Whenever you hear people talking about moving, you always seem to hear things words like “walking distance” or “a short drive” or “an easy commute.” Renters value location because they can make it a priority. Compared to home buyers, renters can choose from a multitude of options, so why not make location one of the highest priorities when choosing a place to live?
In fact, living in a convenient area is not just good for the soul, but also for the body. Residents that live in neighborhoods abundant with high walkability are generally more healthy and less susceptible to obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Also, reliance on public transit means less driving and less emissions. Walkable neighborhoods also create more interaction between residents, thus a stronger sense of community. And, you’ll be perfectly fine having that second beer at dinner!
Location is so important that we at RentLingo created two data visualization maps that show more about your prospective neighborhood than anything else before.
Have you ever had trouble sleeping in your neighborhood because of noise? Considering noise factors often escapes a renters checklist when they are considering a new apartment. Since peace and quiet are quite valuable, we designed a data mapping tool called the Noise Index to give renters a solid understanding of how much noise a neighborhood receives both day and night before having to go in person.
The Noise Index creates noise scores by using factors such as:
- Current construction activity
- The proximity of restaurants, bars and clubs,
- The amount of commercial activity nearby
- How traffic passes through the area
- The proximity of major transportation routes such as highways and railroads
By pulling data on all of these factors, the Noise Index visualizes noise levels in every major city. Maybe you want the noise and the energy that accompanies it, or maybe you are looking for a quiet, mellow neighborhood devoid of traffic. Either way, take a spin on the Noise Index and look up nearby noise factors in your current or next neighborhood:
Searching for an apartment in a city or town you know little about can be a daunting task. You know that there are great areas to live in every city, but figuring out where they are is hard. And even in every neighborhood, there are some streets that aren’t as appealing and some streets that have everything you would ever need. Finding that right neighborhood and right street that suits what you want takes a lot of research, so we created the Charm Index to help visualize the aspects that make a great neighborhood.
We figured that the most charming areas of town are often characterized by having:
- An abundance of locally-owned businesses and cafes
- Community amenities that allow for resident interaction (art displays, universities, town halls)
- A safe atmosphere with low crime rates
- Healthy local lifestyles with the availability of parks, walking trails, gyms, etc.
Meanwhile, areas that are not charming have a higher concentration of corporately-owned chain stores, fast food restaurants, higher crime statistics as well as payday loan stores, strip clubs, and prisons.
You can click on any street on the Charm Index for precise information on what’s nearby as well as an overall charm score of the area. Take a spin on the Charm Index to see the charm ratings in your current or next neighborhood:
This post is courtesy of RentLingo.