Missing noisy neighbours

[Dommina]

Just a pondering while I'm sitting here, out in the garden. I moved recently and I need a rant. Going slowly mad about people around me.

Nothing but birds chirping, other neighbours are outside, also making no noise. Its dead quiet, bar the odd bit of banter. There are even kids about, and they're just playing very quietly outside. Can hear them being hushed every now and again. have lived here for about 6 months now. Made a faux pas and played some music (Sinatra) with the back door on the first week of lockdown, while the sun was shining. Quite quietly I thought. Got a very stern telling off from Mr and Mrs Next Door. I warned them and other neighbours about a housewarming when I first moved in. They grumbled and asked for music off by 9:30! My other neighbours don't talk. I tried having a chat with my other NDN while we were both in the garden and got looked at as though I had two heads. Original grumpy NDN was banging on the wall when I dared to watch a film at midnight on a Saturday night. It's her living room, not bedroom!

It's making me miss my old, noisy neighbourhood terribly. There was the constant sound of kids screeching and playing during the day. Roaring traffic in the background. Matey boy across the road tinkering on cars all day. People having loud conversations over the fence. House parties with music and happy banter til late(ish) in the gardens were not uncommon. BBQs abound during the summer. To some people, might've been hell.

I thought moving to a 'naice', genteel neighbourhood would be wonderful. Now I can't even talk on the phone outside without worrying about the noise.

No WWYD, AIBU I guess. Just a rant. I can't be the only one who seems to love a bit of ruckus, can I? Anyone moved to a quiet place and also found it unnerving?

Omg do we live in the same street.

Its soooooo quiet here. You dont see a soul out after about 4pm and the poor kids have nothing to do once the sports centre is closed. The ndn gossip and peep over fences.

Yes to the gossiping and peeping! Drives me nuts...

There's quite a lot of curtain twitching too. I'm sure I'd be shopped in a second if I stepped outside the front door twice in a day!

Yes its awful isn't it. I moved down from London so one extreme to the other. Peeper ndn commented he doesn't see my dh very often but thats probably because I haven't got one and opposite nosies complained about my non existent cat pooping.

I lived somewhere like this for a while. It was the most unhappy time of my life.

They'd complain if we came home late, even if we were super quiet. If I spoke on the phone after 9ish, if my kids were laughing too loudly. It was awful. One neighbour started writing down number plates of people who visited me because she thought I had too many visitors. I'd escaped DV and had mental health issues so friends and family visited regularly to check on me.

It was awful and even though I'm now in a lovely neighbourhood where everyone gets on with each other and the various different noises of life, I still catch myself really seriously worrying about getting a knock on the door or a call from the police - yep, that actually happened!

I really feel for you Op. we hear so much about awful neighbours who are too noisy but the reverse is just as uncomfortable.

Can you move or is that not an option?

I will lend you the guy in my flat who regularly bellows and slams doors. You will be so happy! (not).

Thanks Ham and Carrie. I've put so much time, money and energy in to this move, so I really don't want to... But I just don't know if I'm a good fit for this area. Its so depressing. Mrs Grumpy likes to make a point of slamming her window shut if I so much as breath too loudly in the garden. She gave me death stares and did so when I had a friend talking in the garden. Don't think I'd put it past her to call the police. Fingers crossed not!

I think the soonest I'd be able to go is probably December. It would also have to be around here because of work. Maybe I'll walk around at night and look for a rowdier street!

Send him over deathray... Party at my place! (not)

The neighbourhood you've moved to sounds like my idea of Hell tbh but I've been roundly told off on another thread because I dare play (quiet) music on a speaker whilst sitting in my garden. I never realised this was such a massive no-no until I came on here because I've never lived anywhere other than areas like you said you have moved from: not noisy so much as busy and certainly not judgemental!

In your shoes, as much as it'd be a huge pain in the arse, I'd perhaps give it 6 or so months to see if you settle in and if not, consider moving again. No point in living somewhere that makes you feel miserable.

Personally I'd move rather than lay down roots. It sounds like the wrong environment for you xxx

Sounds like bliss to me except the no music in garden part.

Sounds like my idea of heaven! I get why she was mad at you for playing music in the garden (from the back door); some people do like to enjoy their gardens in peace and quiet and go outside to listen to nature, not other peoples music. As long as you're only making a reasonable level of noise (and think about it as sometimes folk think their noise is reasonable when it isn't) then there's nothing else you can do.