[jkepler]

Supporting your point, in many hotels the bar/restaurant area is visible from the lobby, which naturally invites people it to have a drink or a bite to eat. But its rare to find this architecture in apartment buildings.

This is why I loved an old Victorian-era house I once lived in, which had been converted into four apartment units. We all shared the large, deep wraparound front porch, and thus we'd occasionally gather for drinks. And neighbors would drop by, too. I miss that place.