is it really my ADD or were I live?

I'm having a hard time adjusting I think, it's been 6 months here.

Hearing the people above us walking around, it's very distracting to me or hearing their dog run around and barking. I don't want it to ug me it's nothing !

A very nice women has a small dog. The dog likes to dig in the grass and dirt. The walls are white in the hall, the dog jumps up on the doorway leaving the walls dirty. Clumps of grass and dirt in the hallway on the nice new tiled floors that she does not clean up ! This makes me feel so fustrated......

Only one other unit has kids beside me, mine aren't that young 10 and 16. theirs are 7 and 3. They run, jump,yell, play ball, ride a scooter in the apartment and this goes on for hours till I feel my head will burst.......

Loud music during the day.........

Vac. rugs after 10:30pm.......

I'm bugged by the lack of respect of others. I tell my kids to be quiet in the halls so they don't disturb anyone. I'm careful with the vol. on our TV and Music so it's not too loud. I don't run my dishwasher or disposal too early or too late cause it can be heard from floor to floor. My daughter (10 yo) plays the Sax she needs to practice twice a week for 20 mins. I have rules when and were in the apartment she can do this so not to disturb anyone... It's LOUD :) No one is home when she does it, but if anyone complained we'd have to make changes.

How do I adjust? How do I become less sensive? is all this due to my nature to be a loner?

Apartment living is something I'll be doing for a long time.

Oh ya, No way I could live on the top floor.

Where we live is very nice. People (we) pay alot to live here. I've found this doesn't change how people behave.

I love our new place so how can I change me to deal with this?

I think everyone living in APT's have to seal with something or another. 3 years ago I had it! I lived with a roomate who was a slob, the upstairs people screamed all night at each other and I hated it!. I finally broke down and bought a condo. I dont think its the ADD, i just think its life!

I think everyone living in APT's have to seal with something or another. 3 years ago I had it! I lived with a roomate who was a slob, the upstairs people screamed all night at each other and I hated it!. I finally broke down and bought a condo. I dont think its the ADD, i just think its life!

Thank you, not very encouraging ;) but thanks..........

yeah when I lived in an apartment I woke up at night to music blaring from my neighbors or someones kid crying. Everything drove me crazy. I learned at night to wear earplugs if I wanted to sleep. That worked like a charm!

As for during the day... kids playing in the hallway, dogs barking next door, my crazy roomates bringing in loud friends, etc............... I had to constantly remind myself that I could only control my actions not others. They still drove me crazy but at least I stopped hyperfocusing on little things. Eventually things got better... in other words, I got used to the noise.

Good luck

Ah Paula, sorry to hear you're have such a rough time. I'm curious as to how many units are in your building. If it isn't very many, maybe you could develop a "plan".

Over here in Germany it is actually law that before 7:00 a.m, between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m., and after 8:00 p.m. you can't make any LOUD noise (no lawn mowing, no building, no sax playing :), etc.) Maybe you could get everyone to agree to something similar to this?

and I'm curious...who is responsible for cleaning the common areas? If you guys are then you should rotate weeks for cleaning.

Just a couple of ideas. Other than that, hang in there...I do think that eventually you will adjust.

Kim

Over here in Germany it is actually law that before 7:00 a.m, between 12:00 and 3:00 p.m., and after 8:00 p.m. you can't make any LOUD noise (no lawn mowing, no building, no sax playing :), etc.) Maybe you could get everyone to agree to something similar to this?
Your lease or House Rules probably says something about quite times of day.

If so, then you can ask your landlord to enforce the rules. Sometimes it helps to get a third party involved.


Otherwise, the other things you mention are a part of the background noise of urban living.


How do I adjust? How do I become less sensive? is all this due to my nature to be a loner?

and I'm curious...who is responsible for cleaning the common areas? If you guys are then you should rotate weeks for cleaning.
That's a good suggestion. Getting your neighbors involved, taking action and responsibility for themselves, can sometimes produce the right social pressure to change inconsiderate behavior.

Perhaps you might want to buy a place of your own? I went from paying rent of 525 dollars a month to paying a mortgage of 563 dollars a month. Its great. Im building equity, credit, getting a hell of a lot more back in taxes at the end of the year and no one lives above me. I did the first time buyers thing. I put zero dollars down and didnt have great credit. Anyone can do it. I bought my condo maybe 1.5 years ago for $77,000 and its worth around 100k already.

I lived in an apartment in college and will never ever again. And skel is right unless your the type of person that loves apartment living it is really a waste of money. Everytime you pay rent your just throwing money away. I was shocked too when I found out I could be paying about the same amount per month for a house that I was paying for an apartment. Since I hated apartment living it was a no brainer.

I lived in an apartment in college and will never ever again. And skel is right unless your the type of person that loves apartment living it is really a waste of money. Everytime you pay rent your just throwing money away. I was shocked too when I found out I could be paying about the same amount per month for a house that I was paying for an apartment. Since I hated apartment living it was a no brainer.

I live in Mass. anyone there can tell you rents are high and the cost of a house is even higher. I pay less in rent than most of my friends do for their mortgages.

We rent because we don't have a choice we can't afford a home for one and for other personal reason.

This why I was looking for ideas for things I could do to change myself and learn to deal with it, if that was possible :(

Awww I live in NJ so I know how you feel everything is soo expensive we're actually been looking to move out of state.

As for a solution I'd definately talk to the super. Usually they will either speak to the noisy/annoying tennants or send out notices to everyone reminding them to respect the peace of their neighbors. They usually do this without mentioning who made the complaint since they don't want the situation to escalate.

If that doesn't work maybe have some soothing noise in your own home that blocks out the others. Either music you enjoy or a white noise machine. I know my neighborhood seems much quieter in the summer because the airconditioner blocks out most of the noise. I never thought of an airconditioner as noise because it's just kind of constant you don't notice it so maybe a white noise machine will be able to help in the same way.

Another option is a bit more drastic but if your apartment complex is large you could move to a different unit. Typically end units on the top floor are the quietest, it might not be an immediate solution if they have no empty units but you said you would be there for a long time so I'd tell the rental agent to let you know when a unit is available.

You could always talk to the neighbors that are causing the problems but I hesitate to say that since it usually causes more problems then it solves.

Sorry I have no ideas how you could change yourself although with time you might start to become accustomed to it and all the noises and distractions might not be so obvious. Of course they could drive you completely crazy too :p but we'll home that doesn't happen

We have good neighbors, nobody bothers anybody here.

What I can't stand is the lack of space and the need to make noise.

I need a workshop, so I can make and do stuff, I feel like I live in a straitjacket here.
I need a space where I can make a mess, like a shed, I need a space to make a garden, like a backyard.
Life is passing me by living in this #$%^$% shoebox :(

My creativity is stifled.

I now have my own place. But b4 I got married I lived in a townhome. Which I think is better than appt b/c no one is above you. We werent allowed pets (a plus) and the walls were thick so I never heard anyone. Maybe start looking for somewhere else.

I dislike apt. living for the same reasons stated. It seems like I can't make noise while I have to put up with every one elses.

Gary lived in an apt. the first month I was down here. It drove me nuts people would stand just out side my door early in the morning and talk loudly ugggg!!!!!!

I am truly sorry you will have to be in an apt for a long while....I do not miss apt dwelling.

We werent allowed pets (a plus)

I disagree this is a minus in my book.

Oh some places will allow little dogs under 25 pounds. What many don't know those are the ones who do all that senseless yapping!!!!! Most larger dogs are more laid back. My dog of 65 pounds rarely barks in the house period!!!! She doesn't make a sound unless some one is very close to the house or it is on fire!!!! She barks a regular volume bark only when I am asleep. Once I wake up she stops immediately. When I am awake she does a dance in front of the door to let me know some one is there.

She will bark when out side if some one she doesn’t know comes in our yard.

I have stayed with her in hotels and she will give a little slight growl when people walk by the first day we are there but the sound is so low only I can hear her. Once she adjust to the environment she doesn't even do that!!!!!! After 12 or so hours she will give a short bark if I am sleeping and some one she doesn’t know comes directly to the door. Once I am awake she stops.

When I am not there she doesn’t bark at all that I know of. Due to animal unfriendly places I have had to sneak her into rooms and then had to leave her in the room while I took care of business. If she was a barker then her presence would have been detected.

Ever try to sneak a 65 pound dog into a hotel room??? A feat only an ADDer would try!!!!

Loud constantly yapping dogs make those who have well behaved pets lives harder

Living in an apt would be like residing in a hotel room constantly. I have given up apt dwelling many years ago for reason stated by first post in this thread!!!!!

Wish my news was better.