I`ve often wondered about taking up the violin but I find the high pitched sound sometimes annoying. I love watching string players and have always been fascinated. I heard the viola was a lower pitched sound and wondered if this would be a better choice? Also I`m thinking of the convenience in that I hope to move into an apartment in a couple of years. Is there any violin/viola players living in an apartment? How do you manage your practice time without annoying tenants?

U can get a good practice mute. Don`t get the tourte kind, they buzz quite a lot. Go for the throng kind. They come in heavy rubber or brass.
Anooying tone?
If played decently, the higher register of the violin should sound silvery, not piercing or screeching.

The viola is a lot less peircing. Not only is the viola lower, but it also tends to play in it`s lower register more often. It also has a different tone colour, so it`s really the tone colour that`s the deciding factor in what instrument one should play.

I play the violin and live in an apartment. My neighbors don`t get annoyed at all, and I practice a lot.

As for which instrument to choose, it all matters on the person. I love high sounds so I chose the violin, but some people prefer a lower sound.