A Sense of Community - Getting to Know Your New Neighborhood

Moving to a new city/town can be a daunting experience, especially until you know your way around. If you spent a good part of your summer looking for a place to live, packing boxes and eventually moving into your new home, fall is a great time to explore your new area. Once all of your belongings are unpacked and put away (and even if they aren't), the following tips will help you get to know the place you now call home.

Talk to your neighbors. If you're looking for a good place to go celebrate a birthday or you're more interested in a quiet night out, your neighbors will most likely have a few good recommendations for whatever it is you're looking for. This is even a great way to just get to know your neighbors.

Go exploring. One of the best ways to get to know a new place is to get in the car and go for a drive or put on your sneakers and take a walk. Set aside an afternoon to explore your new community and be sure to write down names of restaurants and other areas of interest that are worth coming back to check out. Just getting out of your house/apartment to explore for a few hours will give you more of a sense of community.

Surf the Web. The Internet is a great place to find information about your new home's surrounding community. A good place to start is your town/city's website, as this will give you a good idea regarding what restaurants, stores, parks, etc. are in the area.

Use your social networks. You have spent years adding people to your Facebook friends list, and while you may not keep in touch with many of them, some may actually live in the area. If you find that an old friend or acquaintance lives in the area, send them a private message and tell them that you are new to the area and would appreciate any suggestions regarding fun/interesting things to do.

Source: Article by Paige Tepping courtesy of the RREIN - RisMedia Real Estate Information Network

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