Salem Neighborhoods

So, I had an interesting conversation with Nancy (one of the owners/managers?) at Super Pho in the new downtown location the other day. She mentioned that she has noticed what a close knit group the downtown people are.

Everyone seems to know each other, or at least know of each other, and people talk to each other a lot. The first time I went into the restaurant, for instance, I knew two of the other patrons. We talked about a third person who has an office down the street and had become a regular.

Personally, I love living downtown and it feels a lot like a small town in a lot of ways. I enjoy running into other people I know, chatting with people in downtown businesses, waving to acquaintances on the street. I'm sure its lack of anonymity isn't for everyone, but it makes it feel like home to me.

It's not something I think about a lot until someone mentions it, but it got me wondering. Are the other Salem neighborhoods like this? Is it unique to downtown? Do people from other Salem/Keizer neighborhoods feel the same about their little corner of the city? Tell me your thoughts on this.