I haven't been able to get a good night's rest anywhere here

[Davidglen77]

I got the soundproof windows in the bedrooms, we live in the middle of the city right behind Congreso on a low floor. Awesome 1920s apartment, high ceilings, french doors, big rooms, all that stuff from Buenos Aires' glorious past, however it was VERY noisy at first. With the anti-ruido windows closed, no se escucha casi nada.

 

[va2ba]

You are not alone. Our first apartment was directly above the SUM where there would be a LOUD all night party at least once a week...and they were working to fix the pool which meant that they would start hammering away for 2 hours starting at 7 am and then stop and sit around for the rest of the day.

The second place we lived we were sandwiched between avenida Libertador and the train which meant a train every 2 to 5 minutes in the morning and evening rush hours.

The next place had construction across the street, but thankfully it wasn't to to bad as they were getting down to the details after most of the major work had been done. The place after that was fine for the first month until construction started next door... at 7 am with heavy machinery operating all morning.

Thankfully we have finally found a place away from all the hustle and bustle of palermo, recoleta that is nice and quiet. I hear more birds here than anything else.

But I do have to say, the noise was not always an issue for me. The noise that is ALWAYS there like the traffic, the trains, ambulances and barking dogs I can get used to, but the worst for me is usually when one of the neighbors decides to throw a party that lasts until 5am.

My best suggestion would be to move away the crowded areas. Its not easy to find a place, but it will be much quieter.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Ambient noise is the way to go. We use a fan in the bed room and we can not hear any outside noise. In the winter we just face the fan to the wall. I can not sleep without it.

We do the exact same thing.

 

[PhilipDT]

I live in a townhouse in southwest balvanera its nice, the bedroom is at the end of the house so a good 20 m from the street which is a small street. Also as citygirl said, these 100+ year old constructions have REALLY thick walls. Very good for isolating sound. Only downside is there is a hospital about 2 blocks and I do hear the ambulances, but normally it is dead silent.

 

[katti]

I got the soundproof windows in the bedrooms, we live in the middle of the city right behind Congreso on a low floor. Awesome 1920s apartment, high ceilings, french doors, big rooms, all that stuff from Buenos Aires' glorious past, however it was VERY noisy at first. With the anti-ruido windows closed, no se escucha casi nada.

Is it expensive? who did it? is it double glazing?

 

[BA Barrio Busquador]

Using earplugs has transformed my sleeping. Foam ones as mentioned are the best - they are usually fluorescent in colour. Agree with the rolling them between your fingers to get them thinner, then plug 'em in. Sometimes they hurt a bit if you have been lying on one in a funny position in your ear, but the benefits far outweigh that. Honestly, I have been on the verge of divorce with a snoring partner and they did the trick.

They take the edge of things and give you a much deeper sleep.

 

[elclandestino]

BAires is really loud, but I handle it well

 

[Napoleon]

1) Get a fan and crank it.

2) I didn't notice it for months, but there are birds that chirp twice a day like someone's holding a casting call for Hitchcock's "Birds II: The Musical".

There's even an old bag that puts food out on her window sill (sp?) every evening so that they have food.

There is an enormous shared lung between my building and the other building and there are probably over 50 birds between the two buildings. I'm considering getting a bb gun/pellet gun and picking off about 3 birds a day until the noise goes down. Poisoning the lady's food out her window is probably too difficult. But if I could do it, I'd be doing everyone in the two buildings a favor.

 

[chris]

"I guess it could happen in any major city..."

Not really. In some countries there are laws regarding construction times. Also laws regarding public disturbances that are enforced by the police. For example a friend in Philadelphia complained about construction noise on Saturday morning, His building's general manager called the police. The construction was stopped on Saturdays. In the building where my friend lives internal construction and moves are prohibited on weekends and before 10 AM and after 5 PM weekdays. Complaints to the police regarding loud parties at late hours get attention. In general people are more respectful of neighbors. When I lived in New York a neighbor used to hold about 3-4 parties a year. He would put a note under the door a few weeks before each party telling me when the party would take place and until about what hour. He'd even invite me! If I wanted I could plan to be out that evening or go out of town.

Soundproof windows: What's that? Double glazing? I have that and it helps but in no way does it block all noise, When there are parties or construction I am still disturbed.

Best advice: Never buy facing the street unless it is one of those rare streets w/o buses and with light traffic. Look for contrafrente but be careful that there are no roof gardens set up for parties. Before you buy, try to see the flat several times at different hours to assess noise levels. Look around the neighborhood to see if there is any construction or any likelihood of construction. If you see neighbors in the building, ask them if it is quiet.

 

[citygirl]

Sound-proofed windows = double or triple paned windows, usually with some type of vinyl around them. Supposedly cuts down on street noise 50-70%. Not sure if that's accurate but it made a huge difference in the one apt I rented that had them.