Moving To a New Neighborhood? Here’s 5 Ways to Get to Know It Better
posted in Mortgage News
Moving to a new neighborhood is sometimes tricky for all the family, and can involve a big adjustment. But there’s no better way to get accustomed to somewhere new and make new friends, than by getting out there and exploring it.
To help you get to know your new neighborhood better, here are 5 tips:
- 1. See what events are going on in the locality
While the pandemic might have changed the frequency of local events (and changed the way in which they are held), things are slowly beginning to get back to normal, and most communities are getting back into socializing and organizing events for the whole neighborhood to attend. Even if you can’t find anything outdoors and in person to join or sign up to, there may be online events that you can attend.
Community centers, libraries and local publications are great places to find information about local events.
- 2. Go outside
Finding and making new friends is hard if you sit at home all day long, so put on your walking shoes and get outside. Walk to the local store or park and you’ll likely find someone to pass the time of day by, or even to invite home for coffee. Natural meetings often occur when you’re doing the most mundane of things, such as shopping for groceries or walking your dog, so resist the temptation to buy everything online or simply throw a ball for the dog in your yard.
- 3. Walk along the main street
Shopping (or browsing) in local businesses is a great way to get better connected to the people you now live among, and by talking to the store owners and buying produce locally, you’ll gradually begin to feel more at home, and people will start to recognize you, too.
- 4. Go to where the people are
Community shops, gardens and other places are usually thriving places to meet socially, and find out more about what’s going in the community. So, as with the points listed above, be sure to get out into the great outdoors, and be proactive at meeting people and getting involved in local events or campaigns.
- 5. Check out census data for your area
Many people don’t think to check census data, but it can be a great way of discovering more about the area you live in. You can find out what languages are spoken most commonly where you live, what families have children of a similar age to your own, and much, much more.
Generally speaking, if you want to immerse yourself in your local community, or just make a few new friends, being willing to actually get out there and explore, is half the battle.
If you’re fed up with your neighborhood and want to move somewhere new, finding an experienced mortgage broker who works in the neighborhood you’re interested in moving to, can be of great help. Not only will they be familiar with the housing market there, but they can help you get a good deal on a mortgage, too.