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This is one of the top reasons for preferring single-family detached housing. I lived in apartments for many years, and when I moved to a house I felt like I co

This is one of the top reasons for preferring single-family detached housing. I lived in apartments for many years, and when I moved to a house I felt like I could finally relax for the first time in years. For the people advocating for high density housing to alleviate suburban sprawl and all of its environmental problems, I do appreciate the importance of that, but if I can avoid living in an apartment again I am willing to go to almost any amount of trouble to do that.

spacexsucks 5y ago
I feel so much relaxed cranking up the volume when i need to once in a while and not get complaints, which are fair, but i get home from work after 9. And you got ta sleep but i gotta wind down. Counter, i dont want the noise from upstairs doing god knows what. I moved out to detached and the only noise is the leaf blowers and occassional traffic
- bittercynic 5y ago
  Ya, I forgot about that! It's great to be able to turn up the music without bothering anyone. In the apartments I couldn't really listen to music loud enough to fully enjoy it, but in the house I've tried turning it up to the highest volume I like to listen and went outside to check - I could hardly hear it 10 feet outside, and the neighbors are a bit farther than that. It's hard to overstate how beneficial it is to have a little space.
  - homonculus1 5y ago
    Having your own space that doesn't overlap with complete strangers is just essential to a life of dignity. Mankind wasn't made to live in a hive.
spixy 5y ago
From provided links, 33% of US population is exposed to >70 dBA whereas only 20% of EU population is exposed to >65 dBA noises, and US average density < EU average density. So from this small resaearch I conclude there are better solutions than single-family housing. Like subways in cities, it makes zero noise but it needs population density. And more bikepaths, more walkable streets, less car lanes.
- bittercynic 5y ago
  I agree with you, but as an individual I don't have the power to make that change.
  - ryukafalz 5y ago
    As individuals we typically don’t have the power to make housing denser either. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push for both that and noise reduction at the same time.
- pandemicsoul 5y ago
  I live in the Bay Area and it's fascinating to me how BART is just a miserable piece of shit when it comes to noise. Head to Oakland and visit any of the areas where BART is above ground, particularly in East Oakland, and stand there for 10 minutes. The sound of this train that runs dozens of times a day is all-encompassing when you're within a few hundred feet, but can be heard over two miles away. And that's not even considering the sound BELOW ground. They've improved it, but ride BART around the Fruitvale switch, or anywhere it turns underground really, and the screaming and screeching noise becomes your whole world for a minute or two – impossible to escape.
tehnub 5y ago
Maybe we need to build more apartments to the passive house standard https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/24/passive-building-energy-efficiency-affordable-housing-new-york https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/24/passive-...
andbberger 5y ago
have you ever lived in a concrete walled apartment building

spacexsucks 5y ago

I feel so much relaxed cranking up the volume when i need to once in a while and not get complaints, which are fair, but i get home from work after 9. And you got ta sleep but i gotta wind down. Counter, i dont want the noise from upstairs doing god knows what. I moved out to detached and the only noise is the leaf blowers and occassional traffic

bittercynic 5y ago
Ya, I forgot about that! It's great to be able to turn up the music without bothering anyone. In the apartments I couldn't really listen to music loud enough to fully enjoy it, but in the house I've tried turning it up to the highest volume I like to listen and went outside to check - I could hardly hear it 10 feet outside, and the neighbors are a bit farther than that. It's hard to overstate how beneficial it is to have a little space.
- homonculus1 5y ago
  Having your own space that doesn't overlap with complete strangers is just essential to a life of dignity. Mankind wasn't made to live in a hive.

spixy 5y ago

From provided links, 33% of US population is exposed to >70 dBA whereas only 20% of EU population is exposed to >65 dBA noises, and US average density < EU average density. So from this small resaearch I conclude there are better solutions than single-family housing. Like subways in cities, it makes zero noise but it needs population density. And more bikepaths, more walkable streets, less car lanes.

bittercynic 5y ago
I agree with you, but as an individual I don't have the power to make that change.
- ryukafalz 5y ago
  As individuals we typically don’t have the power to make housing denser either. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push for both that and noise reduction at the same time.
pandemicsoul 5y ago
I live in the Bay Area and it's fascinating to me how BART is just a miserable piece of shit when it comes to noise. Head to Oakland and visit any of the areas where BART is above ground, particularly in East Oakland, and stand there for 10 minutes. The sound of this train that runs dozens of times a day is all-encompassing when you're within a few hundred feet, but can be heard over two miles away. And that's not even considering the sound BELOW ground. They've improved it, but ride BART around the Fruitvale switch, or anywhere it turns underground really, and the screaming and screeching noise becomes your whole world for a minute or two – impossible to escape.

tehnub 5y ago

Maybe we need to build more apartments to the passive house standard https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/24/passive-building-energy-efficiency-affordable-housing-new-york https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/24/passive-...

andbberger 5y ago

have you ever lived in a concrete walled apartment building