I found an interesting story today posted on HGTV.com about the advantages of living in a downtown urban area and couldn’t help but compare it to our Norowood properties! The Chicago suburbs of Mount Prospect and Roselle are just two examples of how you can get the convenience of an urban area such as the Metra train and walkable access to stores and restaurants yet still enjoy the suburban amenities you love like indoor, heated, garage parking and more affordable living.
What do you think? Do you find the downtown suburban areas advantageous to your lifestyle?
The excerpts below describe the benefits of living in a downtown area:
What It’s Like to Live in an Urban Home: If you love being where the action is, look for convenient living in a city’s downtown area
By Karin Beuerlein, FrontDoor.com; Published: 8/12/2008
For the hip home seeker who longs to be near great food and culture, neighborhoods in a city’s downtown area hold a nearly irresistible attraction. The “urban core” typically has a higher crime rate and less favorable schools than the suburbs, but many downtown areas across the country are undergoing a revitalization of sorts, as cities invest in projects and amenities to attract new residents. And as more people look for alternatives to long commutes and urban sprawl, homebuyers are flocking to the urban core.
Advantages of Urban Core
Professional writer Toni Kamins has owned a co-op in Manhattan’s trendy West Village for 16 years. “What I most appreciate is the constant availability of just about anything you want,” she says. “I know I miss that when I go out of town.” In a centrally located urban neighborhood, you can typically walk or take a bus, taxi or subway to restaurants, bars, shops, museums, libraries and parks — not to mention use public transportation or your own two feet to get to work each day.
About the Neighborhoods
Homes in the urban core can be skyscraper apartments, converted lofts in old warehouses, spaces above operating businesses, row houses, brownstones — if someone can build it, someone else will figure out a way to live in it. Neighborhoods often vary widely in demographic and socioeconomic development, sometimes even from block to block.
Climbing Popularity — and Prices
Trouble is, urban core neighborhoods by nature have defined geographic limits, so it’s difficult to keep a great little spot all to yourself. Living downtown can sometimes mean getting rid of your car and all the expenses it entails. In smaller metropolitan areas, core neighborhoods often feature a diverse selection of properties with a wide price range.
Condominiums above retail shopping and walkable access to Metra
