other posters have already handled the legality issue - in most cases, it is legal to park there.
i think the more salient point though is what can you and your neighbor come to a compromise or agreement on with regard to this matter... it's tough because not everyone will be reasonable or accomodating. but...
if i may humbly suggest--you might do something my wife and i always do when someone moves in near us. we walk over with a basket of goodies and a card that says "welcome to the neighborhood," present it to them and introduce ourselves with smiles and handshakes. it's amazing what that will do to build mutual trust and friendship, and besides, it's what a neighborhood *should* be about. used to be anyway. i always make sure to leave my cell number in the card and tell them if they ever need anything to call me. almost every time, the new neighbor reciprocates with their phone number, which comes in handy of course if there's ever an emergency or if i see something going on at their place.
now, when the time comes that i want or need to park across the street in front of my neighbor's house, they're going to tend to look at it like "oh, that's OK, that's my friend from across the street" rather than "who's this stranger taking up my street space?" nothing's perfect of course, my car may eventually seem to be an intrusion, but it certainly gives you a better shot at some harmony.
so my advice: try the basket thing. don't even bring up the parking. try to make a friend. then deal with the parking thing later... "say, i hate to bother you... would it be OK if on occasion my wife parked her car by your house? you see, sometimes there just isn't space over here and it would be a huge help. please always feel free to park in front of our place if you need to do the same."
;-)
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