What makes a neighborhood family-friendly?
When shopping for a new home, one big factor many people look at is is the neighborhood family-friendly? Whether you currently have children, are expecting, or plan to have children in the future, this may be of concern for you. A family-friendly neighborhood is even great for just you and your spouse because of the atmosphere of the area and all of the great things it can provide. If a neighborhood is family friendly is a good question for anybody to ask when moving into a new area. So, what makes a neighborhood family-friendly?
Location, Location, Location
One of the biggest deciding factors when evaluating if a neighborhood is family-friendly or not is to check out the location. Is the neighborhood in a safe location? You can check our crime statistics by city or even chat with the local police department of the area. Family-friendly neighborhoods are typically in nice parts of town that are well maintained. In addition to checking out the part of town the neighborhood is located in, it can be beneficial to look for adult-only establishments, noisy late-night establishments, and even loud railroad tracks to see if the neighborhood is family friendly enough for you and your family, or if you would prefer an area with a tamer nightlife.
Parks & Recreation Areas
Parks and recreation areas are also a good indicator of if a neighborhood is family-friendly as well. Families with children want to be able to move to a place that has local parks and recreation areas for their kids to play outside when the weather is nice. Instead of having to drive to your favorite park, family-friendly neighborhoods have these parks within the neighborhood. The convenience of having these in walking distance makes the neighborhood all the more appealing as it makes it easier for the kids to play with their friends, walk home for a quick lunch, and even be comfortable with the kids going to the park by themselves when they get older as you are still nearby in case of any emergency. Having parks and recreation areas in your neighborhood is a big appeal to many families.
Good Schools
Proximity matters to people. While there may be many great schools across the state, how convenient is it to go to the school of your choice? The convenience of a good school in or near your neighborhood increases the neighborhood’s family-friendliness as it brings additional convenience to a family’s lifestyle. You may be able to walk to school with your child, or drop them off as you leave your neighborhood on your way to work! Having a school in a neighborhood also may mean some built in friends as other students likely live in your neighborhood or at least nearby. This sense of community that having a local school in your own neighborhood can bring can greatly contribute to a neighborhood’s family friendliness.
Shopping & Entertainment
While it is great to have things like schooling and entertainment within your neighborhood, what makes a neighborhood family friendly is also dictated by what is there to do just outside of your neighborhood? Is there shopping and entertainment nearby? If the neighborhood itself is great but you have to drive an hour to your nearest bowling alley, mall, or movie theater, this can be a deterrent to families. Having close proximity to the entertainment but being far enough away from it that you don’t experience the traffic or noise from these high traffic areas is key.
The Woodlands, Texas
Griffin Realty Group has many homes for sale in family-friendly areas. The Woodlands, Texas is a gorgeous area where your family can enjoy good schooling, parks and recreation, and shopping and entertainment all in a safe, well-maintained community. This area is extremely family-friendly and may be perfect for your family. Interested in learning more about buying a home in the Woodlands, Texas? Contact us today to learn more about our homes and buying in a family-friendly neighborhood.