Attempting to escape the stress of the city, Disc jockey Curtis Cooke and his very pregnant wife, Tamara move from the ""windy city"" into their new southern california neighborhod--the planned community of Woodland Heights. The Cookes are African-American professionals who think they have found paradise in this quiet suburban oasis until they meet their new neighbor Carmine ""The King of Mufflers"" Santucci and his trophy wife Lisa. Within hours of their arrival, Carmine's barbeque vanishes, and he blames Curtis. Meanwhile, another neighbor, Will Marek, a novelist with chronic writer's block, befriends Curtis and the two become running buddies. When Will discovers that jogging with Curtis evokes a past memory of being mugged, he is able to overcome his writer's block. This realization offends Curtis but the two soon bond after Will finds the Santucci BBQ in Curtis' garage.

An early morning earthquake leads the neighbors outside wearing only their pajamas. Subsequently, the three couples end up discussing their sex lives based on what they are wearing; Will and Becca are clad in flannel, while Lisa is wearing a cocktail outfit and Carmine is wearing a tank top and nothing else! When it becomesknown that Carmine is a fabulous lover, the others find themselves reacting in very strange ways. Meanwhile Lisa goes back to school and leaves Carmine to be fed by all the neighbors.

Will, contemplating a conversion to Judaism, consults a rabbi but balks at the concept of circumcision. Meanwhile, Carmine's troublemaking nephew Dino moves in.

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War breaks out when Lisa and Tamara attempt to gain the services of the Mareks' shrewd new housekeeper.