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Living in a neighborhood can be an interesting and life-enriching experience. Whether you have moved from campus into an apartment, house, or condo you will be “joining” a neighborhood. Just like your neighborhood at home, a variety of people live in the neighborhoods of Iowa City and surrounding communities including students, young families with children, single working professionals, and senior citizens. The Iowa City area is particularly fortunate because of its culturally diverse population. To reap the benefits of living in any neighborhood, it is important to sow the seeds of courtesy, respect, and consideration.
Iowa City
Coralville
University Heights
North Liberty
Solon
Need a favor? Ask a neighbor…
Skeptics might ask, “What are the benefits of being a good neighbor? How do good neighbors make life better? Why should I go out of my way to socialize with people who aren’t like me?”
Consider this!
- Problems that arise later will be a lot easier to resolve if you have already established a positive relationship with your neighbor and gotten acquainted under ideal circumstances. This means, when you accidentally block your neighbor’s driveway with your car or if your party is getting a little loud, your neighbor will know to call you first, rather than the police.
- Need a recommendation for a good restaurant or an activity to enjoy with your significant other?
- What about someone to pet-sit or collect your mail while you’re on break?
- If you have children, do you occasionally need a babysitter…maybe on a moment’s notice?
- Need a good car mechanic close to home?
- Are you making that delicious dish and forgot that you ran out of sugar last week?
In all of these situations, neighbors could help, but only if you have taken the time to get to know them. This does not mean that you have to be “best friends” with your neighbors, but you should be aware of the advantages and downright pleasantness of cultivating mutually-respectful relationships with folks living near you. Remember that your lifestyle and the condition of your home make an impact on your neighborhood, and your neighbors’ perceptions about you. Good neighbors make life better, but always remember that neighborliness is a two-way street. Return some favors to folks who’ve helped you…
Introduce yourself.
Even before you move in, make an effort to be “neighborly” by saying hello and introducing yourself to the people who live next door. Show interest in your neighbors by learning their names and a little bit about them. Some may have backgrounds, careers, and experiences that you will find interesting. You may also have things in common that you’d never know about otherwise. This first step toward fostering good relationships not only helps, if and when problems arise, but will also enrich your day-to-day “neighborhood experience” as you get to know those who live around you. The day is just better if you can say “good morning” to your neighbor!
Self awareness helps.
To avoid offending neighbors and damaging relationships, be aware of how your actions (or lack of action) might affect others who live near you. Simple courtesy, kindness, and respectfulness go a long way toward building and sustaining harmonious relationships with your neighbors…
- Pump DOWN the volume…Be aware of the fact that your daily (and nightly) schedule and habits might be quite different than those of your neighbors. Perhaps there is a medical student living next door to you who must stay up late to study and then get up early for morning rounds. There could be a family with small children living in the apartment below you. You don’t have to tip-toe and whisper, but do think about noise factors when you are tempted to turn the music up loud at any time of the day—especially in the early morning or late night hours. This includes the music in your car when you wheel into your parking spot at the end of the day (or the small hours of the morning). Keep conversations quiet (including those on cell phones)—especially in hallways, driveways, and on the street. Don’t move furniture, vacuum, mow the lawn, hang pictures, or do home repairs in the early or late hours of the day.
- If you are planning a party…let your neighbors know several days in advance so that they are prepared. Tell them about the event or drop off a flyer that includes your name, address, telephone number, and the starting and ending times for your event. Your neighbors will appreciate this courtesy and, as a result, may be somewhat more tolerant of noise levels. This doesn’t mean you should “pull out all the stops” by inviting a huge crowd and being as loud as you want to be for as long as you possibly can. By providing your phone number to your neighbors, if they do feel a need to complain about something, they will call you first rather than call the police. If your neighbors do call you during the party, respond immediately to the problem that they are complaining about if it is a reasonable request. If it seems unreasonable, try to engage them in friendly conversation so you can come up with a compromise. Remember to end the party at the time you told your neighbors you would. Credibility is everything!
- Be aware of small children in the neighborhood… When you back your car out of the driveway, do so with caution; observe the speed limit in your neighborhood and on your street; monitor your words and behavior when engaging in personal conversations that could be overheard by young children; do not leave potentially dangerous items lying about outside your home, including trip hazards on the sidewalks. Treating your neighbor’s children with care and respect is another way to build rapport and good relationships with your neighbors. This also applies to frail elderly or persons with disabilities who might be living in your neighborhood.
- If you have pets… If your lease allows you to have pets, follow the rules for keeping them including those imposed by your landlord as well as local ordinances. Be aware of noise your pet might make while you are away at work or school by asking a neighbor who is home during the day if there are any problems. Always clean up after your pet, whether your dog “does its business” during walks in the neighborhood or in your own back yard. When walking your dog, keep it close to you on a leash, and do not let it wander into your neighbors’ lawns. If you have a cat, please remember that it has to be either confined to your yard or on leash. A roaming cat using your neighbor’s sand box as a litter box is likely to create problems. Again, be aware of safety issues when there are children in the neighborhood who might want to get to know your pet.
Home Sweet Home…Keep it clean and tidy!
A neighborhood is a reflection of the homes that comprise it. A good neighbor contributes to the “collective good” and the attractiveness of the neighborhood by keeping her or his home and property in order. This translates into: making sure that trash and yard waste is cleaned up outside your home; leaving your sofa and recliner inside; picking up your newspapers; picking up and recycling cans and bottles; and just generally keep things tidy and uncluttered. Tidiness includes the driveway and porch as well as the yard. Also, keep your garage door down when you do not have an immediate need to leave it open. (Note: If you are receiving free newspapers that you do not want, contact the paper and ask them to discontinue delivery.) Park your car in its assigned spot or in your own driveway (not your neighbor’s).
Hanging out and helping out.
Being a good neighbor means more than just trying not to offend your neighbors. Neighborly relationships are built by showing kindness and going out of one’s way from time to time. If you move into a neighborhood with a “block party” tradition, by all means participate if you can. If there is not a block party tradition, why not start one? You will meet other neighbors and may possibly even forge long-term friendships that will last long after you move away. Other ways you can enjoy your neighborhood include helping neighbors who are elderly, orienting newcomers to the neighborhood, acknowledging new parents with a baby gift or card, offering assistance to persons with disabilities. You can run errands for those in need, invite someone to dinner, pick up litter outside of your own yard, or bake a batch of brownies for the family next door. There are a million ways you can be a good neighbor, starting with something as simple as sitting on the front porch and saying hello!
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