would be a fantastic addition, as well as a tourist attraction. What other City could claim such a meaningful song in it's lunch hour? Nowdays when I go downtown it sounds more like a rectal trumpet, then a welcome environment.
OCKLAWAHA
I haven't heard any church chimes for a while. Does the cathedral still play? What a great idea. Sounds make us feel connected.
St. John's Town Center plays hourly bell tolls & Westminster Abbey @ 30 minute intervals - probably not the vibe you were going for though - ;)
Big Jim still goes off downtown, do we need bells too?
Hmm, well I definitely hear the church bells ring every hour on the hour. Not to mention they play weird melodies on the weekends I think.
Nope...those sounds are gone forever. No longer any need for chimes, whistles, bells; auto engines, bus engines, jet aircraft (if airport is nearby), and chatter of humans is all you might get, and none of those equates to the old sounds along with some of the aforementioned. They are gone forever.
Heights Unknown
Dont forget the cell phone ring tones... :)
QuoteSomebody PLEASE turn the sounds of the City back on
And while they're at it, turn the visual vibrancy back on by scrapping that suffocatingly-suburban sign ordinance!