The embrace of living near friends isn’t just about real estate. It represents a reframing of what success looks like in America, where upward mobility has always flowed toward more privacy. The more money you have, the more you can afford to shield yourself from the messiness that arises from sharing space with other people — whether through living alone or hiring support like housekeepers or nannies. But as Kristen Berman put it, people may have begun to understand that they are often using their money to “buy more loneliness.”

I think rich people are worse at community because you get used to getting everything your own way [...] In community living, you have to give up your preferences.