We got lucky 

Fortunately in our case, the newest arrivals to the neighborhood seem to be outgoing, hard working (they attacked the mess they bought with a fervor) and don’t mind the near-constant chaos and screaming coming from next door. Also, my youngest decided to become a nudist the day they moved in, which they, and the 50 people who came to help them, found humorous. 

Being the new guys on the block is also intimidating. We were there ourselves multiple times. Hauling boxes up flights of stairs while curious eyes peeked from behind blinds in their apartment. But almost never did anyone introduce themselves, welcome us and for our part, we were also vague. Going on 13 years ago, we had the complete opposite reaction at our current residence. We’d barely made a dent in the U-Haul when friendly faces began appearing at our open doorway, ready to offer a hearty hello and any help. My favorite greeting ending with, “well, I’d better go now, it’s time to pull the girl’s tits.” The dairy farmer. We neighbor directly on his property and he was glad to hear I’d had some experience on farms, including a dairy farm, and knew what to expect. He was a character! We always enjoyed our visits with him.

Back to the present, we’re already off to a good start; sharing a dumpster to off set the cost, dropping off a piece of my experimental take on Pioneer Woman’s Chocolate Sheet Cake and happily tolerating my 5 year old’s talkathons should they veer too close to the property line. Getting a new neighbor can sometimes feel burdensome. Thankfully in our case, we can honestly say we’ve gained friendly, conscientious acquaintances who we look forward to getting to know better.