I see you have little experience with Suburbia...

Your chances of living next to one of those people are pretty low, but it's a big country, and there are a lot of busybodies just waiting to trounce someones fun.

First, no, there are people like this all over the place. I could tell you stories forever.

Second, even when there is "backstory" a lot of it exists only in the mind of that neighbor. I met one of my neighbors when they came over to complain about "all the parties" at my house. The house had been vacant for the eight months I owned it, at least. (I was actually concerned people were using it, but there was no evidence to support it.)

> I'm not saying it's right, but I doubt someone just wakes up and says "HELL NO!" to an 8 year old's 3 hour project on the sidewalk.

That's exactly what happens, though. There are busybodies, who missed their true calling as bureaucrats, all over the place.

Oh yes. Sometimes they also don't like the garden flamingoes, or people drying their laundry. There is a simple joy to be had, I suspect, in buying a shed load of the flamingoes and planting them all over the lawn :)