When you’re looking for a new apartment, you may not be necessarily looking for the ideal neighborhood. However, even if budget or proximity are your top priorities, scope out the neighborhood to get an idea of where you could be living. Regardless of the right apartment in anyone’s eyes, love your neighborhood by first exploring its benefits. Take note of a few critical features of a great neighborhood.

Whether you have kids or live alone with pets, there are a few neighborhood features that make life easy. Among these benefits include schools and playgrounds, a close proximity to stores and restaurants, and plenty of community resources. Great community resources also include swimming pools, clubhouses, golf courses, zoos and museums, and community centers. These resources and amenities indicate a strong community that offers its residents a safe place to live breathe. However, more than solid sidewalks and roadways, there are other aspects, aside from amenities, to consider.

Visit the neighborhood at different times. Unfortunately, the neighborhood that you are considering moving to may be completely different in the daytime than nighttime. Take a look at the neighborhood on the weekends, in the morning, and in the evening. You may find that parking gets rough on Sundays, there is more traffic in the morning, or even that people tend to play loud music at night. And, when you are considering the neighborhood from these different times, consider your commute. Do you work in the mornings? At night? On the weekends? If you live close enough to the neighborhood from your current place, take a practice commute and find out how you feel about it in real-time.

As you consider the neighborhood’s resources during different times of the day, do research on local crime statistics. Some neighborhoods are deceiving; they look safe and aren’t, or vice versa. And, no matter why you’re moving to Madison House or somewhere nearby, you deserve to live in a place where you feel safe. The best way to learn about local crime is a simple Google search. Safewise is an online tool, as well, that will help you narrow down the neighborhood and find out what’s really going on.

From monetary benefits, such as gym and work access, to non-monetary benefits, choosing the right neighborhood to live in is an important aspect of any move. Take a walk around, look up crime statistics, and get the lowdown of what the neighborhood really offers. Looking for a new apartment is more than counting rooms, but finding a neighborhood where you feel safe and ready to grow.