[geraldwhen]

Apartments are horrible. If you get a crying baby neighbor, or a dog, or neighbors who blast music at 3am, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Nothing. The police will not help you, as noise ordinance is not enforced. Your apartment manager won’t do anything because none of them do anything.

Other fun apartment specific happenings: constant clouds of marijuana smoke, curry spice smell seeping through the walls and sticking to everything, and constant thuds from anyone walking above you.

Without rigorous enforcement of rules, apartments suck. And there is no enforcement.

[amarshall]

Suburban homes suck. If you get a neighbor mowing their lawn, weed-whacking, leaf-blowing, ignoring their dog endlessly barking outside, or partying late on their patio, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Nothing. The police will not help you, as noise ordinance either doesn’t exist or is not enforced. Your HOA, if you have one, won’t do anything because none of them do anything.

(Yes, this is tongue-in-cheek, but it is also rooted in real experience. Yes, I’m aware electric lawn equipment exists and somewhat improves some of the above when used. Nevertheless, city apartment living for me has been quieter than suburbia.)

[geraldwhen]

Gas mowers are fast and run during the day. I couldn’t care less about daytime noise, because I sleep at night.

Animal control will eventually come for dogs left outside, but it takes some effort. The more property you own, the less this matters. And some HOAs DO enforce where apartments will not. HOAs aren’t in the business of making anyone happy, unlike apartments. They exist to do the opposite, in fact.

[jimberlage]

There are levels to apartments - I have lived in apartments like this in my 20s, but there is a whole world of single family condos that is more like my suburban childhood home. I live in a townhome in a dense area and experience no noise from neighbors beyond the occasional lawnmower or loud car. I’ve been able to find homes like that easily in urban centers in various parts of the US where I’ve lived.