How Richmonders turned neighbors into friends
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Richmonders have a message for anyone feeling disconnected from their neighbors: Start small.
Why it matters: After we shared national data showing Americans aren't talking to their neighbors as much as they used to, readers chimed in to tell us not to lose hope — and how they beat the odds to build community here.
The big picture: Most readers said it doesn't happen by accident, and getting there doesn't require grand gestures.
- The hack is finding smaller, repeated interactions that can build over time.
🏘️ Join something local. Tegan M. said joining her neighborhood people's assembly connected her to monthly potlucks, a book club and a tool-lending library.
- Terry W., who calls Richmond "my favorite place ever," credits Byrd Park's active civic association, porch "stoop" hangs, and monthly neighborhood meetups at PBR.
🚶 Make conversation part of your routine. Annie T. recommends taking walks without headphones — "preferably with a friendly dog" — and greeting people along the way.
- Jim S., who has lived in Bellevue for nearly 40 years, said even a five-minute conversation while heading to the car can be a "sure-fire good neighbor maker."
🥞 Share food. Art S. invited more than 15 of his neighbors over after moving to Salisbury Hills and turned it into a monthly gathering with drinks and snacks.
- In Byrd Park, Craig B. said neighbors host a monthly pancake breakfast that draws "even the most reclusive neighbors." Everyone brings sides and coffee for a Saturday morning block party.
✍️ Create conversation starters. Tegan M. also keeps a whiteboard outside her apartment with a weekly question for neighbors to answer.
- There's a chalkboard in the Fan that does this, too.
- Terry W. has a little free library with books, dog treats and lollipops that has become a gathering place for kids and dogs.
📱 Use technology to your advantage. Yewell T. said his wife started a text chain with nearby neighbors and now "they check in with each other daily."
🗣️ Look out for each other. That can be as simple as bringing banana bread or soup when a neighbor is sick, or knocking on doors when people forget to move cars on street sweeping days, said Jim S.
- Some of Alex P.'s best neighborly conversations have come from bonding over the "joys" of homeownership, like confusing brick residue with mice droppings.
The bottom line: Sometimes all it takes is making the first move.