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Greeting all.
Hey I have a somewhat odd question.
We purchased a second home on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.
We will be full time residents there in 3 years when our retirement kicks in.
We are in the unincorporated “boonies” on a secluded dead end road.
It’s about 5 miles from a mini mart and 12 or so miles to a city with 6k people.
There are about 20 houses on this road which is about 9 miles long.
90% are waterfront properties with long driveways and are vacation homes.
Ours is one of those.
So the question is how would you meet your neighbors?
I am somewhat of an isolationist.
For me personally I wouldn’t dig somebody walking down my road and knocking on my door.
Yeah I know that sounds kinda weird but even at my California place I don’t like people showing up un planned.
Not even family members but I’m ok with my 2 best friends (friends since grammar school)because they know how I feel and don’t abuse it.
A few weeks ago I was driving though the snow storm and met a neighbor shoveling snow and stopped to talk to him.
He thought I was odd at first then we talked for almost a half hour.
Turns out he is a partime resident just like me and has a house in California 10 miles from my house.
He lives in Pleasanton I live in Danville.
So my question is how do I meet the neighbors?
I’m thinking of putting a note in their mailbox that says hi my name is Andy.
I’m your neighbor this is my contact information if you need to get ahold of me or if you need any help I would enjoy doing what ever.
I don’t know.
What would you do?
Thank you.
Andy.
Hi there... for the most part we tend to try to catch them outside. I get it... we don't really like unannounced 'drop ins' either, but if we drive by and see them outside, we'll stop and chat from the car... not too imposing that way.
I think a note in the mailbox - with postage, don't just put it in.... introducing yourself with a map and contact info, would be good... Encourage them to do the same and maybe set a date on a Saturday that they could stop by for hamburgers on the grill outside, if they're able. Might be a good occasion for a neighborly get-together.
I'd go for a walk down that road on a nice weekend, and when there is a neighbor working in their yard, I'd wave, stop and say hi, etc. There are always people in their yards on nice days, especially on Saturday mornings.
I like that and I am totally down with that.
Is it different when it’s a 400 - 500 yard walk?
Ya know what?
I don’t really care.
A plate of good food is always a good thing.
This may sound awful but I hope I don’t have people walking down my road and knocking at my door.
Wow...I just read my last sentence and it sounds awful.
The thing is... that is how I feel.
Now how to nicely say please call first.
I’m one of the nicest giving guys you will ever meet but I really value my privacy.
For me people that want to be your friend really fast tend to ********* one way or another.
As odd as it sounds I’m just looking for good neighbors and not good friends.
I value my friends and it takes a while to make that list.
I think I will just chat with them when I see them on the road.
Sounds good. Give it time, and be prepared for some not being receptive to your efforts. You may find that most are also Ca transplants who are also anxious for connections though, especially if it is a new development. Good Luck!
I think I will just chat with them when I see them on the road.
I was raised on a small dairy farm in NE Ohio. Nobody "neighbored" because nobody had time -- everyone farmed.
Chatting was done in passing on the road, in vehicles or on tractors, and also if two people were working side-by-side fields and met at the fence row. Nobody made a point of going to someone's home for the express purpose of chatting it up
I am now retired 11 hours further south on a 3-mile long road of farm folk who have been here 2-3 generations. Their chatting philosophy is the same as where I was raised -- thank Goodness because I am not a koffee-klatcher nor do I desire to be one, even if I didn't still have horses and 25 acres to keep up with
When there is an emergency folks come together, do what they can for the injured, then go quietly back to their farms and continue on. Someimes benefits are held if the injury or illness is serious, sometimes folks step up and pay utilities for a time.
That is my idea of rural life -- mind your own and help when help is needed
We have always walked the roads near where we live, and residents often would stop when driving by and introduce themselves. Later on, many would also stop just to chat when seeing us.
Here, we and they do the same on the public roads as well as on the private road that runs through our property and we have rights to use. The passing-car intro seems to have become very common. We have also had a few locals stop in our driveway and come out of their cars to introduce themselves when they see us working outside. I don’t mind, because how else DO you meet neighbors without coming across as, well, creepy? Hardly anyone has land line phones and phone book listings anymore and some of us get our mail at a PO box.
In our case, the house is not that far back from the driveway entrance, but some houses are set waaaay back or even not visible from the driveway entrance. I would not want to go down any of those for any reason unless I already knew the person. While this preserves their privacy, it also could be their loss—for example, if their dog gets hit by a car and we feel uncomfortable going into their driveway to tell them and their phone number is unpublished etc.
Speaking of which, be careful going into any driveway if the resident might have dogs around.
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