Having lived in the big city for the past decade, my wife and I rarely spoke with our neighbors. We never took the time to introduce ourselves to them, nor did they introduce themselves to us. Sometimes we would nod or say hello to others as we passed, but with the exception of a handful of fellow dog owners that we would frequently run into on our daily dog walks at Golden Gate Park, we really didn’t know or talk with our neighbors. I never even knew any of their names!

And that was fine by me. It’s not so much that we aren’t social people, as it is that most urbanites tend to not be very sociable. They mostly go about their business and keep their heads down and avert their eyes when approached by others. Well, at least I did.

But then we moved into a suburban neighborhood almost two weeks ago and we have already met most of the neighbors. There’s Nick and Dimitri (Nick’s father) to our right. Jay and Jo to our left. David and Jane directly across the street, Adam and Elaine to their right. Ryan and Denise to their left, And Derrick and Monica two houses down on our side.

We even had a bunch of neighborhood kids, of which there are many, ring our bell to welcome us to the neighborhood, although I’m sure they were disappointed that we’re old and gray and have no young kids of our own to add to their menagerie.

Several of our new neighbors even came over bearing treats, like chocolate covered strawberries, a pie, and some homemade cupcakes. Can you believe that? They must think my wife and I need some fattening up. And then Derrick told us that the neighbors get together and hold block parties every three or four months. What fun!

Bottom line, this love thy neighbor vibe and suburban life style will definitely take some getting used to.