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I don't, but it's not necessarily a good thing. Sure, it helps weed out undesireables and needy people who want to drop by unannounced and ask for things constantly, bore you with the details of their lives--but then you have the good people. I have a couple of neighbors in my building who, in spite of my stoic and unfriendly demeanor, will ALWAYS say hello. They get a pleasant 'hello' back. There's an older guy on the first floor everyone knows, and I actually enjoy talking to him, find myself wanting to help him if I can.
For the most part, though, I don't socialize with the neighbors, as I have no interest in talking sports with some idiot who knows only sports or chatting with the attention-starved wife/girlfriend/single mom with a ton of boyfriends coming and going.
Yes, we are friendly with our neighbors. We meet outside most Sunday evenings around 5/6pm and have a cocktail and talk about the previous week. We have cul-de-sac BBQ's on Memorial and Labor day every year. We do Easter egg coloring and egg hunts. We've all been neighbors for 11 years and we have a range of kid ages from 4yrs - college aged.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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I like being friends with neighbors. It gives a sense of community. We go for walks and sometimes we actually have conversations with people in our neighborhood!
Some are just aquantences, some we have actually had parties with. I like socializing without have to go out to a bar. You actually broaden your circle of friends.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riley09swb
Yes, we are friendly with our neighbors. We meet outside most Sunday evenings around 5/6pm and have a cocktail and talk about the previous week. We have cul-de-sac BBQ's on Memorial and Labor day every year. We do Easter egg coloring and egg hunts. We've all been neighbors for 11 years and we have a range of kid ages from 4yrs - college aged.
Reminds me of some of my childhood days.
Another plus... if a stranger lurks, you know they are not from the area and can keep an eye on them.
I would love to see a stat on if more crimes are committed in areas where people keep to themselves vs neighborhoods where people interact and watch each other's backs.
My neighbors are close in proximity(condo) and socially. We have dinners, parties, go out to eat, sometimes we just sit and talk, all kinds of things. Maybe do things about 100 times a year. Some people have said they moved here because of that.
I live in a 55+ so it is different than a regular neighborhood. No kids. No one works anymore. Even if we do something with each other for 2 or 3 hours there is still 21 or 22 hours left in the day to do other things and there are many things to do here. Home - Sun City, Arizona - The Original Fun City!
There are always a few that don't participate but that's fine.
Honestly, it's better that way. Imagine you want to live there for 30 years, and you started to be friendly with the guy next door who presumably also won't be moving for 30 years, and he starts to get overly friendly in whatever way.
Now you have a really uncomfortable situation to deal with.
The real world is not like the Little House on the Prairie where neighbors all show up for the harvest with their tools and food and then go home and leave you alone.
The real world is full of people who will take advantage of you, or if you let them into your life will start interjecting their opinions that you don't want or whatever.
Unless you are seriously out in the wilderness and will die without the cooperation of your closest neighbors (and even then, don't rely on it), you are really way better off socializing outside of your neighborhood, and calling AAA if your battery dies on your car.
Call me a curmudgeon, if you like, but I'm speaking from experience. It's way easier to just always keep new people at bay, than try to get rid of them after making the mistake of letting them into your life and regretting it - especially if they live next door.
AMEN to that! I am friendly down at the pool to neighbors but I have learned to keep my distance otherwise I become a chauffeur to the lady without a car who had no qualms about asking me to take her to the doctor's, dentist, etc. Then there's the clingy lady who, once we spoke a little while walking our dogs wanted to be BFF's and was up my behind 24/7.
I say be cordial, get their names but don't get too involved. Naturally if there was an emergency I would be there to help but once you've had neighbors who take advantage, you become more reticent about getting too friendly.
I think, with so many people working outside the home, we put ourselves "out there" every day. So when we come home, home is our refuge and sanctuary.
I'm friendly with all my neighbors. I'm FRIENDS with one. Maybe when I retire, it'll be different, and I'll crave more social interaction, but I get plenty interaction at work, and then I want my husband's and family's company when I come home. (Or sometimes, I just want to be by myself.)
YES, we are friends with most but not all. We moved here a year ago and we're in a new subdivision so most of our neighbors are in their early 30's with small kids. We are in our 40's with kids 11 & 8, but we all get along great! We hang out in our front yards and talk. Kids all go to school together. Since we're older and this is not our first home like most of the others, they are always asking our advice on house stuff and parenting. Our old subdivision was the same way. Now of course there are a few neighbors that are hermits and keep to themselves, that's fine but I'm friends with most.
OP, if you're in an older community then that could be why they are not very social. They already have their friends and not interested meeting the newbies. I would still try to reach out. It's nice to have a neighbor you can count on if you need something or in a bind.
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