How much do you hate living on a busy street? (DC)

[Anonymous]

If you live on a busy street in the city, how much do you hate it? I'm talking a thoroughfare and bus stops nearby.

We're looking at a house and we're planning to offer under list. It's been sitting for a while. That's the one downside of the house, but the one thing we literally won't be able to do anything about.

[Anonymous]

Depends on you. I rented a place on 16th - tons of trucks and buses, which I could hear, feel (my apartment shook when large vehicles went by) and smell (the exhaust, during summer when I had windows open). It wasn’t for me - I live in a quiet neighborhood on a street that isn’t a through street. But I have friends who own on busy streets and they are quite content with that.

[Anonymous]

I really think it depends on where. Can you give street name or general area?

I live one block off a "busy" street. It's actually not that busy outside of rush hour.

[Anonymous]

We live on a busy street and after awhile you just don't really notice it anymore. It's to the point now where if I'm spending the night in a non-urban setting the quiet drives me nuts.

But as OP said, it all depends on the person. There are a lot of people here who think living on anything busier than a cul-de-sac is akin to living directly on a six-lane highway.

[Anonymous]

I live on a busy street (speed limit 25 mph, but it’s on 2 bus routes). It depends on you, really. DH could care less. I want peace and quiet and more outdoor space in general, so I’d love to move.

Large trucks rattle the house. Ambulances and fire trucks are very loud when windows are open. It’s worst at rush hour, but with windows closed you don’t notice any noise at all.

I don’t hate my house or my yard and buying here allowed me to build a lot of equity over the past 10 years.

[Anonymous]

I live about 400 feet from the beltway, blocked by trees, a five floor apartment building, and a "sound barrier" and I still can't sleep at night without a white noise maker due to the noise. On the other side, about 1500 feet away there is a busy road. What you need to realize is that at night the street noise is louder. Difference in the air temperature low to the ground versus higher in the atmosphere causes the sound waves to bend back down toward the earth. As crazy as it sounds, it's a scientific fact. I find the street noise to be about twice as loud at night as during the day on many nights.

[Anonymous]

Used to live on a busy street and the house was not set back from the street. No buses but constant vehicle and foot traffic. I sold and moved as soon as I could.

[Anonymous]

I live on New Hampshire Avenue, NE on the MD/DC line. Honestly, it's no big deal. I live on a corner which does help some. We don't even hear any traffic.

I love it. I used to live in Chevy Chase, MD backing up the highway. I hated that and had a hard time selling.

This has been fine and the houses sell quickly.

[Anonymous]

Do any bedroom face the street?

[Anonymous]

I hate it, but I'm in a historic district so I'm stuck with crappy 100 year old windows which provide no sound insulation. It's also a big pedestrian throughway so there's zero privacy in the yard. It's just not relaxing gardening with the street noise and random people commenting on my plants. I also worry about the effect of the background noise on my kids. I would not live on a busy street again but we're probably stuck here til the kids are in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate it, but I'm in a historic district so I'm stuck with crappy 100 year old windows which provide no sound insulation. It's also a big pedestrian throughway so there's zero privacy in the yard. It's just not relaxing gardening with the street noise and random people commenting on my plants. I also worry about the effect of the background noise on my kids. I would not live on a busy street again but we're probably stuck here til the kids are in college.

You could replace your windows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do any bedroom face the street?

Yes, unfortunately the master does, and it's only one level up. Also, not set back too far. I think I'd be fine with it (I grew up on an incredibly busy street and this house has a ton of outdoor space in the back). Just wondering if I'm forgetting about something.

[Anonymous]

I grew up on a busy street. Had a 40x100 plot on a corner.

One corner was a 1,600 unit apartment complex where the entrance was my block. The other side entrance to train where thousands of folks drove by twice a day. Add in fact I was only 200 feet from tracks it took getting used to.

I could sleep like a baby but any visitor was off all night. My house was grandfathered as we of and was only ten feet from sidewalk on both sides.

My current house on a busy street but middle on block and quiet backyard and set back

[Anonymous]

Is it an ambulance route? That’s the thing that would make it difficult for me. We lived a block off Nebraska Ave for 10 years, and the only noise that bothered me were the ambulances. Sirens are not just loud—they’re stressful.

[Anonymous]

I live on 9th St. in Shaw. It's never been a problem for me; in part because we have great windows. But certainly a personal issue.