Sometimes it’s hard to know what is more important in a move, finding the perfect apartment or finding the perfect location. Discovering just the right neighborhood to fit your lifestyle can be a big deal, and we’ve got the tips to help you do the right research.
Being on the hunt for a new place and a new neighborhood is going to find you in one of two camps: either you are moving to a new apartment in the same city you live in now, or you are moving to a new city entirely. Which camp you're in will determine your best course of neighborhood research action.
Moving to a new city and new neighborhood:
1) Start with the internet: A Google search will give you a lot to go on. If you’re starting from scratch, start with finding where businesses that fit your personality are located.
2) Delve deeper: Search for neighborhood associations, crime statistics and news articles involving the neighborhood, but don’t forget to use other less obvious websites, like Yelp, which can sometimes contain area descriptions along with reviews, and Craigslist, which can prove an unlikely gauge of the personality of the neighborhood.
3) Don’t go on a scouting trip empty-handed: If you have the opportunity to visit the city before the move, don’t just hope to “get a feel” for a neighborhood by driving through it. Bring info on stores and restaurants you want to check out, explore on foot and strike up conversation with business owners and residents.
If you live in the same city:
1) Don’t assume you know the whole story: First impressions are hard to shake, and if someone once wrongly described a neighborhood, an incorrect view of the neighborhood could have gotten stuck in your mind. Be open to looking at places you wouldn’t normally even consider.
2) Sleep overnight: Know any friends/acquaintances that live in that neighborhood? See if you can sleep on their couch a couple of nights in order to experience the neighborhood for a 24 hour period. Even consider staying in a hotel a night or two.
3) Check out the essentials: You’ll no doubt be going to the grocery store a lot, as well as probably the gym. Make sure you like the way each of these places feel, and if you don’t, see how that weighs against how much you like the neighborhood.
MORE TIPS ON FINDING THE PERFECT NEIGHBORHOOD:
• On Immersing Yourself In the Food Of Your Neighborhood
• Homethinking Finds You A Familiar Neighborhood In a New City
• AT On... Renting Sight Unseen (...Unheard, and Unfelt)
•Moving to LA: Picking the Right Neighborhood
• A Sense of Community: Neighborhood Resources
Images: From post Moving to LA: Picking the Right Neighborhood; Flickr member jaaron, licensed for use under Creative Commons license Attribution 2.0 Generic
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One of my favorite websites for getting info on a neighborhood is http://www.walkscore.com/. It tells you how walkable an address/neighborhood is (which is very important to me) and also tells you what businesses are closest.
If available, join the neighborhood listserv and check out their blogs! I got a real feel for the nabes I was considering by seeing what current residents reported--new restaurants & stores, garden tours, crime, etc... a true treasure trove of info you can't easily get otherwise!
I also checked for amenities like the public library, hardware stores, nearby parks. Lastly, I called the neighborhood precinct's community affairs officer for a neighborly checkin.
I moved to a new neighborhood a few years ago after getting robbed, and through the experience found out that the DC police department has a crime mapping application, so you can see how many of what type of crimes have occured in specific areas, which was really helpful. Check and see if you city has something similar/
Great tips. The internet was an invaluable tool when we moved to Europe in January. I had a firm grip of market pricing early on and could explore potential neighborhoods with Google maps researching distances from my office, grocery store, school, public transport, etc. The key however to our move was an EXCELLENT REAL ESTATE AGENT. This awesome professional listened to what we wanted in a home. Prior to arrival with her help we narrowed down areas of focus. Then upon arrival we spent one day visiting the targeted postal codes. The best advice she gave me was to take guests out of the equation - focus on the top 5 items you need to fit your current family. She said many people make the mistake of focusing on needs for guests they have once or twice a year. Once that was out of the equation I could focus better and narrow down on what was really important to our daily lives. After we chose the area we spent one day looking at 6 available places - she weeded out the dregs and did not waste our time. We were negotiating a long term lease the very next day. To me finding the right agent is key - they know. I asked for agent recommendations from other expats and this lady's name kept coming up over and over. It really made a difference.
I've spent a lot of time on city-data.com, it's a clunky website but has a lot of good information.
In LA, probably your first stop is the LAPD crime map.
http://www.lapdcrimemaps.org/
also, if you have to look at public schools I found greatschools.net helpful (but you have to take it all with a grain of salt. It's just one part of the school-shopping tool kit.)
As someone who has moved over 39 times (see my memoir: No Place Like Home), I have lots of thoughts on this topic! I always choose a desirable/convenient neighborhood over stuff like apartment size or amenities (often foregoing things like closets in order to live closer to a subway or on a block that feels "more like home".) I agree with the comment about neighborhood blogs, though. Invaluable! Do a google search for your new neighborhood and find out what residents are posting about and interested in (for instance, my new neighborhood, Echo Park, on the eastside of LA, is completely up in arms about the building of a new brick oven pizza joint -- which will threaten local parking and, potentially, peace of mind.) I also suggest being impeccably honest about what you need in a neighborhood. For some, the issue is less about safety per se (though who doesn't want to be safe?) and more about like-minded people, establishments that you want to frequent, open-ness to alternative lifestyles, etc. In choosing our new place, just a few months ago, my husband and I were very honest about wanting stuff we could walk to. (a rarity in LA). And we have it. I can walk to the used bookstore/coffee shop. He can walk to the dive bar. We can both walk to nearby Elysian Park. In his old neighborhood in Queens, I missed having a local (walking distance) coffee shop in which to do some writing over breakfast.
Some people -- my husband for one -- care less about neighborhood than the offerings of a given apartment. When we lived in Queens, he could care less about the absence of a local coffee shop, bookstore, etc -- he had rent control and a decent-sized 1BR, and that was all that mattered. For me, though, neighborhood is everything!
the map actually shows my neighborhood - little tokyo/arts district. i did check crime rate before moving into the current neighborhood. despite living in downtown LA, i can actually walk around my neighborhood(as long as i don't go beyond 4th & san pedro)
CONTACT YOUR CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT! As a municipal planner, I can not tell you how many times angry home owners have called me crying over the lies that their real estate agent told them. Real estate agents have an interest in making you happy - telling you whatever in order to make the sale. The city current planning dept. has no interest if you buy one way or another. BEFORE YOU BUY, FIND OUT:
1) The zoning of your parcel and everything surrounding your parcel! (i.g. if you have open space or an empty lot, make sure you read the land use code to know what is allowed.)
2) If there are any changes planned for zoning in the future.
3) Look at the street master plan. Could the street get widened? Could a portion of your front lawn be confiscated (eminent domain).
4) See what you are allowed to do on the lot. Do you want to build an addition? Some codes have square footage restrictions regarding additions depending on zone districts.
You might want to check Flickr for photos that are geotagged in the area.