While a 1998 national poll sponsored by the National Opinion Research Center found 48 percent of respondents spent a social evening in a neighbor's home at least once a month, in Silicon Valley only 27 percent of respondents say they regularly socialize with neighbors. Even if neighbors just wave or speak casually outdoors, it makes a big difference in building a sense of community, said Judith Innes, director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at the University of California-Berkeley. Those who don't connect often with neighbors cite their workloads and the press of family needs, among other reasons. We don't have time,'' said Roopkala Subramanyan, an engineering consultant who has lived in the same San Jose apartment complex for five years. All you want to do is get something to eat and sleep.
People are always busy, running and coming, never knowing when they're going to be home.
My neighbors, we wave at each other, but don't know each other's names. I work anywhere from eight to 14 hours a day, from five to six days a week. When I'm home, I usually want to spend it with my kids. In fact, work may be where people go to relax, said Innes. But for San Jose resident Fota, who grew up in the Rosemary Gardens neighborhood and then moved back there to buy a home, there should be time to do it all.