If I had to choose just one, I'd want a home...
- with a view (6%, 12 Votes)
- on acreage (16%, 34 Votes)
- on a waterfront (17%, 36 Votes)
- with maximum walkability (26%, 55 Votes)
- in the quietest, safest neighborhood (25%, 52 Votes)
- with the shortest commute possible (10%, 21 Votes)
Total Voters: 210
This poll was active 09.23.2012 through 09.29.2012
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[...] From Seattle Bubble [...]
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if your neighborhood is not safe all else is worthless.
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Safety, walkability and commutes can change and are rather subjective and relative. Views, waterfront and acreage are more difficult to change. Neighborhoods change, become gentrified, etc. Hell, if it was important to you, you could take an active role in improving your neighborhood and community, or you could live your life scared and surrounded only by people just like you and live in a “boring” neighborhood. That’s what I call “safe” neighborhoods sometimes. I’m mostly kidding. But seriously, stop living in fear.
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I think walkability would be as hard to change as views, if not harder. Zoning rules in some areas mean that you can’t just open up a small grocery store right in the middle of a residential community. It’d be easier and cheaper to knock down some trees to improve your view.
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By ray pepper @ 2:
You just have to know how to look at things.
I had a friend who lived in Seattle across the street from a bad apartment. He used to joke that his house was patrolled by special security forces, because the police were there so much.
If conditions get bad enough, then you have an indoor target range, which is not as good as an indoor target practice range, but you save time and gas not having to leave your house.
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RE: ray pepper @ 2 – Hi Ray, lived here, lived there…Some “safe” some “not safe” whatever that means is personal as “safe” is a judgement.
Here’s truth: Safe is a big state of mind, similar to fear. Less to do with actual crime statistics than if one’s darling is an abusive guy or gal. Ironically, home seems the most dangerous crime scene which numbers suggest is most apt to be domestic.
Me thinks more important than a safety-dance re: neighborhood is who you love!
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[...] where you want to live in Charlottesville Posted on September 24, 2012 by Jim Duncan This poll at Seattle Bubble raised my curiosity as I’m interested in what folks in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area think. So many factors go into the [...]
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RE: Kary L. Krismer @ 4 – I listened to a talk from a hardcore, retired Marine, NRA trainer discuss about what to do if you hear an intruder in your home.
He said if you are an able-bodied male, the only thing to do is to lock yourself, your family members, and your firearm(s) in your bedroom and call 911. There is just too much risk otherwise.
He stated even if your shooting the intruder is justified, and you are not prosecuted, the intruder’s family will likely sue you anyway. I think this is good advice, especially since it comes from someone who probably knows how to draw a bead better than most.
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RE: sally buttons @ 6 –
couldnt disagree more. It goes without saying if u r living in an abusive relationship what you should do. All the other choices are secondary when it comes to a families safety and a good neighborhood. Prices will ALWAYS reflect safety because along with it comes better schools, community, programs, etc.
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RE: wreckingbull @ 8 – I would tend to agree, although I wouldn’t worry that much about a lawsuit. The biggest concern would be personal safety. I was just trying to find a silver lining to Ray’s hypothetical.
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By Another David @ 4:
Not always! ;-)
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20030131&slug=trees31m
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It’s surprising view is getting so few votes. That’s the one feature that typically gets the most money, except for sometimes waterfront. It’s not one I feel is all that worthwhile, but the market seems to disagree with me.
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RE: ray pepper @ 9 – Ray, I appreciate how you try to bottom-line everything for us here, but safety is not a binary concept. Many people exchange a degree of safety for other benefits.
Ballard is really not a ‘safe’ neighborhood when you look at its crime stats, yet it continues to be a hot neighborhood almost 15 years running. Just ask anyone who has tried to buy there recently. Living a rural lifestyle has its risks too. My wife had to deal with a drunk guy banging on the windows at 2am, while I was away on a business trip. Took the sheriff’s deputy 30 minutes to arrive. For the benefits of rural living, one gives up quick turnaround time of law enforcement.
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By wreckingbull @ 13:
Seattle claims a 7 minute response time.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019158143_spdbudget15m.html
If you have someone banging down your door, those extra 23 minutes are not going to really matter much.
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Good Blog Idea Tim
Interesting comments from all.
I’d go with safety, perhaps sacrificing some personal freedoms, like a controlled gated community….its also nice to know the neighbor next door can’t park a bunch of junkers and get away with it. As tme goes on, secure/gated communities are likely to be the only safe places left to live. I saw this is in Fresno, CA already.
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RE: Kary L. Krismer @ 14 – Those 23 minutes are easily the difference between an apprehended burglar and a burglary-turned-assault. I have to respectfully disagree.
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RE: wreckingbull @ 16 – I was assuming it wouldn’t take someone over a minute to break through a door.
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Ideally, ten acres and a Clear Wimax broadband connection.
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It’s such a contrived, artificial question, since I don’t have to choose just one in isolation in real life. If I had to vote, I’d pick one of the last three at random, since a view[1], acreage[2], or waterfront[3] aren’t terribly important to me, but all of the final three are.
[1] I’ve had one, and it was nice, but it didn’t make up for the lack of quiet at that property. I’d much rather have a reasonable degree of quiet. It’s far easier to deal with a lack of a view at 5AM than it is with a lack of quiet (daily, ultra-early trash collection from the business across the street).
[2] It could be nice to have, but then again I hate yard work so the property would have to be priced so that I could afford to spend money on hiring someone else to do that. Which in the Seattle metro area is extremely unlikely.
[3] A great big “meh”. I don’t own a boat, and don’t feel tempted to. Moreover “waterfront” often goes hand-in-hand with flood- or landslide-prone.
Just as with excessive noise, a property that compels me to waste huge amounts of time fighting traffic to commute or shop is a big downer and a continual irritation in a way that lack of a view, acreage, or waterfront access can never be.
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