How to Create a Feeling of Community When Moving to a New Neighborhood
Moving into a new neighborhood can require quite a bit of adjustment. A sense of community can make the transition easier. Here are some things you can do on your part to increase the sense of community you feel with your neighbors.
Get To Know Your Neighbors
Your first step should be to be friendly. Introduce yourself to your neighbors and get to know something about them. You can even do this before you choose to buy a property to be sure you are making the right decision. Talk in their interests while giving them some information about yourself. Try and find things you have in common. This will all serve to increase a sense of trust and make everyone more comfortable communicating with one another.
Help Out
You should always make an effort to help out your neighbors. For example, you can shovel their driveway, pick up their mail when they’re out of town, return lost pets or perform any other good deed. Do your part to keep your neighborhood safe—call the police if you notice suspicious activity. It’s always better to be safe than sorry and the police would rather respond to a false alarm than respond too late to a real emergency.
Put On Events
Another great way to create a sense of community is to organize community events. This could include ideas like a block party, neighborhood garage sale, competitions, activities for families, performances and much more. You are only limited insofar as your creativity. It can be a nice touch to invite community services to your events, such as the police and fire departments, for educational purposes and to meet them.
Get Involved In Any Neighborhood Groups
You can further a sense of community by getting involved in any established neighborhood groups. Neighborhood watches are fairly common, but there also might be beautification committees, book clubs and anything in between. If none of these groups exist, you can create them yourself. If you live in a homeowners association, you should definitely get involved and have your voice heard when it comes to issues affecting your community. Before buying a property, you can consult your real estate agency to find out about existing groups.
It is ultimately up to individual neighborhoods as a whole to become thriving communities. You can help by doing your part, however, by being a good neighbor to others and being involved in neighborhood events and decisions. It almost always feels better and more secure to live in a neighborhood with a strong community.