5 Answers

• Reputation: 1345 Q&A: 14 1 26 527 77 14 Classifieds: 5 0 what's this? Follow Following 0

  4 0 I think one of the best metrics for long term neighborhood health is walkability. Can you walk around and have access to the things you do on a daily basis: school, coffee, groceries, restaurants, parks, etc. If people walk around your neighborhood it is likely to have a better sense of community and with that comes more of the good things. To research walkability you should check out Walk Score. It's a great site where you can see/compare all the neighborhoods and zero in on the ones you are interested in. infernactual answered in Real Estate about 1 year ago | Report 1 comment by Sphinx… 0 0 Excellent answer! Being able to really spend time in your neighborhood space is what makes it feel like a home and like a community, and neighborhoods that aren't walkable encourage you to leave them for the basics- groceries, the pharmacy, the bookstore/library, the park, going out to eat- which means that you never really develop that emotional connection to your neighborhood. For that reason I really miss living in the U district, but it definitely had its (major) downsides- the constant crime, the incessant hassling on the street, the noise, the high rent for shitty apartments, etc. The walk score website is great, though, and along with actually going to the area and spending a day there, is a great way to get a handle on what the day-to-day experience of your neighborhood will be like. Sphinx commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

  Share this answer with a friend:

• Reputation: 7 Q&A: 0 0 0 7 0 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Real Estate Business Rosemary Pham and Kristen Meyer Lapriore is a business on Questionland Seattle Follow Following 0

  2 0 In addition to cruising through the neighborhoods by car, bike, or foot, a great resource to get a feel for the communities are the neighborhood blogs. Most neighborhoods have their own blog that discuss a wide variety of topics such as new restaurants & shops, neighborhood events, crime stats, schools, etc. Examples would be the West Seattle Blog http://westseattleblog.com , Ballard Blog http://www.myballard.com , and Capitol Hill Blog http://blog.capitolhillseattle.com For a list of many more Seattle neighborhood blogs go to http://tinyurl.com/cuqw5s How you research a neighborhood may be tied to what's important for you. For example, if you are a parent, your focus may be more on schools and parks. These blogs are a good way to get an overall flavor for each individual area. Rosemary Pham and Kristen Meyer Lapriore answered in Real Estate about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

  Share this answer with a friend:

• Reputation: 108 Q&A: 3 0 0 62 14 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Real Estate Follow Following 0 ARDELL

  0 0 Likely the best method is to rent there first so you can leave easily if it doesn't pan out for you. I often help people who are friends with one another buy homes, and rarely do they choose the same place. What is great for one person, may not be for another. Some people like to walk where there are stores, others like a more serene environment. I'm a big fan of the Downtown Kirkland area as it is very safe and has both stores and serene walks along the Lake edge with beautiful sunsets just steps from one another. I also like the Green Lake Area. I would definitely check out crime statistics that describe type of crime in addition to the number of incidents. I also find that for some reason the neighborhoods with the best schools are often some of the best neighborhoods. Not sure why that correlation exists, but it seems to be true most of the time. So using a site like GreatSchools.org and checking the Elementary School rankings can be a helpful clue. The worst neighborhoods often have the lowest scores and the best often have the highest. Not a foolproof method by any means, but it's a site that shouldn't be overlooked entirely. ARDELL answered in Real Estate about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

  Share this answer with a friend:

• Reputation: 1045 Q&A: 28 0 3 485 60 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0

  0 0 I guess the key is understanding whether you're talking about superficial research or final-decision-time research. If the latter, I'd go farther than just walking around and websurfing. If you're serious about making a neighborhood a permanent home, live there. Rent for at least a few months, so you can assess noise/light/odor pollution, traffic situation, day-night and weekday-weekend contrasts, etc. If disclose warts you hadn't known about, great--you can move on. If you decide the area's really for you, you're that much closer for your property search, and maybe you've got some friends and contacts and roots in the making. capicola answered in Real Estate about 1 year ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

  Share this answer with a friend:

• Reputation: 63 Q&A: 2 0 0 28 5 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Real Estate Business WaLaw Realty is a business on Questionland Seattle Follow Following 0

  1 2 Absent some more details from you -- what about the neighborhood? Schools? Presence of sexual predators? Estimated commute time? -- I'd say, spend some time there. Walk around, go out to dinner, grab a coffee, check out the parks and other amenities, etc. I'd also talk to friends, family, and co-workeres to find somebody who already lives there for further insight. That said here are a few internet resouces as well: Search for sexual predators Check out the amenities and other metrics of neighborhood health, at least in Seattle       WaLaw Realty answered in Real Estate about 1 year ago | Report 2 comments by Christina L and WaLaw Realty… 0 0 KNOWN, REGISTERED sexual predators aren't an issue for me because they're easy to identify and avoid. There weren't KNOWN, REGISTERED sexual predators living near us when I moved to my neighborhood 12 years ago but there are now, and there weren't homeowners who overdeveloped their homes and now have negative equity despite having bought over 9 years ago, and large barking dogs they can't afford to train or exercise when I moved here but there are now, even though there's an excellent dog behavior training place three blocks away. I can't identify the early signs of a neighborhood going downhill, or of it going uphill. Christina L commented about 1 year ago | Report 0 0 Barking dogs? Overdeveloped lots? Upside down homeowners? I think you'll have a hard time finding any neighborhood free of these blights. WaLaw Realty commented about 1 year ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

  Share this answer with a friend: