Are you trying to determine what type of neighborhood is right for you? While there are many factors you will need to consider when trying to select the right neighborhood, one decision you will need to make is what type of neighborhood you want to live in. There are actually several different types of neighborhoods to select from. Here is a look at the types of neighborhoods that are available if you want to remain close to all of the action the city has to offer.
Urban Core (Downtown)
An urban core neighborhood is found at the heart of major metropolitan areas, such as downtown Memphis, Los Angeles, Kansas City and Philadelphia. Therefore, you will generally find plenty of aging family homes, condos, modern luxury lofts and apartments to select from within these neighborhoods. Urban core neighborhoods tend to be ethnically diverse and feature a mixture of low to middle income families, young single professionals and seniors. While urban core neighborhoods offer affordable housing and close proximity to the city attractions, they generally have a higher rate of crime as well as little to no parking.
Urban Pioneer (Up-and-Coming)
Unlike Urban Core neighborhoods, Urban Pioneer neighborhoods are located near to the downtown area as well as within the inner ring of the metro area’s suburbs. Examples of Urban Pioneer neighborhoods include East Austin, Montrose in Houston and Portrero Hill in San Francisco. Housing in Urban Pioneer neighborhoods tends to be older single family homes ranging from ranch to modern style housing, fixer uppers and garden-style apartment buildings. The people in Urban Pioneer neighborhoods tend to be ethnically diverse and consists of young singles, single parents, couples, those who are recently divorced, immigrants and aging retirees who have lived in the neighborhood for many years. The homes in Urban Pioneer neighborhoods tend to be cheaper and are likely to increase in value, but you may have to put up with a great deal of construction noise and sights as the neighborhood receives its makeover.
New Urban
While the New Urban neighborhood is not located near to the city’s main downtown, it is located near a business hub. These neighborhoods typically feature upscale apartments, new retro-style single-family homes, condos and lofts located above businesses. Those living in New Urban neighborhoods tend to be educated, middle-income to affluent couples without children and young single professionals. Living in a New Urban neighborhood, such as Verrado in Phoenix, Royal Oak in Detroit and Fairfax in Los Angeles, is beneficial because it is close to shopping, nightlife and employment opportunities. On the other hand, the prices on the homes in these neighborhoods tend to be inflated.
Jim Olenbush is the owner of an Austin real estate brokerage. http://www.jimolenbush.com/ He manages a team of experienced Austin Realtors and they specialize in luxury real estate sales.
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