this article about noise really resonates with me (pun intended)
in my most recent neighborhoods (newly constructed multi use ones)
* my neighbors would have all-night parties
* people would revv and race their modded sports cars and hogs up and down driveways and the street (residential culdesac) at all hours of the day and night
* teams of leaf blowering maintenance workers walked around during the day
* an open air venue opened across the street. they had loud, bass heavy music that made the walls and furniture shake, and drunk people screaming, fighting and loitering past closing time (3am)
* a cross fit gym opened across the street. they also played loud, bass heavy music that made the walls and furniture shake, with cargo doors open and trainers and clients screaming and doing intervals in the street (they opened at 5am)
* a bbq restaurant opened across the street. it had a vent that released basically unfiltered smog around the clock. it made it impossible to be on the balcony or keep windows open, and it quickly built up a brown, sticky residue on surrounding buildings. EDIT here is a recording of one of the vents https://photos.app.goo.gl/gxNBn5LGkZBCQc9o6 note that right above it are the residential balconies and windows of the same building - would you want to live there? + you didn't need to live in that building to get the "benefits", the smog was generously distributed all over the neighborhood and came inside and made the clothes inside your closet smell even if your windows were closed
needless to say, it's impossible to function while living in such an environment, so I moved, only to find the new neighborhoods also plagued by the same things. (in case anyone is wondering, this was Broadbeach, Newstead and West End QLD Australia)
me I'm a hardcore YIMBY. I want to live in a mixed use urban environment with entertainment, exercise, restaurant and everything you need around. but it becomes impossible if it's 24-7. common sense hours like 08:00-22:00 would be good. oh and breathable air.
many residents asked council and state government especially about the hours of operation of the venues (if bars play music until 3 and gyms at 5, when are we supposed to sleep?) and the unfiltered smog coming from the vents (100% hazardous levels, especially since it's all day every day long term), but they said all of it was OK.
to be fair, given that it's an entire continent, there's endless spaces where you can live in perfect peace and quiet
but that would be in solitude, not near any urban life lol
in urban spaces in Australia you're all but guaranteed having to deal at the very least with hooning and inconsiderate neighbours (I've lived in many different countries and Australia def stands out in how incredibly inconsiderate and aggressive people can be, and how large the share of the population are like that, lol)
I'm in a townhouse 4k from the centre of one of the big 3 CBDs and can't say I've ever had a problem with inconsiderate neighbours, though it's definitely possible to hear them through the walls from time to time. As for noise, the nearby (<500m) outdoor festival venue has definitely been a source of it a few times but surprisingly we heard nothing from the last few shows, probably something to do with wind direction and stage orientation.
It's vastly quieter than anywhere 4km from the centre of many other big cities around the world would be (Rome in particular comes to mind - I remember almost nothing about the place we stayed in except that there was virtually never a moment's silence, ever, and it was a good 5km from the town centre).
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this article about noise really resonates with me (pun intended)
in my most recent neighborhoods (newly constructed multi use ones)
* my neighbors would have all-night parties
* people would revv and race their modded sports cars and hogs up and down driveways and the street (residential culdesac) at all hours of the day and night
* teams of leaf blowering maintenance workers walked around during the day
* an open air venue opened across the street. they had loud, bass heavy music that made the walls and furniture shake, and drunk people screaming, fighting and loitering past closing time (3am)
* a cross fit gym opened across the street. they also played loud, bass heavy music that made the walls and furniture shake, with cargo doors open and trainers and clients screaming and doing intervals in the street (they opened at 5am)
* a bbq restaurant opened across the street. it had a vent that released basically unfiltered smog around the clock. it made it impossible to be on the balcony or keep windows open, and it quickly built up a brown, sticky residue on surrounding buildings. EDIT here is a recording of one of the vents https://photos.app.goo.gl/gxNBn5LGkZBCQc9o6 note that right above it are the residential balconies and windows of the same building - would you want to live there? + you didn't need to live in that building to get the "benefits", the smog was generously distributed all over the neighborhood and came inside and made the clothes inside your closet smell even if your windows were closed
needless to say, it's impossible to function while living in such an environment, so I moved, only to find the new neighborhoods also plagued by the same things. (in case anyone is wondering, this was Broadbeach, Newstead and West End QLD Australia)
me I'm a hardcore YIMBY. I want to live in a mixed use urban environment with entertainment, exercise, restaurant and everything you need around. but it becomes impossible if it's 24-7. common sense hours like 08:00-22:00 would be good. oh and breathable air.
many residents asked council and state government especially about the hours of operation of the venues (if bars play music until 3 and gyms at 5, when are we supposed to sleep?) and the unfiltered smog coming from the vents (100% hazardous levels, especially since it's all day every day long term), but they said all of it was OK.
I see so many people leaving NZ for Australia nowadays, and friends ask me if I'm going too.
I live 5 min from Wellington CBD, and apart from buses or the occasional construction work it's deafening silence.
Anecdotes like this make me feel so lucky.
to be fair, given that it's an entire continent, there's endless spaces where you can live in perfect peace and quiet
but that would be in solitude, not near any urban life lol
in urban spaces in Australia you're all but guaranteed having to deal at the very least with hooning and inconsiderate neighbours (I've lived in many different countries and Australia def stands out in how incredibly inconsiderate and aggressive people can be, and how large the share of the population are like that, lol)
I'm in a townhouse 4k from the centre of one of the big 3 CBDs and can't say I've ever had a problem with inconsiderate neighbours, though it's definitely possible to hear them through the walls from time to time. As for noise, the nearby (<500m) outdoor festival venue has definitely been a source of it a few times but surprisingly we heard nothing from the last few shows, probably something to do with wind direction and stage orientation. It's vastly quieter than anywhere 4km from the centre of many other big cities around the world would be (Rome in particular comes to mind - I remember almost nothing about the place we stayed in except that there was virtually never a moment's silence, ever, and it was a good 5km from the town centre).
Wow, I thought our mere 4 days a week of leaf blowers (and actually illegal but unenforced) was bad.