Poll results: Location, location, location
Forget parks, snazzy restaurants, family and friends -- what you really want near you is your job.
That was the most popular answer by far in last week's Wonk poll, in any case. Thirty-six percent of you picked "close to work" as your locational priority in selecting a home. An additional six percent said your priority is splitting the distance between your job and your spouse or significant other's job, which means four in 10 of you have commute uppermost in your mind.
The next most popular answer (with 22 percent of the vote) was good schools.
Seventeen percent of you are most interested in having lots of fun things to do nearby.
Nine percent will make sure family and/or friends are close by.
And one or two folks each picked these answers as No. 1 priorities: lots of parks/trails/natural spaces, active community organizations, safety and "away from people." (The last two were write-ins.)
I didn't include safety on the list because I figured it's important to everyone. I wanted to see what people consider the key priority besides, you know, staying alive. Wonk reader Jelena summed up that imperative with this comment on the poll: "If I can't feel safe in my own home/community, the schools and commute don't really matter." (She included "healthy environment" in the overall category of safety -- "e.g. no highway in the backyard."
Real estate agents say schools are generally top-of-list for people with kids, so the "commute is king" results in this poll might mean that many of you don't have children. Or perhaps a number of you consider school options after you've narrowed down neighborhood choices based on commute time.
That's the thing -- I'm sure many of you have a number of need-this-near-me priorities. So what's better, living in a neighborhood that satisfies all of them partially, or giving up most of your locational desires in exchange for getting a few exactly right?
JB opines in the comments that the answer is a neighborhood close to your job and with good schools: "usually you'll end up with all of the other things you listed."
Of course, that's assuming you can afford it.
Wonk reader M commented: "This is a good discussion because it hits the core of what people will sacrifice for and what they will not. The main thing when looking for location is finding that life/work balance. The problem occurs when you are forced to work in a certain area (like DC) and don’t find any of your 'wants' and 'needs' for a reasonable prices, which is where the long commute discussion comes in."
Interesting conversation, folks.
Categories: From home to work, Polls
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