Among Friends

[halfpint1]

No parties I know of in the almost 18 years I have lived here. I wave to a few and can also talk to. I do not even know their names-first or last or their jobs. A mixture  here.

[ECBG]

Our neighborhood is incorporated with a center grass median that has to be maintained.  Most of the lots were bought and built on in the mid 70's and very few people have moved.

We have a governing board and dues for median care and issues that may come up with the trees and maintenance.  We used to go out to have a winter dinner and have a summer picnic.  Unfortunately, the dinner stopped because no one was willing to drive over ten minutes and seperate rooms are hard to find and people don't want to deal with a large group in their house.

[Meowingkitty]

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@fourpaws56 wrote:

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@Desertdi wrote:

Definitely NOT where I live.    Our yards are enclosed by cement block walls.    My front yard has a wrought iron fence and key-locking gate.    (This is for privacy, not because it's a bad neighborhood).   Most communities in the area are like this.

almost like a prison!    

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I also have this setup and I like it.

[Meowingkitty]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

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@Meowingkitty wrote:

Never had a block party either. In fact, I doubt I could pick my neighbors out of a lineup. We too have 6’ block walls surrounding each property and in summer no one in their right mind goes outside unless they have to. Winter would be the only time. I don’t think anyone in our neighborhood would even be interested. It’s just not something we do in the desert. I’ve only lived in Arizona so I can’t speak for other parts of the country, but we pretty much keep to ourselves. An occasional “hi” is about it for the neighbors. 

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@Meowingkitty  Are these  cement block walls for a  purpose?  They sound so ugly. Why not a nice fence? Why concrete....sounds like a prison...just add barbed wire.

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All newer (since at least the 80’s) have 6’ block fences in Arizona. Others that are older might have wood fences. Wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t want to see my neighbors yard. Maybe we all have fences because most people have pools and you need a fence if you have a pool so why not just fence the entire subdivision and make it the same. Wood fences require upkeep and fall down. Block requires no maintenance, stays nice. 

[chiclet]

My community has a clubhouse and activities directors so there are parties there that you can buy tickets and go to but no block parties.  When I was young after evening meal I would take a lawn chair outside and sit while kids played.  Some neighbors would see me out and come over and sit and talk.   It got to be an everyday thing and was so enjoyable.  I think if I did that now I would be sitting alone.  Maybe I will try it in the cooler months.  

[Financialgrl]

Grew up in the mid 60s and lived on a street with block parties and barbeques.  Today, everyone works or has a lot going on and back then our neighborhoods were more stable.  Neighbors were all about the same age and same ppl lived in the same neighborhood until their kids grew up and they started to move - then all parties stopped.  

Today I'm in an over 55 with lots of available activities and I have been to a few get togethers.  I'm single and there's a whole street up the way that just happens to be almost all owned by single women.  Early on I noticed they used to attend but the last two activities I attended it appears that over time it's kinda shaken down to just a lot of married couples who've split up into little cliques or groups - which is exactly what friends that live in these communities have said happens in their areas as well.  A friend told me she had fun at a lot of things, then her husband died and it the dynamics all of a sudden were "different".  

[Mom2Dogs]

Yes, many years ago, our neighborhood had a fall party...it was a lot of fun but sadly one family divorced the other family that had the bonfire in their back property moved.  It was a small street so once two of the couples had changes in their lives the gatherings stopped.

[shortbreadlover]

not in my neighborhood.  people here are just not that friendly.  but it is a poper sedtion of salt lakecity and many homes are rentals

[Lipstickdiva]

When I was growing up, we used to have an annual summer block party.  However, I cannot remember the last time we did that.

No our neighborhood doesn't get together and do any of that and I don't think I would want to be a part of a neighborhood that did.  I've only seen the negative side of that because good friends of ours live in such a place.

It's nearly impossible for any of the residents to do anything on their own without everyone else inviting themselves.  It's also nearly impossible for 2 or 3 couples to go out without everyone else coming along.  It is seriously that bad.

They said as soon as they pull in their driveway on a Friday, the neighbors start coming over.  That would make me nuts.     

[libbyannE]

 We have two neighborhoods – one at a lake and one in a suburb. In the suburbs where we spent most of our time when we were both working, there would be women’s gatherings occasionally and always at an impossible time for those of us who had careers. So it was a case of the women who worked at home going to the parties and those of us who had corporate jobs not going.  Also, at the holidays there were some times events called cookie exchanges – again at, like, 5 PM which never worked for my schedule —  and one of the other neighbors who worked in our company and I would laugh because neither of us understand exactly what a cookie exchange was!  (How about an evening gathering with no cookies required?)

At the lake we have many gatherings at a clubhouse with no pressure to attend, of course. There also our yoga classes and activities for kids, etc.