April 14, 2004
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What are your neighbors like?

I don't know them well, but they seem nice. The ones to the east fed me dinner and helped me get a locksmith when I locked myself out of my house last year. The ones to the west wave and say "Hi" when they see me.

Cathie, 54
Novi, MI USA

My neighbors are great. The neighbors to the right are from Viet Nam; we communicate as best we can since their English is very broken and I don't speak any Viet Namese. The neighbor to the left is a retired man. He keeps an eye out on the neighborhood. The neighbors behind us are friends: they have two little boys. We often visit each other.

Laura, 39
Lowell, MA USA

Not all that pleasant, in my opinion. They're polite enough and were friendly when we were just moving in, but one woman is constantly yelling at her kids, everyone sprays to kill the plants that grow naturally and then spends a ton of money on grass seed, all our neighbors hate bunnies, and several people walk right through our yard--some with dogs, one of which left a
souvenir once. Our neighbors like practical jokes, some of which sound funny when they happen to somebody else, but I wouldn't want them to happen to us. Oh, and the guy next door mows obsessively. He's mowed at least three times already this year, and we have needed to mow once. This is the same guy who once shoveled his driveway--loudly--at 6 AM on a Saturday. He came home later in the day; there was just no excuse for shoveling that little snow that early. We weren't invited to the annual neighborhood Christmas party, which says to me that the neighbors probably resent a) our compost pile, b) the safehaven we provide for bunnies, c) our lack of dogs, d) my appreciation of dandelions, and e) the archery target we had sitting against the house for a while, for lack of a better place to put it. I have had worse neighbors, but I would rather have more land and fewer neighbors. The fact is that my husband and I grew up in places where we had lots of land and no really close neighbors, and I don't think we were made to live in a place where other people can see into our windows from theirs. I really wish
people would respect our privacy. I want to plant hedges so that they can't easily bring their dogs in our yard.

Karen, 23
Ames, IA USA

One thing is pretty cool...I live next to Federal Marshals...that is comforting. Of course, the important thing is they have a cool cat. My other next door neighbors are pretty cool too. They were very help when hurricane Isabel hit, and caused some damage.

Frodo, 32
The Shire

I live on a rural country road. I have lived here since 1983. I have one neighbor who I have only seen maybe 6 times and spoken to 3 times. They are never out in their yard. The neighbor on the other side. I see all the time. they can be a bit nosey. They know everything that is going on. they call to let me know there is a deer in my back yard. They also have a fascination with power motors. They ALWAYS have something going. We live in the NorthEast. Not much growing of the grass yet. BUT they have mowed their lawn at least 20 times already this year. Tractors, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, saws, power tools, construction tools, front end loaders. Now he has a wood chipper. Nothing like hearing that go off on a beautiful Sunday morn as you
try to drink a cup a java on your back porch. Last year my husband retaliated by blasting the radio full tilt, until the neighbor came over to complain. So now we have a truce - no power motors until 9:00 am instead of 7:00 am. They irony of this is we choose not to live in a development cause we did not want our neighbors to know everything we

Janet, 46
E. Brunswick, NJ USA

Some of the best neighbors you could ask for.

Ryan, 29
Riedlingen GERMANY

Mainly my neighbors are "salt of the earth" people. They don't shine at cocktail parties or literary soirees, but they're wonderful in emergencies.

Jill, 61
Saylorsburg, PA USA

The only one I know is a pleasant single woman, an occupational therapist. The others come and go before I make much contact with them.

Jane, 63
West Linn, OR USA

My neighbors down the road have twin daughters...never really talk to the parents unless my dog gets loose. that's where he runs to all the time. My neighbor up the road is a single father with a son a year older than my son. He's a nice, outdoorsy, good-looking guy...and I've kind of had my eye on him! ; )

Tam

all I can say is that living where we do with neighbors like ours, it's like living in a ghetto Melrose Place.

Diana, 22
Joplin, MO USA

We have my wife's grandparents on one side who are in their 80's and easy to get along with. On the other side we have her aunt who isn't.

Alias Irrelevante

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