If someone chooses not to know their neighbors, that's on them and their willingness to get to know people, not a function of whether they live in the city or country. Do you think your willingness to know your neighbors also was influenced by where you were, mentally and socially, at that stage of your life, and what you were focused on?
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I believe that in any relationship, both parties play a role.
I may not have introduced myself to them, but they did not make the introduction to me either.
I was just reflecting on my life and considering whether or not that point could be valid.
I'll agree with your first statement, for sure. If only the Welcome Wagon ladies were still around, we would all have a helping hand for your second statement, lol. At least in my experience across several states, in larger towns, neighborhoods have monthly meetings where folks can get to know each other. They aren't homeowner associations, but neighborhood groups that meet in public facilities and talk about things that concern the neighborhood. A new person can go to those and make neighborhood friends and acquaintances quickly and spread out from there. Or just start with the next-door neighbors.
Community interaction, just for the sake of knowing and meeting people, (not for an agenda) is a lost art these days, but I'd hate to consider what interesting people may be living right around the corner that I would never meet without taking the effort to say hi (which is something that I would not have done 10 years ago.
Those neighborhood meetings are funny. The program part of the meeting is the excuse that people use to justify the socializing. We all have different interests and life situations, but we all live in the neighborhood -- just like a small town or rural area, really.
I'm sorry that's been your experience with apartment living. I do agree that having a yard sure helps people get out and play where neighbors see each other. They don't have to go to a park.