I lived in an older townhouse (1950s) that had fairly thin walls. I slept upstairs, but I could hear the next door neighbors slamming their cupboards shut in their first floor kitchen every morning. At first I couldn't imagine what the noise was, but finally figured it out.

I haven't lived in a townhouse for a very long time.

Anonymous wrote:So the argument really isn't whether or not 6 am is a normal wake up time. Clearly it is for some people. The question is is running the coffee grinder or blender at 6 am acceptable or not? I am firmly in the "hells no" camp. Especially since neither of those appliances are essential to getting up and out in the morning.

We make morning smoothies sometime and those blender DO MAKE NOISE. I don't know about the grinder but I suspect the same decibel. It does not matter how short minute the blender/grinder are on, it is this daily expectation that "I AM MADE TO AWAKE because of Neighbor's appliance" is the source of irritation. Few occasions here and there is fine but every morning?! Hell NO. Its like, every night when you are trying to sleep, someone from upstairs starts vacuuming the living room, kind. u know it is EVERY NIGHT/EVERY MORNING.

I would do the grinding the coffee the night before... If u are using the frozen fruits for smoothies, can u let it sit so it is not that frozen/icy/becomes soft enough that u don't have to use the "ICE" (the loudest option?) on your blender? Even then the blender will make noise, I think. What about the Hand blender?

Anonymous wrote:OP and her DH are just pretentious and silly.

I absolutely guarantee I could make you two cups of coffee -- one with freshly ground beans and one with beans ground a month ago -- and you couldn't tell the difference.

And, as a PP noted, a smoothie is just yogurt and fruit and noise. Try skipping the noise part.

This is very funny!
Do you think they'd be able to tell the difference any better if the water was meticulously and slowly poured over the freshly ground beans out of the highest rated gooseneck kettle?

Anonymous wrote:So the argument really isn't whether or not 6 am is a normal wake up time. Clearly it is for some people. The question is is running the coffee grinder or blender at 6 am acceptable or not? I am firmly in the "hells no" camp. Especially since neither of those appliances are essential to getting up and out in the morning.

For you.


I sleep in til 7, but most adults I know are up between 5-6:30a.

Anonymous wrote:So the argument really isn't whether or not 6 am is a normal wake up time. Clearly it is for some people. The question is is running the coffee grinder or blender at 6 am acceptable or not? I am firmly in the "hells no" camp. Especially since neither of those appliances are essential to getting up and out in the morning.

Exactly. Shh.

Anonymous wrote:Sample noise ordinance YMMV:

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/new-noise-ordinance-passed/

Making noise that can be plainly heard in another person’s home with the doors and windows closed between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before a federal holiday.

That’s more for construction or lawn stuff, or like a party. It’s nitpicking beyond that.

So the argument really isn't whether or not 6 am is a normal wake up time. Clearly it is for some people. The question is is running the coffee grinder or blender at 6 am acceptable or not? I am firmly in the "hells no" camp. Especially since neither of those appliances are essential to getting up and out in the morning.

My mom definitely got up with me at 6am when I was in middle school and high school. She took me to school and then went to work. My dad slept later but only because he worked for himself.

Anonymous wrote:This is such a DC bubble thing. 6am is not a “normal” wake up time anywhere. That is early, by any standard.

+1

Even cities and urban areas don’t have noise restrictions finishing at 6am. It’s always 7am at the very earliest and often later. Suburbia is later still. Because, you know, many people are still sleeping at 6am and vaguely reasonable people know that.

And isn’t the point of living in the city that you have the convenience of a very short commute? Why live on top of everyone else if you still need to be up drinking ‘only the very best’ coffee 2 hrs before you start work?

Does he put a cone in his parking place when it snows?

Sample noise ordinance YMMV:

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/new-noise-ordinance-passed/

Making noise that can be plainly heard in another person’s home with the doors and windows closed between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before a federal holiday.

Anonymous wrote:This is such a DC bubble thing. 6am is not a “normal” wake up time anywhere. That is early, by any standard.

Given the workday starts for most at 8 am and there is getting ready and commute involved, 6 am is normal. It was also normal when I lived in the Midwest. Not a DC thing.

Anonymous wrote:Grinding coffee at 6 am? Yes, inconsiderate. Can’t you grind the night before?
If he can hear it then you are disturbing him.

I would do what I can to help your neighbor OP, like this. And move the grinder.

He can make your life hell if he chooses.

This is such a DC bubble thing. 6am is not a “normal” wake up time anywhere. That is early, by any standard.

Why can't you grind coffee the night before?