vardas's Profile

Part of it, I think is the difference between apartment living and having a house and yard to yourself; part of it is just the personalities of the individuals involved. I lived in an apartment for almost three years, and not only did I not know any of my neighbors personally, I actively detested them -- sometimes for things they could truly not control, like yappy dogs, or screaming children. And unfortunately, I'm non-confrontational, so while I never sought them out to complain about their dog barking at 3 am, had I been forced to have a conversation with them, my ire would doubtless have made itself known. And ultimately, apartment living is more or less designed to be temporary; there's no real urgency to be friendly, since one or both of you will probably move before any real issues crop up. Now that I've moved into a house of my own, I have a nodding acquaintance with my next door neighbor, enough to say hello and trade gardening tips; her son occasionally mows my front lawn if I haven't gotten to it yet. We're friendly, but we aren't friends; and I'm perfectly happy with that.