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Selecting Your Neighborhood
Is there any doubt why Mr. Rogers loved his life? All that "beautyhood" mumbo-jumbo certainly didn't leave much to the imagination. It's true, the locale of a new dwelling can make or break your living experience. You too will want to sing the praises of your new 'hood after finding one that suits you to a tee, but first there's much research and soul searching to be done. Figure out what it is you want from your stomping ground, then go out and find it. Here are some factors to consider while you're scouring the streets:
1. Median Age of Residents: Self-explanatory, right? Harold and Maude may be a classic, but some things are meant for the big screen. While some zones are meccas of the young and happening, others are exclusively for the bingo set. You don't need the latest census report to figure out which area you're in. If you spot more than two walking sticks within a five minute radius, chances are you're chronologically misplaced.
2. Transportation: If work is not an easy walk away, you'd better make sure the public rides are. While you're on your merry stroll to apartment X, make sure to ask a passer-by where the bus stop/subway is. If more than one reply is a quizzical "Huh?" you'd be wise to strike that burb off your list, pronto. You only get so many "Why I'm late for work" excuses.
3. Night life: If your ears are constantly poised to the call of the wild, maybe you should be concentrating on the club scene. Living within cheap-cab-ride distance of your favorite night spots is definitely suggested for all you who'd rather die by butter knife than subsist on the outskirts of the action. If the ubiquitous sounds of traffic and drunken party-goers are the last thing you want wind of, bypass the boisterous area.
4. Other Perks: The convenience store, bank, supermarket, and fluff & fold are the four basic food groups of a nineties lifestyle. Selecting a borough deficient in these necessities can be hazardous to your health. Scurrying around town with a heavy hamper and an armful of groceries can cause premature aging to even the most vigorous of youth. Scoff at your own risk!
5. Look Closer: Once you have a grip on your neighborhood needs, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Your job is to knock on residents' doors and pester shop owners — in short, to do everything in your power to peel away the pretty facade of an area's first impression, and check what manner of depreciating property values lies below.
Local business proprietors and their employees are the only resident advisors you get in the big city. They can give you the low down nitty gritty like no other source. When approaching these neighborhood wisemen, ask them about safety, foot traffic, noise, and resident profile. Don't forget to ask them their opinions on the worst and best aspects of the community. They've seen it all, and will tell you whatever your little heart desires, provided you buy something and make the requisite amount of friendly chit-chat. A pair of socks or a package of gum is a small price to pay for the inside scoop on a neighborhood. If you're concerned about safety in the area, try walking the same street at night (not alone, of course).
Say these shop owners are a surly bunch, unwilling to give you the time of day if it means tearing themselves away from another customer. No worries, just go to the corner barber shop/beauty salon. If a "walk-ins welcome" sign is prominently displayed in the window, you've hit paydirt. When you saunter in, request a ten-buck trim or manicure — whatever's cheapest. As you're being serviced, make sure to get at least a half hour's worth of goods on the locale. Talk about getting your money's worth!
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Leah and Elina Furman are freelance writers living in Chicago, and are currently writing The Everything After College Book, to be released by Adams Media in the fall of '97.
© 1997 Tripod, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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