I think the whole "Block Party" thing works better in smaller places. e.g. In NY, unless you had a BBQ on the roof, it probably wouldn't be possible (and where

I think the whole "Block Party" thing works better in smaller places. e.g. In NY, unless you had a BBQ on the roof, it probably wouldn't be possible (and where would you put everyone who turned up?). Similar in London - yes, I could have a block party, technically, but it's all terraced housing, so (a) there would be a lot of people - probably too many, and (b) given property prices, most are probably renters, meaning they probably don't feel a sense of permanence or belonging in quite the same way a homeowner would. Maybe that's a big part of it? Not just that you have so many neighbours it breaks Dunbar's Number, but that in cities with high property prices, odds are good most of your neighbours will be renting, and perhaps only for a limited time, whereas in smaller cities, you can buy a place, and it's quite possible that your neighbours are going to be your neighbours for 10, 20, 30+ years, versus maybe 1 - 2 years when talking about renting. It's a much bigger return on investment.