Living on the top floor is where it's at but you may still have problems. Obviously depending on where you are in the building you still may have neighbors next to you. I lived in the top floor of a newer building and it was the loudest place I've ever lived in because the floors were super thin. I must admit that living on the top floor you have the best chance of quiet though--and at least it won't feel like someone's walking on your head :) Also, if you have noisy neighbors in the future (you may have done this but I don't know) you might try talking with them first and being polite (I find most people are cool.) Good luck.

-Pat

Being very afraid of and annoyed by the upstairs neighbor, I bought a top floor coop apartment and just moved in this week. You guess it there is no one on top of you deliberately walking stomping, but again you have to endure those noises from your next door neighbors and sometimes your downstair neigbor as well. I have a very old lady who is just living below me, who turns her TV so loud you can still hear it. Also you can hear next door neighbor TV, loud talking etc. And don't forget you may be waken up in the middle of the night by the loud disturbing noises coming from the heater, dam*... Last but not least, I heard someone said if you live on the top floor, you may have to worry about the roof leakage and ready to pay extra.

I certainly enjoy the beautiful view and bright sunshine every day as opposed to live on the first floor where nothing can be seen.

Living on the top floor is the ideal apartment/condo environment. Before a person moves to a new apartment or condominium, check out everything that could possibly be a future problem. This entails:

1. The angle of the sun beating down on your windows. Having even minimal shade will reduce utility bills.

2. Plaster or drywall construction.

3. An apartment or condo near an elevator will be more noisy.

4. Where the heating/air conditioning vents are placed in the hallways and your condo and apartment. My condo has ONE AND ONLY ONE VENT IN THE HALLWAY WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET FROM MY CONDO DOOR. Consequently, there is at least a 7 to 10 degree difference in the hallway temperature. Why an architect would design a building with only one hallway vent is a mystery to me?

5. Living directly on a street ( traffic noise ). Living near commercial stores. One new condominium in my city is selling them for $1,500,000 when one side of the building sits directly next to a tire shop. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! Paying $1,500,000 million dollars for a condo and hearing tire drilling noises all day long is crazy.

6. Having a condo or apartment next to a stairwell is great because you do not have neighbors on that side.

7. If you rent a two-bedroom apartment, make sure one bedroom is self-contained within your own apartment, so neighbor's noise will be ZERO. Often times, self-contained bedrooms are the smaller bedrooms, but if the master bedroom should be potentially noisy, sleeping in the smaller bedroom is always an option for a restful night's sleep.

8. Hardwood floors--more noisy.

9. In the summer, living above a pool would not be fun for many because of the noise level. On another level, it would be fun viewing the "youngins" in their skimpy suits. If you work at home, pool noises and the "beautiful bodies" could be a potential distraction from your business requirements and computer. If you are married, the "old lady" may limit your pool viewing habits.

Utility bills are higher on top floor apartments, but it's worth the price. One person commented on paying for roof leaks. My condo has had roof leaks, but it is NOT the individual responsibility of the top floor owners, it is the responsibility of the ENTIRE condominium association.

I would DEFINITELY say the top floor, as I lived in 4 different buildings, only one did I NOT live on top floor and it was PAINFUL! The only drawback is hauling groceries, purchases, heavy items, etc. up 3 flights of stairs. You tend to shop for only what you can carry in one trip!

I have to agree with pdg777 - move to the top floor. You get some gains and you loose some also.

Winter time u win - cause you don't have to use alot of electricity to heat the place, cause you get the heat from the apartments below you.

Summer time you loose - unless they run their AC all the time. I don't care - cause I run my AC all the time in the summer, plus I have show cats on top of it.

You don't have the stomping of the feet, hearing people walking all the time, some one dropping something really loud all the time.

The people under you will have to put up with your dropping and such, so you need to relieze your doing the same stuff that irritates you. This goes for all people who live above someone and such.

Not to be mean any way - if you complaining about someone above you; think about the complaints you might recieve from the person below you and the fusteration they have to go through.

When I moved into my apartment, I introducted myself to my neightbor. And had told them, let me know if there is any problem and I'll try to solve it. I had let them know that I have cats, and that most of the noise will come from my office even at night. TO just call me. I have lived in my apartment and never once had gotten a complaint.

I had gone to my aunt's house and had a friend take care of my cats while I was gone. They thought I was home, and was wondering why their friend was coming down the hall in the stairs when they were leaving. She said that I was in MT; and that she was taking care of my cats. She never noticed I was gone, cause of my cats running all over the place.

I guess some people take things for granted. Take a look at what bothers you and annoys you when someone above you lives, and thinking of moving, now think of what will conspire when you move above someone else.

Hey we all can't be perfect neighbors - I understand that there are neighbors that will complain.

I had an old woman who thought I had sex all the time, cause my bedroom was next to hers. I always slept in the living room, cause the room was SMALL only a bed could fit in their and that was it. She spread rumors that I had sex all the time and called the landlord. To get back at her, I put a sex video in and played it to annoy her and give her something to talk about. This was when I had my first apartment. I have lived on my own since 10th grade cause of an abusive step father. I had her thinking that I had trains, elephants, and other animals in my apartment cause I used a sounds effects CD and got her calling the landlord all the time. She was kicked out of the building. I don't do that anymore, but that was my first apartment and still in high school, now I'm in college and have grown up.

Thank you all for your responses, and keep them coming! :-)

Yeah the only thing I may not like is having to haul groceries up two flights of stairs but I think it will be well worth it. The new apartment is facing the parking lot which is what I wanted because my car has been tampered with numerous times, so I'll be able to see my car and see who is coming and going (I'm a nosy person!).

I live in the ground level of a two story condo and if I had a chance to buy the one above, I would not. I have been really lucky as two different tenants have been most considerate. When you move in, go and introduce yourself and tell them that if you are too loud, tell them to let you know. Most people are not aware that they are loud until you tell them. This gives them an impression that you are sincere and the occasion bang is an accident. It is better that you talk to them directly than complain to the landlord. If that does not help, then go to the landlord.

Advantages of living in the ground level:

Exercise at all hours - if that is imporant to you

Opearate appliances at all hours - unless they are VERY loud

Don't need to haul anything up and down the narrow stairs..

Delivery man leaves my packages inside of my patio instead of leaving me a slip to go pick it up

I do not have to watch my every step or worry when I have people over...

My neighbor cools me in the summer and keep my place warm in the winter...

Neighbor do not know my every move....

Good luck...

You already said "EVERYONE in the building I am in now is loud, especially my downstairs and upstairs neighbor."

Moving to the top floor won't change a thing because you will still have downstairs neighbors.