How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?

“Love thy neighbor — but don’t pull down your hedge.” – this famous quote sums up how most people feel about their neighbors; we respect the people that live next door to us but does that mean that we should let our guard down? To answer that question, you must first answer this: how well do you know your neighbors? To find out who are your neighbors so you protect your family, use these tips that will help you get to know who is on the other side of the fence better.

Join neighborhood groups

Yes, most of you are probably rolling your eyes right now; between work, home and taking care of one’s family who has the time to join neighborhood groups? Well, in the past taking an active part in your neighborhood meant having meetings and joining a watch group. Luckily, we live in the times of group texting, so if you do not have the time to join meet-up groups, you can join neighborhood contact groups.

Being involved with what goes on in your neighborhood will help you get the latest news about where you live and also get to know your neighbors better by staying in touch with them.

Be neighborly

It never hurts to bring a welcome basket to new people in the neighborhood or inviting them over for a cup of coffee. It does not have to anything too formal; you can keep it casual an establish a friendship with your neighbors. There is no guarantee you will become best friends but by having alone time with your neighbors, you can get to know them better and learn if they are people you can trust or if you should keep a safe distance from them.

Use a people search service

People, especially those who do not know you for long, usually do not open up about their past or reveal their true personality right off the bat. That is why it is important to dig in a little deeper sometimes and find accurate and impartial facts about the people in your life, including your neighbors. To do that, you can use people search engines, like GoLookUp, that provide information from public records that are collected from official authorities. When you enter the name of an individual into the directory, you will receive a report about the person in question, including birth certificate, criminal records, sex offender registry, contact information and more.

The data will help you find out your neighbors’ real name, their age, if they were convicted of crimes, and more. but remember, having a criminal history does not reflect on who people are in the present, so along with the online search, try to get your neighbors by talking to them so you can get the full picture.

Befriend them on social media

We live in an era where being friends on social media is almost as good as being friends in real life. So, why not send friend requests to your neighbors? You can search your neighbors on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites and apps and get a peek into their life. The photos and posts that people upload can reveal quite a bit of information about them, but you should take it with a grain of salt. Not everyone is active on social media, and people who do not upload every bit of information about themselves, so you need to choose what to believe.

Take a walk around the clock

Going on a walk has not only health benefits but it can also help you get to know your new neighbors and see new people that moved to your area. You can go on a walk with your kids, spouse, pets or even a friend to explore the neighborhood in a fun way. The walk is also a great way to wave hello to your neighbors and stop to have a chat with them from time to time. So, get your sneakers on and start walking and talking – it is a great way to connect with your neighbors.

The people who live in our neighborhood are a part of our lives, and it is important to get to know more about them than just their names. If you want to know more about your neighbors, you should reach out to them and find out their names, at the very least. By searching your neighbors on social media and people search engines, you can get to know them better. However, do not give up on in-person contact, and reach out to your neighbors to get to know them personally and from up close.