Neighbours

Q: Do you know your neighbours? A: A couple of them, yes, though not particularly well. I know the woman next door by name and we'll chat if we run into each other, but I couldn't tell you much about the people on the other side beyond a nod in the corridor. It's fairly typical of city living, I think — proximity doesn't automatically translate into closeness. Q: How often do you speak to them? A: Maybe once a week, usually in passing rather than a proper conversation — bins, deliveries, that sort of thing. It's rarely planned; it just happens when our schedules overlap in the hallway or the car park. I wouldn't say it's a close relationship, but it's a friendly one, which is probably enough for where I live. Q: What makes a good neighbour? A: Being considerate about noise is the big one for me, honestly — someone who thinks about the fact that walls are thin before playing music at midnight. Beyond that, I think it's about a kind of low-key reliability, being willing to take a parcel in or water a plant without it turning into an obligation. You don't need to be friends with your neighbours, but you do need to be able to rely on them a little. Q: Have neighbours changed over time? A: I think so, yes, though it might just be the shift from where I grew up to city living. My parents knew everyone on their street and it was a fairly tight community; where I live now, people come and go constantly because it's mostly rented flats, so there's less incentive to invest in knowing anyone properly. I don't think that's necessarily worse, just different — more privacy, less built-in support.