Submit a next-door neighbor story—one story will be transformed into the final installment of our webcomic series, Next-Door Neighbor.
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I've lived down the street from Kayla my whole life. While I'm at her house, which is most of the time, I coverse with her neighbors. After 14 years, I've gotten to know most of the people over there except her Next-Door Neighbors.
They don't talk, well not us. They are some sort of asian, I believe they're viatnemese, but we don't really know.
Anyways, Kayla's cat ran out the … Read more »
I moved to NYC in the early 90's and shared a two-bedroom apartment with a whiny roommate who ate only Hamburger Helper. Because she was so annoying, my boyfriend and I usually stayed at his luxury co-op on the Upper West Side. When my lease was up, I ditched the roomie for my very own place in Gramercy Park.
The upside was that I'd be living alone, and … Read more »
Green thumbs transform neighborhood into eden
I thought moving into the quaint, Spanish courtyard building would be a good step. The first night was rough. I thought older buildings were supposed to ave thick walls. I was wrong. Since I was in one of the corners of the building, my bedroom window faced the courtyard. The neighbors to my right were either night owls or deaf. I heard the entire late night lineup from Leno to … Read more »
Next door neighbour or next door goddess. So beautiful. Oh how I long to catch a glimpse from out my window. Who can resist, with the bikini tops and the skin tight shorts that she always wears. Bending, getting drenched as she washes her car. I have never spoken a word to her, nor do I know her name. I guess this just adds … Read more »
Next door neighbour or next door goddess. So beautiful. Oh how I long to catch a glimpse from out my window. Who can resist, with the bikini tops and the skin tight shorts that she always wears. Bending, getting drenched as she washes her car. I have never spoken a word to her, nor do I know her name. I guess this just adds … Read more »
Next door neighbour or next door goddess. So beautiful. Oh how I long to catch a glimpse from out my window. Who can resist, with the bikini tops and the skin tight shorts that she always wears. Bending, getting drenched as she washes her car. I have never spoken a word to her, nor do I know her name. I guess this just adds … Read more »
It was summer of 2001 and the other “club” of kids in the neighborhood had just made Lauren cry. The sky was particularly grey that afternoon as we stood in a circle around her, glaring across the street to the larger group of smirking assholes. We tried not making her take sides, but as usual with kids entering pre-teendom, cliques prevailed.
Lauren was being torn apart by an inner battle- whether … Read more »
Thank you for reading and considering my story. It's an ongoing saga!
We were in college. They dragged a keg out onto the metal grate walkway that ran between the apartments. Big, brawny, strapping meatheads would gather on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, drinking. The metallic crash of empty beer cans against the asphalt and the snapping of crumpled red plastic solo cups rang out into the night. I would watch them from my window, wishing I was there … Read more »
A man's well cared for and loved garden is both a source of pride and oft consternation. Several years ago, my patch of tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and collards produced a bumper crop much to my delight. Without warning, but not entirely unexpectedly, evidence of an unwanted night visitor began to appear in my happy veggie haven. Small bits and pieces missing at first soon turned … Read more »
I was still in college at the time so I only came home as a rarity. One week, I came home for a break to find that we had a new neighbor for the first time in ten years. Unfortunately for us, this new neighbor was a nightmare. It started out with him purposefully literally mowing the DIRT, causing a windstorm of dust to envelop our … Read more »
Your room mate moved to Houston leaving you with the rent to pay and the dog to feed. You called the puppy Little Dude or Little Guy, and he became you friend. Little Dude was taken by his first owner while you were at your second job, wish they had an Amber Alert for puppies.
My neighbor's cat ate my goldfish.
Will you please turn down your bass?
Where do you go when your house is destroyed by a devastating tornado? Next door to me. The ending to their story is nothing like Dorthy's, there is no yellow brick road to follow or red shoes to click. Just the run down, paved road leading to the empty shell the owner calls their house. Their furniture is borrowed from good friends and family and they're rarely home at all. … Read more »
My wife and I moved to our new house over the summer. It's perfect, just what we wanted, good location, good neighbors, good schools, all that stuff. We had been living apart for 18 months because of a job relocation and actually living together full time was like the proverbial first time all over again. Anyway, as the first week or so went by in our new house, we introduced … Read more »
Joan Burney was like a grandmother to me. She has been my next door neighbor for all of my life. She’s a shorter woman, with short blonde hair and a crazy flair for nature; which is different than my family who are city based. Her grandkids live far away and are much younger than me and my brother so Mrs. Burney was like our adopted Grandmother.
When I visited … Read more »
"Good morning, Princess Anne," I'd say as we passed on the steps of the shabby apartment house where we both lived . Princess Anne was my neighbor for a couple of years in a northeast city, a cold city blanketed in snow from November into March. I was a twenty-something student/cocktail waitress. Until the shots crackled and the blood droplets appeared on the snow, I didn't think much about Princess … Read more »
I lived in a Philadelphia apartment building that was built in the 1920s. It was charming--there was a fireplace, hardwood floors and my bedroom windows opened out into a lovely peaceful courtyard filled with big trees, old rhododendrons and huge holly shrubs. I loved my apartment...during the day.
At night, I dreaded going to bed. However, each night, hope for change sprung eternal. A single woman in my late 20s, I … Read more »
As part of our new webcomic, Next-Door Neighbor, we thought it appropriate to have a little contest. Tell us your best true next-door neighbor story, and the winning tale will be matched with an artist and transformed into a webcomic and included as the final installment of Next-Door Neighbor.
No matter how close or how far, we all live next to someone, and we all have a Next-Door Neighbor story. With that in mind, editor Dean Haspiel asked some of his favorite storytellers and cartoonists to create their favorite NDN stories so we could share them with you.
By submitting an entry, you are granting SMITH the right to reprint or republish that entry online or in print, as well as make any necessary edits. See SMITH's terms of service for complete details.
This contest ends September 1, 2008. Prizes are not redeemable for cash and must be accepted as awarded. Winners are decided at the discretion of SMITH judges and all decisions are final. SMITH reserves the right to change the contest rules. Enter as often as you want. SMITH reserves the right to reprint or republish all entries.
By Melanie_Brooke 9 months ago 
By twocananne 9 months ago 
By Nogginspot 10 months ago 
By tymberr 10 months ago 
By Jeanette_Cheezum 10 months ago 
By A_Scattered_Mind 11 months ago 
By Elizalear 11 months ago