Proximity breeds contempt! I don't wish to make anyone think that they can stop on by whenever they want to. Being friendly with neighbors invites trouble!

I know you will take this correctly: I am sooooo glad we are NOT neighbors! I like being able to play at a distance, you know?

That way if we get all drunk and posty (no, wait, that's me and Amalah), we'll never have to pretend to be fumbling for keys at the front door or fiddling with the radio dial in the car to avoid making eye contact later.

However, I am fairly sure that if we were neighbors, you'd know how many kids we had, our favorite things to BBQ, and all the things that make us mad enough to shout!!!

Heyyyy, you guys are the "Anti-Social Couple"? No way! We (the neighbors) make fun of you all the time. I had no idea...

I agree with Empress. Neighbors almost always mean trouble.

Yeah, I never talk to my neighbors. I don't even really know who they are. I kind of envisioned that when I moved into an apartment building, I would see people in the elevator and stuff, but when I do, we just nod hello and stand in silence. I know the woman next door to me is some kind of musician, because I hear her practicing her oboe at all hours, but aside from that...don't know their names, don't really know anything about any of them. Oh well.

Well hello neighbor it is about time we met but you got just a few things wrong....you see we are your neighbors to your left that you don't know but it is all just appearance really we aren't rolling in dough....we are uo to our....well in debt....the pool is beautiful never used and oh guess the yards a ton of money went into them and the upkeep. You never see us or have not talked with us because we both work two jobs now and we left one of the kids at Walmart and never went back for her and the other one well he ran away....

Well glad we could at least say hello neighbor....

You've just described us. 5 and a half years here. Although I AM the neighborhood child-watcher -- that is, I know where your kids are when you don't ;) And I give a mean glare to anyone who speeds through our area, possibly endangering our little population...

Most neighbors are trouble. The first day I moved into my townhouse the old lady downstairs said "well, I HOPE your children are well behaved..we don't HAVE alot of children around here" I got worried - I thought maybe they kill them or something... I have to admit, that sometimes I DO slam the door extra hard when I am leaving the house at 7:oo AM. Why? Cause she told me she sleeps till 7:30..tsk! tsk! How childish of me!

I kinda feel different. I wish I knew more of my neighbors. However, I live in an apt complex where people always come and go. If I decide that I don't like them, well, then I ignore them. But it's always good... what if you need a cup of sugar?!?! :)

Same here. Granted, we are military people and move every few years but we always keep a safe distance from the neighbors just in case we have to have words concerning their noise, kids, or stupid, barking, Nazi, weinie dogs. Know what I mean?

We know our neighbors - a little. And Don has been here forever. I've been here for 8 years.
We always wave when we see them - or at least almost always.
And our social calendar is also packed.
Oh, we have neighbors on the street behind us that we're really friendly with. Does that count?

I was living next to my parents friends the Smalltree's for a couple of years and I never talked to their daughter Sally until I burned my butt in a freak accident when I farted in their back yard near a fire the first time I went there. So you are not the only one, Buzz.

Oh,
My.
Dog.

You would hate my neighborhood.

S & D live next door with their brand new puppy C. C is actually off to puppy school now until October which seems like FOREVER. We all miss C very much.

Just on the other side of them is the C's. Awesome family. Two kids close in age to my kids...lots of time is spent between our houses.

Kitty corner behind me...directly behind the C's is the all girl family. Cute girls...not very girly tho. One likes to walk in my pond to catch frogs. Gross. Nice family tho.

In the other direction is P & B...wonderul retired couple that spends a lotta time in their yard and gave me a ton off left-over edging from a recent landscaping project. Their one and only grandchild...a boy, is just barely one year old and likes to venture over here to see my mini farm of pets. Their youngest daughter moved out in February for college in another state.

Down from them, same side of road...

Oh, you get the idea...

Kathy Howe lives in a social neighborhood...big surprise right?

WOW! If I were your neighboer that would so NOT be happening.... I'd force ya out into my world.

Why? BEcause I'm bossy like that!

;)
-d

It's quite simple, actually. You're a different demographic than most of your neighbors - not necessarily anti-social. We had block parties in the 'hood where I grew up, but it was all families with kids, and mainly single-income households with one parent available to do some amount of socializing. Different demographic and, for that matter, different era.

We live on the edge of a cul de sac. My only interaction with any of my neighbors was to flip off one of them who was being an idiot while turning off of the highway.

3 weeks.

Doesn't take me long to make enemies.

We're the same way, and we've been in our house for... 4.5 years now. Although I do know there is a member of the sherriff's dept next door, and a bike cop down the street. :o)

I was just like you. Then I moved, and all these neighbor people wouldn't leave me alone. They'd wave. They'd shout. They'd ask to borrow one of my three powertools. But then I learned it was just the wives being nice. The neighbor men I talked to wanted to go inside and watch football. The good thing is, if I do go outside - several of the male ones give me free beer - so all is not lost.

...and "I was talking to neighbor so-and-so" has gotten me out of more honey-do's than I can remember. I'm begining to like this neighbor thing.

You would not survive as my neighbor.
After 6 months of living here I got so pissed that no one ever said hello that I beat on their doors. I introduced myself as the "neighbor you all ignored!!"
Then an interesting thing happened. Every one started coming out of their shells. People have been here for 26 years and didn't know the people next to them. Now they do.
When one of our neighbors found out she had cancer..we all took a turn taking the dog for a walk while they were at the hospital. We all took turns taking meals and making sure their fridge was stocked and their house was cleaned.
That neighbor passed away yesterday. Her husband (of 39 years) is beside himself. I have a pot roast going for the family reunion tonight and we (the neighbors) are serving their whole family. (60 people)
I have friends outside of my neighbors and granted I don't knock on their door every day but I do what I can to live in a peaceful environment.
So I gues it all depends on what you value. Privacy is good. If you don't like one neighbor it's good to be able to ignore them. But also when we as humans need another human being there's something to be said for someone that isn't a part of your family that you love and trust.
(stepped off soap box!!)

I agree with Princess. It's very much about demographics. All us are just WAY too busy. The only reason MANY of us WITH kids know our neighbors is because our kids know their kids, and part of our busy-ness is to know our kids' friends and their families.