When you’re in the market for a new place to live in Nashville, it helps to remember the golden rule of real estate: You’re not just buying or renting a home — you are also becoming part of a neighborhood.
All neighborhoods are not created equal and there’s no such thing as the perfect neighborhood; everyone has different needs and desires.
However, there are components common to all great neighborhoods. As you evaluate the best aspects of a prospective neighborhood, you’ll want to match them to your daily needs.
1. Lifestyle match
Is the neighborhood in sync with your current lifestyle? Both renters and homebuyers tend to gravitate to areas with similar demographics. 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.
2. Pride in ownership
Pride in ownership is 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.
3. 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 improving 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.
4. Great schools
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. Great Schools has valuable data for researching schools in the Nashville area.
5. Outdoor activities abound
Being close to the outdoor adventures you love can sweeten the appeal of your neighborhood. Being close (or within a reasonable drive) to places to jog, sail, or pedal can keep you in love with your home. Proximity and access to tennis courts, neighborhood swim clubs, and golf courses are also qualities that keep your neighborhood on par.
6. Stepping back in time
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.
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