Here’s a common renter dilemma: You find a listing for an apartment that checks all the right boxes, but before signing a lease, you’re left with one big question: What about the neighborhood?
After moving into my first apartment after college in central Phoenix, I realized the area around it was a huge bummer. Sure, the rent was low and the pool was nice, but the complex was next to the freeway and a street where a bunch of tractor trailers parked overnight. There weren’t any nearby businesses worth visiting, and even if there were, I wouldn’t have felt safe walking to them. As someone who loves to go for a stroll, I felt really stuck.
It can be tough to get a sense for an apartment’s surroundings based on a complex’s website or a Zillow link, but the local area can make a big difference when it comes to whether or not your rental will feel like home.
There’s no surefire way to make sure a neighborhood is a good fit for you before moving in, but here are some strategies that may help you in your decision-making.
Read online reviews
This advice comes with a grain of salt, but I’m listing it first because it’s probably the first thing you’ll think to do. Go ahead and check out a rental’s reviews if it has them—you can check Google reviews for apartment complexes, or for rentals that aren’t part of a complex, you can check the property management company’s reviews and see if anyone mentions your unit.
While most of the reviews will probably be about living in the unit, sometimes people will mention concerns about the broader neighborhood, whether that’s trash, crime, or noise. Keep in mind that people are more likely to leave a review if something has upset them versus if they had a good experience, so they may unfairly skew negative, but you can still use them to get a sense of possible issues.
Check out Reddit
I follow r/Phoenix and r/AskPhoenix, which are both subreddits about living in Phoenix. (There are also subreddits for other Valley cities—just search yours!) I frequently see people ask about different areas of the city, and commenters give their input or experiences living there. Before you post, though, search for what you’re looking for and see if someone else has already asked about it recently.
In a recent example, someone was considering moving into an apartment complex in south Phoenix, and they asked about the area, specifically regarding safety and the commute to downtown. About a dozen people responded with their thoughts, and some offered pros and cons for the original poster to consider. The overall consensus was that the poster was choosing a good area for what they were looking for—and if I were that renter, this exchange would give me peace of mind before signing the lease.
Use Facebook to research
Facebook is another platform people use to ask for information about moving to a new area. One group called “Moving to Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Paradise Valley” exists for this exact purpose. People have posted in it to find out more about different areas of town, or even specific apartment complexes. There are also lots of realtors and landlords in the group who can help you find a new spot if you’re having trouble finding what you’re looking for.
You can also try to find a Facebook group for a neighborhood you’re considering moving to and see what people are talking about there. For example, in my neighborhood’s Facebook group, people noted recent safety issues around gun violence on First Fridays. But they also frequently discuss how much they love the nearby businesses and walkability of the area. If the rules allow, you could post in the group and ask for people’s advice.
Look at Walk Score
If you’re asking yourself how you’d get around in a new neighborhood, you can check out Walk Score, where you can search any address for walk, transit, and bike scores.
The platform evaluates walkability, from a scale of car-dependent to “walker’s paradise.” The transit score, scaled from minimal transit to “rider’s paradise,” lets you know how nearby public transit is and how many options there are. And the bike score factors in things like bike lanes and hills to score an address from somewhat bikeable to “biker’s paradise.”
I searched my address and it came up as an 82/100 for walkability, 54/100 for transit, and 80/100 for biking. This rings true to me, as I’m able to get to a lot of places on foot, but the light rail is just far enough from me that I don’t use it much. And as far as bike lanes go, my area has more than other parts of Phoenix. If any of these factors are important to you in choosing a new place to live, this tool could help rule some options out.
Visit in person
If you’re checking out a unit in person before signing a lease, you should also scope out the neighborhood while you’re there. Walk or drive around the surrounding streets and see what you notice—are there a lot of bars and restaurants, or is it mostly industrial businesses? Are there safe sidewalks for walking, or does it seem like you’d need your car to get anywhere? You can weigh this information against other factors like the unit itself and the cost of rent when making your decision.
If you have specific concerns, like a congested commute or noise, try visiting at rush hour or at night so you can see how things are. Noticing that it’s impossible to make a left turn out of your neighborhood at most times of the day and choosing a rental elsewhere could save you lots of frustration. If you’re considering a few neighborhoods at once, make a checklist that you can fill out at each place so you can easily compare them later.
As I said at the top, it won’t be possible to feel absolutely sure that a neighborhood is a good fit before moving in, but hopefully these tools can make finding a rental you love feel a little less like a stab in the dark.
