Another good reason why we should move
Start with my A lesson in Middle Eastern politics learned from parenting.
Then read my Revenge of the downstairs neighbors, which is much shorter.
I always said that, if the downstairs neighbors couldn't stand the noise from an upstairs child, they had no business living in an apartment. This is particulary true for anyone living in an apartment with more than one bedroom. Since it's likely that a multiple-bedroom apartment will house a family, there's always the chance that one of the family members might be a noisy kid running around over your head.
I concluded recently that following my own opinion might be necessary for my health.
A little background is in order, for my out-of-town readers: New York City has, basically, two kinds of apartments, known as "pre-war" and "post-war." Pre-war apartments were built before World War II, when quality construction was, apparently, still standard. Post-war apartments, on the other hand . . . Let me put it this way: When my husband sneezes, our neighbors can probably hear him not only next door, but two floors away. While some of the "better" apartments are now built with better sound insulation, ours is most certainly not one of them.
Which brings me to the kid upstairs: After months of listening to the little heck-raiser tearing around the apartment, it finally dawned on us that something was missing--we weren't hearing any adult footsteps. Believe me, every time the late upstairs neighbor took a step, I heard it. This can mean only one thing--the toddler doesn't live on the floor above us, he/she lives two floors above us!
Holy Moses! If that's what a toddler sounds like from two floors away, it's no wonder our former downstairs neighbors couldn't tolerate our kid's commotion!
So I told my husband that we now have another good reason to move--we have to "trade down" to a one-bedroom apartment.
Ever the CPA, my husband reminded me that, in this rotten economy, there's no guarantee that a family with kids wouldn't be forced to settle for a one-bedroom apartment. Sigh. Where's a pair of alte geezers who are too broke to buy a house and don't want to move to a retirement community supposed to live, to get a little peace and quiet?
I'm afraid to think about what the noise level is likely to be when the vacant apartment upstairs is finally sold.
Then read my Revenge of the downstairs neighbors, which is much shorter.
I always said that, if the downstairs neighbors couldn't stand the noise from an upstairs child, they had no business living in an apartment. This is particulary true for anyone living in an apartment with more than one bedroom. Since it's likely that a multiple-bedroom apartment will house a family, there's always the chance that one of the family members might be a noisy kid running around over your head.
I concluded recently that following my own opinion might be necessary for my health.
A little background is in order, for my out-of-town readers: New York City has, basically, two kinds of apartments, known as "pre-war" and "post-war." Pre-war apartments were built before World War II, when quality construction was, apparently, still standard. Post-war apartments, on the other hand . . . Let me put it this way: When my husband sneezes, our neighbors can probably hear him not only next door, but two floors away. While some of the "better" apartments are now built with better sound insulation, ours is most certainly not one of them.
Which brings me to the kid upstairs: After months of listening to the little heck-raiser tearing around the apartment, it finally dawned on us that something was missing--we weren't hearing any adult footsteps. Believe me, every time the late upstairs neighbor took a step, I heard it. This can mean only one thing--the toddler doesn't live on the floor above us, he/she lives two floors above us!
Holy Moses! If that's what a toddler sounds like from two floors away, it's no wonder our former downstairs neighbors couldn't tolerate our kid's commotion!
So I told my husband that we now have another good reason to move--we have to "trade down" to a one-bedroom apartment.
Ever the CPA, my husband reminded me that, in this rotten economy, there's no guarantee that a family with kids wouldn't be forced to settle for a one-bedroom apartment. Sigh. Where's a pair of alte geezers who are too broke to buy a house and don't want to move to a retirement community supposed to live, to get a little peace and quiet?
I'm afraid to think about what the noise level is likely to be when the vacant apartment upstairs is finally sold.
posted by Shira Salamone at 10:10 AM
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