Choosing a neighborhood to live in

When considering a purchase of a coop, house or condo, one begins with choosing where you want to live. Many buyers are open to various neighborhoods and choose the most desirable living space in one of those areas. Others have more specific boundaries, say Park Slope between Union Street and 9th Street, 5th Avenue to the Park. Each buyer's needs are different and a good Broker should be a good listener and show properties that fit that particular buyer's wants.

Very frequently buyers start looking in neighborhoods they know little about and ask the Broker about the neighborhood. I am happy to give as much information as possible, but I suggest to buyers getting to know each neighborhood they are interested in, as much as possible. Walk around, visit stores, research the schools, time the subway ride to the office, familiarize yourself with the neighborhood. Walk around at night and see how the neighborhood feels. This makes the purchase process much easier and the buyer will not waste time looking at properties in locations that are not of interest.

If buyers are moving from borough to another, for example, this can be a daunting task at first. And the Broker can steer the buyer in the right direction. But my experience is that nothing is a substitute for having the experience, talking to people who live in the area, and getting familiar with the neighborhood resources.

New York is still a city of diverse neighborhoods-it's one of the many things that makes the City continue to flourish. I suggest that to my buyers that they learn about the neighborhoods that are of most interest and get a feel for different streets and locations. It makes the process easier for everyone involved. And it can be a very interesting experience.