i assure you, from personal experience, you are right that it's unpleasant to live in these conditions. and whatever hallway interactions you have with neighbors is either unpleasant, or neutral (as in, you smile and move on, no conversation).

and if you're used to living in a nice house in a suburban neighborhood, imagine a 3-bedroom apartment squeezed into a space that's approximately your living room. i once lived in one of these apartments, and the kitchen is literally only big enough for one person to stand inside and the bedrooms are basically dorm rooms. unless you're very wealthy, then you might be able to live in an apartment or condo that's actually spacious and nice but then you'd be looking to pay a ridiculous amount of rent money.