Neibourhood Noise Level Tolerance - Low

Boy, this subject sure has "feet." I was talking to some friends last night and the subject came up. Not because of me! One friend is doing some remodeling and remarked about how close the houses are and how he could literally put out his arms and touch both his house and the neighbors'.

Another friend told horror stories about apartment living and how she wanted to move into a duplex so she'd have fewer people to deal with. Just goes to show how universal noise and stress are, 'cuz we all seem to need to vent about it.

I once changed apts by moving just around the corner. I knew that living on an avenue would be more lively than a street, but boy was I surprised! So much noise, things I never even thought of. For example: on a residential street you only get woken up maybe twice a week while everyone's garbage is picked up at once. On a comercial avenue, not only is there residential garbage collection, but each buisness has thier own private collection service and if they deal with high volume waste, like the green grocer and bagel shop that I lived above, then the collections were very frequent. The bagel shop in particular was very poplar, especially with blue collar workers. For some reason, drivers of those big deisel trucks leave them running when they pop into a shop and quque up for bagels and coffee. It was a bus route, and there was a stop light on the corner, so thoughout the day I would hear the squeel of the air brakes as the bus stopped at a red light. On I can't even remeber all the noises!

When I phoned people they always remarked on the noise. If I had a dollar for every time someone said "Are you calling from the street? You sound like you're on a highway." when I was in my own living room.

Unfortuneately, I bought a very lovely apt on a quite historical street afterward. My downstairs neighbor then proceeded to make my life a living hell (and vice versa I'm sure). I could even begin to list all of the costant noise complaints she had. It was a farce. I somehow became the source of all things evil in her life and she was always complaiing about things that couldn't even happen. A big party I had, while I was in fact out of town,etc.. She claimed that the sound of me opening my dresser drawers woke her every morning. I didn't even have a dresser. She then started complaining about me in her newspaper column, even though she was a travel writter.

When I moved to my present apt, I was such a timid abused neighbor at first. MrBG would want to buy a new doormat on impulse and I'd be like "No! What if there is some sort of rule about what kind of matt you can buy? I don't want to get in trouble." I was scary how beaten down I had gotten by this picky neighbor who tried to have me evicted several times. Now, 3 years into my lovely apt with nice neighbors, I sometimes think back to that place and shudder. I still get homesick, but one thing I don't miss about NYC is all of the loud mouthed cranks and emotionally troubled people.

berthes ghost said:

I still get homesick, but one thing I don't miss about NYC is all of the loud mouthed cranks and emotionally troubled people.

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As a bronxgirl who has lived in many places around the States, the "loud mouthed cranks and emotionally troubled people" unfortunately seemed to be native to any city I lived in (and I've lived in quited a few).

My last place was on a fairly well-used street. Not an avenue, but it runs parallel to a busy Avenue with businesses on it, so mots of people would come down my street to avoid the traffic lights. It was also the designated route for the nearby fire and police stations. The living room was quite noisy in the summer, because I would have to have all windows and deck door open in order to bring the temperature down to about 80 degrees (west-facing, with poor insulation, so it baked in the summer), and all traffic would be amplified. Very inconvenient when watching tv and 3 fire trucks go by right at the critical moment!! Fortunately, my apartment was long and narrow, so the bedrooms and kitchen were away from most of the noise.

It was a four-plex, and everyone had lived there for more than 5 years, so we all knew each other. No one would complain about noise unless it was REALLY bad - and if someone did complain, the other person would pipe down because we all respected each other. It was great.

Even though I know most of the people on my floor, and they're all friendly, I wish I lived in a building with fewer units.

guinevere

Forgot to mention the air traffic. I'm on the glide path to both the lakefront airport and Hopkins. OK, so I'm in the middle. Only slightly less noisy than just under! Then there are the local tv helicopters, mostly just doing traffic reports, but occassionally traveling for newstories. There are also the Lifeflight copters. And over the Labor Day weekend, there is an air show, complete with Blue Angels or other military show groups. At least I like the air show. I can even hear the Indy cars at the downtown airport for the Cleveland race.

Berthesghost, you've got it right about how often local businesses have garbage pickup and deliveries. Rally's gets their burgers and buns at 3am Sunday. Lube Stop gets their garbage picked up on Wed. and Sat. mornings, about 4 or 5 am. Then there are the trucks pumping stuff into and out of tanks, also in the wee hours. Both Cleveland and Lakewood have street cleaners and until the end of the 3 year sewer, water and road project was finished, interesting noises from construction &/or destruction machines. Gee, isn't living in a city fun!!!

You guessed it -- I love being able to walk to the two 24 hr drugstores, and the three 24 hr restaurants, as well as 2 groceries and just about every major junk food chain (start at Wendy's and work your way down the street to Pizza Hut, Arby's, McDonald's, Rally's, Mr. Hero, Subway and Burger King! OOPS, forgot Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell! Hope I haven't slighted and franchises!)

I guess it comes down to what you can live with and the price to be paid. I'll take the trains and boats and planes, along with emergency vehicles and street cleaners in order to get a burger at 3am.

The only time I notice it is late at night when most of the guys I went to school race up and down the street in their cars (think Harrison Ford in American Graffiti!)

whenever my neighbors listen to the radio or watch tv, i hear it as if it was in my room... once they woke me up at 6a.m. with a horrible song by eros ramazzotti! i would have killed them!

rusalka:

I feel for you...I would like to put a stick of dynamite under my neighbours stereo at times. You know what would be better? Put them in a room and let them listen to elavator music or some annoying piece of music all day!

All noise haters check this picture out!!!!!
Love it!!!

http://www.quiet.org/image/bigworld+noisehurtstransp.gif

I would be the one that your mother warned you about. I would be playing my skate music over and over... and I love techno! I work nights and sleep days, so usually no one is around when I am busting a move with the music up!

Glacierskater:

Skating music would not be so bad. I used to play my music and practice my jumps and spins on the basement floor.

It's the loud thumping music I can't stand - when all I hear is the bass.

Of course, I am still into Led Zeppelin - I could always turn my stereo up a few notches - at least the music would be good! If I have to hear music it might as well be good music.

The loud thumping would bother me if I was trying to sleep. What are you doing up so late anyway? I am at work, so it is a nice diversion from babysitting this big 'ole mainframe!

Glacierskater:

I should really be in bed! I don't have to work tomorrow, so I am being bad. I worked today and I am tired. I still need my sleep!

Sometimes I get restless at night and can't sleep. Catching up on my GS posts and emails helps me relax.

I read the forum too when I can't sleep. And when I shold be sleeping but have to work