yes, rugs help. Most NYC leases require one, and certainly the landlord could.

I'd start w/ that. And w/ maybe your landlord asking them to remove their shoes inside because of the noise.

"maybe he would put the radio on a stack of books maybe I wouldnt hear it that much. What the hell is that?"

That is a common suggestion to prevent the bass vibrations from vibrating their floor/your cieling. It helps to keep the sound in the air in their room, instead of passing it through the structure of the building. From what I hear it can work very well.

Thanks Judi for your comment but the room is very close off with 2 other apartments on either side. Do you think it really matters if the radio is off the floor? They live on the last floor so they dont have to worry if anyone is disturbing them over their heads. Plus the young man told me he is working out- reason for blasting music- he dosent live in the basement so why do I have to hear the weight when it hits the floor, wood floor no less. I dont know if I should stay or go. The walls are very thin. I have a feeling we are going to move over this. Not only because of the people up stairs but because the lay out of the apartment. When I walk into my apartment there is a small hall with apartments on either side the small living room and kicthen are side by side then the bathroom and bedroom with 2 other apartment on either side Somewhat like a railroad . Plus the people up stairs. So I'm dealing with 5 families in total luckly the people downstairs are deaf- I did not know this when I frist moved in and I was trying to be very quite about walking on the floor lol. Like I said the noise is too much. I'll try to relax until I move. Just wanted to know if rug helps the stomp walking and noise over my head. Thanks for listening. I needed to release.

We had the same problem where we used to live. Hardwood floors and paper walls. We had lived in the building for more than 10 years. The neighbor above us, less than a year. We lost a lot of sleep trying to adjust to his schedule of coming home from musical gigs at 4am. He wouldn't bother to remove his heavy boots, he was 6'6. When we asked him to please be a little quieter at that hour, he suggested WE should move into a house. If we had had the money at the time, we WOULD HAVE.

I even offered to buy a rug (at our expense) to put in his unit to cut down on the noise. He said "I like the bare floors". He eventually was evicted for practicing his trumpet at other odd hours. Someone else complained. The landlord was a dope. It sounds like yours is too. He shouldn't have told the tenants it was YOU that complained. Just should have said there are several complaints. This is a good way to promote ill will among neighbors.

It won't get better. Cut bait and find a quieter place to live if you possibly can.

it upsets me when people get fussy over this type of stuff. I have to sleep during the day due to my job and i hear children screaming, other people rushing to work...I hear all the daytime noises, sometimes I wind up staying up. I had a neighbor just recently slam open his car door into my very expensive one car...i didn't say anything..i just went down to the office and got a garage. You have to understand that an apartment is not a house, people have differant schedules and habits. Just as you'd like them to be mindful of you...remember they're probably just as annoyed by you in some way or another.
These type of complaints, to me anyway, are so petty because when it comes down to it...if you were to complain enough about anything you'll get your way, but at what expense to others. Are these people that horrible that you wish possible eviction on them? Eviction is a pretty crappy thing, it can ruin your credit and most importantly you might not find another place to live or might have to settle for something slummy.
Would you want that for yourself?
I would just move out.

To Crisis,
Its not my fault you dont have a 9 to 5 job, thats your choice. Sounds like you should move also cause it seems like your an angry person, maybe not getting enough sleep. I know I cant control the noise from outside, thats a given. About your expensive car maybe you should sell it and find a better place to live.
I cearly understand that an apartment is not a house, duh. Like I said and I'll say it again these people have no one moving around their heads cause they live on the last floor, no wonder this apartment was vacant. And for your information since the day I moved in I try my best not to make noise for others especailly the people downstairs- to find out they are deaf. If you didnt have your night job and was home regular hours and the kid wants to blast his music 8:40 PM with full bass casue he wants to work out I think you would call the landlord like I did on the spot. Oh the landlord also informed me he gotten complaints on them and I'm being fuzzy, rightttttt. Tells you what kind of peoeple live above me. Hell yeah I'm FUSSY I spent 3000.00 moving into this hell hole! Unless you have wood floors above you like me then I'll be able to welcome your comment.
Your attacking me about eviction like I'm the one making noise get real!. And dont talk to me about eviction cause I dont see them having to pay for me looking for a new place to live and paying for me paying to move!. I hope they keep it up and when the next family moves in here I hope they get EVICTED- teach them a lesson! I will make sure to write and express its because of them I'm leaving!

Sheesh.

Well, all I can say is, there are always SO many posts here dealing with noise complaints in apartments, that anyone looking to rent had better just assume that this is going to be an issue... Ask the right questions ahead of time (is the above apartment carpeted, what are the noise rules, etc.), and if it's really an issue for you, get a top-floor unit and be done with it.

I can understand getting upset about overt, obnoxious noise at odd hours, but I get irritated when I hear people complaining that "the guy above me was walking across his apartment in boots and it was loud and I have a right to complain to the landlord about it." What the heck?!

It's an apartment, and it's going to be noisy no matter WHERE you get one. Like an earlier poster said, the only alternative is to save up and just buy a house and be done with it.

To Cnvn,
What the HELL? Can you read? I was asking about a damn RUG? If you dont have any advice to make my situation better then why post on my page? I'm talking about loud music cant you get it!!! If I wanted to I could blast my music all day if I wanted really wanted to piss people off but I dont cause I have respect for others. And for your information I did asks who lived above me and was told an old couple- first time moving into a partment with wood floors - I guess I'm the only one in the world that can make a mistake.uh thats why I'm here posting to get some information duh. Maybe I should have asked you since you think you know it all!

Hiddeninthemist--

Yes, I can read. And to answer a question in your original post: "Should I just move?" Hmm... Let me think for a moment. How about YES???????

Perhaps I should have clarified in my post that when I said "you," I meant that in the collective sense, not personal towards YOU. If you feel better by ranting away at me and anyone else who does NOT say "you poor thing, you can do no wrong, everyone else in the world IS out to get you and the only person's rights that matter are your own," then by all means, rant away-- you aren't upsetting me in the least.

My point was, and is, that almost ALL apartments have noise issues. See how many posts are in the "Apartment Living" forum complaining about noise... guess what? It's VIRTUALLY INEVITABLE.

So my advice to you (yourself, not collective) is to save up some money, move out of the city, and buy your own little place in the country, someplace where the nearest neighbor is two miles away and the worst noise you'll hear is the crickets chirping and the birds singing. Get a metro pass and commute back and forth to work if you have to. Otherwise, suck it up and deal with it.

amen, cnvh...
look that's basically all I was saying too. I didn't know you spent so much money to move in, I can understand you're upset but I was relating your noise problem to my expensive car thing, virtually the same
i got a garage, cnvh says you should get a house.
I'm not an angry person, honestly I'm just a decent human being who doesnt bother anybody and doesnt expect anybody to bother me and I believe everybody should be that way...your neighbors included.

To Cnvh,
Was that the only question I asked about moving let me see ...........hmmmmm,,,,,, NO! I asked if anyone knew if a rug would help to sound out the noise or did you miss that too, gggggggeeeeetttttt tttttthhhhhhaaaaatttt? Some people are so slow . I'm not looking for anyone to baby me, oh please waaa waaaa. You didnt answer my first question nor my second only my last some help you are, pat yourself on your back. I thought we were all here to help one another but I guess I was wrong. I dont need anyone to baby me or pity me and I dont need to SAVED as you said cause lucky for me I have money to leave if I want, I feel bad for those less unfortunate. If you wanted to boost about so many of us complaining about noise maybe you should have written your own post cause you were no help to me. I get it you have no helpful advice but to move wow. OK talk to me like a two year old, blasting music everyday is a common noise I have to live with, I get it now Thanks for making me see the light, yawn.

Hiddeninthemist, it's becoming more clear as to why you're having problems with your neighbors. I'm not the one having a temper tantrum "like a two year old;" your posts are just getting more and more amusing. Thanks so much for brightening my morning!

Hey cnvh, want to share some popcorn? This is getting better than a movie.

Hiddeninthemist,

Don't listen to these people trying to tell you that it is your over sensitivity to noise that is the problem. I am sick of people trying to make excuses for that crap. I have also had problems with noise. Yes, there is going to be SOME noise wherever you go, but there are limits. The bass thing is horrible, my downstairs neighbors have surround sound and the noise is terrible. Thank God they are moving out next month.

I know plenty of people that live in apartments that do not have this problem (and I live in NYC also). It sounds like you just got stuck in a bad place, so yes, I think moving would be your best option. Next apartment, make sure you ask LOTS of questions, take a look at the apartment at different times, it possible. Sorry to hear you are going through this.. And try to get a top floor if possible. I am currently on the top floor and it is BY FAR the quietest. I used to live on a first floor, and the people upstairs were horrible, running on marble floors until I felt like my head would explode. I will never live on a bottom (or middle floor) again.

I have to agree that noise is to be expected in apartments. Does it suck? Sure it does, but that's what happens when you share walls/floors/cielings with other people.

My husband just had a chat with our next door neighbor about this very subject on Sunday. See, I posted here last fall about our neighbor calling the police, complaining to the apartment manager, and threatening my husband with physical harm....all over my husband playing an un-amplified electronic drum set in the afternoon. We moved the drum set and now the neighbor can't hear it at all. After a few months of him thinking he had won and gotten us to get rid of the set, he stopped by to chat. So things were kinda smoothed over and I didn't have to fear our next door neighbor any more, which is good.

So Sunday my husband was coming back from the dumpster and stopped to chat with the neighbor, who wanted to make sure his stereo wasn't too loud (we can't even hear it in our apartment). Then the neighbor complains that someone in the next building (these are ranch style apartments with private entrances, so this would be the equivalent of "a couple houses down" if we were in houses) had a party that kept him up until 4am. The neighbor he was accusing works for the complex. I doubt an employee of the complex would be having a raging party until 4am. I also doubt that a guy who would call the cops at 3pm for my husband's UNAMPLIFIED electronic drums would NOT call the cops at 12, 1, 2, 3, or 4 AM about a party that was keeping him up, but anyway.....So my husband tried to very calmly and politely tell this guy "Hey, you live in an apartment, there is going to be noise, and just because it bugs YOU doesn't mean it bugs anyone else."

Don't get me wrong, people should be curteous. But people walking, talking, that kind of thing happens, and if the walls are thin there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Now, so that I don't get yelled at for not answering the questions:

"I wanted to know if you put rug on wooden floors dose it help any? "

Probably.

"Do I have the right to asks the landlord to put rig on their floors ? "

I don't know. Try checking your state/local tenant laws.

"Should I just move?"

Maybe. But will it be any better somewhere else. It could be that you have bad neighbors, it could be shoddy construction, or it could be that you are overly sensitive about the noise. I don't mean that in an insulting way, just some people are more sensitive to noise than others. Like me, I personally couldn't care less how much noise my neighbors make during the day. We used to have a neighbor who made something every day that required a great deal of banging on the kitchen counters....never bothered me.

If the problem is the construction, that's easily fixed by moving to a building that is built better. If the problem is the neighbors, well, you could end up with crappy neighbors anywhere...but you could end up with much better neighbors somewhere else too. If the problem is you then there may be nothing you can do about it, your only option may be to move into a house with a good amount of space between you and your neighbors, good windows, etc.

Oh yeah, and I was the person who posted that putting the stereo on a stack of books was a common way to prevent the noise from traveling to other apartments....hiddeninthemist responded:

"Do you think it really matters if the radio is off the floor?"

Yes, it does matter. With the stereo on the floor the vibrations of the speaker are directly mechanically coupled to the floor. Every vibration that happens in the speaker is transferred directly to the floor. This transmits the sound directly through your cieling into your apartment, essentially turning your entire cieling into a speaker. If the stereo is put on a stack of books those books will absorb a good amount of the vibrations. You'll probably still hear the stereo, but since your cieling is no longer acting as a speaker it shouldn't be nearly as bothersome.

To Cnvh,
Your time is up. I'm happy I can brighten your day but consider yourself delected from now on. Why dont you and your lil friend share some popcorn and go do a BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN maybe he can brighten your day even more. Do yourself a favor go stroll to the rest of the post and post your pathetic less than helpful comments. Have a nice day and remember Jesus loves you.

Judi,
Every situation is different yours and mine. You and your husdand were accused of making noise on the other hand I'm the one accusing others So we may not see things eye to eye. Just like you try to defend your husband and his drums I'm defending my right to peace of quite. Why do I have to move from my bedroom to the living room when the KID feels like blasting his music which isnt a distance just a few steps whats wrost is at any given time. It seems like you try to work out the situation I am not that lucky cause I still get dumbbells thrown on the floor which make a Very loud bang. I would have patience if it was a a 2-3 year old cause its to be expected but a 16-17 year old. They pretend not to know english ok here I go having to point out the ones and twos again about the situation I won't go on for fear of you thinking I'm yelling. Anyway thanks your helpful advice it was appreciated.

"Your time is up." What does that mean? I am confused... Perhaps if I knew what "delected" meant, then it would make more sense, but there is no such word in the English dictionary.

As for "go do a BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN," my husband and I rented the DVD last night; we found it to be a decent and enjoyable film. (If you recall, it DID receive a number of accolades this year.) Again, I'm not sure what you might mean by this-- unless it was meant as some sort of sexually offending insult, in which case I do believe there are rules on this forum that prohibit such comments. I'm sure all the gay, lesbian, and transgendered posters on this board are also wondering what exactly you meant by this statement.

As for informing me that Jesus loves me, that's very kind of you. I'm not sure how that fits in with my time being up and the whole "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN" bit, but I guess I'll just have to take your word for it.

Everyonc Knpws yon domt hove tp hcve pafect spelking to heve sume frdm of INTELECT te gat yaur poeint acrose. I bet you couldnt figure this out since my spelling is off, righttttt. You only make an --- of yourself time and time AGEIN! LOL

Would you be so kind as to enlighten me on the "Brokeback Mountain" point? Forgive me, I'm still a wee bit clueless on that one... Perhaps that was a typo as well?

hiddeninthemist: Your great! Keep typing cuz I keep laughing! I have read this for quite a while and thought I would put my two cents in.

Because you state "Oh my god the noise level is unbelievable not only in my apatment but the whole entire builing." IT sounds like its more of your problem than anything else. Obviously the other tenants are still living there and the landlord must not have had to many complaints. (deaf people can feel noise and also hear noise so I don't buy that they don't notice it) I have worked with the Def and I can easily get their attention with noise if they are in another room or on a floor below me.

Your qustions:

Rugs may help deaden the sound, but based on your complaints it wont do much.

You have the right to ask the landlord about it. Doubt he will do anything. Why wouldn't you have the right? Free country with freedom of speach.

And in case you forgot your third question was "Should I just move?" I say move!

You will probably come back with a "why should I be FORCED to move" Its your choice. Either stay and deal with the noise or move to another apt and take a chance you will have a similar problem.

You also are the one making youself look like an arse. You look flustered or un-educated when you reply with obvious anger and can't spell or type. Spelling isn't important as I am terrible, but yours is awfull when mad, because your first few posts are fine its obvious your anger level.

You also look like a biggot. Your posts include what could be considered gay bashing, intolerance for foreigners, and descrimination against families.

I also have no idea why you paid $3000 to be moved! As an adult I have 5 moves and all 5 dont't add up to $3000. Granted my first moves were done by myself. I moved last summer with my family. We have over 3000 sq ft and our house is full. It didn't cost half that! My parents moved last summer as well. Moved out of a huge house and into another large house on a golf course. Their movers were well under $3000 also.

Anyway Good luck with your situation, and I can't wait for your reply!

I'm also a landlord. My first building was a 4-plex. You can hear through walls and floors/ceilings. I moved out of a 1 bedroom accross the hall to a 2 bedroom. The girl that moved into my old one bedroom started to complain about the noise. I said I lived there for almost a year with the same lady upstairs and I didn't notice anything. She had me come over when the "noise was happening" there was noise but it was normal living sounds. Just shows you mine and her expectations of APT living were very different.

"Don't get me wrong, people should be curteous. But people walking, talking, that kind of thing happens, and if the walls are thin there's nothing anyone can do about it."

I agree, and I am so thankful to be moving from *this* apartment in a week. The house rules here state that:

1. Do not walk excessively in the hallways. Make your trips back and forth to the laundry facilities as short as possible.

2. Do not Loiter in the hallways. If you must talk to your neighbor, or company, do so inside of your apartments.

3. Do not loiter outside on the sidewalk, especially in the courtyard. Do not walk around excessively in the courtyard area.

4. Do not loiter in the underground garage. Do not fix your flat tires there. Please call a tow truck.

::Laughing:: We had a flat one day and my husband fixed it lickety split - as if I'm phoning a tow truck for a flat.

Anyway, the point is, there are problems here with the rules and the structure of this building. It used to be a "Residence Inn", now turned into apartment buildings. It's not sound proofed very well at all.

I have lived 3 years on second floor sandwiched between two floors. When I was given a 30 day notice to vacate because my daughter's running around above the downstairs neighbor was bothering her suddenly, I decided that this time around I would be doing my research about where I go to next. AND getting on the ground floor. I'm not fond of people above me, I know what it's like to have eight people living above me in a one bedroom apartment. It took the manager awhile to find out until someone complained.

I think research is the key here. When I went apartment hunting this time - I asked ALOT of questions. We looked over the structure of the building and made sure it was built to be an apartment - I'm sure I will be dealing with noise when I move to the new place - but really if anything I'm more concerned that *We* will be a nuisance lol

It's important to sit down with the landlord and discuss the structure of the building and just how sound proof it is. Not all landlords are honest either - because my present manager lies and tells people this is a quiet community, so when people move in, and realize it's not, they are angry and the complaints start to fly.

And it's hard to know what you'll get, until you actually move in. Either way, noise is going to happen regardless. Even in owning my own home at one time, I dealt with noisy neighbors who began mowing their lawn at the crack of dawn all summer twice a week.

There is noise everywhere unless we move to our own private islands? : )

Popcorn? It's time to order out for pizza to go with that DVD of Brokeback Mountain.

Please everybody...grow up. These postings are exact examples of the immature attitudes that make people show little or no respect to their neighbors. We all cannot afford a house. Those of us living in apartments should realize that we are all in the same financial situation or 'we would not be renters'. This forum is packed with angry, bitter people whose nerves are shot because of noise pollution. Getting little sleep or little quiet time can affect the central nervous system and that is exactly what it coming out on these posts. I know your mama's raised you better than this and if she did not, then you should have grown past this behavior by now. In the famous words of Rodney King"canÂt we all just get along?"

Our mortgage, including all taxes and insurance, runs us about $900 a month, and we only put down about $3000 on our house. We could have purchased a nicer (albeit smaller) house just down the street for almost half the price. Two people earning low- to moderate salaries should have no problem owning a house, as long as they realize that they won't be dining out seven nights a week, won't be walking around in Prada shoes, and may not have a 90210 zip code. Anyone who's responsible enough to appropriately manage their finances can be a homeowner.

With that being said, one needs to realize when living in an apartment that some noise will be involved. Heck, my first apartment had walls like rice paper; I could hear quiet conversations word-for-word on either side. IT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY. I genuinely DO feel for the OP in that she is apparently a light sleeper, but if this situation is so stressful for her that she erupts in fits of bigoted name-calling whenever someone tells her something she doesn't want to hear, then she owes it to her own sanity to just figure out a way to move. No apartment is worth a stress-induced heart attack, you know?

Im not here for a popularity contest and I didnt entered a Spelling Bee. Grow up stop taking everything I say personal.

Also I'm very uneducated :( I didnt pay 3000.00 like you hinted Im alsoprejudice against gays :( I'm a angry person, You know everything and I know nothing :( I also should buy a house in NYC...ok. Thank you all for your helpful advice. Now you can all go home now shows over.

funny you admit you dont like gay people...what other types of people do you not like? I hope you're not being serious with that last post...
You know, it's quite alright to be such an "uneducated" fool but here on the internet everybody that posts here is from all differant walks of life...gender, race, religion and yes sexual orientation. It is generally not wise to share your biggotry and hatefullness with people you do not even know because frankly, it sets you up for the show.
Am I saying you have to change your seemingly warped and as you so readily admit "uneducated" mind...no...and I certainly don't expect YOU to...
but do you have a certain responsibility as an adult to uphold some common courtesy of ethics to others over this vast global network of people..
YEH, DAMN RIGHT YOU DO.
its called respect, nobody wants to hear your biggotry on the apt living forum, you should take that somewhere else.

To Crisi,
For someone who is as busy as you stated in your own post you sure do have a lot of times on your hands. Your lil speech almost made me shade a tear. Listen sweety, YOU dont know me from a hole in the wall. You also dont know who I affilate with. Breath, Relax, Inhale dont take the brokeback thing so serious and my last post so personal.
Everyone else including myself were finish with it but nooooo you the (SHOWmaker) have to bring it up again. I have to remember your in your young 20s. Me and the Queens are laughing at you now. They told me to tell you to drink a Cosmopolitan and rent Sex In the City. Please dont make this a discrimination issue cause you and everyone else who try to pull that card on me are only selling yourself short. I just brush it off. with that.....
Dose anyone know if rugs help to sound out wood floors?

Saying "stop taking everything I say personal" does not somehow grant you permission to be offensive.

Hello everyone,
I'm feeling wonderful today. Here in New york we are going to hit the 80s. The sun is shining, the week is almost over, looks like its going to be a splendid day. I didnt get a chance to go the gym today but maybe tommorrow. Don't you guys just love the spring? Just yesterday I was cleaning out my closet and found $100.00 dollars, lucky me. I hope everyone is doing well and I didnt OFFEND anyone today God knows I wouldnt want to do that. I'm such a lucky woman cause my hubby told me not to worry cause if I really want to move we'll start looking but I must say one thing did come out good from this site. I think by next year I'll buy a condo with some research of course. So Thanks

Well that's the spirit, hiddeninthemist-- New York is gorgeous in the springtime. And you have Central Park, that place is a gem this time of year.

I suppose condos could theoretically have some of the same noise issues as an apartment would, so the same research would need to apply. But anything has to better than where you are now, right?

"God knows I wouldnt want to do that" What are you no against all non-christians? J/K Thought you might get a laugh!

Check up on Condo Laws. Aside from being a Landlord I am also a Real Estate agent. In MN the laws allow the new buyer to back out of the contract AFTER purchasing the home with in 5 days. This is for noise and other issues. Since you can't check out the property at 1AM and after you move in find that the building is extreamly loud from 1-3AM you now can back out and get all your money back. CONGRATS on making a step to become a home owner. It could be the best decision you ever make!
Find a good Real Estate expert in Condos and ask about noise issues.

Best of LUCK!