How To Get To Know The Neighborhood
Moving is a stressful time for everyone involved, young and old. The adults are stressed about the moving details, and probably aren’t really thinking about the new neighborhood. The kids, on the other hand, are only worried about the new neighborhood and the school – if they’ll fit in, if any kids live nearby, and what there is to do nearby. To make sure the kids aren’t stressed, parents would be wise to get to know the neighborhood prior to the day the Denver moving company packs up their belongings.
And it isn’t just for the kid’s peace of mind – the adults can benefit from knowing the neighborhood in advance as well! Where’s the closest hardware store just in case there is something you need on that first day in your new home? Where’s the grocery store or convenience store in case you run out of bread? Where’s the nearest pizza joint so you don’t need to rush unpacking the kitchen that first night in your new house?
Explore
To prepare your family, you should check out the new neighborhood before you move. Hit the road and travel about the streets to see what your neighborhood has to offer. Where’s the local post office? How far away is the school? Is there a playground nearby? How about the library? Think about all of the places you frequent in your current neighborhood and learn where they’re located in your new neighborhood before you even load up one box on the residential moving company truck.
If you’re moving to another state, it can be tough to explore the neighborhood. Instead, you should check it out virtually with the help of the Internet. Head to the website for the city you’ll be moving to and note where important buildings are located. Then you can head to Google Maps online and starting from the location of your new house, find all of the places you need to find as if you were driving on the streets yourself. Take your kids on a tour of the city via the website, showing them all of the fun stuff there is for them to do. They can even visit the website for their new school, checking out the activities and clubs available to them.
Get Outside
Once the Denver moving company has left and you’ve unpacked all of your boxes, a great way to get to know your neighborhood is to get outside. Whether you spend evenings unwinding with a beer on your front porch or your mornings weeding and watering the garden, your neighbors will have a better chance of introducing themselves to you when you make yourself available. Would you be more apt to approach someone who is outside nearly every day, or a person who never leaves their house?
Taking walks around the block and further into the city are another great way to get to know the neighborhood. Not only will you be able to take in more of your surroundings (you notice much more on a walk than you do in your car), you’ll have the added bonus of meeting neighbors! Make a goal to introduce yourself to a new person each week. The more people you know in your neighborhood, the safer and more at-home you feel.
Get Active
Once you’re settled, it’s time to get involved in your community. Think about the volunteer work you did in your old community, and try to find something similar. If you’ve never volunteered, now is a good time to start! Head to the PTA meetings at your children’s new school, join a gym, or find a rec league sport to join. All of these things get you immersed into the community and allow you to meet new people.
Once you’ve gotten to know the community, you’ll begin to know the things that go on that are unique to your town, like any special events or festivals. And the more neighbors you get to know, the more you learn to keep everyone happy.
Don’t forget to get out of your neighborhood from time to time to explore the city all the way to the limits. You never know the fun places you’ll come across! The more you and your family learn about your community before you move, the more at-home you’ll feel when you are moved in!
