Should we move neighborhoods for more friends?

Post date: 2019-10-29 03:04:38

We live in a neighborhood where we haven't made friends and where our kids have not made real friends, despite there being lots of kids! We are considering moving to a more expensive home in a neighborhood where we already have some friends and where we know they regularly get together; however, we aren't sure if "moving for friends" is going to be worth it or smart. We love our low mortgage, our yard and our location, but the other neighborhood would surely improve both our social life and our kids' chance of making friends. Would you move for friends?

We moved to our current house about 4.5 years ago. We loved the location, the price was right (lower than we expected to pay), we have a wonderful yard, and we liked the neighborhood and appreciated that there were sidewalks and lots of kids.

However, we have now spent the last 4.5 years trying to make friends with the neighbors and it just hasn't happened. While some we simply have nothing in common with, others just don't seem to care to become friends. We have invited many people over but the invites haven't once been reciprocated!

We are frustrated with our neighborhood in general, but even more so because of what we hear from many other friends in the area about their own neighborhood experiences. These friends live in neighborhoods where they have made great friends, where there are regularly neighborhood events and get together and, most importantly, where their kids have made best friends. I always feel so badly that my kids have no neighborhood friends of their own when ever friend at school seems to have their "neighborhood best friend."

Therefore, we are considering moving to a neighborhood where we have a couple friends that live and that love the neighborhood. The house will be significantly more expensive, but we "can" afford it. We had been happy with our current cheap house and how it enables us to save more aggressively so this would require adjustments on that front, but we are starting to feel it would be worth it for quality of life.

Have any of you moved for friends? Would you move? A friend did it a few years ago and said it has been life changing since it affects their almost every day, but it is a big decision and I am just not sure. Thoughts?

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