The 10 best things about living near friends
Living within walking distance of family and friends dramatically improves our quality of life. The joy of bumping into friends on the street—or having someone drop by after a hard day—these are simple pleasures that become even more meaningful the more complicated our lives become.
Here are the 10 best things about living near friends, which might just be the 10 reasons you finally decide to make it happen.
1. Friendship becomes easier
Sometimes the truth is obvious: living closer to your friends makes maintaining those friendships easier. It’s amazing having a friend a ten-minute drive away, but being within walking distance allows for a whole other level of day-to-day closeness. This is called the Law of Proximity: people who see each other more frequently develop stronger relationships.
With a friend just a few minutes away, catching up requires far less planning. No need for a babysitter or a calendar invite—just a walk, a knock, and a hello.
Phone calls, social media, and, yes, even Zoom have made bridging the distance between friends a little easier. But none of that compares to the 5-sensory experience of plopping down on a friend’s couch without any agenda, clinking glasses when there’s something to celebrate, or just having a face-to-face chat at the drop of a hat.
2. They’ve got what you need
Unless your home doubles as an Amazon warehouse, you're unlikely to have everything you need on hand. Living near a friend (or two, or three) increases the odds of getting your hands on one of those damn Allen keys that you threw away after you built that one piece of furniture that now needs tightening. They may also have a can of coconut milk that you’ll need to finish the curry you’re halfway through making for dinner.
You may even decide to jointly invest in things like that shared hot tub.
3. There’s always a reason for a walk
Living near friends gives you the best possible reason to get out of the house, especially if you’re working from home all day.
Sometimes it can feel like there’s always some cost associated with leaving the house and seeing a friend, whether that’s subway fare, rideshare, dinner out, or a coffee and a treat. Walking with friend isn’t just free, it’s priceless.
Whether you’re just walking over to see them, or picking each other up for an urban hike, you’ve just rolled up low-impact exercise, a dose of social satisfaction, and a vitamin D quest all into one.
4. You’ll start lovely routines
Wednesday nights are the doldrums of the week. You’re probably too tired to go out to dinner, but vegetating on your couch also doesn’t quite cut it. Living near friends can give Wednesdays a whole new life. If you’ve got children, Wednesdays are the perfect night for a play date at Uncle Garrett’s house down the street. The kids can run around someone else's yard or living room for a couple of hours while the adults do the same.
Even if there are no kids in the mix: bring back game nights, “family” dinners, or a film club. Setting up standing nights with the people in your community is a beautiful way to structure your week and cut out any coordination. Of course, it doesn’t have to be Wednesday; that’s just our pick.
5. Another shoulder to cry on
While we may be skilled at soldiering on, we also know that bottling up emotions is bad for our health. Sometimes even your partner doesn’t quite “get it,” and sometimes, it’s not fair to expect them to. That’s why friendship is so important.
Beyond emotional support, the highly-available “shoulder” part of “shoulder to cry on” matters too. Walking out of the house and high-fiving a friend can dismantle those petty fights with your partner.
6. You’ll feel like a local (and become one, too)
Seeding the neighborhood with your friends will help you feel more rooted and connected to the place where you live. You’ll get into the groove of waving hello from your porch, or being friendlier on your main street. Acting neighborly is a muscle we get more used to flexing, just like anything else.
Have you ever run into a friend on the street? Or walked into a local spot and been greeted like a fixture of the neighborhood? It’s an unmatched feeling.
And old friends beget new friends. You are more likely to meet your neighbors when both you and your friend have your social antennae up and ready.
7. Someone to hold your baby
We spoke to the dad of a one-year-old recently, and he said, “Sometimes, you really need someone to hold the baby for 20 minutes. That 20-minute task isn’t something you can predict, or schedule ahead. Those kinds of needs happen in the moment. Community softly cushions you. Even when you’re dropping balls, you’re not dropping them to the floor.”
Life, as the old adage goes, is full of surprises, and living near friends means you’re more prepared for whatever unexpected little circumstance you’re in for next.
8. Aunts and uncles for your kids
Having friends around when you’re raising your kids might be the ultimate benefit of living near friends (even if you don’t have kids just yet). Let’s start with the obvious—you’ve got people around when you need a quick childcare backstop. Having friends around to tag in occasionally makes raising kids in the modern world a little less overwhelming.
But it also means you’ve got more adults around to love and support your kids, to make them feel safe and seen, and who are good role models. Having friends around makes your kids’ life and world feel more expansive than two parents ever could.
And if you don’t have kids yet, or you don’t plan on having any at all, great! You get first dibs on the cool aunt or uncle role. Tap in for ice cream runs or even bigger moments—you get a unique chance to be there for it all.
9. The chance to reciprocate
Sometimes it seems like folks have forgotten that being the first call when a friend needs help isn’t an inconvenience, it’s an honor. Living near friends will give you more chances than ever to support the people around you.
Living in mini-hoods of friends gives us the opportunity to get better at both asking for support and giving it, too. Reciprocity is a recipe for feelings of community, intimacy, and belonging.
There’s a Chinese proverb that reads: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
10. You’re happier
Ultimately, being close to friends makes you happier. Being around friends makes life worth living. Community, connection—it’s how people were always meant to live.
And you know the best part? It doesn’t just have to be a dream or a blog post that you send your friends along with the question, “What if?” It can be your reality. All you have to do is make the first move.
(Need some help figuring out what the first move is? Start by making a LiveNearFriends account, and we can help you take it from there.)
