When renting apartments, do you prefer ground level, or the upstairs?

Question

I can't stand folks jumping on my head, so I prefer to be upstairs. Being a Senior with a disability, ground floor would be more logical, but I refuse to say I'm handicapped and I'll gladly climb those stairs for the amount of peace it would give me. What's your opinion?

Answer 1

same here . i like to be on top too.

Answer 2

I prefer ground level.  I've lived on the top floor and the exercise from walking the stairs was nice, except for laundry or grocery day.  If you have good upstairs neighbors you won't have floor jumpers.  My last apartment was ground level and it was the best.

Answer 3

Upstairs.  Ground floors are often targeted by burglars and rapists.  Besides, you can see the stars better from upstairs(stargazing is my favorite hobby).

Answer 4

I prefer the ground floor (or the first floor), I live in the south and the top floors would tend to get very hot!  (Sun beating down on the shingles all day).  But then again, I have not lived in an apartment for many many years.   Maybe things have changed today.     CJ

Answer 5

You might not say that when the building goes above 5 floors & the elevator goes out!  

I enjoy life at the top....that way IF there's an earthquake, I'll hopefully end up on TOP of the pile of rubble, rather than buried underneath all of it, like I might be, if I was on the lower levels or main floor!

I can't stand having people stomping around OVERHEAD either...then there's the little added problem of leaky pipes, something the top floors don't happen to have to deal with in the event of a MAJOR plumbing problem!!!

Answer 6

Both have there pro's and con's, that is true. But I would rather have the ground level over being on any other floor. I would not want to have to drag my furniture up any stairs at all. If a fire was to break out, at least I wouldn't have to do anything but walk out my door. I could put up with the folks above me walking on their floor.  

Answer 7

I like upstairs, not only to not have anyone above me, but I feel a little more secure, with my windows being unaccessible and being able to leave them open and still feel safe.  Some of the better built apartments, have noise reduction insulation between floors, and I think that helps. I did live in a ground floor apartment, but there was no one above my living space.

Answer 8

Upstairs for me. I don't want people walking, dancing, jumping or running over my head. And if they have kids that make's it even worse. Poppy

Answer 9

Ground level, I'm not lugging ever thing I own up the stairs.  

Answer 10

The only advantage that living at ground level has is the easy access. Being on the second floor is quieter, and since heat rises your winter heating bill is quite a bit less. I have a daughter that lived in an apartment in Iowa, cold as the dickens in the winter, she lived on the second floor and hardly ever had to turn her heat on.

Answer 11

Ground level. However, I just moved into a senior high rise (ten floors), with elevators. The building was built in the 60's, is all steel and concrete. Been here three months, once in awhile I'll hear a door slam. That's it.

Answer 12

  When I rented apartments I always  got the upstairs. I also don't like people running over my head.

Answer 13

I'd pick a place that just has one level, which is what I have, because I was having some problems walking last year.  Also, I like to do gardening & feel lucky to have a little yard with my apt.  (It's a 4-plex, or I could say, 2 duplexes on one property.)  It was a mixture of weeds & patches of grass when I moved in, but I mulched & took that out, & now it's all garden.  Also, I'm happy that I finally got some quiet people next to me.

The only time I wished I lived in an upstairs apt. was when someone broke into my apt. when I was at work.  However, we haven't had any problems with theft in these apartments.  It's a slightly better neighborhood, though of course that's no guarantee.

I hope you find a 1-level place.  Ours would be dandy if it weren't for that big apt complex next door & especially their very noisy driveway with motorcycles, noisy cars, car stereos, people thinking they can have private phone calls in the driveway (oh, right!), & people talking too loud.  Well, that's the younger folks for you.

Well, we each make our choices & even at an older age, we try this & live with this choice awhile, & then we try something else.  You'd think by now that  we'd have the answers.

By the way, I like your Rt 66 name & logo.  Such killjoys, ending Rt 66 as the main route to the west!

Answer 14

I've lived on a ground level apartment for at least 15 years and prefer it. I do like it for obvious reasons such as an easier way out just in case. The family above me are very qiuet. They are a nice Thai family. There is a young couple up above my bedroom (thier bedroom too). I can hear them doing thier thing sometimes.. We all get along very well, and when winter comes, everyone pitches in and helps with shoveling the snow.

Answer 15

Ground level for fire or emergency, disabilities. Upstairs for more quiet time and keeping burglars out. Much over 2 stories and living upstairs starts to lose some of the good points.