I never hear my next door neighbors. I will sometimes hear the pitter-patter of my upstairs neighbor's kids if they run in the apartment, but that's only occasionally. The one thing I will say is that Timberland isn't too far from the fire station, so now that I'm home I will say that I realize the fire trucks go by a few days a week during the day. I've never heard them at night (maybe they don't use sirens at night?) I have been sleeping with ear plugs since college, so it's just habit to me to wear them. I don't wear them because the building is loud; it just feels weird to not have them when I'm sleeping.