Different strokes for different folks. My suburban neighborhood is very socially active, we all know each other very well. I know their kids and vice versa, etc. What I find draining is all the noise when I go downtown, and being around so many strangers. I visit friends who live in condos downtown and they don't know their shared-wall neighbors as well as I know mine in the next house over. Everyone just retreats back to their personal cave once they're done dealing with the crowds.
I'm sure my experience is partly due to my own learned preferences, as well as the specifics of my neighborhood. I know there are nice suburban and rural areas to live, and I hope that with time I develop a greater appreciation for what's here.
