Why suburban New Yorkers infuriate new neighbors

Wealthy Manhattan residents moved from New York to the suburbs in record numbers as COVID-19 hit the metropolis. But the rhythm and lifestyle they are accustomed to in America's largest city are very different from how they live in small towns, writes New York Post.

“They seem to have a different understanding of life. Living in the city is a constant noise, hanging out with friends until late at night, ”says Olga Avdaeva, who until recently enjoyed a quiet life in Rockaway, New Jersey. - I used to live in a city and I know this mentality, but after living for a long time in the suburbs, you become more caring about your neighbors. They don't have it yet. "

According to the U.S. Postal Service, in 2020, about 5% of New York City's population, or more than 300 people, especially from wealthy neighborhoods, moved to the suburbs.

As a result of this wave of moves, houses from Lakewood, New Jersey to Beacon, New York rose in price by 35-45%, and real estate in New York City fell in value.

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The calm life of Avdaeva, a 35-year-old financial consultant, ended in March 2020, immediately after the introduction of quarantine. Every week, a host of potential buyers invaded her neighborhood to inspect the homes for sale.

“At one point, there were more than 30 cars in the show, mostly with New York City license plates,” she said. Homes in the area typically sell for between $ 350 and $ 000, according to Zillow, but prices have risen 600% over the past year.

When in the spring a couple from a metropolis moved to a house next to Avdaeva, they immediately began repairs and construction. The work continued for months, including at night and on weekends. The screams of workers and the noise of tools prevented Avdaeva's children from sleeping and made her family's life unbearable.

Moreover, in the summer hurricane Isaiah, which brought destructive winds and floods, knocked down a large tree in the Avdaevs' yard. Olga was very offended by the new neighbors because they did not even ask if her family was okay.

“They weren't interested in stopping by and asking if we needed help,” she grieved.

A Greenwich resident who has lived there for 30 years also spoke of her troubles with her new neighbors. The woman refused to give her name so as not to aggravate the conflict situation on her street.

According to her, at first she was happy with the new neighbors and the revitalization of the town. But things quickly soured after she noticed that new neighbors were allowing their dog to pee in her yard.

But, instead of apologizing, they said that it was not worth paying attention to and that everything “was ok”.

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“I left town to get away from the noise,” said another Greenwich resident who moved there from Queens more than two years ago.

But the city quickly found her. In March, a young Manhattan couple moved into a house around the corner that had been empty for three years. The new neighbors immediately announced their presence with frequent noisy night parties.

One late spring, when the friends of the newly made neighbors came out onto the balcony, laughed and shouted loudly, the woman asked them to be quiet. But they shouted back, "We're just celebrating a new neighbor!" and continued the party.

“This noise was enough to wake my sleeping baby,” she said.

The noisy behavior of new neighbors has become such a huge problem in the area that it has become difficult for real estate experts to sell homes there. For families with many children, dogs, or big plans for a home makeover, they suggest thinking of other neighborhoods.

And while many shops in the suburbs survived, thanks to the migrants from the city, this increase in the number of shoppers also caused them problems.

“Every day is like Christmas,” a cleaner in the Hudson Valley said of the colossal increase in litter.