There are many things that make a family-friendly neighborhood. Some people look for safe streets, good schools, and family-oriented activities. Others might be looking for low crime rates or access to public transportation. No matter what you’re looking for in your family friendly neighborhood, there is something out there for everyone! In this article I will talk about 5 factors that make a neighborhood family-friendly! Consider them if you’re looking to invest in the property.
Table of Contents
1) Schools
Schools are an important part of family-friendliness. Whether you’re a parent or not, it’s always important to monitor what your children are up to. If there’s a school nearby, it’ll make family life much easier. Schools in neighborhoods have more of an emphasis on family and the community than just homework and tests!
Parents with children will want to consider the student-teacher ratio. They’ll also want to see what kinds of family services and activities are offered at school! If there is a family-friendly neighborhood nearby, schools in that area should be prioritized when applying for housing.
2) A Safe Environment
A family-friendly neighborhood is a safe neighborhood! This is an important factor when moving to a new neighborhood. Some family-friendly neighborhoods have higher crime rates than others, so do your research beforehand to make sure you’re not picking one of the higher crime areas in town! You’ll want to look for family-friendly neighborhoods that have a low crime rate and access to public transportation. This will make family life much easier, especially if you’re trying to get around with small children!
How to Do a Research
Crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of crimes recorded by the police during a year by the total population. It could be calculated for each thousand residents, ten thousand, etc. Fortunately you don’t need to calculate it by yourself, there are a bunch of services which contain a huge amount of data. For example you could use a service like CityProtect.com, where you will find all recorded crimes within a certain area and see the short description (noise complaint, robbery, property damage etc.)
But very often I prefer doing more basic research first. Let me show you an exemple. I was looking for family friendly neighborhoods in Naples, Florida so I searched for average crime rate in Naples and then searched for the crime rates in each neighborhood in Google:
| Neighborhood | Crime rate (per 1000 residents) | Below/above the average |
| Naples (average) | 15 | average |
| Golden Gate | 17.2 | above |
| Oyster Bay | 9.37 | bellow |
Once I conducted a simple Google search and found out an average crime rate for the city it was easy to spot neighborhoods with higher and lower crime rates compared to the average.
3) Car-friendly
In family-friendly neighborhoods, it’s common to find street parking and public transportation. This makes family life easier for those with small children. Car-friendly family-friendly neighborhoods generally have lower crime rates and more family oriented activities. These areas might not be the best place if you plan on walking your kids to school because they usually don’t have sidewalks or crosswalks!
If your family is looking at taking public transportation or driving regularly, be sure there is enough parking for family life.
4) Friendly People
Community involvement is a good sign. You can try to join local communities Facebook groups to get a general idea about people living in the area. However note that not all people are actively using Facebook, so your first impression and the reality might be different.
Family-friendly districts typically have more family oriented activities in place to create a sense of family and community such as family fun nights, family film festivals, and children’s theater shows.
5) Parks Around
Parks are family-friendly because they provide a place for family members to meet and play, as well as offer opportunities for family bonding. These family gatherings can be helpful in reducing family stress.
If your family is looking for neighborhoods with parks you’ll want to find areas that have children’s playgrounds or parks designated for children.
6) Quiet Environment
Noise is all around us in cities. The frantic honking of nearby traffic, the laborious roar of an airplane flying overhead, the loud chatter of pedestrians, or the thumping bass of a neighboring house party can be heard at any moment. Don’t discount the negative side effects of continuous noise: it’s linked to increased stress, poor attention span.
Let’s face it. Even if you move to an isolated cabin in the mountains, you won’t be able to eliminate all noise. Even if you offer them treats, your downstairs neighbor’s yappy dogs are unlikely to quiet down anytime soon.
You can, however, choose to reside in a location that reduces noise as much as feasible. Avoid student areas and neighborhoods with a lot of nightlife if possible. Look for a home with some distance from major roads and streets. Your house will feel like a refuge when you discover a peaceful and quiet place to live.
Conclusion
If you decide to move with your family don’t rush and take time to do your research, otherwise, you could have a hard time. If you already have some neighborhood in mind, try to compare its crime rate with the city average at least.