How do you set boundaries with a chatty neighbor without coming off rude?

Use a warm greeting plus a firm time boundary, then physically keep moving. Say something like Hi, great to see you, I am running out and only have two minutes, so walk with me to the car. After work, try I just got home and need to start dinner right away, let me catch you another time. Keep your body pointed where you are going, keys in hand, and take a step as you speak to signal you cannot stop. Close with a friendly exit line such as I have to run now, enjoy your afternoon.

Offer a specific future window so it does not feel like a brush off. For example, I am free most Fridays after six, or I take a walk around ten on Saturday if you want to catch up then. If they push past your time limit, smile and interrupt yourself with I have to go now, and then leave. You are not rude for enforcing the limit. Be consistent by using the same wording for a few weeks, carrying headphones or a coffee cup as a visual cue, and padding your departure by one minute so you feel less rushed and more in control.

Honestly and the only way I've kept my sanity is the walk-and-talk escape because I'm always sprinting between daycare pickup and a Zoom that starts in five. I open with a friendly, quick "Hey! So good to see you, I've got two minutes tops, running late," and I keep my feet moving toward the car or the door. Earbuds in, keys out, backpack on sends the vibe that this is a passing hello, not a porch sit, and half the time I've got a kid melting down over a sock which helps. If they still latch on, I repeat a closer like "I really have to go, tell me the rest next time," then I wave while already turning and end it without pausing. Timing wise I've started leaving at odd minutes and parking one house down so we don't overlap, and once a week I make a point to stop for a deliberate five-minute catch-up so it still feels friendly. It felt rude for a week, but consistency trained us both and now chats are under two minutes unless I actually have time.