Wood floor commercial building

Commercial building right under the subway in NYC ;) My third studio in 3 years, second one (also under the subway) was built pretty effectively reducing the subway to a minor rumble. The new building has wood floors and a huge vacated space lies underneath me. This space will likely be overtaken by a restaurant or (please god, no) a nightclub in the future. I signed a three year lease in the building and I want to know what (if anything) I should/could do to help isolate my room from that in anticipation of noise from below. I don't want to get too crazy but I can build a wood deck or something. Concrete is obviously out of the question. My walls and ceiling will 2 x 3/4" drywall each side of the stud (with insulation). I've already read the "Should I Float my Floor" sticky, but it seemed to address concrete floors more than provide solutions or answers for wood floors (maybe there are no answers). Thanks.

Subway right above, possible night club right below, and only wooden construction allowed? :shock: Dunno about what others might think, but if that were me I think I'd be looking for a different place to build: Just the noise and vibration from the subway is going to be a nightmare. I reckon you are looking at some major money and effort if you want to isolate that well enough to make it into a great studio. I'm not saying its not do-able. Just that it won't be easy, and it certainly won't be cheap! What kind of budget do you have in mind? - Stuart -

I don't think it will be THAT expensive. The room is only about 300sq'. It's not a full recording studio with multiple rooms. It's a single project studio. I can even build an iso booth within the room for a singer or other instrumentalists. I'm actually more concerned about what might be downstairs than I am about the subway. My last build only cost me about $1000 - that was all the drywall, wood, tools etc. This one should cost about $1500. I'm assuming from all that I've read that there's really nothing I can do about bass from the floor. But lets say a restaurant moves in downstairs. Would a layer of rigid fiberglass and then plywood at least significantly dampen the noises of dishes and people talking?

Subway Vs dishes :?: Me smell a rat :mrgreen: