An apartment community refers to the residents living and people working in a complex who become friends/acquaintances and interact with one another regularly.
Despite being two different concepts, apartment complexes and communities are often used interchangeably. Yet the two have separate meanings.
What Is An Apartment Community?
As the title implies, an apartment community is the group of people who get to interact and, at the very least, become colleagues due to proximity to one another.
Apartment residents, managerial staff, security personnel, and the janitorial team all become cordial because they are in some way related to the same housing building.
However, not all apartment complexes have a community gathering. If you wish to experience it, you might want to look for a place known for its friendly environment.
Typically housing setups where communities are built and fostered, communal spaces are a must. If you want to be part of an apartment community, look for these facilities in the listings you view.
A Swimming Pool
A shared swimming pool in an apartment building offers a recreational avenue for all residents to come to and have a grand old time together.
Generally, it becomes a great space for hangouts during the summer season when many in the complex make their way to take a dip in the water to beat the heat.
In some cases, people may choose to set specific time slots to have their swimming sessions together.
A Fitness Room
A fitness room or gym is more common in high-end complexes but not completely nonexistent in regular apartment facilities.
You may find one in a nominal apartment building with additional charges.
Nonetheless, a fitness center equipped with machines such as treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals makes for an excellent gathering point for the fitness freaks in a complex.
Of course, you don’t have to be physically fit or a regular gym-goer to hang out at your apartment building’s fitness center.
Once you make friends with people who love to spend time in a gym, you can join them just for your daily gossip rounds.
A Clubhouse or Community Lounge
A clubhouse is a room or lounge in a complex with amenities for entertainment such as a TV, pool table, etc.
It may be given to anyone who books it for an event or party.
However, in well-knit apartment communities, a community lounge is used for weekly or monthly get-togethers.
Pet Centers
Some apartment setups have designated areas for pet-keeping, allowing residents and even the building’s staff to bring their pets together to connect and have a fun time together.
Apartments with pet-friendly spaces are excellent for people with pets as they will get to bond with other animal parents easily and much faster.
In other words, your chances of settling down and making friends in a complex are high if there is a pet center and you have a pet!
Benefits of Being Part of an Apartment Community
Whenever apartment living comes up, a bunch of advantages is thrown around, such as
- Easy maintenance
- 24/7 security surveillance
- Convenient parking options
- A sense of heightened security, which means fewer chances of break-ins and burglaries
While these perks are enticing as is, they are not all! If you live in an apartment complex with a community system, you get to enjoy many more benefits.
Next Door Friends
The first and foremost gain of living among an apartment community is having access to friends all the time.
This means you don’t have to wait for the weekend to meet with your buddies.
Feeling down or just wanting to discuss something quickly with a friend, all you need to do is walk a few steps, and you will be at your pal’s door.
Convenient Playdate Options for Kids
If you have kids and you live within an apartment community, you can befriend other parents and have playdates available for your little ones all the time.
Having parent-friends can also come in handy when you have to urgently go somewhere, and your babysitter is busy.
All you need to do is call your buddy and ask them to look after your child while you have to run out for a bit.
Multiple Babysitters
While having apartment friends with kids may be good for you as parents, it’s okay even if you don’t because all you need is a responsible adult to babysit your child whenever needed.
If you live in a community and make reliable pals, you can ask them to look after your little ones while you have to go out, let’s say to run an errand.
Furthermore, having trustworthy neighbors can also be suitable for your love life.
In all honesty, after having kids spending some alone time with one’s spouse can become a S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E!
There are so many things that you need to do in order to have a date night with your partner.
But with friendly neighbors, you can save the romance in your life by asking them to look after your kids and the house while you and your spouse are on a date.
Obviously, you don’t want to inconvenience anyone, so don’t ask for such favors too often. But doing so once a month may not be that big a deal!
And of course, in exchange, you can also do something for your friend.
Pet Sitters
If you have a fur friend, you would know that sometimes finding a trustworthy sitter can be challenging. If not, it can indeed be a burden on your pocket.
However, if you live in an apartment complex where there are other families with pets, you can ask them to do you a favor and look after your pet when needed. And you can do the same for them.
Surely, if you are on cordial terms with members of your apartment community, you are unlikely to have trouble finding a pet sitter.
Parties Whenever You Want
Getting together with friends can sometimes feel like pushing a boulder up the hill because everyone’s so busy.
But if you live in the same building, you can have quick rendezvouses (after the kids are asleep) at night to freshen up your mind.
You all can gather at someone’s apartment, have a round of poker, down a few chilled beers, and you’ll be all recharged for the next day!
On top of that, if you happen to have a clubhouse in your complex, you can ransack it and have a bash every now and then!
Barbecues In Spring
When people live in single-family homes, they can have barbecues in their backyard and invite friends over something apartment dwellers don’t have the luxury to do, or so they say!
Apartment buildings with swimming pools and terraces have everything needed for barbecue parties.
People living in apartment complexes can grill and greet too! And the best part is that they don’t even need to invite anyone from outside.
Community members can plan and enjoy the whole thing by themselves.
Morning Exercise/Stretch Sessions
One of the most common activities apartment dwellers tend to do together is going on morning walks or jogging.
People living in the suburbs are often seen power-walking in the morning discussing daily-life matters, but people living in apartments can also do so with much more convenience.
Since complexes typically have a communal yard with a track which makes for the perfect pathway for morning runs. If you become part of an apartment community, you can go on daily sprints or walks.
Doing so will not only be good for your social life but your health. Naturally, when you are physically active, your health automatically improves.
Support In Crises
Life can be highly unpredictable, and as much as you plan it to a T, you can never write off the possibility of running into a crisis.
And when such a thing happens, you need people who care about you to be there for you.
However, sometimes that may not be possible because your loved ones may not live close by; hence cannot be by your side in an instant.
This is where having an apartment community behind you can be significantly helpful, not to mention comforting.
Let’s say someone you know and deeply care about gets into an accident, but you can’t do anything other than wait for the doctors to do their job.
If you live in an apartment community, you will not have to do it all alone. Your neighbors will come to your rescue or just be present by your side for moral support.
Moreover, if you have to run to the hospital urgently, a fellow resident could drive you because driving under stress can be dangerous for you.
Additionally, you can leave your kids or pets with your neighbors if there is an emergency in the family and you can’t take them.
In short, having someone you can rely on 24/7 at a walking distance can genuinely be a blessing.
Ending Note
If you want to feel like a part of a big family, you should consider living in an apartment complex with a strong community.
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