I am a college student who has just moved into a new apartment.  Everything is fantastic about it except around 8 each night the bar downstairs begins to play music far too loud.  I have called to complain to the owner almost every night I have been here.  I try to wait till I am ready to actually go to bed, and past ten because I believe that is when a stricter noise control law is in effect, and each time it’s the same. He first turns the music down and apologizes then twenty minutes later the volume is raised to its original levels.  Recently if I call the bar itself and an employee picks up I am mocked as "their good buddy upstairs trying to ruin everyone's good time."  Upon telling the manager this, he quickly apologized for their behavior and promises that he does not condone it; however I can't help but wonder.  Also as I try to walk into my building and go past some of them sitting outside I have noticed that they stare at me and on at least two occasions have called out angrily towards me, I ignore it and walk into my building.  This is stuff that I really don't think I should have to put up with.

    On one night when 3 A.M. drunken karaoke had killed any remote possibility of sleep I decided to contact the police, and within minutes there were squad cars outside.  A couple of days later I noticed that the bar had been closed for the day because of a suspended liquor license.  Whether the two are related completely I do not know for sure.  In any event it was the only night that I was able to get a full nights rest since moving in.  The owner has since claimed to know nothing about how to better sound proof his establishment and asked me to come down and take a look at it for him and to help him in the process of quieting his place.  However with the way I have been treated by his staff, I really do not want to have to go down there for a large amount of time.  What I would like is to be able to find a professional who I can put them in contact with who can come in and help to sound proof the bar, and if necessary my apartment as well. 

     The bar is not very large, has a drop ceiling with no sound proofing material whatsoever, and a few of the speakers are placed directly on the walls.  The bar also has an outside eating area, a place where they can get away with smoking and drinking still, after a Pennsylvania law was released to prevent such actions.  The owner wishes that the music could be heard outside in that area, however as far as I can tell to do this he simply turns the music up inside.  Obviously these are all major issues that would attribute to my sleepless nights, but I was hoping that you would be able to help me find someone in my area of Bethlehem PA, who would be able to do such a job.  Also I worry about if this job is done for them, and done poorly resulting in only a minor reduction then the owner will not want to go any further in helping this situation after already putting money into fixing it. 

    I believe that according to Bethlehem's sound ordinances that I have been reading online, they are in violation, but I of course cannot fully prove this.  Although I feel like what is worse at times then hearing the noise is feeling the sound vibrations in my bed as I try and sleep, so for me earplugs have worked very little to help me get to bed as I can still feel the music.  After a week of living with very little to no REM sleep I have found myself increasingly more irritable, and I find it very difficult to distract myself from thinking of anything else when the music begins to play.  I am struggling to deal with this now, but once I return to classes in August, I simply cannot have this kind of thing distracting me from my work, I am already far in debt to pay for my education, and I cannot have it ruined by a bar.  Please help me in any way that you can!

Tom Connors

(570)-691-6550

tc3612@desales.edu

6 West 4th Street APT 2

Bethlehem PA 18015