The distance of a whisper
Noise pollution is something I seem to care about now that I’m older. As a teenager I scoffed at my mom complaining about noise coming through the party wall of a neighboring apartment. I laughed and photographed a ‘No Honking /$350 Fine’ the first time I saw one. Now I wear earplugs to bed. I’ve heard noise isolation described as a ‘luxury’ and as a necessity, especially for small studio/efficiency apartments where there is no other room to escape to in the event of noisy neighbors. I get the value of silence now.
Adam Achrati 
Alas, as I grow older I become my own sound machine. I highly recommend an industrial-level (joking) air purifier for city living. Cleans the air and churns out white noise all at the same time.