We did a couple things to mitigate the noise of our generator.
1. The weekly test runs are at 1pm on Wednesdays when fewer people are around. Also it is much quieter than the monster mowers or snowblowers.
2. We installed a couple of duplex outlets on the outside of the house, each on a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Near neighbors have been told to plug in whatever they wanted without asking in an outage. With an extension cord or two they can have a little light, a refrigerator and entertainment. With a bigger cord they can run a gas furnace or sump pump.
3. Looking for some other simple ideas, (the Zombie Box is too ugly to be one of them)