When your naked neighbor is obstructing your view

By Lucy Cohen Blatter | March 5, 2015 - 3:59PM

Remember "Ugly Naked Guy" from "Friends"? For some New Yorkers, he's all too real. Over on Apartment Therapy, a reader asks what to do about his neighbor who prefers to be in the buff, and is rather visible from his kitchen window.

The first thing to do, according to advice columnist Alice, is to make sure the nudist neighbor knows he's in full view. Don't print out a huge sign that says "I see your junk!" Instead, maybe smile or make eye contact (hopefully while he's clothed).

If that doesn't work, slipping a polite letter under his door might help too. But while it might seem counterintuitive, your best bet may actually be to befriend the offending neighbor (again, hopefully while he's clothed). A casual mention of the problem is probably much less awkward than the prolonged eye contact approach. Plus, people have a way of being more considerate of neighbors they actually know than of anonymous strangers.

But if your neighbor turns out to be a fully committed nudist, note that in New York, indecent exposure laws only apply to public nudity, so if you're having this kind of problem, you may just need to invest in some good shades.

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