I have come to accept the arms-length way Bostonians show affection for each other. I have come to understand that when the lady-with-the-dog-in-my-condo raises her eyebrow at me, it means: “Are you my new neighbor? Welcome to the building!” But there is something refreshing about the shameless displays of friendliness in New Orleans. Signs all over the city instruct visitors to “Be nice or leave.”