Getting to know your Neighborhood

Getting to know your neighborhood is an important part of settling into your apartment. Use these tips for getting to know the neighbors and your community, and you’ll feel like a local in no time.
Read the local rag
Community newspapers are great sources of information on local businesses, events, and news. These small, free papers written by residents will give you the rundown on your local entertainment options and keep you up to date on community happenings. You might also find a new favorite boutique or eatery by browsing the ads. Perhaps most importantly though, local rags will give you insight into what sort of people your neighbors are. Read a bit of the commentary on your community, and you’ll get a sense for the values and goals of residents.
Test out traffic
Find out where your neighborhood is located in relation to your usual haunts (the office, church, the gym, etc) by taking a drive. Find a couple alternate routes to your favorite places, and you’ll be prepared to avoid construction or traffic accidents while you learn the lay of the land.
Scope out services
Whether you get in the car and drive or venture out on foot, it’s a good idea to scope out important public service posts like the fire station, police station, library, and post office in your neighborhood. While you’re out, find the most convenient places to shop for groceries, get gas, and do dry cleaning.
Get out and meet the neighbors
One of the best ways to meet new people is to seek out recreation centers, meeting halls, or even local gyms in your community — any place where the locals congregate. Just get on the Internet, and you can find a listing of these places. If the crochet club at the community center isn’t your thing, you could try hitting up trivia night at a local bar. You might not know who won the Stanley Cup in 1967, but chances are you’ll get friendly with at least one or two people. Even if you never become BFF, these folks can answer any questions you have about the neighborhood while you chat.
Take a walking tour
GPS systems and Internet directions might be making them obsolete, but you can use good old-fashioned maps to get a handle on your neighborhood’s sites. If you live in a walkable town, go exploring with your map or a tourist’s guide. Highlight your area on the map, and make like Lewis and Clark. You never know what you’ll find. If you live in a bigger city, you might be able to forgo the map altogether by taking a fun walking tour.
There’s no better way to get to know your neighborhood than to spend some time exploring it. Remember that you have to actually leave your apartment if you want meet the neighbors and get a sense for your community.