Village people

Q: How is Linton like Manhattan?

A: In more ways than you'd think...

This we found out from a new friend who spent many years in New York City (East Village) before moving here, and still considers it home.

We were comparing what we miss from our previous lives, and I was surprised that her list was almost identical to mine. Apart from friends and family, obviously, we both miss being able to walk to places instead of driving - it meant running into friends and acquaintances every time we stepped out of the house; passing the time of day with shopkeepers, librarians or just anyone really; the knowledge that neighbours would look out for us.

To sum up, both a village like Linton and a city like New York have a strong sense of community, and that is a special thing. It came as a bit of a surprise to hear NYC described as a friendly place, but in fact everyone lives so close to each other there that a degree of familiarity is inevitable. And I guess it must attract the sort of people who like other people.

The Albany area is not at all an unfriendly place, but for various reasons people seem to live rather separate lives. Maybe it's the climate, or the fact that houses tend to be detached and fairly widely spaced. I'm certain car culture plays a part.

But what do you think? What makes a group of individuals sharing a location into a community?