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Friday, February 22, 2008
Do you welcome new neighbors with food?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I live on a quiet street in an older neighborhood with many long time residents. I think it’s fair to say my family lowered the median age by about 40 years when we moved in four years ago.
There’s not a lot of turnover, so I was especially sad when our favorite neighbors, the one couple about our age, decided to trade their browning lawn and its expensive upkeep for a nearby townhouse. I hoped that a family would snap up their stylish 4 bedroom home, but surprisingly, an older couple bought it.
I know we’ll be neighbors more than friends, but I still want to welcome them to the street. I’m not sure whether I should bring over cookies, a hot dish for them to have for dinner, or be really gutsy and invite them over here for a meal.
It used to be the norm that some sort of effort was made to make new neighbors feel welcome. Now, so many people keep to themselves it seems like times have changed. I have friends who moved to a cul-de-sac in Buckhead, whose neighbors never spoke to them in the year they lived there. On the other hand, I’ve heard that some subdivisions have social committees that not only welcome newbies, but organize food for weeks if a new baby comes along or during illness.
What do you think? Is the Welcome Wagon approach alive and well or a thing of the past? What’s enough to be social, without being a scary stalker? And do you use food to welcome neighbors?
