That may work for this specific issue. I've never lived in any dwelling that old, but the issues I've noticed is sound traveling through the reinforced concret

That may work for this specific issue. I've never lived in any dwelling that old, but the issues I've noticed is sound traveling through the reinforced concrete walls. I'm hearing my two-floors-up-neighbor's footsteps, and I can hear him relieving himself at night. Since his floor isn't my ceiling, why would that noise only travel down? I can also hear some neighbor's kid speak loudly at times, and we also don't share any wall. I don't think these noises come through the window, since mine are new and double-paned. Opening or closing a window doesn't change how I perceive these noises. This is the issue I have with living in cities: there's noise everywhere, and you can't get a break even at home. I know there are new standards for noise insulation, and it is possible to build quiet apartments. But this requires new construction, and we all know how often that happens in the big cities.