Smryna Ga Rail / Train Noise / Shaking (Atlanta, Roswell: apartments, townhomes, dorm)

[Williamsakn]

Hi. I'm considering a property in Smyrna off of South Atlanta Road. The property is near Market Village across the street from the railway. Curious, if anyone has any insight on noise and if one should anticipate homes shaking. Thank you in advance!

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Williamsakn

Hi. I'm considering a property in Smyrna off of South Atlanta Road. The property is near Market Village across the street from the railway. Curious, if anyone has any insight on noise and if one should anticipate homes shaking. Thank you in advance!

I don't know about that particular area, but I live in a townhome that is about 250' from a railroad tack. The track is dead now, but when it was active, the coal trains would come by a few times a week. Every now and then, I'd notice a very slight vibration, like if two glasses were touching each other, they would make a slight tingling noise. But the house did not shake. You're not going to experience an earthquake every time a train goes by.

[Williamsakn]

Thank you! Did you experience any resale challenges in you home near the track?

[evannole]

Original poster, I wouldn't worry too much about the train having an impact on the homes at Belmont. There are homes much closer to the tracks, along Roswell Street and Gilbert Street, that sell quickly and for high prices. The crossings in this area have been silenced, so only the homes that are really right up against the tracks (a few along the west side of Gilbert) are significantly impacted by railroad noise and vibration, so far as I can tell.

My bigger concern would be the development's proximity to Windy Hill, but most of the single family homes that they're building on the Belmont site are far enough removed from Windy Hill that you won't hear the road's noise that much, though it's still going to be years before the road itself is visually appealing. Hopefully Belmont serves as a catalyst to accelerate the corridor's redevelopment.

[primaltech]

I live right near the tracks in Vinings... can't hear anything unless I'm outside. And even then, it sounds terrible. Kind of high pitched annoying. But it's very quiet, at least where I am.

Nothing like when I lived in downtown Lawrenceville, less than a mile from the tracks- it was this cool low rumble that would put me to sleep. Miss that.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I live right near the tracks in Vinings... can't hear anything unless I'm outside. And even then, it sounds terrible. Kind of high pitched annoying. But it's very quiet, at least where I am.

Nothing like when I lived in downtown Lawrenceville, less than a mile from the tracks- it was this cool low rumble that would put me to sleep. Miss that.

Our house is a mile and a half from the tracks. Definitely far enough away that it wasn't a nuisance but every once in a while you could hear a low rumble and a muffled train horn.

Now back in college my dorm was 1000 feet from the tracks and my sophomore apartment was 300 feet from an actual crossing. THAT was way too close.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Williamsakn

Thank you! Did you experience any resale challenges in you home near the track?

We haven't sold it, so I can't say from first-hand experience. There are no trains any more, but houses in our neighborhood last mere days at prices much higher than what they went for a few years ago.

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

Now back in college my dorm was 1000 feet from the tracks and my sophomore apartment was 300 feet from an actual crossing. THAT was way too close.

My first apartment in college was less than 200 feet from a railroad track. The apartment was the exact distance away from a crossing as a train starts blowing it's horn. My first night in the apartment, I went to sleep with the window open. To say I nearly hit the ceiling when a train came by in the middle of the night is an understatement.

But, I really loved living next to the tracks. I'd walk out there nightly and watch trains come from a mile away.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

My first apartment in college was less than 200 feet from a railroad track. The apartment was the exact distance away from a crossing as a train starts blowing it's horn. My first night in the apartment, I went to sleep with the window open. To say I nearly hit the ceiling when a train came by in the middle of the night is an understatement.

But, I really loved living next to the tracks. I'd walk out there nightly and watch trains come from a mile away.

Yea that's rough. There are townhomes there that are right across the street from the crossing. I can't even imagine that. There are other apartments that aren't across the road but actually adjacent to the crossing. I don't know how they slept but then again they're college apartments so the amount of sleeping was likely low to begin with.

[NWAtlantaRes]

I find it interesting people dislike the noise of a train. I think it gives the area charm and a personality. I guess I have never lived that close to one so I'm not sure how loud it can be.

[skiime]

Originally Posted by NWAtlantaRes

I find it interesting people dislike the noise of a train. I think it gives the area charm and a personality. I guess I have never lived that close to one so I'm not sure how loud it can be.

Just the rumbling and sound of the train moving isn't bad at all...I'm on the East side of the tracks across from the Market Village, and I couldn't even tell you the last time I heard the train while outside my house. Now, that being said, before they made all the crossings silent, it was maddening at times, so I get why people would be cautious about living close to the tracks. Sometimes, you would hear the horn every five minutes in the middle of the night, so it was annoying, but now it's great since they don't blow them anymore.