Bay Area residents - are you friendly with your neighbors? (San Francisco: condo, house)

[rascal-c]

As I look for a new neighborhood to relocate to, I'm realizing more and more that I'd love to be in a place where the neighbors know each other, talk to each other and look out for each other - where you don't feel awkward about asking your neighbors to borrow something, or to look after your kids for an hour. I grew up in a New England city neighborhood that was like this (not so long ago - in the 80s) and living in Brooklyn 10 years ago my neighborhood was also very "neighborhoody" and friendly. However, sometimes I fear that this kind of neighborhood is disappearing. I only know one of my neighbors here in SoCal, and it's only because we are right next door to each other.

I'd love to hear from those of you who live in the Bay Area - in the city or elsewhere - who live in a neighborhood where this friendly community feeling is retained. Does anyone have that experience in their neighborhood currently?

[mdwstrnkid]

We're very friendly with the neighbors in our condo in the city, but I suspect that this isn't so much the case in San Francisco. One of my colleagues lives in San Carlos and his immediate neighborhood is very tight. Quite a few of his neighbors spend a lot of time together socially on a regular basis (2x times or more a week).

[Shelacious]

A group of us are like that in our neighborhood in Oakland. We spend time together socially occasionally, and we know each other's kids, they play together, we have parties together, etc.

We know about all the neighbors by name on our block, even if we don't socialize with them.

[OakAve2OakLand]

Originally Posted by Shelacious

A group of us are like that in our neighborhood in Oakland. We spend time together socially occasionally, and we know each other's kids, they play together, we have parties together, etc.

We know about all the neighbors by name on our block, even if we don't socialize with them.

Thanks for sharing, good to know...but would you mind sharing generally which Oakland neighborhood you're referring to? I understand if you would rather not be too specific.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread...I have wondered the same things, as I also appreciate living in a place where people actually know their neighbors (without it getting too claustrophobic of course, which I highly doubt it would in the Bay Area where most people are so busy.)

[mayorhaggar]

You don't really see neighbors talking in SF, people just kind of keep to themselves. Though really in most suburban areas people don't talk to one another either, they just stay behind their fences watching TV indoors and try to avoid the neighbors.

Where I live in Oakland feels really neighborly, I always see people outside talking with one another on their porches or on the sidewalk, and sometimes they have block parties. On Halloween one entire block near me blocked itself off and every house had a Haunted House sort of thing going on where kids could go, I guess the neighbors all got together and organized it.

[Shelacious]

Originally Posted by OakAve2OakLand

Thanks for sharing, good to know...but would you mind sharing generally which Oakland neighborhood you're referring to? I understand if you would rather not be too specific.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread...I have wondered the same things, as I also appreciate living in a place where people actually know their neighbors (without it getting too claustrophobic of course, which I highly doubt it would in the Bay Area where most people are so busy.)

I live in Millsmont (I've mentioned it in this thread before, so it's not a great secret). It's not one of the "in" neighborhoods, but there are LOTS of pockets of neighborhoods like Millsmont scattered around Oakland.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

More or less, yes. However I do note that the relationships are much more distant and strained than they were 10 years ago. Not sure what the deal is. Probably just a microcosm.

[OakAve2OakLand]

Originally Posted by Shelacious

I live in Millsmont (I've mentioned it in this thread before, so it's not a great secret). It's not one of the "in" neighborhoods, but there are LOTS of pockets of neighborhoods like Millsmont scattered around Oakland.

Ah, I see where that is now...near Mills college. In my own admittedly limited knowledge of that area, it's what I would classify as "somewhat sketchy"...is this accurate, or yet another OAK neighborhood with a bad rap? Maybe stay north of MacArthur / Foothill, and you should be fine safety-wise...or not necessarily?

I just ask b/c I'm still refining my list of affordable yet relatively safe Oakland n-hoods. Thanks!

[Ultrarunner]

I live in Oakland and of course we are friendly... not necessarily the Saturday BBQ's... but between us, everyone has a key to a neighbors house and we look out for one another... everyone has phone numbers for everybody and if someone is going out of town... we make sure the papers get picked-up, water and etc...

I do think it may be a little different living on a blind street with no thru traffic.

[18Montclair]

Sometimes I think we're a little too friendly.

Too much drama.