Just to add to the anecdotes: My father grew up in a suburban neighborhood in Virginia that had a very tight-knit community. Kids running around, everyone knew

Just to add to the anecdotes: My father grew up in a suburban neighborhood in Virginia that had a very tight-knit community. Kids running around, everyone knew each other, etc. My grandparents (who've since passed) when I'd see them would talk about how it didn't feel like a community anymore. There weren't really kids and families anymore, just old people. I grew up 5 minutes away and never felt much of a sense of community in my own neighborhood. My neighbors were mostly old people and I probably wouldn't have even recognized them. The two places I've lived where I felt a strong sense of community were the college town I went to college in, and rural Japan where I'd spend a month out of my summers as a child living with my grandparents and attending school. In the latter the school went out of their way to make sure I had friends since I was the only foreigner there (eg. I remember a teacher literally telling the kids in class to hang out with me and invite me over to play. In America that would never happen). All the kids in each neighborhood walk to school together every morning so that helps as well. So does being able to bike/walk everywhere and not being dependent on a parent to drive you. It's definitely tougher to meet people after you graduate school. I think a lot of people close themselves off once they enter the "real world". It's a shame.