Her NJ Neighbor's Music Woke Her Up. So She Baked Him A Cake

MERCER COUNTY, NJ - Candice Marie-Benbow used a little southern charm to solve a loud New Jersey problem, and made a new friend in the process.

Benbow recently moved to the Trenton area from North Carolina, and was greeted by constant loud music coming from her neighbor's apartment, even at 3 a.m., according to nj.com.

Instead of filing a complaint, Benbow took a different approach: She baked her noisy neighbor a cake. She also wrote a letter, worded as nicely as possible.

“When you come home every night and blast music, I’ve come to expect it,” she told her neighbor in a note that was posted on Twitter and has gone viral.

She said sometimes he plays a song she hasn’t heard in a while, and she appreciates the throwback. Sometimes it’s a song she never heard before, and she looks it up online. However, the loud music at 3 a.m. was too much for her.

“At 4:07 a.m., you settled down. I really appreciated that. In the future, as you’re hosting your kickbacks and come throughs, please remember the rest of us,” she wrote. “As a peace offering, I hope you will enjoy this pound cake. At 3:30 when I decided to bake it for you, I realized I was taking your feelings into much more consideration than you were taking mine. I hope that changes.”

This was posted on Dec. 15. It was followed by an update that read, “And his music tonight is at the lowest it’s ever been!”

Three days later, the two met in person. The man, Tommy, apologized and told her the pound cake was amazing. They learned they are both new to the area and both have experienced loss in their life. Oh, and Tommy is a music producer.

“Everything makes sense now,” she wrote.

Benbow explained that she didn’t call the police because she only calls them for emergencies, and she didn’t want to go over there because she lives alone and it was 3 a.m.

“I knew I had to say something,” she wrote. “I was looking for a way that didn’t make it confrontational. Plus, I really love to bake!”

Their feel good story has been picked up by national media, including Inside Edition. It also received praise from Twitter users, who said they are inspired by her and that they learned a lot on how to deal with strangers through this situation.

“It was a sweet and gentle reminder that we never know what folks are going through and it is always best to lead with kindness,” Benbow said of the experience. “When we can extend grace, we really should.”

Photo credit: Anthony Bellano