How to Build a Neighborhood Friend Network? A Surprising Trick

In my neighborhood, there’s a woman who seems to know everyone.
People stop for her, talk to her, gravitate toward her.
I know exactly how she does it—and it’s surprisingly simple.

You know the saying, “A good neighbor is better than a distant friend”?  Well, that’s the motto of my friend Yuki! 

 
Yuki was born in Japan, grew up in California, and in her twenties, she moved to Amsterdam. She’s been living there for several decades now. About ten years ago, she suffered a stroke, which means she now walks with crutches and always uses a mobility scooter when she’s out. But that hasn’t stopped her from leading an active social life.

Yuki is the one with the most friends in the neighborhood. Big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and Easter are her excuse to throw large parties in her 60 m² apartment. In fact, her apartment is designed for it. She has an open kitchen—or rather, her living room is almost entirely a kitchen. That’s where she hosts cooking workshops. Our neighborhood is home to people of many different nationalities. Yuki simply asks someone to come and cook a traditional dish from their country and invites around 15 neighbors to cook and eat together.  Fun idea, right? 

 
But how does she manage to make all these friends in her neighborhood? 

 
Well, that’s where Yuki is truly unique!  She hops on her scooter with her little Chihuahua—and importantly—she brings a stash of dog treats, dried chicken pieces, and slices of deli meat. In short, the basket on the front of her scooter is full of goodies that dogs absolutely love. 

 
Yuki always takes her dog for a walk in the park near her door. And what do dogs do? They look for other dogs. Then Yuki strikes up a conversation with the other dog owners while feeding their dogs treat after treat. The result?  The next time that dog sees Yuki, it runs straight to her. And Yuki happily feeds it all the treats she’s got in her scooter basket again. 

 
She really reminds me of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. When you see Yuki in the park, there are usually several dogs swarming around… and of course, their owners too! And so, from these “coincidental” park encounters—where coincidence is given a little nudge—many friendships form. 

So Yuki doesn’t just have a good neighbor—she has a lot of friends in her neighborhood! 

 
What do you think of Yuki’s strategy? Pretty clever, isn’t it? 

Do you have a trick like that too? 

 
I’ve tried Yuki’s trick myself, but it doesn’t really work for me. Mostly because I’m hardly ever in the same place at the same time. Maybe you have some tips for me? I’d love to hear them! 

 
By the way, here’s how I met Yuki! 

 
“Did you enjoy Yuki’s little trick? Feel free to share this story with someone who might enjoy it too!” 

 
Photo: Edi Libedinsky