Readers share stories of lasting neighbor bonds
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Recently, I offered a counterpoint to a new study that says we don't talk to our neighbors.
- Turns out, many Axios readers agreed that we are friendlier than researchers think.
Catch up quick: Only about a quarter of young people in the U.S. regularly engage with their neighbors, according to an AEI report released this month, down from about 50% more than a decade ago.
Zoom in: Over my many years in Chicago, it was my neighbors who made me feel welcome, safe and at home.
Zoom out: Here are some of what Axios Chicago readers told us about their neighborly relationships:
Lasting friendships
"We started a summer gathering called 'Coffee w/ Neighbors' in our corner of Lakeview. It's the first Friday of every month, from May through September. On Saturday morning, we set out a coffee urn and some tea and waited to see who showed up. About 40 or 50 people attended our first event throughout the morning. Most of them were people I'd never met." — Drew G.
- The next meetup is 8-9:30am on Saturday, June 6, Drew tells us!
"Back in 2004, our next-door neighbors, Mark & Betsy, hosted a holiday cocktail party for the four couples/families who had recently moved onto our block on North Keeler Avenue in Old Irving Park. The opportunity for all of us newbies to meet each other was wonderful, but the extra cute touch of the evening: our hosts created custom nametags that included everyone's name and a picture of their house." — Lynn A.
- Three of the four households still live on the block, Lynn tells us. "One has moved away to Lincoln Square, but she's part of our block's brand-new Mahjong group, which I hosted last night!"
"During COVID, my now husband and I talked more than we usually would with our next-door neighbors. They're 30 years our senior and we got so close with them that we asked her to officiate our wedding. Having moved to a new neighborhood three years ago, we still get together for dinner catch-ups." — Kelsey K.
"My best neighbor story is that my daughter, who was about 14, was very into sidewalk chalk murals on our 3-car driveway ... The neighbors were so enthralled by her artwork that they stopped to chat, and that has now turned into a friendship that has lasted more than 10 years.
- The families' sons "graduated High School together, went to Prom together and I have no doubt will be sticking together in the future." — Diane C.
Finding love
"While walking around my Ravenswood neighborhood back in 1998, my dog fell in love with a strapping black lab named Charlie. For six months, they looked for each other on walks, and I eventually found myself looking forward to my chats with Charlie's dad. When we had our first date, where did we go? Well, of course, we walked the dogs on Montrose Beach!
- That was 27 years ago, and Charlie's dad and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary this August. Talk to your neighbors!!" — Janet H.
Dogs and neighbors
When I recommended getting a dog to better connect with neighbors, Jill G. agreed: "A usual 10 min walk with Lilith easily turns into an hour when neighbors are out. The problem is, I know all the dog names but not the people!"