This guest post is from Angela Pearse, a blogger for Zumper who frequently combines travel…
What are the best ways to meet your neighbors and develop a community after moving to a new area?
Community is important, and chances are that if you’ve just moved to a new neighborhood you might be feeling a distinct lack of community immediately following your move. One of the most effective (and fastest) ways to start a new community and circle of friends is by taking the initiative and meeting your new neighbors.
Neighbors can show you around your new area, introduce you to other friends, help you get involved with the existing local community, and much more. To help you get started, today we are going to be sharing 6 of our most effective tips for meeting your new neighbors.
6 Tips to Help You Meet Your Neighbors After Moving
1. Introduce Yourself
The first step in any friendship is an introduction. Bring your new neighbors a card, a bottle of wine, or a bouquet of flowers. A simple, kind gesture like this will open up the door for communication between you and will be an easy way to break the ice.
The first introduction is not the time to do extensive talking, but simply an opportunity to meet and get acquainted with your new neighbors. Make your visit brief, cordial, and be sure to mention visiting together again in the near future.
2. Throw a Housewarming Party
After you are somewhat settled into your new house, brush up on your hospitality skills by throwing a housewarming party in your new home. Invite your new neighbors and any other individuals you may have met in the community. Be sure to create a comfortable and welcoming environment with your party and spend time talking with each of your guests.
Throwing a housewarming party is a good way to become further acquainted with your new neighbors and will open the doors for them to get to know others in the community as well.
Serve refreshments such as assorted appetizers, and if you want to serve alcoholic drinks at the party (such as your favorite wine) be sure to also offer a non-alcoholic drink choice for your guests. People are naturally more comfortable with each other once they’ve eaten together or had a conversation over a drink, so having some small appetizers at your housewarming party is highly recommended.
3. Ask Lots of “Get-to-Know-You Questions”
People love it when you ask questions and show an interest in their lives or hobbies. Asking questions will help your newly made friends feel much more comfortable around you and is the best way to find out common interests and hobbies.
Common get-to-know-you questions that make for good ice-breakers include questions about the following:
- Work-life
- Hobbies
- Kids/family
- How long they have lived in the area
Asking lots of questions helps you to make quick connections and deepens your new relationship by providing you with lots of topics to discuss in future conversations.
4. Invite Them to Have Dinner at Your Home
After you have broken the ice and thrown your housewarming party, follow up with a more personalized invitation to have dinner at your new home. Invite the neighbors directly next door so that you can have some quality time to get to know each other better and in a more personalized environment. Having just one set of neighbors over will allow you to get to know one another on a deeper level and will make you all much more comfortable with each other.
5. Find Common Activities
Another great way to get to know your new neighbors better is by finding activities that you both enjoy. Whether you enjoy jogging, baking, going to the gym, or wine tasting, find out if your neighbors have any similar interests or hobbies as your own and suggest doing them together. Doing activities together will build your new friendship and will help you see each other in different settings, thus building trust and communication.
6. Become Involved in the Community
What better way to make friends and learn about your new neighborhood than by getting involved in your local community? Depending on how involved you are, your local community can extend well beyond your next door neighbors, getting you connected with people from all over your district and even county.
Making the effort to get engaged in local community groups will enable you to meet like-minded people with similar passions and hobbies to your own.
Some examples of community opportunities include taking classes at your local community center, volunteering to help your new community by working at the local food bank, or joining some niche groups that meet up monthly for hobbies. These are all wonderful ways to reach out and invest in your local community and they will help you feel included and welcome in your new area.
Conclusion
Settling into a new neighborhood can be a challenge at first and building a new community and friend circle is never easy when you are starting from scratch. Nonetheless, making the effort to introduce yourself to your new neighbors and surround yourself with like-minded people will be the fastest way for you to settle into your new area.
Here at On The Go Moving, it is our goal to provide moving tips and tricks on our blog so that your moving experience can be as convenient and stress-free as possible. We hope this article was able to give you the courage to embrace your new neighborhood and go out there and become friends with your neighbors.
Contact On The Go Moving today for more information on how to make your move go smoothly.
