Noise from L/Metra (Evanston, Irving: apartments, condo, school)

[movinghere]

Hi,

I'm moving to Evanston or Rogers Park to attend Northwestern for grad school, and I'm quite worried about noise from the L & Metra. It seems like most apartments are within 2-3 blocks of the train. I'm VERY sensitive to noise when sleeping. How difficult is it to find something quiet where I won't hear the train or other noises?

[Vlajos]

It's very easy to find places live not near a train station/L stop.

[movinghere]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

It's very easy to find places live not near a train station/L stop.

How far away do you recommend moving? I am not from the area, so I don't know how far the noise travels. I'm very sensitive to noise, so basically I'd need it to be almost inaudible with the windows closed.

[MannheimMadman]

whoa. this thread ought to be combine with the other el/metra one. I thought there was a rip in the space/time continuum.

[Vlajos]

I can't help you too much with this. I kind of like noise. You may have to check out some apartments and listen for noise. The L runs every few minutes during the day.

[aragx6]

I lived less than two blocks from the el and only if it was dead silent in my apartment did I hear the slow rumble of the train pulling up to the Damen station.

I honestly think your bigger issue might well be with general street noise -- sirens, trucks, bass etc. No matter how residential the street there's likely to always be a bit of that low city hum.

Have you ever tried sleeping with a box fan? I heart mine.

[It'sAutomatic]

I was separated from Metra tracks by a street and 4 buildings and they never bothered me. I'm a light sleeper, too.

[movinghere]

Originally Posted by It'sAutomatic

I was separated from Metra tracks by a street and 4 buildings and they never bothered me. I'm a light sleeper, too.

Did you not hear the noise at all? Or did you hear it but it just didn't bother you? (I am about the lightest sleeper ever, so if it's audible it would probably bother me.)

[Chicago60614]

Well it's all about the location of your bedroom, and if you're on a main street or a really quiet residential street. Generally the trains are running on the 2nd/3rd floors, and most buildings are all 3 floors and brick. That's going to block the train noise a lot within a few blocks. My condo faces where the L runs just north of Irving Park, but I have two rows of apartment buildings between me and the train. I hear NOTHING unless I'm outside and a few doors down where I hear it echoing down the side street. Even then it's hardly "noisy".

I've also lived on Sheffield right across from bars, and while my roommate was almost suicidal from a lack of sleep due to cabs, cars, drunk people, ambulances, etc. at all hours - I heard NOTHING because I was tucked away in the back of the building. My bedroom faced a few other bedrooms in our building and the one nextdoor in a little dead zone. You listen out the front bedroom on a saturday night and between the L running across the street and all the sh** faced drunk/ambulances going by at all hours you would have thought the world was coming to an end or we were being invaded.

My building now is noisly as hell out the front window, but again I face the building nextdoor, and the only opening out there is to the alley. It's dead quiet.

You have to see the actual buildings. Is it going to bounce off certain buildings? How tall are the buildings around you? Is it a noisy street?

My friend lives 7 doors east of Halsted on the 3rd floor, and I'm always amazed at how well I can hear the L going by way over on Sheffield - over a quarter mile away.

[Jandur]

It's going to vary from apt. to apt but if you live a 2-4 a way I doubt will be an issue. At that distance it wont be any louder than a car driving by. An ex of mine lived basically on the L line. Open up her back door and there were the brown line tracks. You could hear it go by but the place was so well insulated that it sounded like a jet flying in the distance.