A neighborhood is what you make of it and it is more than what you can read in a listing.
Sidewalks, schools, parks and convenient access to freeways and shopping are the physical ways to describe a neighborhood. But the things that don’t appear in a listing are the people and the experiences that you bring to the location you will call home. Community is something you can work to create.
As a real estate agent and Mt. Washington resident here are 3 ways I have found to create a neighborhood and build a community in the place you live:
Wave.Walk.Weed.
WAVE: Start a waving campaign at your new home. It’s easy. Every car that drives by; wave. It doesn’t matter if you know the person or not. They could be a neighbor, they could be visiting, they could be lost. The point is you are establishing that you are aware of your surroundings and if that person reciprocates you are letting them know you are a friendly neighbor or at least they have entered a neighborhood were people watch out for who is coming and going.
WALK: Walking is a good way to get to know the area in which to reside and is good for you. You see things differently on foot than in a car and it gives you the opportunity to wave at the neighbors who maybe outside their homes, the cars passing by and other pedestrians.
WEED: You may have a gardener or you may not. But by taking the time to sweep the driveway or weed your parking strip it shows people you care about your home and the neighborhood. A friendly neighbor might help you with some weed whacking or sweep your driveway when they are out doing theirs. Keeping the place picked up shows people you care about your home and your street and might even encourage others to follow suit.
You may be surprised at the people you meet and experiences you will have once you put yourself out there. You may encounter people who have similar concerns about the area or ideas for improvement on for issues affecting the block. People who will watch your home when you are away, feed your cat or take you on a late night taco run may just be steps away from the front door but it is up to you to make those connections since they will not be found on paper.
Emilie Broughton August 5th 2013
DRE #01880930
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