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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do you know your neighbours?

86 replies

MoonsAndJunes · 03/06/2018 17:12

We have lived here for decades & I know the names of 3 people but rarely see them to talk to.
We are surrounded by houses and I haven't a clue who lives there.
Is it just me?
DCs go to school out of area, we commute.
It's very peaceful & quiet despite being an area with hundreds of homes.
AIBU to think I'm missing out? Neighbourly Bbqs and the like - or am I lucky?

OP posts:

londonrach · 03/06/2018 19:21

Yes. Why wouldnt you. I lived in london and other places and always known neighbours.

Helloisitteaurlookingfor · 03/06/2018 19:23

Maybe a bit different for me as I live in a private road with only 5 houses but we do know all our neighbours and get on (mostly) with all of them.

gamerchick · 03/06/2018 19:24

Yes, but I avoid her during the summer because she whinge about my bush.

AornisHades · 03/06/2018 19:25

Yes. On first name terms with all of them and more familiar (cup of tea and a chat) with some of them.

Locasta · 03/06/2018 19:27

We know all of our neighbours. There's MIL & FIL, SIL & BIL, and 3 other BIL's and SIL's. We rub along fine most of the time and I was never short of babysitters 😂

PlateOfBiscuits · 03/06/2018 19:27

gamerchick

Bythepath · 03/06/2018 19:28

Yes I know all my neighbours.I live in a very small village and know most people at least to say hello too. Lots of annual events but not too cliquey and small minded so you can dip in and out of things you like to be involved in. It really is a proper community and I love it.

BPG20 · 03/06/2018 19:48

I know the neighbours from the three houses each either side of me. But then I've lived on this street for 15 years- and one set of neighbours is my parents the bloke inbetween our houses is nice enough and we stop and chat to, and my parents next door neighbours are a couple my age who I get on really well with. On the other side of us is an elderly lady who we see a lot of, and then two families who had children the same age as me who I grew up with.

Other than that though I know no one. Everyone else on the street is a stranger, except for the slightly strange but rather nice former drug addict across the road.

samanthasung · 03/06/2018 19:50

We rent and I honestly do not know the name of the people next door to us. We've been here for 3 years now. One of the next door houses seems to be a revolving door of tenants and the others just seem to keep themselves to themselves.

greendale17 · 03/06/2018 19:52

We don't socialise together or are in and out of each other's houses but everyone is very friendly, supportive, neighbourly.

^Same here

Hemlock2013 · 03/06/2018 19:56

Been here 5 years and similar to a pp, know most neighbours names.

On goid friends terms with a handful to have drinks with. Ds had an accident at Christmas I sent my dd off with a friend in the village. Other people popped in to take her out that weekend and drop in presents for ds. It was amazing and I felt very lucky.

It’s not claustrophobic but very neighbourly.

NorbertTheDragon · 03/06/2018 19:58

I know one side as our kids are roughly the same age so played together when they were younger. They've helped us out, we've helped them out. We get on we'll but don't actually socialise really.

The other side is rented and new people have recently moved in, I haven't actually seen them yet, so no idea about them. Was pretty friendly with the guy who lived there before, and also one of the other tenants who was there when we first moved in.

I know a few other people on the road to say hello to. I'm not a particularly sociable person so don't tend to chat, though would always (and have done) offer help if needed.

Maelstrop · 03/06/2018 20:03

Direct ones, yeah. Those with dc we discuss schools (I’m a teacher) and are cordial with them, but have only ever been in their house twice in 12 years. Other direct neighbour looks after the dog, takes him in her house. She’s lovely. If she needs anything, she can ask us for whatever she needs. I’m worried that she’s becoming quite fragile as she’s now over 80. I try to keep an eye, but she’s very private and I don’t want to intrude.

Geppetto · 03/06/2018 20:04

I live in a lovely friendly village. We know everybody in out road, and probably about 50% or so of the people in the wider village. Then there are others who I would either know by sight as "familiar", or some people whose names I know but probably wouldn't recognise them. Just what it's like around here. Doesn't necessarily mean we all get on all of the time though... 😉

ICantCopeAnymore · 03/06/2018 20:09

Live in a lovely village, have arsehole neighbours. One side is aggressive and has three large dogs that never ever see anything outside a little fenced off concrete square. Never walked, never taken out. Awful.
The other side don't like us because they dislike my house cats. They've decided that because they don't like cats, they don't like us.

We're moving in a month. I cannot WAIT.

mummyhaschangedhername · 03/06/2018 20:18

Hmmm ... first house I was very friendly with my neighbours, we are still very good friends despite living 500 miles away, visit each other, we were witnesses at their wedding.

Second house, knew the names of the neighbours, one elderly lady gave the children presents for birthdays, Christmas etc ... but no socialising as such.

Current house, know the direct neighbours names but that's it, I am very friendly with others on the street and area though as it's where I was raised.

BitchQueen90 · 03/06/2018 20:22

I don't know my neighbours but I live in a small row of flats which are above shops. They're all self contained with separate entrances so I just never see them.

There are no other houses on this road either.

BitchQueen90 · 03/06/2018 20:23

If I'm totally honest though I prefer it this way, I'm really very private.

BackforGood · 03/06/2018 20:26

I can see at least 30 houses from my front door but no idea who lives there!!

See, when I moved in, I knocked the door to introduce ourselves.
then, as other neighbours have moved about, I once again, knock the door to drop round some cakes and a card, and introduce ourselves.

People give keys to their house to neighbours who aren’t actual close friends, they’re just people who happen to live next door? Seriously, is this a thing!?

Of course. We've all helped each other's teens get in on a regular basis when they've lost / forgotten their keys. Pretty normal in my world.

ILoveMyDressingGown · 03/06/2018 20:29

We know the neighbours that are not joined. They're about our age and have a kid just a bit older than ours. The man sometimes borrows our lawnmower and hedge strimmer and does our grass and hedge in return.

We occasionally say hi to those on the joined on side. I don't know their names though. They're alright but a fair bit older than us and they go away a lot. Their yappy dogs are a bit annoying.

I don't know anyone else on our street. I don't talk to people I don't know, which is a bit of a shame, really.

OriginalGeordie · 03/06/2018 20:40

Live on a terraced street and know my neighbours both sides and quite a few others. It’s mainly down to having kids actually as most of the ones on our street go to the local primary which is 5 mins walk away. It’s not unusual to end up walking to or from school with one of them. I wouldn’t say I was extremely close with any of them but I know their names and a little about them. I would say there would be 2 neighbours who I could call on if I needed them and they have with me.

OriginalGeordie · 03/06/2018 20:43

Meant to say it’s all very friendly and cordial. Have never had cross words with any of the neighbours nor are there any disputes I’m aware of.

WhatMakesYouHappy · 03/06/2018 20:47

Yes and I live in London! I didn’t know my neighbours when I lived in the Midlands.
We live in a block of seven flats and know everyone’s names. We hi, chat sometimes and take in parcels for each other.
We even occasionally have drinks together in our shared garden.

I could have written this ladyratterley!

raindropsandsunshine · 03/06/2018 20:54

Yup, we know everyone on the street to some degree and many more in the village. We know the neighbours in the closest 11 houses very well.

lovelilies · 03/06/2018 22:40

I've just bought a new house and already met a few of the people on the cul de sac
Where I live currently the kids all go to each other's houses and the adults chat in the street/in each other's gardens.
I like it

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