The first home we bought was located in an inner city suburb. When looking where to buy, we chose an area based on the fact that we both worked in the city, we ate out a lot and we loved the vibe of the area.
Five years later, we had three children, our needs were completely different and we needed more space.
Like many young families we wanted to move somewhere that was better suited to families, but what makes a family friendly suburb?
What makes a family friendly suburb?
While the exact needs of every family will be slightly different there are some key characteristics to look for in a suburb to assess its family friendliness:
Preschools & schools
The toddler years quickly pass, so the availability and quality of local preschools and schools becomes important. The number of preschools and schools in the area also give you an indication of whether there are many families already living in the area. Having kids to play with in your street, and families to car pool the driving to kids’ activities makes life easier for parents.
The inner city area we lived in for example did not have many options for primary schools close by, an indicator that the demographic of this suburb had a much higher percentage of residents without children. The new suburb we moved to however had many to choose from and we now live in a street with many lovely other families.
Community services
When you have children, you access community based services much more frequently than when you didn’t. The availability of maternal health centres, emergency departments, community houses, libraries can give you a good indication of how family friendly a suburb is.
Local shopping
Keeping the family pantry and fridge stocked is much easier when there are local supermarkets and specialty food stores close by. Being able to go to a supermarket, easily find a car park and not have to venture through a large shopping centre with little kids is a huge bonus!
Public transport
As the kids get older, having access to public transport becomes important, not only to prevent mum and dad from constantly being in the car, but also to help build your children’s independence. Even if you do not use public transport to get around, being close to public transport is important so kids can get themselves to secondary school, head off to footy matches or concerts with their friends for example.
What else do you look for to determine the family friendliness of a suburb?
Article sourced from Realestate.com by Nicole Avery:
http://www.realestate.com.au/blog/what-makes-a-suburb-family-friendly/
