Your New (and Noisy) Neighborhood at Night

If the first night you spend in your new neighborhood is the night you move in, you might be in for some tough surprises. Popular Mechanic listed sounds you might not be expecting.

1. Highway Noise: It can carry further when it’s humid, so you should check the neighborhood in the early morning, when the air is at its dewiest.
2. Industrial Noise: Check the neighborhood for industrial activity, especially where they use big, metal, roll-up doors. The workers might keep the doors closed in the winter but open in the summer, exposing you to unexpected sounds from within the factory.
3. Rail Yards: Idling trains can be very loud, especially late at night or during humid days.
4. Junkyards: These might use large machinery such as large-terrain forklifts and wheel loaders, which can be very noisy.
5. Water-Tower Pumps: These pumps charge overnight, sometimes causing a steady, throbbing sound. Then again, it might be too quiet to notice.

Check the neighborhood out yourself to make sure: Go for a nighttime drive or look on maps to see what you’re up against.