The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon!
Today’s question:
Do you know your neighbors? If so, do you like them, and would you trust them to watch your house while you went on vacation?
Talk about it….
“The WC”: Do You Know Your Neighbors?
{ 73 comments }
Sure do. My cousin lives on one side and my rental house is on the other. I back up to the CC trail so there is no one behind me… except for turkeys, snakes, cats, and the occasional joggers. Thank goodness trails are closed between sunset and sunrise.
I know and trust all of my neighbors.
The fellow directly next door took some getting used to….but after we came to an agreement about his raising his chickens without the gd Rooster…. all has gone well.
We have watched their property for them on several occasions and they reciprocate.
Yes, I know most of the families on my court and we watch out for each other. And yes, there are a couple of them that I would trust to check on my house, with keys, if I was gone for more than a couple of days.
yes, and some of them – and we reciprocate.
Been living at the same place for a little over 30 years.
So yes, i know all of my neighbors(on both sides of my street)and they know me.
Even though they have changed a bit over the years, (a couple passed away)
Don`t like to buddy it up everytime i step out my door.
But it`s nice to be able to say “Hi” and wave and then just go on with your life.
We are blessed with having Earl Ansley as a neighbor, we just need to remember to keep our dogs inside.
Yes, yes and yes. We know most all our neighbors on our street. We even have a special little Christmas party each December to catch up and greet newbies to the street. We all watch out for each other.
Know or like? I know all of my neighbors.
I know all and like all my neighbors. Some I like better than others, some I get together for barbecues, while others it’s a friendly wave. We all let each other know when we are out of town for the weekend or for an extended vacation so we can watch each others properties. We’ll pick up packages which have been delivered while gone, etc.
I have cats and have been fortunate enough to find a professional pet sitter who comes by daily to feed them, play with them, bring in the mail, water the garden, etc. Her primary concern is my pets, their safety, and the safety of my home. She wants to know which neighbors know we are gone, who has any house keys, and she arrives in a car WITHOUT advertisements which display “pet sitter” which advertises to the world that we are gone. This has been an ideal situation after having friends either come over or stay at the house and only to come home to discover my cats were overfed (against instructions) or they had “their” friends over for a get-together in my home (without asking).
I think we all want to know we can leave town for a nice relaxing vacation no matter how long or short and know when we come home all is okay.
P. S. And, sometimes a “nosy” neighbor can be the best thing….
I live in a townhouse complex. I know many of my neighbors, since we all get together at the HOA meetings. Some of them I wouldn’t trust with anything, but at least two families I do trust.
I travel a ton and I always let one lady know when I’ll be out of town so she can keep an eye out for me.
The rest of the people on my street, though, outside the complex, I don’t really know at all.
Yes after 25 years some of them have keys to my house for emergency. I can’t trust them anymore than giving them a key to my home.
I live in a condo and know all ny neighbors that live next to or above me. I’m friendly (at least to wave) with 90% of the neighbors that are on the same courtyard. One of them I would have keep an eye on my place if I was gone.
Yup, save for one couple who are quiet and seldom venture out. Otherwise this is a delightful family friendly neighborhood.
I know them and I hate them. I don’t trust them as far as I can spit (and I drool).
We’re the loud ones on the street. I’ve got the toys, race cars, bikes, etc, but in a general sense we like our neighbors, and all of our neighbors like us, except one…we call him Old Man River. He lives at the end of the street, more or less away from anyone on the court, thankfully…no one really cares much about him. As for every other neighbor, oh yeah, we all get along, we have block parties and gatherings frequently. One neighbor across from us is the security for the court, he loves weapons, another neighbor is the ‘cool out-of-state-family’ with some young kids, and the house to the right of us is a mid 40′s couple that loves to party and have a good time. We kind of have it set!
Yes I know most but one neighbor keeps stopping by as soon as my car pulls up or see my blinds open that sucks… Nice person buuuuut you know….
We know (didn’t say we liked them) all of our neighbors and have Neighborhood Watch. We’ll pick up mail and water their garden while they’re away if they need it. The family that lives at the end of the street can see our whole street from her front window and she’ll call the cops if she she’s something fishy. Helps to know your neighbors, their friends and the types of cars that they drive. Don’t forget that you can also call CPD and let them know when you’re away.
Recently bought our first home. I knew there is a bit of “luck of the draw” for who one will be living close to for the next 30 years…and we got lucky (knock on wood) with our long-term neighbors. Trust them and like them..
don’t know well enough really to give keys to yet. One is a rental and we’ve have one bad renter/one good renter so far. I’m happy to see these positive posts here today!
I’ve been here for around 4 years and have only met a few of my neighbors. The one guy that I would have gotten along with the best moved his family elsewhere a couple years ago. I have one neighbor that seems pretty sketchy but she’s harmless. I don’t talk much with the neighbors right next to me, but they are the ones I can always count on to let me know if someone has been poking around by my cars or whatever. We just don’t talk much because their English isn’t the best and my Spanish is far worse. I still remember the days when you knew all of your neighbor but it seems that around here there are very few blocks like that.
Sorry for the scattered delivery. I was kinda thinking out loud.
I know of my neighbors. That’s about it. I’ve never had anyone watch any of my homes while away from them. Not even sure what one would do to “watch” somebody’s house.
Right now, I got good neighbors but I do not know them well enought to let them watch my house if am on vacation.
7 years when I move to Concord I met a very nice lady next door to me sadly she moved out she bought a mobile home and I would of had trust her with all of my heart because she dose a lot of work for her neighbors such as washng clothes for her neighbor due to his illness and other helping hand she had done you can imagine.
Another lady next door to another lady had moved out she went to a nursing home and the sadest thing that i ddi not even get to say good bye to her.
Now let talk about the worst neighbor I had a new neighbor moved in took over for a lady who moved in taht moved to her mobile home. It was nighmare. One guy was on the wheelchair and he had a living assitance living with him. Well let just say, the guy on the wheelchair just did not make the right choice to hire this living assitance becuase the LA was from a homeless shelter and this LA was just a mess!!!! anyhow this guy on the wheelchair had moved out to another place and I am glad the stupid LA had gone for good he was so bad!!!!!!
An new neighbor moved took over the guy on the wheelchair is a very nice genthemen he is from Germany and he also got his own living assitance they are way much better neighbor.
We’ve met our neighbors, but don’t know them well*. This is sort of odd for us because we knew all of our neighbors where we lived previously in Martinez and we would all pet/house sit for one another. I miss the friendliness that we were so accustomed to!
*However, seeing as how our neighbors are a group of younger guys and they leave their dog outside nearly 24/7 with no attention, I don’t think I’d ever let them dog sit for us! I’ve been tempted to ask if I could take their dog out on walks b/c I feel so bad for it. I would love to, but the owners never seem to be around for me to ask!
I know my neighbors, and I do not trust a single one of them.
@Grumpy old man, do you live across the street from me?
We know some of the people from one end of the street to the other, scattered along the block. When we moved I found one neighbor that actually grew up down the street from me, and another that remembered me from H.S. (though admittedly I can’t remember him)…small world. We trust many of them with our house and some with our children. One of the reasons we could leave our high school aged son home alone for some weekends was he knew that all funny business would be reported back to us, and some was (though nothing serious, just being noisy too late).
In the complex I live in I know the neighbors next to me but dislike them both. One side gets in my families business and the other does the same but peeks out the mini blinds all the time. Also, they bang the cabinets if someone runs the water. Quite annoying!
Absolutely trust neighbors
This link was just sent to us today from a friend… Gives names and numbers of owners and renters at certain addresses, check it out.
http://neighbors.whitepages.com
We know many of our neighbors and trust most of them. We have enough neighbors that we trust, to feel secure when traveling. We actually watch the neighborhood throughout the day, noting unfamiliar cars/people cruising the area.
If you don’t know your neighbors…take the initiative. Invite them over for a BBQ, drinks, party, etc…and get to know them. Talking about the garden or local events is a great way to get to know them better and build trust. It’s better than depending on the police.
My neighbors and I know each other. I’ve got great neighbors. We’re always watching out for each other. We have watched each other’s places while we were on vacation.
Know all neighbors within eyesight of our house and like them all. Several help out when needed (and I’m there for them too). We all even got together and pooled our money to get squatters out of a house within our “circle”. Round the clock watches and they were gone in 2 weeks. This is the best neighborhood ever… friendly and helpful, but not nosey or intrusive. Couldn’t ask for better neighbors. Love you guys!
We live in a very “active” court…We all have children and those who don’t are still a lot of fun to hang out with…I’d trust anyone of them to take care of things while we’re away…We have one house that during the summer just becomes the stopping in point…Beers and cheers…reminds me so much of being a kid… my parents sitting out front with the neighbors and watching us…ah now ya got me feeling all nostagic… :^)
Scooby Dooby Doo, I would love get the name and number of your professional pet sitter. Have been looking for a trusted sitter for my cats for a few years now but with no luck. I would very much appreciate the information. It just is so hard to trust anyone with my pets and house while I am away.
@Honeybee….
not sure how this works for privacy…
I’ll email Mr. Mayor with the information, how’s that?
I’ll provide my name also because you’ll want to make sure you tell my pet sitter you were referred as she takes on new clients on referral only.
Leave another post if this does not work.
Yes, we are really blessed to like everybody in our cul de sac, and also on the other side and the street behind us. All good people.
We’re nearing a year, since the move. We tried to get to know the folks next door. Major language barrier. (I only know about 10 words, of Russian)… but their little grandkids visit and are polite when they sheepishly come and ask if they could please have their soccer ball back, that came over the fence.
Odd corner lot, we exchange “waves” with most of the folks, but really haven’t met anyone. I heard glass break one night, went out to see, lady behind us had dropped something. I made sure she wasn’t cut up, which she appreciated.
Nice young family across the street, with two adorable little wee ones. We exchange pleasantries, in passing… but I still don’t know their names. I suppose I’ll have to make up a batch of Cinnamon Rolls and use them as an introduction ice-breaker.
I guess after the 14 years in South Concord, I’m just in the habit of minding my own business and keeping my head down
I know the neighbors on both sides of us and trust them. They are good caring people and are courteous and we look out for each other. We don’t park in front of each other’s house and tell our guests not to either. I like most of the others ones that are close by, I always say hi or wave to them when I’m walking my dogs or driving by. There is only one neighbor a couple houses away from me that makes me a little uncomfortable. All the really unsavory ones who caused trouble moved out a while ago.
I live in a 30-unit apartment complex and there are always people coming and going. Most of them I don’t know; I usually say hello when I cross paths with someone. One neighbor likes to come over to get quarters for laundry; I usually have some. There are a couple neighbors who have lived there for many years but I almost never see them. I think they come outside when I’m at work. There is one couple I do see regularly that I’m friendly with.
When I said people always coming and going I meant moving in and out of the complex.
@champagnekitty, that kind of reminds me of my apartment in Castro Valley about 12 years ago. We were considered the “bad part of town” (which was hilarious for Castro Valley at the time) but our little 20 unit building was like our own little town.
I am fortunate to have good neighbors. We tend to watch out for each other. My immediate neighbors to the right of me and across the street I trust with watching my home. Thank goodness for good neighbors!!!
2 years ago that wasn’t the case, when a renter across the street made my and my neighbors lives a living hell. Drugs, strange people coming and going all hours of the night and day. Obvious drug sales and stolen goods being brought through the house and a meth lab in the garage, parole officers checking on parolees you name it……Hell on earth and then some!!
I know all of my neighbors, some better than others. We have a block party every summer. I do tell my neighbors when we go out of town so that they can call the police if stuff starts going out the front door
HoneyBee…
I too have an extremely trusted pet sitter (she has my house key). She takes care of my dog, geckos (has to feed one by hand) and a guinea pig. I’ve known her for almost 30 years and she is absolutely awesome. She will stay or not, depending on what you want done. She will give pets meds, take on walks, give them lots of attention, whatever you need. She will take good care of your house too. If it doesn’t get bleeped, you can email her at horsecrazyt at juno dot com.
Good luck!
I can’t say I *know* my neighbors. Everyone is very cordial with waving hello’s in passing. I have trusted the family next door to look out for packages and let them know when we are going to be away for a night or two. But I wouldn’t say I am at “leave a key” level yet. It’s been a slow process, too. Perhaps the dynamics that they have all been here and known each other’s families for years and years and we have only been here 4 years. And we are probably the only “renters” on the block. By choice. At the moment. In the past I would have made more effort, but considering when we moved to Pleasant Hill we were blending 5 teens I was a little preoccupied.
Our neighborhood was great until a low class couple and their kids moved in.
They think they own the neighborhood and call the Police whenever they hear a noise. She is 300 lbs and gossips and eats cake all day and peers out the window. He is a loud mouth, They fly their flag rain or shine and are the worst examples of Americans I can think of. No I don’t trust them.
Any advise to mr for the neighbor who keeps stopping by 2-3 times a week to borrow things, or pokes his head over the fence when you barb Q, or see’s you are entertaining and knocks on the door for some lame excuse.
WTF.
I’d like to be nice but it’s to much for me….
Irene, I think we live on the same street. Sorry for making you uncomfortable. I’m really not that bad once you get to know me.
I know three of my neighbors and, yes, I would and have trusted ‘em to watch our house while we were on extended absences.
@Just a guy – that’s a tough one. Obviously the man is lonely but you can’t be responsible for his entertainment. We have neighbors who’ve been latched onto like that by a woman down the street. They’re naturally generous and open so they just go with the flow but I’ve seen them gently and firmly tell her when it was time to go home. They seem ok with this but it’s not something I could carry off (I respect these people immensely…being good natured without letting yourself get walked-over is not easy to do).
Yes I know most of my surrounding neighbors even though everyone around here pretty much keeps to themselves. A couple of my neighbors always keep an eye out on my place when my wife and I are out of town! I even trust my neighbors across the street from me with a key to my place.
I know most of them and would trust a couple to watch my house. One was like a father to me but is no longer here. The rest I know but don’t like their unneighborly and inhuman behavior: inattention to their dogs that constantly bark; blowing/throwing their yard waste into my yard; hitting their children, etc. Before you get upset, the child abuse was reported but not sure if it stopped or they just hid it better.
The drug dealers no; the cop sure, the buisness exec also and the rest I don’t know.
@Noj – We used the Concord PD away from home check before, but didn’t like the fact they show up in uniform and a marked car. Perhaps that is to let other neighbors know they are official, but seems it could target your home more if thieves were watching.
We used to love all our neighbors, we were the new family on the street. After 20 years…lots of them have died or gone to rest homes. Some of the new people are nice. Some have gone weird on us. One a block away one day just for no reason stopped talking and treated us like they didn’t know us.
Some new homeowners are working hard at fixing up their homes, one new neighbor is a selfish pig who speeds and doesn’t do yard work, nor believes in gardeners.
We have three for sure neighbors who we’d let watch our pets and trust to look after the neighborhood when someone is away.
I guess in retrospect, it is wiser to be friendly, but not be friends with neighbors.
Yes, we know almost everyone and we are all generally friendly and watch out for each other. I feel really lucky~
no and no.Neighbors are crazy assholes..I stay away from them so I don’t knock out their daddy.
I remember way back in the old days when I was a kid growing up in the semi burbs of Los Angeles, my parents knew the neighbors, and the neighbors knew my parents! We kids had to be in before the street lights came on! If any one of us “snot nosed delinquents” even thought about doing anything wrong, God help us!
We were a community back then! If one neighbor opened his car hood, the men came over! If a kid did something wrong, they were busted before they even got home! We had block parties! We celebrated, mourned, & talked smak as a collective!
While I live in the bay area now, I do try my best to carry on that special comraderey that I grew up with! & Yes I do know my neighbors, I like some & some like me!
Oops! Kinda got off on a nostalgic tangent! I would trust some & they would all trust me, given the bar of trust may not be so high for some!
Cheers!
We know most of the neighbors and over the years the neighborhood has improved, too. We watch out for each other and help each other out. Also started having back yard parties a few times last year. That was loads of fun and we’ll continue with that for sure. It’s nice to have good neighbors…especially when you lock yourself out of the house and have the cell phone inside…
Absolutely! I live across the street from the sheriff and I have the best neighbors!
Not anymore. It’s strange. 20 years ago this was the BEST street. Then one moved, then another. Eventually the whole character changed. A nice family just moved in, I hope this is the beginning of the pendulum swinging back. If you have great neighbors, treasure it. I never would have guessed my street would go south.
We have lived in our neighborhood for more than 20 years and have seen many people come and go. Growing up I was always told to go to “Jacks House” if anything should happen. When Jack died I thought we would never have another neighbor like him. Thankfully I was wrong!! I have FANTASTIC neighbors on either side of me. Now the “purple car man” across the street from me is a story all of his own. He is nosy, mean, wife beater and will only speak to a select few yet knows everybody’s business. The two houses directly behind us both have multiple family’s living under one roof and have absolutely no respect to the numerous “friendly” requests to turn the music down. The rest of us have no problem playing our music in the back yard (often at the same time) without disturbing our FANTASTIC neighbors. Unfortunately these unruly neighbors have forced us to call the police due to the unwillingness to work it out the neighborly way.
I still feel very lucky to have such great people living on either side of me, and we all watch out for each others homes. Often times I come home to find that my neighbor has taken my trash down or put them away. One neighbor even chased some thieves when he heard them stealing Christmas decorations from our yard. Therefore the neighbors that are less than pleasant, don’t ruin the experience of having “good” neighbors you know you can trust and enjoy living next too!!
#1BAR – Well said, I miss those days. It was the same where I grew up. Neighborhood bbqs, 4th of July parties and as you said, kids might get in trouble but you knew the neighbors would be telling on you so beware. Also in snow country if a car got stranded, people would go outside and help, even if the car wasn’t from the neighborhood. I think in some places that still happens.
I know my neighbors, on one side, all right and I wish I did not. They wait for us to leave town on vacation to cut tree limbs on our redwood, over the property line, next to the fence. They proceed to throw the cut tree limbs on top of sprinkler heads, blocking the water flow. They never said a word to us about this. They are major jerks in the neighborhood telling everyone that no one can park in front of their house too.
@Bishop Estates – Do you know who this neighbor is?
I should have said the rest of the neighbors are wonderful. I love this neighborhood except tor that one neighbor. The other neighbors are caring and helpful people.
Most of my neighors are the best, but the one I had exchanged keys with died a few years ago. I really don’t know the others well enough to trust them with a key. Everyone on the street knows everyone else and exchange greetings and an occasional conversation out in the street, but we’re all really busy and mind our own business. I can say with a certainty that it’s not the same neighborhood it was as recently as the 1980′s.
A couple of years ago, one neighbor’s 14-year-old son was prowling the backyards in the neighborhood, tapping on windows and doors and generally peering in windows that didn’t have curtains. In the five years they lived next door, he trampled the shrubbery up to each window in our backyard until nothing was growing there. I kept thinking it was the racoons making all the noise until another neighbor complained to me that it started happening about the time the neighbor with the teenage son moved in.
I then realized he was prowling the house and pounding on walls at the other end of the house as soon as I turned out the lights at night. I was terrorized as was every other woman living on our street. For years I couldn’t go to sleep at night for fear he’d break a window. He once threw an apple from the tree so hard at the window, I can’t believe it didn’t break. Fortunately, they moved. There wasn’t much the police could do, but they did. make the report.
At the same time, another kid of a similar age living behind us broke threw our fence behind the shed and we didn’t immediately notice it. He came and went as he pleased for years. These two experiences have permanently changed my opinion of my neighbors and what passes for parenting these days.
I trust ONE out of 10 neighbors. I wish I could trust more, but they are just not friendly. Everyone keeps to themselves, which can be a good thing, but it would be great if we could all get together for a Block Party. Seems no one is interested.
We have a great neighborhood and do a block party every year as well. I would say I have at least 4 or 5 neighbors that I would leave my key with. One already has it.
Very quiet neighbors all around us, and only two houses out of the nearest ten homes have changed hands over the past 46 years! (Find a niche and STAY PUT!)
We have never seen the need to exchange keys with neighbors, though, because we just give that job to the same house-and-pet sitter the neighbors all use when we go out of town. And we and the neighbors are not the “drop in unexpectedly” sorts…all stay very busy with jobs, hobbies, families, recreational travel. I would call on any one of them in case of emergency and have done so, as have they. Also, we have one another’s phone numbers and keep our own mini watch system going.
I live in a 223 unit Townhome development. I know some of my direct neighbors and others in other parts of the complex and like them but some of the others, like the Ghetto Girls in the rental next door need to go. They play their TV/stereo loud all the time, slam & bang doors cabinets, gates etc, park crooked partially in my space @ least 80% of the time (this may be an attempted to prevent the repoman from taking Ghetto Girl Daughters Jag as they are always hunting for it). They are just 3rd World Ghetto Trash. Sadly our HOA won’t do sh*t about them as they only care about the abscentee owners and not the owner that live here which is why they are in violation of their own CC & R’s when it comes to the number of rentals in the complex……..It’s okay as that is about to bite them in the butt soon
@honeybee, I also know a mature, reliable petsitter. Mayor, it’s ok to give honeybee my email.
I know 3 of my neighbors very well.
#1 is a crack head drug dealer loser who currently is under surveillance by Concord PD.
#2 is a family of 3 Hispanic families with 5 children and 7 cars mashed into a 3 bedroom 1 bath rental. Cars (beaters) garbage, music, (lame music) filth and simply no respect and pride for anyone or anything.
#3 Is a family of Samoans who reproduce like roaches. No father figure anywhere in the home of 12 or more individuals. It’s impossible to keep an acurate count as there is a revolving door of Samoans thoughout the years. More drugs, more loud music and more disrespectful humans. Have you ever heard a Samoan whisper ??
I have lived in my Concord Home for 22 years and it has only gotten worse. I hate my neighbors not due to their race but lack of respect and courtesy to others. My street is filled with bad apples, and I hope they rot away!
Any yes I am working with the city, but there is little they can do on #2 and # 3 as they are according to the City of Concord ” not breaking any ordinances”
Did you know there is no residential noise ordinance in the City of Concord?
Comments on this entry are closed.