4 things to consider before moving in above a restaurant

By Jennifer Laing | November 6, 2014 - 3:59PM

In Case You Missed It: Every so often, BrickUnderground digs through the archives to find the best advice our experts have shared through the years.

For many apartment hunters, a place above a restaurant is a deal breaker. (Who needs all that extra garbage, smells and noise, not to mention people milling around the building?) But it doesn’t have to be if the restaurant’s lease is explicit on preserving the quality of life of the building’s tenants. Before you move in, double check these points:

Trash: Ideally it’s stored in a refrigerated trash room in the basement (to keep vermin away) and picked up directly from that room during the day—not at night when you’re trying to rest.

Operating hours: The best restaurant neighbor closes at midnight or 1 a.m. and doesn’t blare loud music. If you’re sensitive to sound, find out if there’s extra insulation in the restaurant’s ceiling to absorb noise.

Outdoor space: If the eatery has a patio or garden, find out when it closes each night to determine if it will interfere with your sleep.

Odors: Ask about the type of ventilation system in place. The better ones remove odors and diffuse them via an airshaft to the roof, but they’re expensive—and rare. So, trust your nose. If it detects any malodorous scents while you’re touring even a dream apartment, think about searching elsewhere.

And for more info on living above a restaurant, read "How to live happily above a restaurant."

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