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Neighborhood package · Manhattan

Helicopter noise in Hell's Kitchen

Under the Central Park & Midtown. Here is an average flying day for the 63,691 people who live here.

3helicopters a day fly directly over Hell's Kitchen
130loud flybys a day: 60+ dBA (a conversation close up) at homes somewhere in the neighborhood
11loud flybys a day on a typical street (half of residents get more)
93loud flybys a day on the loudest street
185helicopters a day heard somewhere in the neighborhood (50+ dBA)
0of the flights overhead are by the four big sightseeing tour operators

At one street (40.7638, -73.9918), the "listen" spot: 4 h 33 min of helicopter noise between 7 am and 10 pm on an average flying day, busiest around 5 pm. Its worst day was Wednesday, June 3, 2026: 183 helicopters heard and 21 loud flybys, the loudest about 67 dBA.

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Averages are per flying day: 116 days from Thursday, April 30, 2026 to Sunday, September 6, 2026, leaving out 11 days when bad weather grounded most tours and 2 days with incomplete data. The neighborhood outline is approximate. Counted: every helicopter flight with a takeoff or landing at the 11 heliports and airports covered; other helicopters (news, private and transit flights) are not counted, so these numbers are a floor. Levels are modeled outdoor peaks from each aircraft's type, distance and height (the method of Chopper Noise by Allen Shaibani); they are estimates, not measurements. Indoors with the windows closed is roughly 15 to 25 dBA quieter.