Your neighbors can look out for you, but only if you actually get to know them. If you're the neighborhood's cranky dude who just wants to keep to himself, that's fine, but you can't expect your neighbors to have your back if you don't have theirs. Some places, neighbors grow so close that they're almost family. It's a great feeling to be surrounded by friends, and they can watch your pets and water your plants while you're on vacation. You might even start a cycle of borrowing a cup of sugar a…