after the clock struck midnight on new year’s, we left for a party that was packt like fucking sardineland. as we were walking along, we heard something like very loud humpback whales somewhere in the distance. it was happening at irregular intervals, with an occasional higher pitched flutey sound after the louder, more bassy main sound. as we got closer, it began sounding more and more like many train whistles going off simultaneously. we decided to follow it to its source, which appeared to be pratt.
“Everybody knows about the ball drop in Times Square but there are other regional and local traditions that surround the passage of one year to another. Here’s an example of a quirky New Year’s Eve celebration in Brooklyn, NY. New Year’s Eve at Pratt offers a little bit of the unexpected and a big helping of friendly (but in your face) Brooklyn attitude.
Pratt Institute is a venerable college that specializes in art and design. As is fitting, Pratt is also the home of a classic steam plant that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You may have already seen it. When film crews want an elegant but slightly menacing industrial look for an advertisement, a fashion or a video shoot, the steam plant at Pratt is often chosen. One feature of the Pratt steam plant is a huge whistle that bursts forth as the exclamation point at commencement exercises. Believe me, it’s a stunner. We don’t have to throw our caps in the air at the end of commencement. The Pratt steam whistle does it for us!
“Okay,” I hear you say, “The whistle is blown at Midnight on New Year’s Eve, so what?” Ah yes, the whistle is blown but the resident whistle is only the start. Please, read on.
In the week between Christmas and New Year’s, steam pipes are run out onto the campus. As the shadows lengthen on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, steam whistle enthusiasts assemble with impressive specimens that once graced trains, ships and factories all over the world. On a good year as many as three dozen of these elegant ear-splitters may be set up.
During the evening the collectors visit and admire the treasures of their colleagues. Casual visitors are welcome to ask questions. If they show interest they will receive an education in the aesthetic of the steam whistle. They can also pull a few chains to compare sounds and let off a bit of their own steam. Believe me, setting off one of these beauties is almost as much fun as riding a roller coaster. As a bonus, the warm air from the repeated steam release makes the Pratt campus quite comfortable, even on a freezing night.
Eventually, things get serious. At an appointed time everything stops and the countdown begins. At the stroke of Midnight all the steam whistles are set off at once. Champagne corks are popped. Everybody in the immediate neighborhood is temporarily deafened but hey, doesn’t that beat being crammed into the sardine can that is Times Square on New Year’s Eve?
“Everybody knows about the ball drop in Times Square but there are other regional and local traditions that surround the passage of one year to another. Here’s an example of a quirky New Year’s Eve celebration in Brooklyn, NY. New Year’s Eve at Pratt offers a little bit of the unexpected and a big helping of friendly (but in your face) Brooklyn attitude.
Pratt Institute is a venerable college that specializes in art and design. As is fitting, Pratt is also the home of a classic steam plant that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You may have already seen it. When film crews want an elegant but slightly menacing industrial look for an advertisement, a fashion or a video shoot, the steam plant at Pratt is often chosen. One feature of the Pratt steam plant is a huge whistle that bursts forth as the exclamation point at commencement exercises. Believe me, it’s a stunner. We don’t have to throw our caps in the air at the end of commencement. The Pratt steam whistle does it for us!
“Okay,” I hear you say, “The whistle is blown at Midnight on New Year’s Eve, so what?” Ah yes, the whistle is blown but the resident whistle is only the start. Please, read on.
In the week between Christmas and New Year’s, steam pipes are run out onto the campus. As the shadows lengthen on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, steam whistle enthusiasts assemble with impressive specimens that once graced trains, ships and factories all over the world. On a good year as many as three dozen of these elegant ear-splitters may be set up.
During the evening the collectors visit and admire the treasures of their colleagues. Casual visitors are welcome to ask questions. If they show interest they will receive an education in the aesthetic of the steam whistle. They can also pull a few chains to compare sounds and let off a bit of their own steam. Believe me, setting off one of these beauties is almost as much fun as riding a roller coaster. As a bonus, the warm air from the repeated steam release makes the Pratt campus quite comfortable, even on a freezing night.
Eventually, things get serious. At an appointed time everything stops and the countdown begins. At the stroke of Midnight all the steam whistles are set off at once. Champagne corks are popped. Everybody in the immediate neighborhood is temporarily deafened but hey, doesn’t that beat being crammed into the sardine can that is Times Square on New Year’s Eve?
