When choosing a place for your new home, one of the major features to consider is the neighborhood. You’re not only just buying or renting an apartment but your lifestyle will be affected one way or another based on the surrounding environment.
A perfect neighborhood doesn’t exist but it can be well suited to your various needs and desires. However, there are some common components to good neighborhoods that can be interpreted universally to all home movers.
Matching Your Lifestyle
Consider your current lifestyle. Many people with similar needs tend to gravitate to the same areas. While a suburban neighborhood in a gated community might seem like a dream to some of us, it may not be a good fit for a young single professional that is looking to champion his career. Similarly, small families may not be suitable for a small apartment in a downtown neighborhood due to the noise and excitement.
Perhaps instead of matching your current lifestyle, you can think of the lifestyle you would like to try out or experience, or even settle down with. For example, if you’re getting married and you are getting a job in the suburban neighborhood, you might want to consider your schedule. You will probably want to spend less time having to travel to work so that you can get enough rest and start a family. In that case, it might be a good idea to choose to stay in the suburbs. If you’re in the LGBT community, you’ll want to live in a neighborhood that’s LGBT-friendly. In that case, you may want to find Fort Lauderdale, Florida Gay Realtors to help you select a neighborhood you want to live in. Surround yourself with the people you want to learn from, and have the courage to pursue that chapter in your life.
Having Pride in Living in The neighborhood
When you and your soon-to-be neighbors are proud of your living residences and physical surroundings, the chances for some of you to connect and create small communities are high. This can be a good sign of a good neighborhood environment as its residents are concerned about the betterment of the area.
Safety First
Safety will always be one of the top priorities as we want to have peace of mind in our daily activities. A neighborhood with low crime rates can provide you a form of tranquility and assurance that you and your family members can get home safe every day. While not every neighborhood may be crime-free, it will always be a good idea to check out neighborhoods with decreasing crime rates as it is a telltale sign of transitional or improving ones.
To find out how safe your neighborhood is, do some quick research online to see what kind of crime takes place in the area and how often it happens to see if it is a neighborhood suitable for you.
Education
For those with children, you will need to factor in the schools in the vicinity. Good schools often make good neighborhoods. They are essential for your children to grow and mature in, add significant value to the neighborhood and push the property prices up.
Available Outdoor Facilities
Having access to an exciting outdoor adventure can sweeten your experience living in your neighborhood, especially when it’s just a short walk away. Some common outdoor activities include jogging, sailing, or cycling that can help you stay healthy. Meanwhile, there are some neighborhoods that provide access to tennis or badminton courts, swimming pools, and golf courses to spice up your weekly exercise routine.
Culture
One of the less popular features of a good neighborhood is its culture. There’s something about a town with a history that makes it more attractive. They often have very stable longtime residents and provide support to the community, which helps keep crime rates at bay. The tree-lined streets can also provide a more established and charming feel to your daily walk home.
Healthcare
We’ve all experienced a terrible experience waiting in line to see a doctor. But this feeling of anguish could be made worse if there are no available hospitals or clinics in the vicinity. Try to look for neighborhoods that are close to some form of healthcare services especially when you have seniors or young children living with you.
Family-friendly
For those with children, it will be a good idea to find a neighborhood with lots of families. This can help make your lives a little happier as there are opportunities for your children to socialize and make lifelong friends with their neighbors. On the other hand, you will be able to have an easier time with carpooling groups and a bunch of children’s programs to provide you some time off from your kids.
Access to Public Transportation
Not all of us have the luxury of owning a car or a vehicle, which makes public transportation exceptionally important in this case. A commuting millennial or a retiree who prefers keeping his or her car at home might be pleased to know that there are other alternatives to traveling.
Eat, Drink, Play!
If you’re always finding things to do out of your home, it will be a good idea to find out if there are some restaurants nearby for a quick date option or some shopping outlets to spend your weekends at. Sometimes, it might be a bore to cook dinner every day and a change in environment will be nice.
You should also see what facilities are near your apartments such as shopping malls, movie theatres, bars, and nightlife. This can spice up your life and a huge priority for someone that loves to enjoy a night out. It will also be pleasing to know that you will be able to get home quickly and safely from the near proximity.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a young adult moving out of your home or a large family, it’s always a good idea to think of your circumstances and needs before choosing which neighborhood to move into. There’s no such thing as a bad neighborhood but certain features will definitely make it or break it for you based on your needs.