Philly Inner City Row Houses (Philadelphia: apartment, neighborhoods, purchasing)

[steggie]

Hi, I'm retired, presently living in the woods in SC, originally from Bronx, NY and am thinking of purchasing a Row House in Philadelphia inner city.
My only concern about a Row House is NOISE. Is anyone on this forum familiar with living in a Row House? Can you tell me if I should be worried about a LOUD neighbor on either side, or, are the walls thick enough so I can't hear what is going on on either side?
I would appreciate any advice you can give in this regard.

[john_starks]

i really don't hear too much noise other than the occasional neighbor thumping up and down the stairs. but then again, our home is 25 yrs old. i think some of the older homes may have noise issues.

also, we installed a pretty powerful sound system (sub-woofer and all) so i may actually be the loud, annoying neighbor. haven't heard any complaints yet

[Ohiogirl81]

My house was built in 1928. The walls are thick, but they're not that thick. I hear chairs scraping on the kitchen floor, people walking up and down the stairs, the neighbors' stupid dog throwing himself against the front door when the mailman comes , the grandfather clock chiming ... It's not awful, and I have pretty quiet neighbors. But I've heard worse at friends' houses: thumping music, kids and adults alike screaming and yelling, etc.

Row houses certainly have their benefits, but quiet and privacy are not among them.

[lititzman2003]

I think, based on my own experiences with Philly rowhouses, that drywall is a better sound insulator then plaster walls so if you can find a newer rowhouse you may find it to be a quieter environment. Good luck with your search.

[solibs]

My house is ca. 1875, the place next door to me is one apartment on each floor and I don't really hear much of my neighbors except if it's really quiet in my house and someone is going up the stairs next door . . . and sometimes hear my 3rd floor neighbors and their karaoke, but only if i'm up on the 3rd floor.

In most rowhouses the staircase/hallway take up most of the party wall so unless you have really loud neighbors you shouldn't hear too much of them.

There are a lot of voids in the brick so exposing the brick and pointing/sealing it can cut down on noise. So can insulating. My part wall has a layer of drywall over the original plaster but then, it's not really noise that I hear so much as it is vibrations.

But if you're really in to peace and quiet you're going to have be really selective about the neighborhood/block that you live on. You'll be going from about 12 people per sq. mile to about 12,000.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

the neighbors' stupid dog throwing himself against the front door when the mailman comes

Are you sure it's the dog and not just the stupid neighbor?!

[bryson662001]

If you have noisy neighbors you will here them. One solution would be to look in family un-friendly neighborhoods like the gayborhood for a trinity although these houses will be smaller and more expensive, maybe in the 300's. What is your budget?

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Are you sure it's the dog and not just the stupid neighbor?!

Now that you mention it, my neighbors are stupid, too. But you can come down for a visit and judge for yourself!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Now that you mention it, my neighbors are stupid, too. But you can come down for a visit and judge for yourself!

You're on! I'll trade you a goodie basket filled with NEPA treats like Gertrude Hawk Chocolates for a true Philly cheesesteak!