Triangle residents: Do you know your neighbors?

[RedZin]

Originally Posted by poppydog

I checked "I know almost all of my neighbors, but we don't really hang out", but I don't think that's really quite how I would phrase it. I know quite a few of my neighbors and we do hang out occasionally with some. We had a small Halloween party on Thursday and invited my 10 yr old's friend from 4 doors down and her Dad and brother and then last night my kid spent the night at their house. We have some other neighbors who sometimes host parties that we go to occasionally (maybe once or twice a year) and we do see neighbors at the pool (which is not a neighborhood pool, but very close to the neighborhood). There are, however, several houses in the neighborhood where I don't really know the neighbors at all. All our neighbors are friendly and wave if they're out walking or working in the yard even if I don't really know them. I know most of my neighbors in close proximity to our house and several who are farther away, but I know less who are farther away (on the other block). I am not a very social person, though, and I don't think it would be hard at all for a social person to get to know almost all the folks in our neighborhood.

Yeah. Same here. I prefer not to socialize much with the neighbors. They are all friendly, though. We are friendly toward them. Truth is, I'd rather everyone not be in my business. When we moved here, one of our more outgoing neighbors gossiped to us about several neighbors we had never met. And the old owners of our house.

He surely gossips about us, but he's working on limited info and we prefer it that way.

Still, the community is friendly, neat, and comfortable.

If I relocated, I'd look for friends through clubs and meetup events. Not by getting involved too closely with the neighbors. Being acquainted with them, polite, friendly... That suits us.

[Mussakka]

Of our immediate neighbors, one is reclusive, one is far too garrulous, and one is obnoxiously loud. We're polite and friendly with all of them, but we'd never hang out. In times of crisis (major storm cleanup, prolonged power outages, etc.) we do help each other out but that's primarily due to the way I was brought up and not from any particular fondness for them.

I agree with Meh that I'd rather develop friends through social outlets like meetup or clubs. As the saying goes, familiarity often does breed contempt. I'd rather be politely & distantly friendly than buddy-buddy with people next door.

[VASpaceMan]

Originally Posted by meh_whatever

I have a serious question, though... OP? You seem like you want to move here, but you're trying to know exactly what the area is like before you move here. You realize this is impossible, right?

I get little snippets here and there. From visiting, from friends stories that live there, from this site and others. It's not a perfect picture, but it's better than nothing. It's "fuzzy" data. If you want to get philosophical, we can never have "perfect information" about most things in life, all information we get is varying levels of imperfect. :^)

[RedZin]

Originally Posted by VASpaceMan

I get little snippets here and there. From visiting, from friends stories that live there, from this site and others. It's not a perfect picture, but it's better than nothing. It's "fuzzy" data. If you want to get philosophical, we can never have "perfect information" about most things in life, all information we get is varying levels of imperfect. :^)

I agree with you there. All that really matters from day to day is how things are affecting us at that moment. That's our definition of "accurate."

[VickiR]

I know most of my neighbors and used to socialize more when I was a stay at home mom.

Many of our original neighbors have moved in to smaller homes once their kids went off to college. It is interesting to see that the neighborhood has changed but we are back to having smaller kids, due to new neighbors moving in.

The neighbors with kids and dogs are out and about more.

When I get super busy with work, I just prefer to come home and not speak to anyone so "I"M" the unsocial one now!

Vicki

[BoBromhal]

Originally Posted by VASpaceMan

I get little snippets here and there. From visiting, from friends stories that live there, from this site and others. It's not a perfect picture, but it's better than nothing. It's "fuzzy" data. If you want to get philosophical, we can never have "perfect information" about most things in life, all information we get is varying levels of imperfect. :^)

have you ever heard the term "paralysis by analysis".

Life is a tricky thing. Sometimes you just have to live it and adapt. And don't get me wrong - I've never ever ever advocated someone move here without a job in place.

I have personally, among folks that I know from being a native of this area for 47 years, plus all the folks that I have met via my career, never come across someone who understood the basics of our area, moved here, and then moved away unhappy.

Statistically, there's bound to be many that fall within that category though.

[NewUser]

Spent about 4 hours yesterday morning working on a hobby project with one neighbor. Spent 2 hours in the afternoon helping another neighbor with some heavy landscaping work. Spent 3 hours with about half of the neighborhood at a party down the street.

[SALUKI_LOVER]

My neighbors tell me that before I came no one really knew each other and honestly, that is one of the nicest compliments ever. I've taken it on to really reach out to the people around me and I think we have one of the funner subdivisions. We have a yearly 4th of July parade with the local fire department and we're getting ready for our yearly hay rides.

If you don't know your neighbor . .reach out and you might be surprised!!!!

[lifeofJenn]

The neighborhood we live in now is divided by who has kids and who doesn't. We socialize with the neighbors that have kids around the age of ours the most- primarily because the kids are playing together & we have more in common during this stage of life.

We also have some neighbors without kids, and we really don't know them very well (as a matter of fact, after 4 months I've never MET one of my neighbors that lives directly next-door!).

Both the neighborhood I live in now as well as one we are building in have nextdoor.com, which has also helped us get to know people, and events going on in the neighborhood.

We moved here without knowing ANYONE, but after a few short months we've already developed friendships, and feel more connected to our neighborhood and community than I would have expected.