Four Ways to Introduce Yourself to New Neighbors

Living alone in your own apartment is nice, but chances are that you’re never 100 percent alone. If you step out into the hallway, you might see your neighbors, and in many apartments, you’ll sometimes hear your neighbors moving around or listening to music in their apartments. It can feel slightly uncomfortable to know your neighbors are around without actually knowing them, and if you find yourself dealing with an unruly neighbor, you might have an easier time approaching the situation if you already know the person. Here are four ways to introduce yourself to new neighbors, whether it’s you or your neighbors who are new to your building.

1. A simple knock

You don’t necessarily have to get creative and step far outside the box to introduce yourself to new neighbors. A simple gesture of friendliness often does the trick. To that end, just head over to your neighbor’s apartment and give their door a gentle knock – a hard, fast knock might sound intimidating. Once your neighbor opens their door, just introduce yourself, then say you live in the apartment and just wanted to say hi.

If your neighbor is new to the building, they’ll likely appreciate that you’ve gone out of your way to say hi. If you’re new to the building, then you have an additional excuse for making an introduction: Apologize for any inconvenience that your move-in – movers constantly going up and down the stairs, your possessions lining the hallway as you get them from your moving vehicle to your building – has caused. Not only will this give you a natural conversation starter with which to introduce yourself to new neighbors, but it will show that you’re courteous and considerate.

2. A knock plus a gesture

It’s one thing to show up to your neighbor’s apartment just to say hi. It’s another to arrive with something they can remember you by. Purchase a tray of cupcakes, cookies, or other baked goods (or better yet, make them yourself) and give one to each of your neighbors. This way, nobody can accuse you of playing favorites as you delight everybody in equal measure. Keep in mind that baking a whole cake for each neighbor or one for just one neighbor can be seen as, respectively, an overstep or a slight.

3. Have a housewarming party

If you’re an outgoing person, you were likely already planning to have a housewarming party. Of course you’re going to invite your friends, but what about including your neighbors? Inviting your neighbors to your housewarming party allows you to get to know each other in a low-key, fun environment with drinks, snacks, and other bonuses you might not have with just a simple door knock. And it’s a way to introduce yourself to new neighbors without adding another activity to your daily list of tasks.

4. Find common interests

Although it’s noble to want to introduce yourself to new neighbors, you’re not guaranteed to click with every one of them. You also might be worried that knocking on everybody’s door will feel mentally exhausting. A middle ground is to see if you can find common interests with your neighbors. If you have a dog and you notice your neighbor does too, mention that. If you realize you’re shopping at the same boutique grocery store miles away, talk about how the distance is worth the products. If you bike everywhere and someone else in your building does too, chat about that. With common interests, you don’t need a party or baked goods to forge meaningful relationships – being genuine is key.

How do you go about introducing yourself to new neighbors? Share your experiences in the comments!