After running into a guy who moved to Baltimore with his wife three months ago, and listening to his story about moving away already (his wife was robbed, and someone tried to break into their home the day after they moved in) — I had to ask him a few questions about how and why they ended up in their neighborhood and what steps they took to ensure this was the neighborhood they felt comfortable in. What he told me was a little disturbing — they did little to no research, outside of what their realtor told them.
So here are a few tips for separating the neighborhoods you might want to choose over the ones you don’t. Keep in mind, there are no guarantees, but a little research can hopefully save you a world of trouble.
Don’t believe everything your realtor says about crime, safety, what’s coming in the next year. Realtors sell houses, period. They’re not there to look out for you — they’re there to make money, can’t blame them for that.
Visit a potential neighborhood several times — once at 11 AM on a weekday, once on a weeknight, once around 10 PM a Saturday night.
- During the weekday morning, are the streets quiet, or are people milling around…seemingly with nowhere to go? Are the streets devoid of cars, or does it look like everyone is home? If everyone is home, this could be a sign that you’re about to move into a neighborhood with a high unemployment rate.
- On the weeknight visit, if you noticed all the cars were gone during the day — what’s the parking like in the evening? Will you be able to find easy parking, or will you have to park far away, or circle the block again and again? Are nearby restaurants and shops still open? Or did they all close at 6 PM?
- For the Saturday night visit, check for noise and activity in the street. Whatever is going on — make sure you’ll be comfortable with it right outside your door.
Some general things to look for:
- Are the streets clean, with public trashcans available?
- Are the streets well-lit?
- Are there vacant homes interspersed with the occupied homes? How many?
- If you had to walk instead of drive, are there supermarkets, restaurants, other amenities within a reasonable walk? Would you feel comfortable going from Point A to Point B without a car?
Talk to neighbors and business owners in the community, and talk to a police officer who works in that district. Also, talk to people in the community and/or homeowner’s associations — they’re an invaluable resource.
See what food delivery options are available to you. If they’re extremely limited, it could indicate a crime problem. Log into a service like seamless.com and use an address in that neighborhood — you should have multiple restaurants to choose from.
Of course, use Google and the local online media to see what pops up — if all the stories are about blight and crime, well, time to come up with a Plan B neighborhood.
Good luck with your search — and to “Resident B” — I’m very sorry about what happened to you and your wife. I hope your next city treats you with kindness.
February 16th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
I always tell people to look at the gutters and the alley. If there isnt even one person on the block that sweeps up, thats a problem. Especially if its heavy trash like bottles or matresses. Those just didnt blow there a few minutes ago, like a McDonalds bag. Those were probably thrown there by someone who lived on the block
I would agree with you about coming by at night.But i would also recomend someone going by the house around 2:30pm- 4:pm. That way they can see what the area is like when the school kids are out and about. If there is young kids causing trouble in the neighborhood, then you will generally see much of it around that time period
I also tell young people to not worry so much about having a cute neighbor of the opposite sex. The best neighbors are often the older people. The old ladies on my block are better than having a security service. They watch the block all day and night long.And arent afraid to call the police when there is crime, or to call local politicans when there are problems
Above all, a home buyer should look out for the blue police lights. Those, and the “This is a drug free zone” ,signs, are the biggest indicator that drugs are sold there. Its ironic that those signs are an indicator that it is NOT a drug free area. If it was, the City wouldnt have bothered putting up the sign in the first place.
And it goes without saying, that if there are young kids on the corner yelling “Got that Boy! Got that boy! Got that OJ!Got that OJ” [or whatever the package name is for the week], thenthat probably isnt a good block to live on
When looking for a place to live, i always used to ask local cops [ i used to ask them if i saw them in a local store or diner]for advice, local store owners and local residents
The one thing that i quickly learned about Baltimore, the area changes block by block. One block can be great. The next block 50 yards away may be bad.And vise versa
February 16th, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Pete, these are GREAT tips — thanks for adding your two cents (although, this is probably worth at least a half-dollar!) Your comments always add to the conversation in such a positive way.
February 17th, 2012 at 7:38 am
Great advice, and applicable anywhere! The Philadelphia neighborhoods can be block-by-block also, especially in the areas that have been developing recently.
I especially like the tip for seamless.com…I had no idea there are so many folks delivering to my neighborhood!
February 18th, 2012 at 9:44 am
Absolutely — my advice, and Pete’s, could work anywhere. It’s all about comfort level and quality of life — so everyone’s going to have a different acceptance of what’s going on around them.
I love seamless — it’s a great website…and I had no idea I had so many delivery options!
February 17th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Thanks! I wish I had read this 3 years ago before I moved to Baltimore. I ended up in a good area anyway, but this article would have made me feel a lot more secure about where I was moving to. Thanks to you, Pete, as well.
February 18th, 2012 at 9:44 am
Laura, glad you ended up in a good area!
February 20th, 2012 at 11:14 am
I want to echo Pete’s comments and add to them. Look for all organizations that attract people and be around at closing time. If it’s a school, be there when school lets out. A bar? Be there when the bar closes. A church? Be there on Sunday morning.
Do talk to the cops and small business owners.
Is there a neighborhood park? Go sit in the park at various times.
Do you have friends in the area? Ask if you could sleep over sometime.
Think about your commute. If you will be driving to work, drive to the neighborhood, then drive to work. If you will use public transportation, go to that neighborhood and actually ride that route. Talk to the passengers. How frequent is the bus? Is there some upstream traffic issue that makes the bus routinely late? If you work weekends and holidays, ride that bus on weekends and holidays; sometimes the schedules are very different.
Google and Zillow are great tools, but a very dim comparison to real experience.
Also think of your potential as an agent of change. If you move in and pick up trash, it’s a great way to improve the neighborhood AND meet responsible neighbors. If you join the neighborhood association or COP Walk or PTA, you can make it stronger. Move to an area where these organizations are open to new energy. If you have a responsible carpenter, roofer, or other tradesman, will your new neighbors accept a referral and enhance their own properties? Do you have that much energy? Each household sets their own tradeoff between cost and convenience.