Not to sound rude, but can't you see what's within walking distance during the day? I find it surprising you only noticed no bar/restaurant at night - you should have been able to see it better during the day.

I've learned that a night visit also helps out with scoping out the parking situation. My last apartment was a great during the day, so open and airy but at night the cars truly came out of the woodwork and it was a bummer for any friends we wanted to have over for dinner or gatherings.

Where I live, the bars are pretty quiet during the day. Some don't even open until early evening. And they're *definitely* easier to spot at night, when the lights are on, the doors are hanging open, and there are crowds milling around outside, smoking.

That's not true at all, actually. I live a few blocks away from a pub that only actually gets loud and obnoxious after about 9pm. During the day? Hardly noticeable, what with the crowds around the other businesses attached to it.

Had we not driven by at night, it is very likely we never would have noticed it if not for the screaming college students that file in when the sun goes down.

Seeing a business is one thing. We saw the building, sure. But we had absolutely no idea what sort of place it became during different hours.

Absolutely, POSITIVELY, you MUST see the apartment AFTER EVERYONE'S HOME FROM WORK!!!!!!!!!!!

During the day, when the neighboring apartments are empty, you can't tell just how thin the walls are or how noisy your neighbors might be.

Doing this has spared me from having a "screamer" and a drummer as neighbors.

I agree. If you have the luxury of time, it's best to view a place morning, during the day/early evening, and at late night, and if possible, during a weekday/weekend. After getting into our current apartment, we've realized that a rock band practices in the house across the street (in a very prim and proper looking house, nonetheless---appearances can be so deceiving!) almost every other night from 6pm-8:30pm. You can hear it from down the block. I know this is probably the most considerate time to be making alot of time, but still....Thankfully, we cannot hear them since we're on the back of the house and across the street. But if we'd taken an apartment next door, we'd probably be pretty upset!

Also, as a runner, I like to do the "running test" for any possible apartment. If (as a young lady), I do not feel comfortable running alone through the neighborhood during the dusk/early evening hours, it's a no-go! Walking/running around a neighborhood also gives you a better sense for the noises, neighbors, and overall feel for the neighborhood. Getting yourself out of the "security" of your car can change your perspective.

When my husband got into Berkeley, I started scoping the East Bay for apartments. I found one - during the day - that was GORGEOUS in Oakland. Huge layout, every room was bigger than any apartment I had lived in. Hardwood floors, very high ceilings, etc. The warning should have been the liquor store across the street, and the shady motels behind our sweet Victorian.

UGH. It has been a nightmare, esp. at night. Crack dealers, crack whores, addicts everywhere. I can't leave at night to walk our dog. Granted, I have found that the neighborhood has gotten worse throughout the year with the recession.

But a nighttime visit would have been useful (I was apartment hunting from Los Angeles...)

This is a great idea. I lived in an apartment nearby a restaurant/bar/nightclub (the nightclub portion was added after I'd been living there and, thankfully, toward the end of my lease) and the bass was ridiculously loud. The establishment, especially during day time hours, operates as a restaurant/bar, with no hint that it is also a nightclub. The only way someone moving to the area would know about it, other than asking around, would be to drive by at night and hear the loud music.

Check the plumbing -- that's my advice. I once rented an apartment and didn't know until I moved in that the shower head in the tub was out of order, the landlord refused to fix it ("just take a bath"), and I was quite unhappy for the duration of my stay there (which was as short as I was able to make it.)

I turned down a place because of the 'night life' in the area too. The place was nice enough (and certainly cheap enough) but it parking lot over looked a major road that was lively enough during the day but, once the sun went down it was a big party street. (As a single lady) it just didn't feel right, I didn't want to deal with the hassle of drunk college boys nearly every night, had to pass.

I totally agree with this advice. Earlier this year, I found a beautiful apartment in a relatively nice area of Chicago, but at night the residential, one way street became deserted, ill lit and creepy. I guess to some people the quiet of the street would be a big attraction, but, walking from the el station after dark, I prefer living surrounded by bars and restaurants full of people at night.

Checking out the neighborhood at night is a very wise and sound suggestion even though I'd not thought of that until just now, thanks to this post, fortunately, I live in a greally great area and feel safe out and about - at night. Now I'm a guy and know when/where not to do this in Seattle but I've been known to walk from CC's, a gay bar near the top of Capitol Hill at its southern end, through Cal Anderson park and all the way down to it's western border where my place was and felt safe doing it, I've been out for walks at dusk too, did this in my old 'hood too, which was Queen Anne Hill here in Seattle.

So I guess you can say I was fortunate in that regard but parking on the street can be a bitch sometimes, especially when I lived near the Seattle Center and had to deal w/ the large crowds that went to things there, it was really bad during Bumpershoot, Folk Life or the Bite of Seattle so during those events, you either left town or left your car where it's parked all weekend and did stuff that didn't require the use of it during that time. After about 8PM here where I live, parking gets difficult but coming home around 5-6pm, finding a spot not far from my place isn't too difficult, usually.

do a little background research on the rental company! if I had only spent a few minutes googling I would have had enough information to scare me away from renting from the company I rent from. They have something like 60 complaints to the better business bureau just in the last year alone! now that my lease is almost up I'm so glad to get away from these slumlords.

I definitely agree - seeing a neighborhood at different times of the day is really important! Another thing we did when looking for our place was to both google map the distance and actually walk to all the essential amenities in the neighborhood we knew we would be frequenting - grocery store, public transit stations, dry cleaners', etc. We knew we didn't want to be put in a position of having to rely on a car, and actually walking the routes we would be taking on a daily basis really helped us decide whether a place was do-able. Plus, walking through the neighborhood helped us imagine what it would feel like to actually live there - which restaurants we were excited to try out, where the nearest bookstore was, what kinds of flyers were up around the street for upcoming events, etc.

Yes, I agree this is so important! When I was apt hunting, I walked by at noon, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm. That definitely gives you a feel for the neighborhood at different times of the day.

Oh yes. I was already familiar with my "new" neighbourhood to know what it was like before I moved in because I used amenities in the neighbourhood.

One thing I definitely recommend checking out is the trash/recycling situation for the building. The bins behind my building used to be open to the alley, but last year they were fenced in and the area is now much more secure. No more surprises sleeping in the dumpsters, and no having to wait until daylight to take out the trash, which is a HUGE plus in January when we get less than eight hours of sunlight a day.

Surely this is a no brainer?

Thank you Sara Rae! My hubby and I are relocating from the slow suburbs of Kentwood, Michigan to the busy city of Chicago. Between our relator, co-workers, and many, many blogs searching for help in deciding just what condo in what neighborhood to buy in...no one has suggested your " 'doh! -why didn't I think of that idea?"!

I only recently learned how much of a MUST this is! Two friends of mine almost rented an apartment in a bustling business district of Madrid. By day, the area was well lit, close to public transport, near high-end shops, even had a nice landlady, etc. They were all ready to sign the papers the following day. My friends were so excited about having found such a great place, they picked me up and took me over there to see it that very evening - only to find the parking area CRAWLING with hookers! There were broken bottles and condoms on the sidewalk leading up to the front door! You would have NEVER known by day -- it's quite respectable-looking once the street cleaners come. We were stunned. Needless to say, they kept looking.