So you moved to New York and are surprised and upset that it's loud? What were you expecting? This is a bit like going to a Caribbean island and complaining about all the sun.

I've spent much time in the Netherlands in cafes, restaurants and bars and never once have I been struck by just how much quieter it was or the Dutch were.

>"My girlfriend is American and I don't think she realized the difference until I called her attention to it. It's just a cultural issue."

Honestly, this and the rest of your comments sound more like a "cultural superiority" issue on your part.