Loud neighbors

[neetzer]

Help! My neighbors play loud music and I can hear it very clearly especially in my bedroom. I try pounding on the wall, telling the doorman, but nothing works. Any suggestions??

[neetzer]

John Adams, why?

[neetzer]

are you on the 20th floor? if so, i don't mean to be a pain but the bass was just really loud. that's all...

[BaroqueJim]

I think the fault lies 30% with you neighbor (they should be considerate, but after all, people like to listen to music) and 70% with the LeFrak family, for building apartments with the thinnest possible walls. I really do think that in these buildings, the walls are as thin as building regulations will allow. We live in cheap-ass apartment towers, therefore your quality of life is going to be diminished by the fact you can hear your neighbors fart.

Maybe your neighbor is listening to music at what seems like a reasonable level, but since these apartments are made from cardboard, the sound travels at an unacceptable rate.

[neetzer]

I agree with you. I don't mind any neighbors listening to music and I recognize that the walls are thin. It's just when the music is really loud that I ask if they turn it down just a bit. That's all.

[BaroqueJim]

I thought of suggesting calling 311 but that's just for New York, right?

I would definintely make a serious complaint to management, although with the track record they have of dealing with people's problems, good luck!

Have you tried talking to the neighbors? Try putting to them that you realise it may be the thin walls that's the problem, but as those thin walls exist, perhaps they could take that into consideration when playing music.

On my floor in the GW building, there's always loud hip hop and a strong smell of weed coming from a particular apartment every morning when I leave for work, but as it isn't going on when I'm trying to sleep or relax at night, I don't really care. But if these people are interfering with your sleep or right to concentrate or relax in your own home, then take it further. When these things go on for a long time, it can really affect your stress levels which can damage your health. I know, because I went through a 1 year battle with noisy neighbors about 10 years ago, and I litearlly lost hair over it!

Who knows, if you really kick uop a stink about this, maybe it will convince management that they have to do the right thing and have walls properly insulated at long last! We don't pay Newport rents to live in cardboard boxes!

[neetzer]

At this point, it is not interfering with sleep time or relaxing at night. It's usually in the afternoons on a weekend. I have tried to knock on the neigbors door to ask them to turn it down but they never answer. I did find that they turned it downed a bit after I banged on the walls. That is cool and very much appreciated. But I'm trying to do what you were saying - as long as it's not at night when I'm sleeping or in the evenings, I'll just try to chill out a bit.

[BaroqueJim]

Here's another suggestion - why not wait till it's quiet next door, but you know they're in, then blasting some music of your own? It may at least make them empathise with you, or think about how their own music sounds. Or maybe it will provoke them to knock on your door, so at least you get the opportunity to talk about the noise they're making.

But I realise it would also be a case of fighting fire with fire, which isn't always the most intelligent solution.

Just ask George Bush.