A lot of us are struggling to stay connected with our neighbors, but the solve may be as simple as a sidewalk happy hour.

Why it matters: Casual neighborhood ties are quietly disappearing, and research shows the health consequences of social isolation run deep, with a strong link to mortality and dementia risk.

Zoom in: We asked you how you're building community here in Arizona, a state notorious for its transplants.

Your best tips:

🎉 Throw a party: Several of you shared how driveway get-togethers have spurred long-term friendships.

• Former Paradise Valley Town Council Member Dan Schweiker said he hosted two open houses when he moved to a new neighborhood in central Scottsdale in 2014.
• The shindigs were "such a success" that neighbors have continued to host meet-ups, and even transitioned to socially distanced "street parties" during COVID, he told us.
• Down in Tucson, Gary Karr told us about "Friday street drinking."

"Birthdays are often celebrated, and, on a couple of occasions, neighbor deaths have been mourned. Sometimes dogs are there, like Benny or Bella, who are at least as popular as their humans."

📱 Start a phone tree: Knowing how to reach your neighbors, in case of emergency or just for a friendly check-in, is a great way to start building friendships.

• Randy McGrane said his neighbors quickly helped locate his lost dog when he was on an international trip.

"One text and five minutes later the dog was safe at a neighbors … where she went since she knows the neighborhood as well."

💪 Expand your "neighborhood": "Neighbor" doesn't have to mean someone who lives on your street.

• Fred Rickson said he rarely sees his next-door neighbors, but interacts with about a half-dozen people at the fitness center in his retirement community each day.

"Are these 'neighbor interactions?' I think so."

1 good thing to go: McGrane also told us about how his close neighborhood ties have helped him from descending into political fracture.

"There is tremendous value in having a human behind a label. That's not some MAGA, that's Carol. That's not some radical leftist, that's Randy. The loss of community engagement and neighborly neighborhoods is a catalyst to polarization."

Plan a block party

Soccer fans flooded Arizona Athletic Grounds on Monday to get a taste of World Cup action.

Zoom in: The Mesa facility is the training home of the Türkiye Men's National Team while they're in North America to compete in the FIFA World Cup, which kicks off tomorrow.

The latest: Monday was the only opportunity to see the team in action before their opening match against Australia on Saturday.

• At least 3,000 people turned out for the special practice, KJZZ reported.

The intrigue: That's as close as locals will get to the World Cup without crossing state lines.

• The Valley had originally planned to pitch State Farm Stadium in Glendale as one of the World Cup venues, but yanked its proposal in 2018, saying FIFA refused to provide details about the financial responsibility of hosting, the Phoenix Business Journal reported at the time.

State of play: This is the first time the tournament's been held in North America since 1994.

• Matches are spread across 16 host cities, including 11 in the U.S.

🏈 Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals' likely starting quarterback, showed up to mandatory minicamp yesterday but did not practice. (USA Today)

• Brissett has not participated in any of the voluntary training this summer as he attempts to negotiate a pay raise.

🤝 Gov. Hobbs and Republican legislative leaders say they've reached a budget deal that will be approved later this week. (KTAR)

• Details are still scarce, but Senate President Warren Petersen said it includes the adoption of President Trump's tax cuts at the state level.

🥕 Vallarta Supermarket will open a location in south Phoenix. (Press release)

🧑‍🎤 An Alice Cooper fan found the rocker's credit card at a gas pump in Payson and returned it to him in the Valley before he left for his upcoming international tour. (12 News)

I've known Liberty Wildlife as the go-to place to take injured birds in the Valley, but never realized that their south Phoenix sanctuary is also an amazing low-cost attraction.

How it works: The organization takes in about 10,000 injured animals (mainly birds, but also reptiles and small mammals) per year, and returns most of them to the wild after veterinary treatment.

• But some are too injured or dependent on humans to live healthily on their own, and instead become ambassadors for their species at the organization's 6.5-acre campus.

Between the lines: At the campus, you'll see bald eagles, barn owls, vultures, hawks and even endangered California condors.

• Volunteers take out many of the birds for socialization, so expect some up-close encounters.

I took my bird-obsessed daughter for her birthday, and volunteers were eager to show her falcons, owls and other rescued critters, including a tortoise and raccoon.

• At a summer admission price of $5, we'll be back many times in the coming months.

The fine print: The campus is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

• May – July and September (closed August): 9-11am, $5 per person
• October-April: 10am-1pm, $10 per person
• Kids 4 and under are free.