How do get sleep living in a bad neighborhood in the summer?

Question

I live in nyc in a bad section, about 20 guys hang out across the street from my building until 5 am every night, they scream, blast radio, cops laugh at me when i call. im on the 5th floor and stay awake until 5 am and sleep 2 hours then go to work.
How do you deal with this?

Answer 1

An airconditioner lets you keep the windows closed. Use earplugs and get a white noise machine
http://www.amazon.com/Machine-Screen-Conditioner-Marpac-Latest/dp/B000BQYP1S

Answer 2

I used to live on the first floor of an apartment building down the block from a bodega where a group of guys would hang out well into the night. I found that having a fan on near my bed drowns out a lot of that noise. It's easier to sleep through the noise from the fan than it is all the people talking and whatever.

Answer 3

I knew four college roommates who wanted to work in NYC. So they all chipped in for a big apartment in a not so good neighborhood in Brooklyn. Same situation. It seemed as if there was a party every night on the street. Yelling and screaming, cursing and fighting, and once in a while gunshots. What did they do? They brough an air conditioner and turned it on for the summer. During the winter less of a problem because the streets weren't as crowded.

Answer 4

Have you seen those air purifiers that blow the air? We use those to sleep with. I live in a quiet suburb but we have gotten so used to the white noise it's hard to sleep without it now. It covers all sorts of noise.....like the TV in the other room and such

Answer 5

Yeah like Lisa said, I'd just try to create ambience - whether with a fan or monotonous music (if other people around can't hear it.) Other than that, I'd just move as soon as possible. It wouldn't be fun to have neighbors like that.

Answer 6

Ear plugs.. A fan to help block out the noise..