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Vox presents an article about restaurant noise levels and why they've risen over the years.
When the Line Hotel opened in Washington, DC, last December, the cocktail bars, gourmet coffee shops, and restaurants that fill its cavernous lobby drew a lot of buzz. Housed in a century-old church, the space was also reputedly beautiful.
My first visit in February confirmed that the Line was indeed as sleek as my friends and restaurant critics had suggested. There was just one problem: I wanted to leave almost as soon as I walked in. My ears were invaded by a deafening din.
[...] In reckoning with this underappreciated health threat, I’ve been wondering how we got here and why any well-meaning restaurateur would inflict this pain on his or her patrons and staff. I learned that there are a number of reasons — and they mostly have to do with restaurant design trends. In exposing them, I hope restaurateurs will take note: You may be deafening your staff and patrons.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday April 20 2018, @06:00PM
Yeah, I was wondering how much of it is intentional, versus the fact that apparently this place is in a former frickin' church.
Churches are not made to be quiet. They're made so that the organ and singing sounds good in them, acoustically, so I imagine noise carries more.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"