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That's a construction issue. If you're used to the stick-built homes and ballon framing, then the article quote from Vanwyck is right: “The majority of North Americans haven’t experienced high-quality housing, and so they also don’t know what they’re missing and what they can ask for.” In the apartment house I live in Sweden, I hear less of my neighbors than when I lived in a detached house in the US. The walls and floors here are SOLID! I had to get a impact drill so I could install curtains, the concrete is that tough. Some apartment complexes have a private courtyard garden where you can bbq and play with the kids (and play with the dogs, though you'll need to go elsewhere to let them pee and poop), and have the upkeep paid by your rent. Ours doesn't, but our nearest park is across the street and the nearest big playground 5 blocks away, see https://www.google.com/maps/@58.2841034,12.2930193,3a,75y,23... . And we have several large shared rooms in the basement where the kids can play on wet dreary days, or hold a birthday party or, in my case, work during the COVID restriction years. Now, I hate mowing and gardening, which is why I also paid someone to do it for me in the US. For those who like it, I can totally see how having a yard would support that hobby. |