A small house with a welcoming front porch

A growing pattern among solo agers is coordinating a move to the same neighborhood or community as close friends, without sharing a household.

Why this works well

It preserves independence while significantly increasing the odds of daily, casual contact — closer to how family proximity functions than a scheduled visit ever could.

If considering this, visit the target area together first and discuss expectations explicitly — proximity works best when everyone's expectations for contact frequency are aligned upfront.