I've lived in SF (Soma, the Mission) and NYC in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. I'll never move back to a city and share a wall with somebody, if I can help it. Th

I've lived in SF (Soma, the Mission) and NYC in both Manhattan and Brooklyn. I'll never move back to a city and share a wall with somebody, if I can help it. There's one reason and one reason only: noise pollution. American cities are completely unserious about enforcement of vehicle exhausts, quiet hours, construction permits, and so forth. When I finally moved away, my stress levels plunged. I miss the amenities and the restaurants, but my life is a thousand times better not waking in rage as yet another 110 dB motorcycle zooms under my window, or the unit demolition next door starts at 5:30am again. It could be done if we cared at all. Look at Tokyo, they make their construction sites surround the plot with a barrier many stories high and then put a digital noise meter on top, with the limit painted next to it. Or Paris, where they've started digital enforcement of loud exhausts; one of their city officials estimated a single bike with a loud exhaust could wake up as many as 10,000 people.