These are the neighbors you'd actually want to have in NYC

It’s easy to tell what makes for a bad neighbor in NYC, say the inconsiderate hobbyist musician whose death-metal band practices until 3 am or who takes out the garbage so infrequently that the entire floor reeks.

But what makes for a good neighbor? Our picks:

• A firefighter: This one’s self-explanatory. Safety first!
• A responsible high school student: Cheap babysitting and no cab fare. This is what we call a win-win.
• An AppleCare specialist: An in-house IT whiz who can retrieve the document you forgot to back up before accidentally spilling coffee all over your keyboard? Yes, please.
• A pied-a-terre-owner: He’s rarely there so it’s almost always quiet.
• A chef: Chances are that he or she will come home often with bags full of extra food. Extra points if he or she is training to be a chef and it's finals time.
• A wine distributor: They’ll always have spare bottles when you need one and the local liquor store is closed. (In fact, one wine maker told us this summer that he offers his neighbors samples.)

For more, read “9 NYC neighbors you actually want next door.”

In Case You Missed It: Every so often, BrickUnderground digs through the archives to find the best advice our experts have shared through the years.

Related:

How to handle a hellish neighbor

Is your neighbor harassing you? Here’s what to do