Anyone Experience Living in a Home on a Busy Road

[Anonymous]

As a child, we first lived on a quiet street and later my parents moved to a very busy street. We were set far back far from the street, so it was not noisy, but it felt isolating. I hated it as a kid- no more going outside freely, and we went from knowing all of our neighbors to not knowing any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live on Eastern Avenue in DC, and we barely hear the road in the backyard or inside the house. The front porch is loud, but we have a great backyard, and our has more than doubled in appraised value in 15 years.

Hey neighbor!

Did you see the house fire last night? WTF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live right on Western Avenue. Fenced backyard, so the busy road in front was not really an issue when kids were small. It is only busy during rush hour on weekdays when, pre-pandemic, everyone was out or on their way in/out. Regular traffic noise is not much of an issue. With good windows, only trucks, buses, sirens are noticeable. With sound insulating windows it would be better. The only time the street traffic bothers me is late at night-early morning when I'm in the front bedroom and early or late buses are running, or the occasional emergency vehicle with siren goes by. I sleep with white noise machine for that and manage fine. We spend most of time in the back of the house, where the street noise is barely noticeable. Sometimes I worry about car fumes, but we don't open the street-facing windows and have shrubs & tree buffers in front of and around the house. And other than weekday rush hour, the traffic is actually fairly light. It was the house we could afford at the time we bought in an otherwise great location. I have no regrets. The only thing I would change, if I had the budget, would be to get the expensive noise-cancelling windows for the front bedroom.

This would be a dealbreaker for me.

I’m the Western Ave dweller. It’s really not an issue for me. Most of the windows face the sides and back. Only 2 windows on each floor face Western. We get plenty of fresh air and ventilation with the windows on the other sides, especially because we have huge windows in the quiet back of the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live right on Western Avenue. Fenced backyard, so the busy road in front was not really an issue when kids were small. It is only busy during rush hour on weekdays when, pre-pandemic, everyone was out or on their way in/out. Regular traffic noise is not much of an issue. With good windows, only trucks, buses, sirens are noticeable. With sound insulating windows it would be better. The only time the street traffic bothers me is late at night-early morning when I'm in the front bedroom and early or late buses are running, or the occasional emergency vehicle with siren goes by. I sleep with white noise machine for that and manage fine. We spend most of time in the back of the house, where the street noise is barely noticeable. Sometimes I worry about car fumes, but we don't open the street-facing windows and have shrubs & tree buffers in front of and around the house. And other than weekday rush hour, the traffic is actually fairly light. It was the house we could afford at the time we bought in an otherwise great location. I have no regrets. The only thing I would change, if I had the budget, would be to get the expensive noise-cancelling windows for the front bedroom.

This would be a dealbreaker for me.

Same

[Anonymous]

I've lived on two different busy streets in close in Arlington (think Washington Blvd, Lee Highway, Glebe Road.) There are several things that make a big difference.
1. What's the speed limit? cars going by at 25-30 is very different than 40-45. How heavily is it patrolled? The busy roads I have lived on had pretty continuous speed traps set up within a few blocks from my house, this means that most traffic is moving at close to the speed limit. (and also provided entertainment for my kids when they were little- watching policeman pull over people.)
2. Do you have to back into the busy street from your driveway? Or does the driveway provide a space to turn around so you can be looking out when turning.
3. How close to a light are you? the closer to a light the more noise you get from people idling, stopping and starting, etc- vs the background noise of running traffic.
4. How well is the house screened from the road? the right kind of trees can make a big difference in noise reduction.
There are some benefits to being on a busy road
1. We are always plowed first- So long as I am willing to shovel the driveway, I can get out if needed.
2. We rarely lose power and are a quick power restore.
3. easy commuting- easy to get on a bus, walk to the metro, etc.
4. lower prices than just around the corner, which gives access to a neighborhood at a lower price point.

[Anonymous]

There are busy streets like foxhall which are elegant/desirable. Then there are busy streets like connnecticut which is undesirable and loud 24/7. Depends on what kind of ‘busy’ street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are busy streets like foxhall which are elegant/desirable. Then there are busy streets like connnecticut which is undesirable and loud 24/7. Depends on what kind of ‘busy’ street.

Yes, but Foxhall is quite the atypical busy road. The residential properties are, for the most part, set a ways back from the roadway.

I grew up in CT on a busy road. My home had a huge back yard so outdoor space was never an issue, but the noise of passing traffic was constant throughout the day. It wasn't until I bought my first house on a quiet side street in Fairfax years later when I realized the joy and peace that comes with living off a busy road.

I'll never live on a busy road again -- whether in the city or the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live on Eastern Avenue in DC, and we barely hear the road in the backyard or inside the house. The front porch is loud, but we have a great backyard, and our has more than doubled in appraised value in 15 years.

Hey neighbor!

Did you see the house fire last night? WTF.

What house fire?? I live on Eastern Ave too, in Mt. Rainier.

I would prefer to live on a quieter street, but it's really not that big of a deal. It can take a while though to find an opening in traffic to pull out to go anywhere during rush hour, and I also hate how some people speed excessively down Eastern...we need speed bumps!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live on Eastern Avenue in DC, and we barely hear the road in the backyard or inside the house. The front porch is loud, but we have a great backyard, and our has more than doubled in appraised value in 15 years.

Hey neighbor!

Did you see the house fire last night? WTF.

What house fire?? I live on Eastern Ave too, in Mt. Rainier.

I would prefer to live on a quieter street, but it's really not that big of a deal. It can take a while though to find an opening in traffic to pull out to go anywhere during rush hour, and I also hate how some people speed excessively down Eastern...we need speed bumps!

One of the bungalows went up in flames, arson suspected.