Becoming Friends with Your Neighbors is Asking for Trouble (VIDEO)

Joann from bensonhurst
Joann from bensonhurst

Before I moved to New York, the land where everybody lives in dimly-lit walk-ups, I lived in Los Angeles. And apartments in L.A. are much different than those in NYC, in that they make you much more exposed to your neighbors.

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I've been in the building I live in now for over a year -- there are neighbors I've seen maybe three times. Seriously. And the only reason I found out that the couple on the first floor moved -- three weeks ago -- is because I just saw somebody new moving in. It's great.

All places aren't like this, though. Like I said, Los Angeles, completely different. When I sneezed, my entire complex would say "bless you" in unison to me. It was awful. Because when you get friendly with neighbors, bad things and awkward situations are bound to happen.

After watching the hilarious video from CafeMom Studios featuring JoAnn from Bensonhurst, I now realize that I made a cardinal mistake when I lived in Los Angeles -- I got to know my neighbors in the first place.


Now, I never had to deal with pooping dogs or female tenants wanting to borrow my husband, but I did have to deal with super loud music at crazy hours of the night, among other things -- obnoxious park jobs, trash in the corridors, etc. And because I was friends -- or friendly -- with these people in the first place, it made things all the more awkward (AKA, I was too chicken to say anything, so I had to just live in squalor with nary a parking spot within a five-mile radius of my house). If I would have just minded my own business to begin with -- and not gone over for a beer that one time -- things would have been so much easier. Thanks, JoAnn.

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For more useful advice -- with a side of sass -- check out JoAnn's video series on CafeMom Studios YouTube channel. A new episode airs every Monday, but do yourself a favor and subscribe in case you forget.

Are you friendly with your neighbors? What's the worst situation you've ever been in with a neighbor?

Image via CafeMomStudios/YouTube


Written by Nicole Fabian-Weber on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

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