The title is from the 1944 song "The Boy Next Door" by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane for the nostalgic movie musical Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and performed by Judy Garland.
Keith brags about how his father makes $12,000 a year. After adjusting for inflation that would be equivalent to $91,000 in 2015.
Patty and Richard's conversation at the front door reveals a view of Manhattan skyscrapers. The Lane family home has a real NYC address, 9 Remsen Street, on a waterfront cul-de-sac in Brooklyn Heights, and the view over Richard's shoulder is that of the building at 60 South Street, near the Wall Street Ferry.
Scotty invites Cathy to a Van Cliburn concert. Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn, Jr., was a world renown American pianist who achieved international fame for his skills at the piano when he won the very first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958. As of 2022, he is still the only American to win the competition in piano. In 1962, in honor of his achievements, the first of many eponymous piano competitions was held in Austin, TX.