It is believed that people living in apartment buildings feel lonely, as there is no sense of community, while others think that high-rise apartment dwellers have a much better community spirit than private house owners. Although people living in apartments may feel lonely, I believe that those who reside in multi-storey buildings have a better sense of community than private house inhabitants.
On the one hand, inhabitants of private houses may be on good terms with people living nearby and have barbeques at weekends. This is because mostly they do not have many neighbours with whom they can communicate. Moreover, private house dwellers are concentrated on looking after their own homes and their neighbours may be the only people who can advise them on how to fix some problems which may contribute to the development of a sense of community. For example, my uncle’s family lives in a private house. When they have problems with their house, they ask their neighbours how to take care of the roof.
On the other hand, people who live in blocks of flats often discuss common issues regarding the house they live in because they share facilities such as a lift, underground parking, or a children’s playground. Consequently, they share responsibility for maintaining these facilities in good condition. Therefore, such neighbours may build close relationships with each other, provide assistance in resolving their neighbours’ personal problems and even become friends. To illustrate, my friend who lives in a high-rise apartment is in charge of keeping an eye on the playground being clean. She has built great friendly relationships with almost all her neighbours. The sense of community in their house is truly amazing.
In conclusion, although some may think that people who live in apartments are lonely and have a poor sense of community, I hold the view that community spirit in high-rise apartments is more developed than in private houses.