Knowing your neighbours

[divingbiker]

I moved to my neighborhood 17 years ago, and now, except for the elderly couple on the corner who don't speak to anyone, I'm the old-timer of the neighborhood. I know all my neighbors, many of them to the point that I have their spare house keys. We don't have dinner or go out, but I can borrow sugar or a beer if I'm dying for one, and I'll watch their pets or I can call them to let my dogs out if I'm going to be late.

When I moved in, there were several elderly couples on the block. I'd watch out for them as they got more frail, and help them out around the house and yard if necessary. Sadly, they've died now and the block has a much different feel with lots of families with young children moving in.

The house next to me always seemed cursed, since it was either vacant or had awful renters for all the years I've lived there, until last year, when a nice young couple bought it and turned it into a home that someone loves, finally. It's amazing the difference that has made.

I've also met many people on the surrounding blocks on my dog walks, but we mostly know each other by our dogs, not by our names.

It might be the small-town Nebraskan in me, but I can't imagine living in a neighborhood that isn't friendly. Although I do have to say that I probably know more of my neighbors than anyone else does. Maybe that just means I'm a nosy busybody, but I don't think so.

[ginny]

I grew up in suburbia and knew neighbors by sight. I moved across the country to a great little subdivision, but alas, I still didn't know my neighbors. I moved again (to the middle of the country), and bought a cool log cabin up in the mtns. I loved it. I knew some neighbors, but not well enough to hang out with them. I loved the view and the locale, but felt like something was missing in terms of community. I live in a fairly small university town now. I moved to the 'old town' part of town. I don't know if it's like mindedness (it's the liberal, hippy part of town), but I know all my neighbors and I have only lived there a few months. We hang out on the porch and wave to the people walking and riding their bikes by our house. I go to the grocery store, and it's an odd day if I don't see someone I know. Maybe I was just meant to be a small town type, but I love the community of knowing my neighbors and it feels safer if you know whose faces are 'supposed' to be in the neighborhood. I do wish it was more diverse here, but I think that's just the area (Wyoming is not really known for diversity). Though, through my connections at the university, there is more diversity in my world than in most people's here in town.

[GLC1968]

Yes, we do. Pretty well, in fact. But, we live in the country where knowing your neighbors is more a part of life than it is in more urban surroundings.

We have a couple that lives next door that are probably 10 years older than us. We are quite friendly with them and often exchange produce and favors.

The guy who owns the land surround us and our neighbors is really nice. We've met him twice - he operates a bison ranch and lives up the road a ways.

The couple who own the berry farm across the street are probably about our age and we've only exchanged pleasantries with them occasionally. We don't even know their names. They have 4 young boys and since we don't have kids, there isn't a lot of opportunities for socializing.

When we lived in NC we lived in a suburban neighborhood and we barely knew two sets of neighbors even though we were surround by TONS of them.

Same thing when we lived in suburban Florida.

[redrhodie]

In my last apartment, one of my neighbors decided we were best friends, would show up at all hours uninvited. I really couldn't stand her, and the efforts dbf and I made at avoiding her were comical (like slipping out the back door while she was knocking on the front). This probably sounds mean, but she was always drunk, and I didn't want her constant melodrama in my life. She was a factor in my decision to move. I've been leery of getting too close to any neighbor since her.

[Norse]

Although we don't really socialize with our neighbors we do know them, say "hello" when we see them and do sometimes chat with the neighbors on either side of us. It probably helps that there are no fences in our hood. The couple we have known the longest - we let each other know when the other household is going to be gone and who to expect will be over watching the place/pets, when we'll back... and we each other's phone nos. It makes us feel much more secure knowing that even if we're gone, there is a nosy set of eyes looking at our place.