“Noise is the New Smoking”
“I’m leaving Providence. Good riddance to all the jerks revving their crappy motorcycles and … ‘Look at me!’ idiots blasting profanity laden music from their rolling bass bins at all hours, the moronic fireworks enthusiasts who ruin a good chunk of summer, the bored and neglected dogs barking away (often for hours) until someone comes … Read more
“I sold my home and moved out of the city to a place where neighbors and homeowners respect each other. Noise was a huge factor: the car stereos, illegal concerts, … dirt bikes, loud motorcycles, [and] loud cars. Police do absolutely nothing [about noise] in Providence and it is well known as a place to … Read more
“I have lived in two different houses in PDV, both near I-95, with lots of highway noise. But the most annoying source of noise here is neighbors (in houses and parked cars) playing music with the bass turned up. We hear this all the time, at all hours of the day and night. It makes … Read more
“The noise ordinance is not enforced [and the] problem never gets resolved. Start taking loud music from residential houses seriously. Train police on how loud music is a health hazard.” — Self-identified Latino resident at Branch and Flora Streets (Sept. 2025)
“I had to move because the noise [was] unbearable and the police continue to let them disrupt the neighborhood with the loud music. I hope the noise problem is resolved. There are so many people who can’t move and have to helplessly deal with it.” — Former Elma Street resident, Lower South Providence
“I’ve lived in NY City, DC, and Boston and I can honestly say PVD is the noisiest!! Almost every night, there are fireworks being set off, cars racing up and down Parade Street, music blaring from neighbors’ [houses], you name it. It’s ridiculous! As I write this, there are fireworks going off every minute. Where … Read more
Excessive noise “doesn’t get properly addressed because it’s [still] a continuous problem [and] there’s no protocol for problem houses … Enforce the loud-noise ordinance with fines and fees. Also, lower the 200 feet [distance at which sound is deemed non-compliant with the noise] ordinance to zero … [because] in Providence houses are closer together. The … Read more
“Every year for 12 years I have called the police for loud music being played in neighbors yards at all hours of the night.” — Elmwood resident, June
“The police are just temporary band-aids because they don’t give out citations and the people they confront disrespect them, and as soon as they leave they put music back on even higher … Give out citations, send people to court, and I bet they will think twice [before they] re-offend.” — Self-identified African-American resident on … Read more
“Police do absolutely nothing. When you ask your neighbors to turn down music, they ignore the request. The City Council doesn’t do anything either. There’s one guy who sits outside for hours at a time blasting music. He doesn’t even live near where he always parks. Something needs to be done. Living near Federal Hill … Read more