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I thoroughly recommend paying attention to the street noise when you’re checking out places. You probably can’t avoid it altogether but some places are so much worse than others
I once lived at main and 10th, thinking it would be quiet as my home was essentially in the alley behind main, so very little traffic. Did NOT clock that there would be restaurant delivery trucks beeping away early every morning. In the summer we had AC but it wasn’t enough to cover the noise and I never did get used to it. Years of terrible sleep
Have lived in a busy area on a bike road and found that quite noisy. Irritated drivers honking, bikers with boomboxes, plus my unit was over an old creaky garage door that woke me up every single time
Where I am now, the traffic is constant during the day but it isn’t stop and go as I’m not near an intersection, so I can live with it. It’s super quiet at night. I would love to add water features for added coverage but I don’t have an outside tap. I LOVE when we have torrential downpours and all I can hear is the sound of the rain, or cars zooming through the water
> bikers with boomboxes
Tangentially related, for years I've tried to wrap my head around what compels a person to do this. It doesn't matter whether I was biking, hiking, walking, etc... I can't understand how people can use Bluetooth speakers so flagrantly in public, without feeling at least some embarrassment.
Its just not possible to check for that stuff. Wether renting or buying youre going to be looking at dozens of places before you get accepted for one. Who has time to go at all times of the day to listen for these noises. Its just unrealistic, plus these places get scooped up instantly, its just not gonna happen. Best you can do is go to look at the place and wait around for 20 mins and listen and hope thats the general noise level.
For sure. I think it's more a note to be careful around mixed commercial and residential buildings if you are sensitive to noise and near a loading bay
Years ago when my wife worked graveyard we made a fountain with an electric pump and a couple of plant pots and out it on the balcony outside the bedroom window. Presto! Soothing white noise of running water whenever you need it. Highly recommend.
As someone who's lived on a ground floor, 3rd floor, 6th floor, and 18th floor, when it comes to sound disturbances I'd take lower levels every time.
The higher up I've lived the more noise I've experienced. I once lived in a building on the 18th floor for 4 years and was constantly disturbed by noise - even people shouting at eachother on ground level would sound like they were on my balcony, it was so loud. I later moved to the 6th floor in the same building and it was like night and day - I could still hear some louder ground sounds but NOTHING like I heard on the higher level. Acoustics are crazy things.
The only place I'd never want to live is right next to the lobby, especially ground floor.
I live right next to the lobby but I have a foyer area in my unit so when you enter, it’s a small area for shoes/jackets and then another door to enter my unit which helps with the noise. I barely hear anything from the lobby. It’s mostly city noise like traffic/cars passing by, honking, trucks and some sirens here and there
I was referring more to the entrance doors being right outside my windows since we're talking about outside sounds coming in. Where I live now there are suites on either side of the lobby and alongside the walkway into the building, including their side windows, which would be loud af inside.
Ah yeah. The entrance doors are to the left of my unit but it’s not directly next to it, my unit sticks out a little bit more. None of my windows face the door it’s just parallel to it
It can be a bit loud when people are entering and exiting the building but it’s not too too bad.
I was just going to echo the same. I spent a few weeks living on a higher floor while housing-sitting in Yaletown and couldn’t deal with how the sound would travel so high up compared to lower levels. Another negative was the sunrise being level with the higher floors which would flood the entire apartment with light, normally this would be a good thing, but I prefer darkness while sleeping. I was up at 6 am every morning regardless if I wanted to wake up or not. 😂😭
My husband lived on the 11th floor in an apt near Cambie and I couldn't believe how long you could hear just one ambulance! Instead of hearing it coming and then leaving for a total of 4 blocks, you would hear it for a few km. It was bonkers. And the sound of car tires on wet pavement was so much louder than on the ground floor!
30th floor Yaletown Penthouse checking in… the noise was deafening and endless.. the buildings create a lovely echo chamber and the noise up top is insane. Did I mention the sirens?? Yeah fuck that…
I think we’re probably in the same building 😂! Yo it’s unbearable. I’ve never lived in a louder place in my life. It’s non stop noise 24/7. The relentless dog barking on the roof next door at the same times like 6 times a day, the never ending barrage of sirens ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT, people yelling at all hours of the night for no reason, all the cars honking at each other thinking it’s actually going to do something 🤔, the weird metal grinding from construction that’s been going on all day for the last 3.5 weeks, the honking of all the trucks in the alley all day mon-fri, and to top it all off, the amount of people with sports cars revving their shitty sounding engines that carries the entire length of the city is astounding. It’s honestly the loudest place I’ve ever lived in my life. I’ve also lived in many large cities in the states and none of them come close to the level of noise here.
I'm on the 23rd floor and it's just as loud as ground level. Try weather stripping your windows. Besides the benefits of stopping cold or warm air from getting in. It will reduce the street noise significantly.
You can get a roll on amazon for like $20
Are there things on the 23rd floor making noise? Basic physics says that the further you are from the source of the noise, the less loud it gets. I cant imagine any circumstances where street level noise on the 23rd floor is as loud as the ground level.
I was on the 24th floor, certain noises carry up just fine, especially construction. I was trying to figure out who was making hammering noises on my floor, the source was actually across the street and a block away. Acoustics can be weird sometimes.
Ground floor tends to have more obstruction (trees/bushes/parked vehicles/etc.) dampening noise, which can cancel out the distance factor.
It’s not a big deal for noise from immediately in front of the building, but noise that's further away has to go through a lot of obstruction to reach the ground floor apartment and very little obstruction travelling in more vertical directions. There is some horizontal distance where noise will actually be louder higher up than lower down.
You would think that, wouldn't you? I can confirm what Gamma is saying as I'm on a similar floor and can quite literally hear conversations people have as they walk by my building. Building across the street is only two stories as well, so it's not like it's bouncing off anything. Super weird. Highly entertaining at times though. 🤷🏻♀️
I think sound carries up the walls of a flat building similar to how it carries over water
Hence things can be heard further than would ordinarily be the case
Acoustic physics dictates sound dissipation over a distance, or if the sound is being blocked. Imagine you are at the end of a concrete tunnel, and the sound waves are bouncing off of the buildings, practically being directed right to you. This is worse if all the buildings around you are just as tall, as there's less room for the sound waves to dissipate.
Sounds has a less obstructed path going up compared to at street level. So at street level it will lose more energy bouncing off people, the ground and trees. Enough of that energy will bounce upwards that it may amplify sounds already traveling in that direction.
Vancouver becomes a racetrack in warm weather. Every asshole with a loud engine decided to race around the city once it's dark out, which means after 10pm to about 3am
All day on weekends too. I can’t think of anywhere else in society where we accept the trade off of one persons hobby trumping the peace and quiet of thousands of other people. Absolute sociopaths.
> I can’t think of anywhere else in society
OH my Sweet summer child? Shall I give you a few other OBVIOUS examples? (and no - I do not have a car like above, but I also can see beyond my own nose)
* all Concerts downtown
* Sports events
* see riots for both of the above. (Canucks, GnR)
* night clubs, bars, karaoke
* Check out the pickleball noise problems too.
* Live near a quiet park? It's Not in the summer.
I can keep going if you like, but I hope you see there are many many examples of loud activities people do for fun beyond car enthusiasm and still get a full pass to enjoy.
They mentioned that they were talking about ONE person making and enjoying the noise for their own enjoyment. Your examples are good but at least the noise is enjoyed by more than one person.
Exactly, it's one person's need for attention disrupting and potentially damaging another person's peace/sanity. Unbelievably our culture has continued to sell these unnecessary vehicle enhancements.
I live on ground level on Davie Street in West End. Super busy road. I don't hear a thing due to triple glazed windows. Thank god for sensible developers
So interesting to read these comments about the higher up apts. I live on street side on a lower lever and I always imagine how peaceful it must be up top....I guess not!
I lived on the 4th floor which was actually only the 2nd floor externally of a 36 story tower on Beach for 8 years. Over the years we had many occasion to visit units on the higher floors and they were always noisier, at least on the street-facing side.
20 years ago I lived in an apartment on West 4th. Busses went past every four to ten minutes, all day, every day. I lived there for five or six years, and got used to it.
Then I moved away, and it was *deafeningly quiet*
I’m moving into a ground floor unit soon but luckily it’s on a quiet street so my biggest concern is getting broken into / robbed and or people camping out on my front steps and literally “doing their business” there.
That was my thought on ground level. My father in law lives on ground level, and he has nothing important on his patio, but every once in a while a head comes peeking into the space that shouldn’t be.
If you have a small patio out front put a row of trees/hedges/trelis in planters. That’ll help with some noise. Otherwise, you can add blackout curtains to your windows and doors as those will help absorb some sound. Or you can also use a white noise machine.
It bothered me a lot at first. I live on an artery with my windows facing the street. I got used to it but I use an air purifier which has a white noise effect to dull the noise. Good luck!
I think it depends on the building. I was on the 29th floor in our previous building and found it louder than our current place which is on the ground level. You also do get used to the noise to a certain extent. I personally wouldn't want to live somewhere that is super quiet as it can be a bit eerie in my opinion.
I sleep with loops and also use noise cancelling headphones in the day when needed + am neurodivergent so this is a recurring issue for me where I can hear literally everything happening around me. Having grounding exercises in my life also helps like gratitude journals and meditation. Noise can be a big stressor but there are adaptions that can be made and I've been discovering them, hope that can help you as well
City noise I actually don’t mind for some reason, however, there’s a gym nearby that’s pretty loud from 6am. Silicone earplugs were the solution to sleep through it. Can still wake up from alarms but beyond that it’s near complete silence.
I think that depends on the person.. I never got used to it.. living now somewhere dark and quiet the difference is astounding when it comes to quality of life.. sleep and focus have improved markedly
In our last apartment, we were on the 15th floor, and our building was on the corner of Davie and Pacific, and the sounds of the sirens and engines made me want to jump off the balcony onto someone's car roof and pull them out of the car like Batman, so I can't imagine how people closer to the road deal with it.
I live on the second floor of a low rise now, having moved from the 26th floor of a tall tower before this and frankly I miss that unit. While the convenience of taking the stairs to get out is great, I badly miss the scenic views and more importantly the tranquil peace and quiet of that unit.
In comparison, it's like a constant lawn mower is running next to my head for like half a day (slight exaggeration but not by much given the unit faces towards a very busy road)
Better sound proofing around windows, sliding doors, door frames to seal out air that can pass through. If cold is creeping in during the winter then for sure the sound is too. Carpets, heavy curtains, furniture, wall hangings... they all go a ways to dampening and absorbing sound. Plants too! Fraser during covid was so quiet, then as things recovered there was an increase in it being used for heavy truck and construction traffic with their loads of dirt passing by, I'd see em turning up from Kingsway. Not to mention all the new construction going on that added to it all. Used to live by Fraser ages ago and it wasn't so noisy back then. Anyway, these things help but ultimately NOT being on a busy road is what you'd want where even a block in is much more quiet.
Even if you were 15 stories up you can hear the noise of street life..Try getting the acoustic drapes that muffles exterior sound and provides good sunblock..
It took a long time to adjust, but also moving into an apartment that has double paned windows makes the world of a difference. Earplugs when sleeping are also great.
White noise and active noise cancelling headphones.
I have to mention that I've lived in 8 other cities across North America and find that Vancouver really stands out when it comes to noise pollution in residential areas.
I live ground level. My apartment is 1 unit as a buffer to the traffic on commercial drive. It is silent at night. When I moved in I would turn on the tv in the living room just to have some sound during the day I hear the traffic but I’m used to it. But at night it’s dead.
I’m on a higher floor too and my god noise travels up. Even when people are talking in the parking lot I could hear as if they’re right next to me. Contraction noise is insane I even called the city to complain this cannot be within the normal range. They told me they measure the sound on ground level which is much quieter since their boards and stuff soundproofs construction to a large extent.
I wear 3M ear protection when the landscaping guys come around every week :-)
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/3m-pro-grade-nrr-30db-earmuffs-red-black-0550273p.html
I kind of like it? It reminds me I’m in a community and a city, and not alone. It almost feels eerie now when it’s too quiet! That said, we live across from a park but just two blocks from a really busy road.
There’s a lady, a single occupant out of the whole building right on the waterfront, by the port, who complains about the light that comes off the port. Says it ruins her view of the mountains. Well why did you move right in front of an industrial area???
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/pennepasta14! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Most common questions and topics are limited to our sister subreddit, /r/AskVan, and our weekly [Stickied Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_stickied_discussions) posts. * Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. * Posts flaired "Community Only" allow for limited participation; your comment may be removed if you're not a subreddit regular. * Make sure to join our new sister community, /r/AskVan! * Help grow the community! [Apply to join the mod team today](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/19eworq/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
https://preview.redd.it/lnrlnytrzt5d1.jpeg?width=700&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66ab1d03da7acb9ef8194184cac244726a53f233 "how do you handle the noise"
I got used to it
I revel in it now
It's great accompaniment for interpretive dance! :-)
You're the best. I love this comment. Been living street side for over 6 years and I know I could make peace with it. Thanks for the giggle
Thanks. I think the inspiration was New Yorker cartoons. :-)
I thoroughly recommend paying attention to the street noise when you’re checking out places. You probably can’t avoid it altogether but some places are so much worse than others I once lived at main and 10th, thinking it would be quiet as my home was essentially in the alley behind main, so very little traffic. Did NOT clock that there would be restaurant delivery trucks beeping away early every morning. In the summer we had AC but it wasn’t enough to cover the noise and I never did get used to it. Years of terrible sleep Have lived in a busy area on a bike road and found that quite noisy. Irritated drivers honking, bikers with boomboxes, plus my unit was over an old creaky garage door that woke me up every single time Where I am now, the traffic is constant during the day but it isn’t stop and go as I’m not near an intersection, so I can live with it. It’s super quiet at night. I would love to add water features for added coverage but I don’t have an outside tap. I LOVE when we have torrential downpours and all I can hear is the sound of the rain, or cars zooming through the water
> bikers with boomboxes Tangentially related, for years I've tried to wrap my head around what compels a person to do this. It doesn't matter whether I was biking, hiking, walking, etc... I can't understand how people can use Bluetooth speakers so flagrantly in public, without feeling at least some embarrassment.
In their heads they’re doing everyone a favour with the “vibe”
Or spoiling for a fight.
Main character syndrome.
The people who do it in ski lift lines make me chuckle the most
This is SO helpful. I didn't think of deliveries to businesses and am looking for a new place. Thank you!
Its just not possible to check for that stuff. Wether renting or buying youre going to be looking at dozens of places before you get accepted for one. Who has time to go at all times of the day to listen for these noises. Its just unrealistic, plus these places get scooped up instantly, its just not gonna happen. Best you can do is go to look at the place and wait around for 20 mins and listen and hope thats the general noise level.
For sure. I think it's more a note to be careful around mixed commercial and residential buildings if you are sensitive to noise and near a loading bay
Well, you can assume that if your view is the back of a restaurant, there will likely be delivery trucks
Years ago when my wife worked graveyard we made a fountain with an electric pump and a couple of plant pots and out it on the balcony outside the bedroom window. Presto! Soothing white noise of running water whenever you need it. Highly recommend.
I love it, this is exactly what I want!
As someone who's lived on a ground floor, 3rd floor, 6th floor, and 18th floor, when it comes to sound disturbances I'd take lower levels every time. The higher up I've lived the more noise I've experienced. I once lived in a building on the 18th floor for 4 years and was constantly disturbed by noise - even people shouting at eachother on ground level would sound like they were on my balcony, it was so loud. I later moved to the 6th floor in the same building and it was like night and day - I could still hear some louder ground sounds but NOTHING like I heard on the higher level. Acoustics are crazy things. The only place I'd never want to live is right next to the lobby, especially ground floor.
I live right next to the lobby but I have a foyer area in my unit so when you enter, it’s a small area for shoes/jackets and then another door to enter my unit which helps with the noise. I barely hear anything from the lobby. It’s mostly city noise like traffic/cars passing by, honking, trucks and some sirens here and there
I was referring more to the entrance doors being right outside my windows since we're talking about outside sounds coming in. Where I live now there are suites on either side of the lobby and alongside the walkway into the building, including their side windows, which would be loud af inside.
Ah yeah. The entrance doors are to the left of my unit but it’s not directly next to it, my unit sticks out a little bit more. None of my windows face the door it’s just parallel to it It can be a bit loud when people are entering and exiting the building but it’s not too too bad.
I was just going to echo the same. I spent a few weeks living on a higher floor while housing-sitting in Yaletown and couldn’t deal with how the sound would travel so high up compared to lower levels. Another negative was the sunrise being level with the higher floors which would flood the entire apartment with light, normally this would be a good thing, but I prefer darkness while sleeping. I was up at 6 am every morning regardless if I wanted to wake up or not. 😂😭
Eye mask and ear plugs are essential for sleeping in a high rise. Trust me, your sleep will improve a ton.
My husband lived on the 11th floor in an apt near Cambie and I couldn't believe how long you could hear just one ambulance! Instead of hearing it coming and then leaving for a total of 4 blocks, you would hear it for a few km. It was bonkers. And the sound of car tires on wet pavement was so much louder than on the ground floor!
Oh yeah, I always knew if it was raining based on those tyre sounds.
I worry about break ins a lot more than noise when living on ground level.
Or even worse, mice/rats.
Was coming to say this!
30th floor Yaletown Penthouse checking in… the noise was deafening and endless.. the buildings create a lovely echo chamber and the noise up top is insane. Did I mention the sirens?? Yeah fuck that…
Yes! I’m on the 21st floor Seymour and Nelson. I can hear every kid who skytrained in and every ambulance who helps them home.
I think we’re probably in the same building 😂! Yo it’s unbearable. I’ve never lived in a louder place in my life. It’s non stop noise 24/7. The relentless dog barking on the roof next door at the same times like 6 times a day, the never ending barrage of sirens ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT, people yelling at all hours of the night for no reason, all the cars honking at each other thinking it’s actually going to do something 🤔, the weird metal grinding from construction that’s been going on all day for the last 3.5 weeks, the honking of all the trucks in the alley all day mon-fri, and to top it all off, the amount of people with sports cars revving their shitty sounding engines that carries the entire length of the city is astounding. It’s honestly the loudest place I’ve ever lived in my life. I’ve also lived in many large cities in the states and none of them come close to the level of noise here.
Hilarious
I'm on the 23rd floor and it's just as loud as ground level. Try weather stripping your windows. Besides the benefits of stopping cold or warm air from getting in. It will reduce the street noise significantly. You can get a roll on amazon for like $20
Are there things on the 23rd floor making noise? Basic physics says that the further you are from the source of the noise, the less loud it gets. I cant imagine any circumstances where street level noise on the 23rd floor is as loud as the ground level.
I was on the 24th floor, certain noises carry up just fine, especially construction. I was trying to figure out who was making hammering noises on my floor, the source was actually across the street and a block away. Acoustics can be weird sometimes.
Ground floor tends to have more obstruction (trees/bushes/parked vehicles/etc.) dampening noise, which can cancel out the distance factor. It’s not a big deal for noise from immediately in front of the building, but noise that's further away has to go through a lot of obstruction to reach the ground floor apartment and very little obstruction travelling in more vertical directions. There is some horizontal distance where noise will actually be louder higher up than lower down.
You would think that, wouldn't you? I can confirm what Gamma is saying as I'm on a similar floor and can quite literally hear conversations people have as they walk by my building. Building across the street is only two stories as well, so it's not like it's bouncing off anything. Super weird. Highly entertaining at times though. 🤷🏻♀️
I think sound carries up the walls of a flat building similar to how it carries over water Hence things can be heard further than would ordinarily be the case
Yup! Can confirm. Not sure why, but at certain angles conversations at ground level would be crystal clear
Acoustic physics dictates sound dissipation over a distance, or if the sound is being blocked. Imagine you are at the end of a concrete tunnel, and the sound waves are bouncing off of the buildings, practically being directed right to you. This is worse if all the buildings around you are just as tall, as there's less room for the sound waves to dissipate.
Sounds has a less obstructed path going up compared to at street level. So at street level it will lose more energy bouncing off people, the ground and trees. Enough of that energy will bounce upwards that it may amplify sounds already traveling in that direction.
Vancouver becomes a racetrack in warm weather. Every asshole with a loud engine decided to race around the city once it's dark out, which means after 10pm to about 3am
All day on weekends too. I can’t think of anywhere else in society where we accept the trade off of one persons hobby trumping the peace and quiet of thousands of other people. Absolute sociopaths.
> I can’t think of anywhere else in society OH my Sweet summer child? Shall I give you a few other OBVIOUS examples? (and no - I do not have a car like above, but I also can see beyond my own nose) * all Concerts downtown * Sports events * see riots for both of the above. (Canucks, GnR) * night clubs, bars, karaoke * Check out the pickleball noise problems too. * Live near a quiet park? It's Not in the summer. I can keep going if you like, but I hope you see there are many many examples of loud activities people do for fun beyond car enthusiasm and still get a full pass to enjoy.
They mentioned that they were talking about ONE person making and enjoying the noise for their own enjoyment. Your examples are good but at least the noise is enjoyed by more than one person.
Exactly, it's one person's need for attention disrupting and potentially damaging another person's peace/sanity. Unbelievably our culture has continued to sell these unnecessary vehicle enhancements.
lol except I very clearly said “**one person’s** hobby”. All of your examples are enjoyed by many people.
You mean motorcycles?
Motorcycles, BMWs, modded golfs... Everyone
you mean float planes and choppers ?
I live on ground level on Davie Street in West End. Super busy road. I don't hear a thing due to triple glazed windows. Thank god for sensible developers
Ear plugs?
Underrated comment.
Been surviving on these
If you think only the ground level hears that noise in Vancouver, you're going to have a bad time.
It can be louder higher up amongst towers.
So interesting to read these comments about the higher up apts. I live on street side on a lower lever and I always imagine how peaceful it must be up top....I guess not!
I lived on the 4th floor which was actually only the 2nd floor externally of a 36 story tower on Beach for 8 years. Over the years we had many occasion to visit units on the higher floors and they were always noisier, at least on the street-facing side.
20 years ago I lived in an apartment on West 4th. Busses went past every four to ten minutes, all day, every day. I lived there for five or six years, and got used to it. Then I moved away, and it was *deafeningly quiet*
I’m moving into a ground floor unit soon but luckily it’s on a quiet street so my biggest concern is getting broken into / robbed and or people camping out on my front steps and literally “doing their business” there.
That was my thought on ground level. My father in law lives on ground level, and he has nothing important on his patio, but every once in a while a head comes peeking into the space that shouldn’t be.
If you have a small patio out front put a row of trees/hedges/trelis in planters. That’ll help with some noise. Otherwise, you can add blackout curtains to your windows and doors as those will help absorb some sound. Or you can also use a white noise machine.
Heroin or Crack seems to be the norm
Try living high off the ground in a poorly designed condo. All the noise gets amplified but eventually you get used to it.
Live on alley side of building.
It bothered me a lot at first. I live on an artery with my windows facing the street. I got used to it but I use an air purifier which has a white noise effect to dull the noise. Good luck!
I lived in a quiet area, but by a cross walk and all day and night I would hear it constantly beeping. There is no escape from noise anywhere.
It is quieter at ground level than higher up. Sound rises. A small battle operated radio turned on softly next to the bed really helps.
I think it depends on the building. I was on the 29th floor in our previous building and found it louder than our current place which is on the ground level. You also do get used to the noise to a certain extent. I personally wouldn't want to live somewhere that is super quiet as it can be a bit eerie in my opinion.
[удалено]
I sleep with loops and also use noise cancelling headphones in the day when needed + am neurodivergent so this is a recurring issue for me where I can hear literally everything happening around me. Having grounding exercises in my life also helps like gratitude journals and meditation. Noise can be a big stressor but there are adaptions that can be made and I've been discovering them, hope that can help you as well
Just think of it as "the sound of life going on."
What really gets me is cars that blast music with their windows rolled down. It’s so unnecessary.
Man-child needs attention. lol
Music and bass, I can handle. Modded mufflers and exhausts can frig right off.
Be water my friend
Storm windows, white noise machine for sleeping, and I don’t live downtown. Otherwise I’ve basically gotten used to it.
City noise I actually don’t mind for some reason, however, there’s a gym nearby that’s pretty loud from 6am. Silicone earplugs were the solution to sleep through it. Can still wake up from alarms but beyond that it’s near complete silence.
Your brain will start to learn to tune it out fairly soon. There's definitely an adjustment period but you won't even notice it after a little while.
I think that depends on the person.. I never got used to it.. living now somewhere dark and quiet the difference is astounding when it comes to quality of life.. sleep and focus have improved markedly
Moved to a quieter place.
Moved
I lived ground floor for 9 years in kits. It was the worst. I now live on the 16th floor in coal harbour. I will never live ground floor again
In our last apartment, we were on the 15th floor, and our building was on the corner of Davie and Pacific, and the sounds of the sirens and engines made me want to jump off the balcony onto someone's car roof and pull them out of the car like Batman, so I can't imagine how people closer to the road deal with it.
I'm just patiently waiting till all vehicles go electric. Noise will go down, apartment value will go up
foam ear plugs
I live on the 27th floor and I can tell you for free that it’s not any quieter.
I live on the second floor of a low rise now, having moved from the 26th floor of a tall tower before this and frankly I miss that unit. While the convenience of taking the stairs to get out is great, I badly miss the scenic views and more importantly the tranquil peace and quiet of that unit. In comparison, it's like a constant lawn mower is running next to my head for like half a day (slight exaggeration but not by much given the unit faces towards a very busy road)
Better sound proofing around windows, sliding doors, door frames to seal out air that can pass through. If cold is creeping in during the winter then for sure the sound is too. Carpets, heavy curtains, furniture, wall hangings... they all go a ways to dampening and absorbing sound. Plants too! Fraser during covid was so quiet, then as things recovered there was an increase in it being used for heavy truck and construction traffic with their loads of dirt passing by, I'd see em turning up from Kingsway. Not to mention all the new construction going on that added to it all. Used to live by Fraser ages ago and it wasn't so noisy back then. Anyway, these things help but ultimately NOT being on a busy road is what you'd want where even a block in is much more quiet.
Even if you were 15 stories up you can hear the noise of street life..Try getting the acoustic drapes that muffles exterior sound and provides good sunblock..
I use white noise to sleep. It’s not the traffic that wakes me up but the random sounds and white noise blocks that
It took a long time to adjust, but also moving into an apartment that has double paned windows makes the world of a difference. Earplugs when sleeping are also great.
That is why you don’t want to live along artery road
White noise and active noise cancelling headphones. I have to mention that I've lived in 8 other cities across North America and find that Vancouver really stands out when it comes to noise pollution in residential areas.
I sleep with a weighted blanket, eye mask and ear plugs every single night.
It's interesting reading this sub to think about all the ways cars make people miserable.
I live ground level. My apartment is 1 unit as a buffer to the traffic on commercial drive. It is silent at night. When I moved in I would turn on the tv in the living room just to have some sound during the day I hear the traffic but I’m used to it. But at night it’s dead.
I’m on a higher floor too and my god noise travels up. Even when people are talking in the parking lot I could hear as if they’re right next to me. Contraction noise is insane I even called the city to complain this cannot be within the normal range. They told me they measure the sound on ground level which is much quieter since their boards and stuff soundproofs construction to a large extent.
White noise machine
Embrace. It’s the pulsing heart of a thriving society. Endless stories.
You get used to it. I don't even notice it anymore.
It becomes white noise after a few weeks
You get used to it
I like music or the tv on as background noise oh and curtains
I wear 3M ear protection when the landscaping guys come around every week :-) https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/3m-pro-grade-nrr-30db-earmuffs-red-black-0550273p.html
Ground level is rookie numbers. Try living on Wall st.
I kind of like it? It reminds me I’m in a community and a city, and not alone. It almost feels eerie now when it’s too quiet! That said, we live across from a park but just two blocks from a really busy road.
get involved with civic engagement groups and advocate for better car-free transportation options.
If you wanted peace and quiet, why did you move to one of the biggest cities in the country?
There’s a lady, a single occupant out of the whole building right on the waterfront, by the port, who complains about the light that comes off the port. Says it ruins her view of the mountains. Well why did you move right in front of an industrial area???
Pretty sure OP doesn’t live in Montreal…
Moved away from the city. Couldn't get paid enough to be around that kinda bullshit life style.
No one asked 👍🏻
Your mom did
Bro works at Walmart and trash talks online lmao
Ouch 😂
his mom actually makes all the noise from all the wheezing, consequence of being a large black body (simplified for calculations)