As we’re meeting with prospective buyers, we hear a
lot of “pro-downtown” chatter. Soon-to-be homeowners—typically coming from
Manhattan or Brooklyn, which epitomizes the hip urban downtown scene—often feel
having a bustling epicenter of activity is essential once they make the move to
the ‘burbs. But is it?
While a downtown can be very appealing during that
first drive-through, it’s typically not
indicative of a town’s true personality—and, likewise, a downtown-less
community can have an active, energetic persona without a “Main Street.” What’s
more, as a suburbanite you’ll no doubt have at
least one car, which means packing up the brood and heading to the next
town over—or NYC, even—will be part of your every day activity.
And think of it this way: even if you have an
amazing downtown, how much will you actually utilize it? The most common
suburban go-tos tend to be staples like grocery stores, train stations,
take-out restaurants…and, usually, those don’t call a town’s main drag “home.”
The majority of your errands, favorite restaurants, shops, kids’ activities and
service providers will no doubt be spread around town, and likely even into
surrounding communities.
That’s not to say having a downtown is a bad
thing—but it’s important buyers not put all of their social life eggs in the downtown
basket. Aligning with a town based on personality and, overall, finding the
right fit for your family is critical, as is ensuring what the area and its
surrounding neighborhoods has to offer. A downtown can certainly be part of
that equation, but it shouldn’t be all of
it.
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