A good start would be to stop with the romanticism for whatever you thought a previous generation or current population possessed/possesses. Poor people stick together because they have no other choice and sometimes a positive side effect is that it brings them closer together and they protect one another. But the highest murder rates are also in poor populations. Also crime in general.
I live close to many Amish. They exhibit wonderful community but it is all held together by becoming insular and a religion that dominates every aspect of their lives. They don't vote, they won't join a military or fight for the country that gives them safe harbor, there are no gay Amish if you know what I mean and they create doctrine over such trivial things such as belts versus suspenders. Is the homemade food worth it?
And can we give the poor Baby Boomers a break? I've never seen a more scapegoated generation in my lifetime. They did exactly what any other generation would have done if given a chance, and if an artificial existence in the Villages playing pickle ball tickles their fancy then I say go for it. You just won't find me there.
A bit of a rant (those types of articles irk me) but I want to say yes, if one is realistic and grounded, then you can have portions of both freedom and strong social ties. Absolutely. Look around you, it's everywhere already if you'll stop and notice. There is no reason one can't cultivate strong relationships while simultaneously enjoying probably the most free life ever experienced in human history.
As most of us are INTJ's or somewhere on the autism spectrum, half kidding here, it's even easier. My goodness, talk about having it made. "Why is he calling me? I just talked to him last month."
What did Thoreau say: "I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion." That has always resonated with me and probably a lot of you too.
Probably one of the most liberating attitudes I have ever adopted is that nobody has any obligation to cater to me, especially if they are related to me or are friends. If they choose to do so, it is truly a gift and much appreciated. Maybe by placing less of a burden on others you'll gain more of what you want? This is a bit of a tangent but it works well for me for developing relationships.