I'm trying to do you all actually make small talk feel natural with neighbors?

I treat hallway and elevator chats as micro conversations and keep them under 20 seconds. My formula is observation plus tiny question plus soft exit so it never drifts. Things like "Hey, I'm Alex in 3B, still figuring out the laundry room. Is there a best time to go?" Or "Elevator's in a mood today. Do you know if the back stairwell is faster during rush?" Or "I saw the new package lockers downstairs. Have they been working for you?"

Then I end with a gentle closer like "Alright, I won't keep you, have a good one" or "That's my floor, see you around." Using names helps, so I repeat it once and then build small callbacks over time like "Hey Maya, did the package room ever find your box?" and after a few quick chats you can escalate to "Got any favorite coffee nearby?" I keep topics low stakes and building based, like food spots, weather, maintenance stuff, or pets, and I skip rent, politics, and anything health related. If someone is chatty I mirror the energy for a minute, if they are headphone nod people I give a smile and a quick "morning" and let it be. Body language does half the work, face open, one earbud out, slight turn when you are closing the chat, and an exit like "I should let you go, have a good night" keeps it friendly without being intrusive.

Moved into my first building and froze so hard I rode past my floor once because I dreaded chatting. What helped was tiny specifics, not big questions. Compliment something neutral, or mention the weather only if it affects the building, like the elevator being slow today or the package room being packed. My go-tos are stuff like hey, you finding the laundry schedule ok, or nice plant on your balcony, looks happy. To exit, I use a soft closer like anyway, good to see you, have a calm one, and step away. Keep it under 20 seconds and you will stop overthinking it.

Think reps, not magic. Pick two openers you can say half asleep and just repeat them every time. Stuff like hey, how's your week going, or you on the third floor too works great because it is bland and friendly. For exits, smile and say I'm headed out, have a good one, then physically turn your body and go. Do that ten times and it will feel normal. You got this, hallway chats can be painless.

Nothing new here. Standard neighbor etiquette applies. Keep it neutral, use building or weather context, avoid personal probes. If you need set phrases, hello, nice day, take care are sufficient. Prolonged scripts are unnecessary and will irritate people you see daily. Thread can rest.

People in elevators want silence, not a TED Talk. Toss a quick yeah this building loves a broken elevator, nod, and move. Then hit them with have a good one, I need coffee, and escape.