Noise coming through common wall with adjacent business (Chicago, Naperville: sale, apartment complex)

[jph20]

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with noise from an adjacent business infiltrating my home through a common wall?

I live in a townhome which has a shared wall with a local venue where there are stage performances most evenings and weekends (back of my home abuts the business) and the music from the performances/DJ (and sometimes crowd noise) filters through the shared wall. It's persistent and loud enough (above a whisper but not quite as loud as a normal conversation) to be annoying and it affects the top 2 levels of my home. I'm not sure if any of my neighbors have the same issue or I'm just unlucky enough to be right by the part of the common wall where the noise is the loudest (e.g. right behind the stage) but am planning to ask around. Not sure if there are any actions I can take to cause an abatement in the noise level but any input would be appreciated.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by jph20

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with noise from an adjacent business infiltrating my home through a common wall?

I live in a townhome which has a shared wall with a local venue where there are stage performances most evenings and weekends (back of my home abuts the business) and the music from the performances/DJ (and sometimes crowd noise) filters through the shared wall. It's persistent and loud enough (above a whisper but not quite as loud as a normal conversation) to be annoying and it affects the top 2 levels of my home. I'm not sure if any of my neighbors have the same issue or I'm just unlucky enough to be right by the part of the common wall where the noise is the loudest (e.g. right behind the stage) but am planning to ask around. Not sure if there are any actions I can take to cause an abatement in the noise level but any input would be appreciated.

There are noise ordinances that deal with decibels and distance and indoor/outdoor. You might start by seeing whether they are violating any of them. From your description, though, I don't think they are.

So if they're not, you don't really have the force of the law on your side which means you can only go the route of approaching the manager and/or owner of the building and/or business politely and appealing to their better nature/desire to be a good neighbor to see if there are steps that can be taken either entirely by them, or by both them and you together that can mitigate the noise further.

I'd start by talking to your neighbors to see if they have any issues with the noise. Having one person come over is less confrontational, but if other people are having the issue and you can go over honestly representing a group there's more weight with your request.

When you do talk to the business, be friendly about it. If the business is operating within the law and you come across like an insensitive jerk, they're definitely going to ignore you. If you're polite, and seem flexible they'll at least consider working with you. Personally, I'd probably start out going during a time when they're not busy, asking to speak with the manager and saying something like, "I'm your neighbor in the back and I have a problem I'd like to discuss. I know your noise level is totally within legal limits and you're good neighbors but I'm still hearing a fair amount of noise coming through the wall and just as a neighbor wanted to see if there was some sort of mutually agreeable solution we could work on together to help mitigate it more." And then go from there based on his/her response. If they're totally negative/rude back, find out if there's someone higher to talk to. If they're the final decision maker, try again in a week, just to make sure it wasn't just a bad day for them. Emphasize that you're not going to cause problems but that you do really want to try and at least try something more than is already in place.

You should also decide what it's worth to you. If an agreement can't be reached, or what they try doesn't work, you may consider improving the sound-proofing in your building. Sound engineers can help with that.

[koctail]

Use white noise like a fan blowing. There are also some white noise that can drown out low bass sounds, I think u need to buy a cd for that.

[rparz]

Was the bar there before you moved in?

If you moved next to O'Hare would you try to get them to shut the airport down to quiet your house down? Or, move next to el tracks and petition the CTA to shut the line down?

More than likely, when you purchased the townhouse, you purchased it at a discount to the neighbors who do not share a wall with a commercial space.

If it's that much of an issue, you should move. I suggest you consider a space on a few acres of land out in the sticks.

[DrEarth]

Originally Posted by jph20

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with noise from an adjacent business infiltrating my home through a common wall?

I live in a townhome which has a shared wall with a local venue where there are stage performances most evenings and weekends (back of my home abuts the business) and the music from the performances/DJ (and sometimes crowd noise) filters through the shared wall. It's persistent and loud enough (above a whisper but not quite as loud as a normal conversation) to be annoying and it affects the top 2 levels of my home. I'm not sure if any of my neighbors have the same issue or I'm just unlucky enough to be right by the part of the common wall where the noise is the loudest (e.g. right behind the stage) but am planning to ask around. Not sure if there are any actions I can take to cause an abatement in the noise level but any input would be appreciated.

That's not very loud.

But I would think, when one moves into a place next to a venue, that person should expect some noise. Be lucky it's quieter than a conversation.

[jwaiter]

What's the name of the business?

How did you move in next to a music venue and not realize this was going to be an issue?

[jph20]

Thanks for all the replies. It's not a bar or music venue per se, it's a comedy/theater company which is on the second floor of a multi business complex. My home (and others) just happen to abut the complex. No sound from any of the performances is audible from outside my house or on the street outside the venue itself, it's just the bass that filters through the common wall (there are other residences on either side of me that also share the same common wall). Maybe a better description of the nature of the sound would be to equate it to a neighbor in an apartment complex blasting music and the bass bumping through the common wall (occasionally loud enough to sound like someone thumping on the other side of the wall).

I grew up in a bigger city than Chicago, living in closer proximity with people and business than I do now so it's definitely not my tolerance for noise, it's just that it was surprising to hear the bass inside my home given that the sound can't be heard from outside my home or anywhere outside the venue itself. With respect to the issue being priced in to the sale price, I would definitely say that it isn't given that the sound is only audible from within the house at night (while at the same time no sound is audible out on the street) and the only way of knowing the issue even exists is to live in the home.

[quigboto]

Just gotta say, this reminds me of the situation that caused a beloved Chicago venue, Lounge Ax, to close. The venue was there long before some guy (They refer to as New Yuppie Neighbor, or NYN for short) moved in but he decided to make an issue of the noise from this music venue anyways, and long story short, the legal hassles escalated, and eventually caused Lounge Ax to close its doors for good. A lot of people from the Chicago music scene were (and still are) pissed about that even today.
Hopefully you can find a solution that makes you happy but doesn't shut down a business that is probably not only someone's livelihood, but also a venue that artists and audiences would sorely miss if shut down. Perhaps if you approach the venue's management they can possibly do something on their end to insulate/soundproof the walls or at least lay off the bass.

[rparz]

Originally Posted by quigboto

Just gotta say, this reminds me of the situation that caused a beloved Chicago venue, Lounge Ax, to close. The venue was there long before some guy (They refer to as New Yuppie Neighbor, or NYN for short) moved in but he decided to make an issue of the noise from this music venue anyways, and long story short, the legal hassles escalated, and eventually caused Lounge Ax to close its doors for good. A lot of people from the Chicago music scene were (and still are) pissed about that even today.
Hopefully you can find a solution that makes you happy but doesn't shut down a business that is probably not only someone's livelihood, but also a venue that artists and audiences would sorely miss if shut down. Perhaps if you approach the venue's management they can possibly do something on their end to insulate/soundproof the walls or at least lay off the bass.

That's BS. People want to move to these neighborhoods in the city because that's where the action is at, everything is close, but then try to turn it into the suburbs.
If you want peace and quiet, move to the suburbs. The city always has constant noise and action going on. That's why I like it. I really hope they don't try to turn neighborhoods within a 5 mile radius of the loop into Naperville.

Hell, move to some high rise or converted condo building if you want to stay in the city. Something that's away from everything that could possibly annoy you. Or hell, try Belmont Craigin, or Irving Park. Row after row of sleepy single family homes. That should be right up your alley.

I lived near a busy street in Chicago, but never thought of petitioning my Alderman to shut the street down. All I asked was they fill the potholes so when trucks fly down the street it doesn't sound like a bomb going off. (Whole house shakes, dishes rattle, wake you up and scare the crap out of you)
It's still pretty noisy and busy, but I got used to it.

[ChicagoMeO]

Originally Posted by rparz

That's BS. People want to move to these neighborhoods in the city because that's where the action is at, everything is close, but then try to turn it into the suburbs.
If you want peace and quiet, move to the suburbs. The city always has constant noise and action going on. That's why I like it. I really hope they don't try to turn neighborhoods within a 5 mile radius of the loop into Naperville.

Hell, move to some high rise or converted condo building if you want to stay in the city. Something that's away from everything that could possibly annoy you. Or hell, try Belmont Craigin, or Irving Park. Row after row of sleepy single family homes. That should be right up your alley.

I lived near a busy street in Chicago, but never thought of petitioning my Alderman to shut the street down. All I asked was they fill the potholes so when trucks fly down the street it doesn't sound like a bomb going off. (Whole house shakes, dishes rattle, wake you up and scare the crap out of you)
It's still pretty noisy and busy, but I got used to it.

Yea, this happened over in Boystown with Circuit nightclub which was there many years before the condo went up and people were complaining about the noise. some other condo went up on Halsted and same problem. the condo people caused a lot of problems for the nightclubs which were in business long before the condo. Not every condo owner complained, just a few idiots. It really was aggravating, especially because this one condo now sits atop the old Vortex Nightclub which was a great place to be in.