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My current commute to work is 45 minutes each way. After doing this for five years I have decided to look for a house closer to where I work. In fact, I just found a nice, old cottage that would be perfect for the family and it's only two blocks from my work.
However, the trade off is that where we live now is considered nice and safe, while the area around my work is considered a little shabby and questionable. Without going into much detail, I'm wondering how many of you would choose to live in a nicer home, closer to work if it meant living in a less desirable neighborhood? Thanks for any advice!
I would choose the nicer neighborhood without question. Personally 45 minutes is not that long of a commute to me and I consider the safety and comfort of my family a million times more important than my commute.
I've lived in very "nice" neighborhoods and very "questionable" neighborhoods and actually fit in better to the more "questionable" ones for some reason! I don't see myself (and don't believe anyone else has ever seen me) as someone who'd automatically be at home in a "less than desirable" 'hood but in general I found the neighbors in the shabbier 'hoods very protective of each other and eventually me. A "little" shabby and questionable is rather far removed from "slum" and working 2 blocks from home versus a 45 minute drive (been there done that and it gets very old very fast) would definitely be a huge plus for me.
I agree that neighbors in shabbier neighborhoods tend to be more neighborly and protective of each other. My big problem would the the schools and the safety of the children to play outside unsupervised. If the schools are okay and the neighborhood is safe enough for the children to ride their bikes without adult supervision, go for it. The big draw is that you're not just moving closer, you'll literally be able to walk to work, go home for lunch, etc.
STT, it's funny you mention fitting in better with the "questionable" neighborhoods because we have never really fit in our current neighborhood. Most of the couples in our "nicer" area are well-to-do professionals who waited until they had established careers and nicer homes to have children, while we're about ten years younger, renting and had our kids young (nothing wrong with either one, just a different way of doing things).
I spoke with neighbors around the house we're interested in and they all described the area as being very tight-knit and protective. And while some of the houses are run-down, many residents take pride in preserving the historic houses.
Safety is obviously a concern, but an extra hour and a half at home with my family everyday (30 hours a month, 360 hours a year) is huge, and I would have a good excuse to get a dag!
Boy that's a tough call. Is there any place in between?! I have always lived in a decent neighborhood or in a house all by itself in the country. I've been in your shoes for the drive and I hated the drive. I would get home and then have to start making supper and we would always be eating late. Now I am 20 min from work and it's great.
Did you do a check on general crime? On this site, you can check to see what type of crime is common and the difference from where you are. Sometimes, shabby areas may not really be as crime-prone as people perceive, it might just be older smaller homes, maybe older residents are retiring or moving out. It could also have more foot traffic if it's not in a subdivision. While I've always been conscious of my own commute distances, I think 2 blocks is almost too close! I always tried for about 6 miles or so, that seemed ideal.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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There was no question about it when I had kids in school, any schools close to work were just not acceptable. I have always commuted 30-60 minutes to live in a safe, quiet and scenic area with good schools. If a person has no children or they are grown, you have to weigh the commute time and cost against the quality of life in an area with crime, traffic, noise, and most likely lack of nature. By taking the bus now, I gas up maybe every 3rd month, and the bus pass is subsidized by my employer so basically free. I use the time to catch up on news and e-mail with my android so when I get home I can do other things.
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