Q.
How do we find a good neighborhood?
A.
Delve deeper than your prospective town's chamber of commerce by going on the town website or on a local newspaper’s website. It’ll tell you what people really think as opposed to town-approved content. Also check out Walkscore.com, which rates towns on a scale of one to 100 and points you to the major grocery stores, restaurants, and parks around town. Once you've narrowed down a few choices, nothing can beat actually investingating the area in person. See what the downtown vibe is like and ask locals questions (a bustling coffee shop in the heart of town is a good place to start). Also check out what things look like at night (it can be drastically different during the day) and be sure to do it on a weekend, when the majority of people (your future neighbors) will be out and about.
-- The Nest Editors
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