Great neighbors still exist in L.A. You told us about 10 of the absolute best.

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When I moved into my Leimert Park flat astir 2 years ago, an older pistillate rushed downstairs to greet me.

“I’m truthful excited,” she said, introducing herself arsenic Cassandra. She had lived successful the tight-knit flat gathering for much than 20 years and watched plentifulness of radical travel and go. “I was disquieted astir getting a brainsick neighbor, but you look great,” she added, hugging maine tightly and handing maine a tray of sandwiches to stock with my friends who were helping with the move.

Over the adjacent fewer days, I met my different neighbors, including Miss Rosita and Mr. Art. After a fewer shared meals, agelong conversations and traded favors, each of them became much than conscionable the radical adjacent doorway — they became family.

There’s a quiescent comfortableness successful knowing your neighbors, particularly successful a sprawling, sometimes lonely metropolis similar Los Angeles. That benignant of transportation is fading. A survey by the Stanford Center connected Longevity showed that the percent of Americans who often interact with their neighbors — meaning they walk clip with oregon speech to their neighbors much than erstwhile a week — declined among each property groups from 2017 to 2023.

We wanted to find radical who are bucking the trend, truthful we asked readers to nominate the neighbors who marque their corners of Southern California consciousness similar home. The stories that folks shared are poignant, inspiring and mightiness conscionable marque you privation to locomotion implicit to the structure adjacent doorway (or invited mat crossed the hall) and present yourself immediately.

One of my favourite neighbors, Mr. Art, died past fall. He was a saccharine retiree who’d archer maine astir his play sportfishing adventures and adjacent my store whenever I was successful a hurry and would forget. Another neighbour called maine the time helium died, and we cried together, sharing our favourite memories of him. I’ll ever beryllium grateful to Mr. Art, who made my beingness amended each due to the fact that helium erstwhile took the clip to conscionable his caller new neighbor.

Here are immoderate of our favourite scholar responses, edited for magnitude and clarity.

He’s saved america from many, galore parking tickets. She hosts the sweetest beforehand structure chats.

Neighbor: Bill and Linda Melber

Nominated by: Corrinne Harol

When were you neighbors? 1994 to now

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Santa Monica

Corrinne, connected however Bill and Linda amusement up arsenic neighbors:

Linda and Bill are the astir generous neighbors imaginable. Bill has taken retired my trash bins for decades. It started erstwhile I was surviving successful Canada for astir of the year, but helium inactive insists connected doing it. He makes it his idiosyncratic ngo that nary 1 gets a parking summons for thoroughfare cleaning connected our block, going up and down the artifact doubly a week to punctual anyone who forgot. One clip helium called maine astir my car, but I was excessively acold distant to get backmost to determination it. Bill had a cardinal to my house, but the gross was locked. He climbed implicit the fence, got my car keys and moved my car for me! He besides makes children’s toys that helium distributes to immoderate children connected the artifact oregon that helium encounters retired and about.

His wife, Linda, is arsenic neighborly, hosting regular chat sessions connected their beauteous beforehand structure and checking successful connected maine whenever I person been ill, arsenic she does to anyone successful her orbit. They are genuinely a acquisition to the neighborhood.

He made maine consciousness invited erstwhile I was successful civilization shock

Neighbor: Hector Chavez

Nominated by: Tommy Bui

When were you neighbors? 1996 to 2022

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Pacoima

Tommy, connected however Hector has shown up arsenic a neighbor:
The top neighbour I ever had was my puerility friend, Hector. I’m the kid of Vietnamese refugees, and erstwhile they claimed asylum successful Los Angeles, we were plonked into the taste collision that was Spanish-speaking Pacoima. I was seemingly the lone Asian kid successful a five-mile radius. I surely stood retired among the perfectly creased khaki pants and thenar combs and top-buttoned flannels contrasted with my clueless vessel haircut and Ninja Turtle suspenders.

Confounding the astronomical unlikeliness, we got on similar 2 peas successful a pod. I got a clang people connected Angeleno aesthetics and the ins and outs of the unsmooth and tumble San Fernando Valley hurly-burly. I was a regular staple astatine his welcoming household. Simpatico and simply siblings by circumstance. Sunday dinners and holidays and “Sandlot”-like play thoroughfare shenanigans. My younker was alarmingly idyllic with the hopped fences, bicycle slaloms done postulation and occasional near-misdemeanor mischief. Shoulder to enarthrosis alongside Hector, I wouldn’t commercialized a azygous infinitesimal of it.

Though nary longer neighbors, we’re inactive navigating life’s milestones successful our ain corners of Los Angeles. We’re some caller fathers and hurtling toward mediate property wholly agog astatine however rapidly the clip gallops by.

She gave maine a golden turtle to marque maine consciousness amended aft my breakup

Neighbor: Raynette Syfu

Nominated by: Fatine Ait-Haddou

When were you neighbors? Since 2021

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Historic Filipinotown

Fatine, connected however Raynette has shown up arsenic a neighbor:

I had conscionable moved into my caller flat aft breaking up with a semipermanent ex. I was sobbing each azygous day. During my archetypal intro with Raynette, she gave maine a small golden turtle and said it would bring maine safety, luck and calmness. I named it Lucky and I inactive person it. Raynette brings maine meals each the clip and checks connected maine whenever she hasn’t seen maine for a fewer days. She adjacent gave maine a immense container of her vintage clothes. One of the astir insane things she’s done for maine is springiness maine a fake baby, 1 that was dense and realistic. She said that due to the fact that I lived unsocial and didn’t unrecorded adjacent family, it could beryllium bully to person further family. [Laughs] Honestly, it was a precise “her” move. She’s genuinely astonishing and looks retired for me. I couldn’t beryllium much grateful.

He taught maine caller chess strategies — and beingness lessons

Neighbor: Ali Ras (born Fitz Albert Thomas)

Nominated by: Jemimah Yamamoto

When were you neighbors? From 2021 until his decease successful 2025

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Arlington Heights

Jemimah, connected however Ali showed up arsenic a neighbor:
I moved to Los Angeles successful the summertime of 2021. I was successful my precocious 20s, and I was a spot unsure of my move. Even much so, I was unsure of the vicinity I ended up successful acknowledgment to Facebook Marketplace. But arsenic destiny would person it, it revealed to maine that I was destined to beryllium there. I’d spot an aged antheral with his grey dreads and sing-songy dependable arsenic I would locomotion from parking my car connected the street. One day, helium introduced himself and implicit clip we developed a relationship. Him, arsenic my chess teacher, and maine arsenic his anxious student. I’d bring implicit my chessboard and we’d play for hours connected his porch. He’d ever accidental I was excessively assertive with my pawns and that I wasn’t acrophobic to suffer them. He’d play dilatory and deliberately. I ne'er won a azygous crippled against him. I’d similar to deliberation that that itself was a lesson.

During my Saturn return, I was depressed and felt a spot lost. On days that felt the darkest, helium would call. He would inquire maine however I was doing, and it would chopped done each the facade of “I’m good.” It was the code of his dependable that made you privation to beryllium honest. His mode of caring felt similar a occurrence due to the fact that you don’t adjacent person to explicate thing to him, helium would conscionable know. At the time, his beingness was precisely what I needed.

He was the lone idiosyncratic I gladly fto locomotion into my location unannounced

Neighbor: Eric Pendleton

Nominated by: Kim Quitzon

How agelong were you neighbors? More than 20 years

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? San Fernando

Kim, connected however Eric showed up arsenic a neighbor:
“Uncle Eric” was much than conscionable a neighbor; helium was family. Walking done the doorway unannounced yelling “Hi, family!” crossed the surviving room. “I came to cheque connected the backyard.” Every week helium would mow the yards aft helium mislaid his occupation and took pridefulness successful landscaping the grass, but that was conscionable the aboveground of what helium meant to us. On the fashionable thoroughfare of Orange Grove successful San Fernando wherever crowds enactment up during Halloween, Uncle Eric was our honorary vicinity watch. Rolling up and down the thoroughfare connected a caller motorcycle each day, checking successful connected each neighbour that would springiness him the clip of day.

From watching the dogs erstwhile we were distant to helping acceptable up household parties, helium was 1 of us. He conscionable happened to unrecorded 3 doors down. Unfortunately, Eric passed distant from crab past year. The full artifact was devastated, and we each held a potluck successful his honor. We volition miss him, and helium genuinely is the epitome of an astonishing neighbor.

She sat with maine aft my ma died portion I cried

Neighbor: Hilah Johnson

Nominated by: Pamela Yeh

When were you neighbors? From 2017 until mid-2020 erstwhile she and her household moved to Austin, Texas. Over the years, we’d go adjacent friends, truthful I was gutted by their move. The astir astonishing happening happened, though. In 2022, they moved backmost to L.A., conscionable a fewer blocks distant from us. They unrecorded astir 10 minutes distant from america now, but we inactive spot each different each the time.

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? West L.A.

Pamela, connected however Hilah has shown up arsenic a neighbor:
Hilah has shown up for maine and my household successful hundreds of ways implicit the years, but I privation to archer you this 1 story. In September 2025, my mom, who had been surviving successful an ADU we built successful our backyard, died. She was my heart, and I was utterly crushed. I lived successful a fog of grief and shock. Hilah came implicit and conscionable sat with maine portion I cried and cried. She made the video montage of my ma for her memorial, which was other hard due to the fact that a household subordinate had each sorts of unreasonable demands. Eventually, she got maine to spell to a creation class, and we’re inactive dancing, 1 measurement astatine a time, astatine the fantastic section Flow Motion.

He’s the beloved ‘Fairy-Car-Father’ connected our street

Neighbor: Rodrigo Mangrobang

Nominated by: Leigh-Ann Jackson

How agelong person you been neighbors? Since I moved to Northeast L.A. 15 years agone

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Northeast L.A.

Leigh-Ann, connected however Rodrigo has shown up arsenic a neighbor:
Rod, arsenic astir of the artifact calls him, is simply a retiree who lives with his woman crossed the thoroughfare from me. He spends a batch of clip extracurricular gardening and moving connected his cars and tin seemingly consciousness whenever a neighbour is having car trouble. He’ll halt what he’s doing, bring implicit his tools and get to work, nary questions asked. He’s not precise chatty, but helium speaks car fluently! He saw maine propulsion retired of my driveway erstwhile and flagged maine down to archer maine I was headed for a blowout soon. He past instructed maine to propulsion backmost into the driveway and patched the tyre for maine connected the spot. I adjacent watched him spell extracurricular to assistance a alien whose car had breached down successful the mediate of the road. He’s our street’s Fairy-Car-Father.

She had the champion section recs. Yelp couldn’t travel close.

Neighbor: Eileen Ogle

Nominated by: Sofie Ringold

When were you neighbors? From 2020 to 2025

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Sherman Oaks

Sofie, connected however Eileen showed up arsenic a neighbor:
When my hubby and I bought our archetypal home, the COVID vaccine hadn’t been released yet, and we didn’t conscionable immoderate of our neighbors. A fewer days later, an older pistillate wearing a disguise knocked astatine our door. She said that a bundle had been delivered and she didn’t privation it to get stolen. The bundle had arrived lone minutes earlier, truthful it was beauteous wide she wanted to scope retired her caller neighbors, and during a clip of societal distancing, this was the cleanable excuse. She introduced herself arsenic Eileen. She lived adjacent doorway with her partner, Judith. We exchanged numbers and said a affable goodbye.

As the satellite dilatory became much comfy with societal interaction, Eileen began introducing america to everyone connected the block. Soon, portion we were walking our canine astir the neighborhood, radical would halt america and inquire if we were new. When we told them we lived adjacent to Eileen and Judith, their eyes lit up. It was wide they were section legends. Like each first-time homeowners, we rapidly ran into our stock of problems. But who needs Yelp erstwhile you person neighbors who person already vetted each location work you could perchance need? Need a gardener? Call Eileen. HVAC needs maintenance? Call Eileen. Going distant for the play and request idiosyncratic to cheque connected your cats? Call Eileen.

Sadly, Eileen passed distant successful December. A unreality hung implicit our thoroughfare for weeks. Then connected Christmas morning, the prima broke done and a rainbow appeared. My hubby took it arsenic a motion from Eileen.

He went from my flirty neighbour to my hubby of 16 years

Neighbor: Bretton Boyd

Nominated by: Sara Mortimer-Boyd

When were you neighbors? We became neighbors successful 1996 until 1997, erstwhile we moved successful together

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Silver Lake

Sara, connected however Bretton has shown up arsenic a neighbor:
Bretton would travel to my doorway asking for things (cigarettes, food, etc.) portion trying to flirt. I was precise intrigued by him, but I didn’t deliberation helium was “my type” astatine the time. It was confusing astatine first. One day, helium invited maine upstairs to his flat for java and breakfast, which became a regular thing. He got maine addicted to java and to his astonishing cooking. He started coming implicit to my flat much and we became truly adjacent friends earlier becoming romantic. I retrieve 1 clip helium near for a fewer weeks to sojourn his parents, and I realized successful his lack that I loved him and wanted to walk each time with him. We moved successful unneurotic successful 1997, got engaged successful 2002 and person been happily joined with children for the past 16 years. He inactive cooks meal for our household each nighttime astatine our location successful Highland Park.

He helped signifier a nutrient bid erstwhile my lad was diagnosed with leukemia

Neighbor: Scott Marshall-Miller

Nominated by: Mev Blount

When were you neighbors? From 2006 to 2017

What vicinity did you unrecorded in? Studio City

Mev, connected however Scott has shown up arsenic a neighbor:
My hubby and I moved adjacent to Scott and his hubby erstwhile I was large with our archetypal child. Scott welcomed location his girl 9 months aft excavation was born, truthful we were caller stay-at-home parents together. His hubby is an unthinkable baker, and helium and Scott were ever bringing implicit plates of deliciousness. The cocoa croissant breadstuff pudding is legendary! I was raised that you ne'er instrumentality a sheet bare truthful I’d cook thing oregon adhd immoderate homegrown veggies to the plate. That sheet went backmost and distant done the hedges betwixt our houses for years.

Both of our husbands traveled for enactment a lot, truthful Scott and I spent hours together, particularly earlier bedtime and during the “witching hour” with our small ones. We’d beryllium connected my beforehand lawn, nursing half-glasses of Trader Joe’s finest Two Buck Chuck vino portion his girl and my 2 kiddos rolled around, wearing themselves out. Scott and I would sound connected each other’s doors erstwhile the parenting was excessively much. He and I would ever reply the doorway with an “Oh, it’s you. Come in. No 1 other tin spot maine arsenic a blistery mess.”

When my youngest got leukemia astatine 7, Scott was portion of my halfway radical who ignored maine erstwhile I said we didn’t request help. They organized a nutrient train, and Scott was the 1 who acceptable up a cooler connected my beforehand structure and insisted radical driblet nutrient without knocking, knowing we were overwhelmed. He was ever determination erstwhile I needed to laughter oregon cry, and helium made our L.A. suburb consciousness similar the tiny Ohio municipality wherever I grew up. I inactive find glitter crushed into our room tiles from the Halloween erstwhile helium made his girl a purple witch costume. Sadly, Scott died abruptly successful his slumber a fewer years ago. Tiny bits of glitter are embedded successful our tiles, a agleam reminder of Scott and the quality and joyousness helium brought to adjacent the astir mundane tasks. He made L.A. consciousness similar home.

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