There’s a particular kind of joy that comes with the first real spring day. Not the fluke 60-degree tease we get in late February, but the kind of day where the sun actually feels warm on your face and the patio furniture starts calling your name.
It happened to me this week. I had just finished my morning emails and stepped outside, coffee in hand, to take a call on my deck. The air had that perfect early spring softness—still a hint of chill, but filled with possibility. I settled into my chair, took a deep breath and thought to myself, Ahhh, this is it. Spring is here.
And right on cue—RRRRRNNNNNNGGGG! The leaf blower.
How do they know? It’s never before you go outside. And it’s certainly never after you’ve finished enjoying your quiet moment. No, it’s always right in the middle of that very first contented sigh, the one where you close your eyes and imagine a season of fresh air and peace. That’s when the motor starts, without fail.
It’s not just leaf blowers. It’s mowers, edgers, hedge trimmers. The entire suburban orchestra seems to have impeccable timing.
Maybe that’s why, as a realtor, I’m hearing more and more clients say they never open their windows. It’s not just the pollen or the security concerns or even the HVAC systems working overtime. It’s the noise. The peaceful suburban dream is being drowned out by two-stroke engines and high-powered vacuums. Why bother letting the outdoors in when it just means inviting in the roar of someone else’s landscaping service?
Don’t get me wrong—neatly trimmed lawns and tidy flower beds are part of what makes our neighborhoods beautiful. But maybe, just maybe, we could all agree to give each other five quiet minutes in the morning? A grace period, if you will—for a single cup of coffee and the illusion of tranquility before the hum of progress kicks in.
Until then, I’ll be outside … with noise-canceling headphones.
Nechama Polak is the broker of record and owner of V&N Group LLC, located at 1401 Palisade Avenue in Teaneck. Send your thoughts and comments to [email protected] or call 201 826 8809.
