I like what SDR said about how sometimes different neighborhoods, despite their appearance, can have a different feel. I think it can also be expanded to different streets within a single development. Once you dig a particular neigborhood or house, visit it a few times on different days of the week and times, introduce yourself to someone out in front of their house and strike up a conversation. General rules sometimes apply, but not always. Neighborhoods and streets can evolve and what might be positive for one person can be a negative for others. When my kids were little, I lucked into a street that was filled with kids their age. That was 13 years ago, it’s not the same now, there are hardly any little kids on my old street, many are off to college or driving so the street is not what it was. In another ten years, many of those people may move and another wave of little kids might move in. If you don’t want to be the only people with kids on the street, housing style and lot size isn’t always a guarantee. Now that I don’t have little kids, now that they drive and lead different lives, I chose not to live on a cul de sac and chose to live on a hill for the view, my needs changed. I’ve never seen kids in my street but two streets away it is like a carnival on a daily basis. The few elementary/jr high aged kids on my street would probably love to live on that other street but their parents probably weren’t paying attention to those details when they bought. Now I like how where I am, it is quiet, there is plenty of room that ten cars can be parked in front of my house when I throw a party and I am less likely to disturb anyone. 10-15 years ago, the carnival style street was perfect. So once you narrow things down to a general area, don’t stop scrutinizing, the little details mean probably as much as the big ones.
