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When I was single, I had a brief dalliance with a guy who lived within walking distance of my apartment. Honestly, looking back, I think if he hadn’t lived right there I wouldn’t have even been attracted to him. We probably all, at some point, have a fantasy of having a little fling or full-blown love affair with someone who lives in the neighborhood. It feels so easy and yet so forbidden, all at the same time. When you’re into someone, knowing you could run into him at any moment when you’re simply walking to get coffee makes your neighborhood feel more exciting. I think all of that put a rose-colored lens over my eyes that made that dude look much better than he actually was. And, it turned out that dating a man who lived down the street was a BIG mistake. You don’t even think about all of the ways every part of dating—good and bad—is inflated when he lives right there.
Things will move too fast
First of all, the relationship will move too fast. It’s almost impossible to put the brakes on it. When you live across town from each other, there’s a natural buffer there. You may only see each other on weekends because getting to each other on weeknights, at a reasonable hour, with all the traffic, just isn’t possible. But you can see each other almost every day when you live next door. And so, you very well might.
