Moving to a new neighborhood can be stressful. Leaving behind familiar neighbors, favorite shopping spots and your old home is a lot to cope with at once. Meeting your new neighbors is one way to help your new neighborhood feel more like home. Making friends as an adult, however, isn’t as simple as it was when you were a kid, where showing up at school or the playground was sure to net you some new playmates. Fortunately, there are a few ways to do the same as an adult.
Introduce Yourself
The easiest, and most obvious, way to break the ice with your neighbors is to walk right up to the door and introduce yourself. Easier said than done for some folks though. If you’re not exactly an extrovert, work odd hours, or just feel uncomfortable with the idea of approaching strangers, this can be a stressful activity. Regardless of whether you found your dwelling through Citycreekliving.com or through classified ads, you can make the process of finding new friends more comfortable by spending time in your neighborhood’s common areas. Introducing yourself on neutral territory is more comfortable than approaching someone’s home. If the neighborhood has a downtown square, fountain or other attraction, make it a point to take a stroll through the area. A smile and quick introduction is all it takes to start a new friendship.
Start a Club
If you have a hobby that really interests you, consider starting a group in your neighborhood to find others with similar interests. Whether it’s a club for book worms, quilting or other crafts, or a group that gets together for daily walks, starting a club is a sure way to find a few people you share interests with. Post flyers around your neighborhood and check to see if your neighborhood has a community Facebook group you can post too as well.
Throw a Party
While it would be nice to sit around and wait for your neighbors to come greet you, you’ll probably find it more effective to put yourself out there first. Consider throwing a block party, cook-out or other low-key activity, and letting the neighborhood know. Again, flyers and social media are the best ways to spread the word.
Move Activities to the Front Yard
Gardening, playing with your kids, and any other activity that you do in the backyard can probably be done, with some modifications, in the front yard. You may not want to move your entire garden out front, and your front yard may be too small for a game of kickball, but using the front area on a regular basis is a great way to increase your interactions with neighbors.
Using any or all of these ideas is a great way to connect with your neighbors. You may not become best buddies with them all, but being able to greet them by name can improve feelings of neighborliness. You never know, one or more of your new neighbors may become your new best friend.
