What'sApp, Neighbor?

"As a broker, you're never able to describe the exact makeup of a building in terms of who the neighbors are for fair-housing purposes, but you are certainly able to say there is lively and warm communication happening. In her experience, renters see any positive and active internal communication as a plus, and typically, that's what WhatsApp groups offer."

"In the 13 years I'd lived in NYC before moving abroad, I could go years without knowing my neighbors' names. In Paris, on the other hand, it was considered rude if you didn't say bonjour to the butcher, the baker, and the actual candlestick-maker, let alone someone you lived next door to."

After returning to New York from Paris, the author discovered that building residents now commonly use WhatsApp groups to communicate, a stark contrast to her previous thirteen years in NYC when neighbors rarely knew each other's names. This shift reflects changing urban social norms influenced by European practices and digital communication tools. Real estate brokers now highlight active building WhatsApp groups as desirable amenities when marketing apartments, as renters increasingly value community connection and warm internal communication. The prevalence of these groups suggests that New York City residents have embraced more neighborly interaction patterns, making online community engagement an expected feature of apartment living.

Read at Curbed