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My old neighbors were fine. My new neighbors on both sides have a ton of problems. I keep my distance. I wave at them and say, "Good morning/evening" and that's about the extent of our contact. I would not want them in my house; I would not want to go into their houses!
The right neighbors are a true blessing. I've lived in places where the neighborhood worked together. On the other hand, I've learned that it's better to keep my distance around some situations. Chances are one or both of my current neighbors will lose their house by the end of this summer, that's how dire it is for them.
We're cordial and friendly, but don't socialize much. I live in a large apartment complex and probably 75% of our neighbors are here are recent immigrants or here on work visas; there's a language and cultural barrier that makes it tough to go beyond superficial niceties. Which is fine by me, as I prefer to keep most people at arms length.
I do think that when you are younger, you can be friendly with more people, more types of people, and not be judgmental or cross about their foibles. When you get to be an older couple, you get a bit more picky about whom you'd like to be friends with. Maybe people's personalities get more pronounced and it is easier to feel you don't click with certain people as you get older.
At any rate, I've also noticed that different parts of the US have different habits that way. In some, people bringing over a welcoming cake, etc., is so normal you'd be rude if you didn't do it. In other parts, you can move into a neighborhood and never get a knock on your door. You might just have hit one like that. You did say, however, that one of your neighbors is getting a little clingy, and this is why lots of people have decided they will keep more to themselves.
As DH and I get older, we find the people we become friends with are those we meet as a result of our activities, and not those who live next to us. However, being "friendly" and being "friends" are two different things, and you want to stay "friendly" with your neighbors because you might need each other in an emergency.
Years ago most women were home, some of them didn't have a vehicle so they became friendly with the neighbors; the kids played together.
When I was growing up the mothers on our street (some who worked others who were sahm) all knew each other and their kids played together at each others home, but none of the mothers/families socialized together (i.e.no bbqs or dinner together).
Love my neighbors. Not close with the ones on one side-- they're kind of weird but we socialize with the ones on the other side and our kids play together. I'm very good friends with the neighbors who live behind us-- we walk our dogs together a few times a week and have each other over for dinner or a drink. We have kids but they don't. Also a few other families where the kids play and I like the parents.
I don't know. For me---I work 40 hours a week at a Customer Service job, (I commute 30 minutes each way) I spend all day helping people--when I get home I am done talking to people! I might wave if I have to--either way, I go into my home and embrace my solitude.
Same here! I get my fill of being 'social' on the job and learned, long ago, to appreciate my solitude. I love my home and it is definitely my oasis.
I moved here two years ago and met the neighbors on both sides right away. On one side is the manager of the McDonald's at my store and on the other side is the daughter and son in law of a long time co- worker. Across the street is a very nice manufactured home community and it is managed by my brother's sister in law. Several other store, or McDonald's, employees live on my street and the next two over. So I already know quite a few BUT we don't spend time together or socialize. And that's fine with me. I see them at work enough.
We've always been friendly with neighbors and in some cases became very good friends with them. At our last house it was very common to stand outside chatting with people while dog-walking or working in the yard. We had a couple of parties and invited neighbors and some reciprocated. We're still very good friends with a woman who lives on that block.
In our current neighborhood, people are friendly and one neighbor hosts a 4th of July gathering that several households attend. Someone else hosted a "neighbors night out" event last year too. On the other hand, some people on our current street are much less sociable and rarely even wave.
Please tell me where you live so I can move there.
When we first moved here, a few neighbors came by...it seemed great at first, but then it became ultra-obvious that their goal was to assess us as to what value we would be of to them. Spouse fixes things, so he was valuable. I'm just a person...most of the neighbors are older than us, & of a generation that, if a female is no longer young & hot, or not going to cook & clean for you, she is invisible.
Since spouse doesn't work for free, & I am invisible, neighbors do not come around. This has been quite an adjustment, as I have always had at least one neighborhood friend since childhood.
We're cordial and friendly, but don't socialize much. I live in a large apartment complex and probably 75% of our neighbors are here are recent immigrants or here on work visas; there's a language and cultural barrier that makes it tough to go beyond superficial niceties. Which is fine by me, as I prefer to keep most people at arms length.
At each house it has been different. When we all had kids the same age and everybody had horses and we'd go riding together, neighbors were pretty close.
I've lived places where the most contact was a hello as neighbors walked past.
Where I am now, one side likes to talk and we chat if we both happen to be outside working at the same time. The other side, the husband is a decent fellow, but the wife is a drunk who occasionally spreads nasty gossip about the neighbors and I don't like that sort of thing, so I avoid her.
Several of the neighbors here would be out to help in a heartbeat if there were any serious trouble. I suspect it is that every one works long and hard hours and there isn't time to do much visiting, but everyone is pleasant when you do have time to talk.
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