A new neighbor can be exciting and daunting. Who will move in? Will they be as great as your dear friends that have moved away? Will they be as loud and obnoxious as the hard partying renters who just got evicted? The only thing you know is they won't be exactly the same, and making a new neighbor feel welcome can go a long way.
Perhaps the most straight forward thing to do is knock on their door, say hello, and introduce yourself. Some like to bring food as a welcome gift, but if you're not sure what they like a welcome basket to the neighborhood might be nice alternative.
In the basket include information from the chamber of commerce; information on what day the trash is picked up; important phone numbers for the area (the police, fire department, library, and the best pizza delivery place); a local news paper; information about the Patch; and coupons for local restaurants and stores are just a few suggestions.
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If you're not so bold to go knock on their door, introduce your self on moving day while they're unloading their belongings. Say hi when you're both doing yard work on a Saturday morning. In other words be friendly whenever you see them. You never know when you could use your neighbor's help or perhaps found a life long friend. Most importantly being on friendly terms with neighbors always makes life better.
Karen Renner is a Realtor with Shorewood and can be reached at karenrenner@shorewood.com
