What Makes a Great Neighborhood in Which to Live?

By Bill Primavera

When I lived in Brooklyn Heights, I never thought I’d want to leave the place covered with cement, where the subway constantly rumbled directly under my historic home.

First-time visitors would always register great alarm when the house began to shake, thinking they were experiencing an earthquake. But my wife and I, loving our home as we did, quickly grew accustomed to it. It was actually reassuring and a tribute to the vibrancy of the city to have the subway rumble under our feet and, especially, when it helped lull us to sleep. Weird, I know.

Very much in favor of loving our home was the great neighborhood in which it was located, with all kinds of amenities from wonderful shopping to a true sense of community among its residents.

As a realtor and when helping clients to find a home, I am always aware of a golden rule of real estate that I share with them: You are not just buying or renting a home, you are also becoming part of a neighborhood.

While there may be no such thing as a perfect neighborhood, everyone has different needs and wishes. However, according to Trulia, an online marketplace for real estate, there are certain components common to all neighborhoods that should be considered.

As I help steer my clients’ choices, I take into consideration how they will be matched to their daily needs and preferences.

Lifestyle match

When I first moved to New York, I wanted to swing with my own demographics. Both renters and homebuyers tend to gravitate to areas with similar demographics. I had seen some Hollywood musicals such as “On the Town,” where young single characters enjoyed New York as residents of bohemian Greenwich Village, and that’s where I set my sights. Just as a fantastic suburban neighborhood in a gated community may not be right for a young single professional, a family with three small children might not find a small condo in a hip downtown neighborhood to be the best fit for their lifestyle.

Pride in ownership

It’s obvious when the residents maintain their homes and care about their neighborhood. Neighbors connect and create local groups that bring the residents together for the betterment of the area. I remember when representing a seller, I was driving a potential buyer to the home, but halfway down the street, my client said, “Please don’t go further. I have no interest in a house where the street has so much litter on it.”

Low crime rate

Low crime rates give a neighborhood a sense of ease and calm. Crime rates are a quick way to tell if a neighborhood is safe or not, since everyone is concerned with safety and security. You can usually spot a transitional and improving neighborhood by the improvement in its crime rates. An easy way to check this is to utilize Trulia’s Crime Maps, where you can see the types and frequency of crime in the area and determine if it’s the right place for you.

When I lived in Brooklyn Heights, a most desirable neighborhood, I was dismayed by a total of three break-ins (one when we were asleep in our beds!) in less than a year. The experience had me yearning for a move to the suburbs with a very low crime rate. And luckily, that’s what played out in my homebuying experience.

Schools

For homeowners and renters with children, excellent schools top the list of what makes a great neighborhood. Trulia highlights school ratings using data from Great Schools. Integrating the data into map views lets house hunters see which schools are highly rated and also read reviews from parents of students in that district. Not only are great schools important for families with children, but they also make the surrounding neighborhoods more valuable and more sought after, keeping property values strong.

Outdoor activities

When I lived in Brooklyn Heights, the main outdoor activity for me and my family was walking. A move to the “country” greatly expanded those activities. In the suburbs, I was within walking distance to both a town park and a state park. Being close (or within a reasonable drive) to places to jog, sail or pedal is a great amenity. Proximity and access to tennis courts, neighborhood swim clubs and golf courses are also qualities that place a neighborhood high on the list of preferences.

Consider history

There’s something about an area with history that makes it very desirable. Tree-lined streets give neighborhoods a charming, older and established feel. These neighborhoods are usually very stable, with longtime residents and community support, which also helps encourage safety and low crime rates.

Access to medical care

Being close enough to get to a hospital or doctor’s office quickly is key for many people, especially for seniors, retirees and families with young children. While I once qualified for the latter, I’m now definitely in the former category.

Family-friendly

Neighborhoods where plenty of families live are a real draw for buyers with children. There are more opportunities for children to play, socialize and make lifelong friends.

Public transportation

Easy access to public transportation is a fantastic plus for a neighborhood and an amenity for almost any lifestyle. From a commuting millennial to a retiree who wishes to keep the car at home, public transit is a solid upgrade to any neighborhood.

Shopping and restaurants

For those who want to join the hustle and bustle (and don’t want to cook dinner every night), having great restaurants, shopping and markets in close proximity is a must.

Nightlife and entertainment

Is there a nearby town center or downtown with movies, theaters, bars and nightlife? This could make a neighborhood come alive. In my town, an active community theater keeps us entertained on a local basis.

Walkability

Being able to leave the car keys at home and hit the pavement to walk to markets, shopping, restaurants, parks and all the other amenities a neighborhood has to offer is highly desirable. In Brooklyn Heights, the Promenade along the East River offered a great venue for walking, offering great views of lower Manhattan. Now that I live in upper Westchester, I have a broad range of possibilities for walking, with great trails right on my condo’s property.

While no neighborhood may be perfect for all the preferences listed above, the idea of claiming any location as “home” is a huge boost toward loving where you’re planted. As we learned as children from Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” “And, oh, Auntie Em, there’s no place like home!”

Bill Primavera is a realtor servicing all of Westchester and Putnam counties. He is also founder of Primavera Public Relations, Inc., the longest-running public relations agency in Westchester (www.PrimaveraPR.com), specializing in lifestyles, real estate and development. To engage the services of The Home Guru and his team to market your home for sale, call 914-522-2076.