Whether your building has an association or not…odds are you don’t exactly know your new neighbors yet, am I right?
Here are some suggestions on how to build your own little community in no time at all.

Back in the day they used to have an actual welcome wagon….and certainly if you’re crafty and enterprising enough you can go around to local businesses and get them to donate coupons or small gifts to the newly moved in, and then go around to each new neighbor and present them with a lovely welcome basket…but this is more about what to do after that.

local restaurant night: pick a local restaurant in your neighborhood that you can all meet up at for drinks or dinner…you’re getting to know your new area, supporting local business, as well as getting to know your neighbors.

Once you’ve got to know your neighbors a little better….hopefully someone will like you enough to make you something. Or borrow something. Remember the golden neighborly rule:

Always return a dish FULL…not empty.

Whether you’ve borrowed a large dish or pan to hold something…or you received the gift of food FROM your neighbor? The friendly thing to do is return it filled with something they will enjoy. if you can’t cook or bake, nothing says “howdy neighbor” like a big bag of M&M’s

Perhaps you’ve got so many fun people in your building, you’d like to step up the socializing…why not start a Facebook page? That way you can check in with one another…pass along important information….organize the next potluck…oh hey, that’s another groovy idea!

Potluck! everyone brings a dish. It would be nice to be invited to one without the added agenda of someone selling something (tupperware/jewelry/candles, etc) but either way…it’s nice to know who the good cooks are in the building, how they furnished their place as opposed to yours, and who’s door you will NOT be knocking on for a cup of sugar.
Once you’ve established a rapport with your fellow building dwellers, sky’s the limit!

Cookie swaps! My favorite part of the holidays…everyone brings a certain amount of baked goods. At the end of the night you leave with a container full of delicious goodies to serve at your own holiday party.

Cheese and wine night. Guys bring the cheese. Gals bring the wine. Prizes for the most exotic of either. You see where this is going. Your are only limited by your imagination. Have fun, and welcome to the neighborhood!