StreetAdvisor Blog

Sometimes you have to laugh!

Reviews are flooding in to StreetAdvisor.com this week, and new community members have some funny stories to tell about unexpected events on their streets.

At W Phillips Road, Phillips, Nebraska, United States (StreetScore 35.28), visitor Wilderness says:

"I had to neutralize a snake that was as long as I am tall. At night, I spent most of my time fighting off bird size mosquitoes that were determined to drain me dry."

Photo by tanakawho - Creative Commons License

At Kings Road, Harvey, Louisiana, United States (StreetScore 71.54), resident Solowpoet tells us that:

"Living on Kings rd. was the best time I have ever had without going out to a club... we didn't have to because we would find any little reason to celebrate...  We would celebrate anything from kids birthdays to car wrecks, no kidding.

Once one of my neighbors house burned completely down all but the deep freezer was melted and as we tried to comfort her, as we ourselves were shedding tears she looked at us ans stated very flatly are you all gonna cry are help me get this smoked meat out the deep freezer so we can finish it off... sonny boy go get that grill."

Photo by WmJR - Creative Commons License

That's an admirable attitude. As long as those huge mosquitos don't turn up at the BBQ!

What dramatic events have happened on your street? Have you helped neighbors with unexpected problems? Does the community come together in difficult times? Log in to StreetAdvisor.com and give us the latest news on your street.

How fragrant is your neighborhood?

Imagine arriving at an open for inspection only to discover the street or even the whole suburb stinks. There is a huge rubbish dump, industrial facility or some other environmental problem in the neighborhood. Next time, look up the houses you are interested in inspecting on StreetAdvisor.com first and find out what the locals really think.

Briarwood Circle, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States (StreetScore 35.28) is described by resident anniecatt as:

"75% shopping mall, 15% medical center, 10% apartments. It's kind of crowded, and not in the good way. Not a lot of parking for the shopping center. It's probably located way too close to a high school for comfort, and on a really hot day it kind of smells like diapers."

At Car Farm Road, Lincolnton, Lincoln, North Carolina, United States (StreetScore 52.92), resident mrsgaus  says:

"You're only about 5-7 minutes from the local shopping centers and downtown Lincolnton. The only problem is the city dump is located on this road. And so for a half a mile or so you can smell the stench. Not the greatest thing to smell every morning when you get out of bed or have friends over."

Photo by mAt0s - Creative Commons License

At Central Park S, New York, New York, United States (StreetScore 63.46), visitor AriS believes that:

"Nothing is is more classic than than hotel life in New York. CPS is loaded with hotels even if many have gone condo in recent years. With all the great people watching and magnificent lobbies not to mention central park this is one of my favorite streets in NY. The downsides inclue a lot of traffic, people hocking black market purses and yes; the classic scent of horse dung permeates the air."

A nasal nightmare of a different kind is present near Trillium Terrace, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (StreetScore 64.01), according to resident Brennan, where:

"Downtown is only a 5 to 10 minute drive away, and best of all, the end of the street is an opeing to Humber Bay Park. Unfortunately, besides the couple of neighbouring streets, the area is made up of four story apartment buildings that look like they've seen better days. Finally, the sewage treatment plant is a little too close for comfort. Though I've never noticed it from Trillium Terrace, it is often something you might smell as you come and go home."

That's just a whiff of the latest news and street reviews available on StreetAdvisor.com - log in today to tell us about the scent of your street.

The deer ate my tulips and other animal antics

At StreetAdvisor we get all kinds of stories about home and family life from all sorts of people. Stories about homes and houses range from everyday discussions about how good the Neighborhood Watch is, to strange reports about creatures in the woods and things that go bump in the night.

Only a month ago I wrote about some of the animals that people live with in their neighborhoods. Judging by the number of animal strories and reviews coming in to StreetAdvisor, this is a topic that is important to many community members.

At Tanglewood Drive, Nashua, New Hampshire, United States (StreetScore 78.16), resident laurasaluja tells us that:

"We just moved in last june. in general, I love Nashua. Cute downtown, nice restaurants, great park system and library for the kids. Good public schools.

Our neighborhood in particular is excellent. it is well kept and surrounded by conserved land. It is part of an interconnected system of sidewalks and trails by which one can walk or bike several miles. About a half mile away there is also a rails to trails that is 18 miles long. There are currently plans to connect it to our neighborhood.

The only drawback i have found so far is that the deer ate my tulips. Oh - and the snow. But that is all of New Hampshire, and besides, my 2 year old and i were able to go sledding in our back yard."

Photo by nosha - Creative Commons license

At Finger Avenue, Redwood City, California, United States (StreetScore 75.58), resident dponti explains that:

"No house is alike, no lot is alike and the neighborhood attracts folks who dislike the blandness of post-war tract homes or the efficiency and density of planned developments. This mix of home vintages, coupled with both small and large lots, and mature native and “classic” vegetation, creates an environment unique in the area. It's a great neighborhood to walk around in, and there's a healthy supply of wildlife and birds to enjoy (although sometimes one starts to lose patience with the antics of racoons and possums!)."

At  Isabella Boulevard, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, United States (StreetScore 88.20), visitor polaris23 says that:

"This is the road that I stay on when I am visiting my aunt down in Florida. Not only is it beautiful but they are slowly yet surely developing more and more homes along it and off of it. You are less than a 5 minute walk to the coast. I think that it is one of the most wonderful places to visit considering you take a vacation to relax, and what could be more relaxing than sitting in a backyard full of palm trees and listening to tree frogs sing at night. It is like being in your very own piece of paradise."

Depending on your point of view, these stories may provide further evidence that cute wildlife does provide ambience to your neighborhood, particularly as all these streets received high scores. Or these animals could drive you crazy!

If you have lived with animal antics in your street or neighborhood, log into StreetAdvisor.com and tell us all about it.

The best places for retirees

People usually have several homes in their lives; some people have many. Our home needs and wants also change over time, and for the over 55s, finding the right place to live a healthy and active retirement is a big decision. StreetAdvisor has been receiving many reviews about the best places for retirees to live.

At N Sunset Mesa Drive, Marana, Pima, Arizona, United States (StreetScore 88.20), resident mrywillia says:

"We are very blessed to have found our home here in Dove Mountain and I thank God for the safe and secure neighborhood. People are loving and caring for their neighbors but not snoopy. It's a wonderful place to live with lots to do for the 50 plus age group. Very active adult residence with crafts, game room, billiards, state of the art exercise facility, swimming, tennis, exceptional golf. Sunshine 350 days with no worrry of the next hurricane. Property values hold up here and have steadily increased in value since being here... I'm very satisfied."

At Turtleback Crossing Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States (StreetScore 86.25), resident pattiem93 says:

"Turtleback Crossing Drive is in one of the most popular neighborhoods in Chapel Hill - with very good reason. Lake Hogan Farms is the "Pleasantville" of Chapel Hill - a great walkable, social family neighborhood where children play in the streets, the pool and clubhouse provide socialization for young and old, and diversity in housing styles is reminiscent of a "Leave It To Beaver" neighborhood. Well-kept, somewhat upscale (lots of medical and I.T. people from the research Triangle, Duke University, and UNC Hospital) but never stuffy. FABULOUS and well respected schools, lots of history and culture, close proximity to an active senior center and religious facilities, world-class hospitals, and choice of housing from luxury townhomes with no maintenance to larger family homes on an acre make this the ideal place to raise a family or retire and stay active."

At S Leisure World Boulevard, Silver Spring, Montgomery, Maryland, United States (StreetScore 81.44), resident BobForce says:

"Part of the largest Active Senior Citizens communiyt in Montgomery County Maryland. If you get bored living in Leisure World of Maryland, it is your own fault. There are over 70 different clubs/organizaitons to keep you busy.

At Kalinda Drive, City Beach, Western Australia, Australia (StreetScore 72.00), visitor VJzoo says:

"My Gran lived in Ocean Waters Retirement Village on Kalinda Drive for several years. You couldn't ask for a better spot for a retirement home - still close enough to the city for relatives to be able to visit easily, yet a quiet area with a beautiful beach nearby where we could take her for lunch and to watch the sun set over the ocean.

The nearby Floreat Beach is great for families too, with a playground, restaurant and snackbar. Another great thing about this area is the Bold Park Reserve nearby - a fairly big tract of natural bushland (if you're into nature, that is). There's also the great Bold Park Pool, a golf course and the Quarry Ampitheatre nearby.

Personally, I'm more of an urban inner-city person, but for retirees and people with families, I think this would be an excellent suburb to live in - if you can afford it!"

Here at StreetAdvisor.com we're interested in where retirees want to live and what they want from their homes. Are you a retiree looking for a new home, or are you looking for one for a family member? StreetAdvisor may be able to help!

Weird wacky and wonderful houses

Is there a house on your street or nearby in your neighborhood that is 'different' to all the others? Is there a weird or wonderful house you walk or drive past regularly that you find fascinating?

Photo by Pocheco - Creative Commons license

If so, pull out your cell phone or digital camera and take a picture and share it with the StreetAdvisor community. You may find that your neighbors share your curiousity about this house. The owner may even want to tell you its history.

Photo by nicolasnova - Creative Commons license

Here at StreetAdvisor.com we're interested in all kinds of houses and homes. Whether you live in a cave or a dome, we want to hear about it!

Real estate nostalgia - remembering former homes

Many people have fond memories of former homes, particularly those that they lived in as children. Visiting them years later can create strong feelings and memories, as well as an awareness that the property and its former residents have changed over time.

At StreetAdvisor we have received many stories from former residents of streets containing their memories and recollections of the homes they used to know.

At N Central Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, United States (StreetScore 34.58), former resident vpage says:

"I lived there many years ago and have visited recently. Many homes are being taken care of beautifully, but some are in terrible disrepair. Additionally the neighborhood in general has a dreadful crime rate and is not really all that safe for anyone day or night. Great transportation with city buses, but even on the main streets, wouldn't shop there. Once a very nice middle class neighborhood, will hopefully turn itself around, but it will take a lot of time still."

At Utopia Parkway, Fresh Meadows, New York, United States (StreetScore 65.75), former resident startrekruth says:

"My parents bought a house on this street when I was five years old. This is a residential street with one and two family houses, meant for families with children. There are nice backyards and front yards. The front yards generally have a variety of flowers and grass. Most people have patios in part of the backyard, and nice trees that have now had 50 years to grow and mature. Schools are short distances away.

Since I grew up, the neighborhood has become more ethnically Asian and more diverse. There are an interesting variety of restaurants, an ice cream parlor, drugstores, and large grocery. The food is affordable and good for a casual meal, but I wouldn't classify it as gourmet. This is definitely a middle class neighborhood, and for many, the place to buy a first home, because the prices are relatively inexpensive.

There is a fair amount of traffic, because Utopia Parkway is one of the exits on the Long Island Expressway, but the street is not as noisy as most, because the stores are on streets nearby. The area is fairly safe, and people mingle because the block is conducive for kids to ride bikes and gather. I have lots of nice memories of the street, and with the name Utopia, you feel like your karma includes good fortune."

At Keeling Place, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States (StreetScore 71.95), former resident amangielangomat says:

"I lived on this street for about 10 years. The community within this short block is home. With some of the neigbors living there for more than 30 years, you will always feel that southern hospitality."

At Ewart Street, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory, Australia (StreetScore 67.21), former resident zoewolf says:

"This was a lovely quiet little street when i was growing up, there have not been too many changes in the years it would seem as well."

What memories do you have of your former homes? Have you visited them recently? Share your home memories at StreetAdvisor.com.

StreetAdvisor growing at an enormous rate

Here at StreetAdvisor HQ, we understand the importance of growth. Late last year I posted a map image of Victoria showing all the street coverage posted by the StreetAdvisor community. Recently I decided to take the same map image and overlay it with today's data to see just how much the site has grown and expanded.  I think the results speak for themselves:

As you can see the community is growing rapidly, and the data we are collecting is getting bigger and better each day. The long term potential of this data is extremely exciting, and we are not stopping with just Victoria. Over the next three months, our goal is to get every single street reviewed and rated in major cities such as San Francisco, New York and Sydney.

Next time you're house hunting, ask yourself if you would find it invaluable to have EVERY street reviewed and rated in your city in the palm of your hands? We think so too... and that's our goal.

Adam Spencer
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
StreetAdvisor.com

I love the smell of real estate in the morning

Sometimes, no matter what you do or how good your intentions are, decisions you make regarding real estate just don't work out. There are some fascinating stories being told in StreetAdvisor by people who have good reason not to be satisfied with their street.

At N Water Street, Newburgh, Orange, New York, United States (StreetScore 17.64), former resident KKK says:

"Very bad experience. Neighbors complained that I was making noise when I was not even home. Condo board just fined me and placed a lien on my unit, even though the same neighbors made the same complaints about the last 2 persons who live there. Very bad situation. I had to move out and sell my unit."

Photo of US police helicopter chase by minds-eye - Creative Commons License

At 48th Street, San Diego, California, United States (StreetScore 58.85), resident rb1980 says:

"Just close enough to share the high price of Talmadge's upscale homes and just far enough away from the ghetto on the other side of El Cajon to make it not worth the price. This particular block is exactly on the circumference of the circle that the police helicopters do when hunting bad guys, which is every single Friday and Saturday night. Overall, not bad, but for the money there are better neighborhoods."

Photo of Richmond graffiti by Los Cardinalos - Creative Commons License

At  Leslie Street, Richmond, Victoria, Australia (StreetScore 42.86), resident Sparks says:

"We're a professional couple in our late twenties and have lived here for almost a year. The noise in this neighbourhood (at least on our end, close to Victoria St.) is ridiculous, especially in summer. People have parties on their front porches and stay up making noise and breaking bottles until the wee hours. There are bogans galore. I'm greeted to the sound of a mum screaming at her kids every morning at about the same time in front of her house.

We're moving soon. I can say that the street is good for being near a tram line and in walking distance to Vic Gardens. But definitely not worth the noise. Some of the people in our building are lovely (and elderly). But the unsavoury element nearby and particularly some of the visitors to Victoria St. (we often see junkies on the tram getting on and off a few blocks up the road) do not a happy home make.

Though on a good note, there are some great cheap Asian restaurants close by (Van Mai is a great inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant and The Kilim has good Turkish food) and everyone loves the Terminus bar. So if you're a night owl yourself and don't mind a bit of grunge, you'll probably love it here."

Have you bought or rented a place then realized that you can't stand living there? Log into StreetAdvisor.com and tell us about the streets you've lived on that you couldn't wait to leave. Your opinion may help someone else make a better decision about where to live next.

StreetAdvisor on Union St, San Francisco

StreetAdvisor.com has uploaded another video featuring interviews recorded live on the streets of San Francisco.

This time we have visited Union St in the Marina district. Click here to watch the video in StreetAdvisor or click on the embedded video below to watch it in YouTube.

If writing reviews is not your style, grab your camcorder and make a video! Interview your friends and neighbors about their streets and post the videos on StreetAdvisor.com.

Do you have a Neighborhood Watch?

Almost a year ago in this blog, StreetAdvisor co-CEO and co-founder Jason Spencer wrote a post called Neighborhood Watch - Is there anybody out there? Since then, StreetAdvisor has received many street reviews where community members have told us all about the Neighborhood Watch services in their local area.

At Dunkeld Road, Bournemouth, United Kingdom (StreetScore 76.63), resident Andy99 says:

"I have lived in this street for 17 years and in all that time it has been a pleasure to live in such a quiet street. This is a good street to live in for those that enjoy their privacy. The Street also has a neighborhood watch scheme."

Photo by le Corrigan - Creative Commons License

At  Wiena Crescent, Miandetta, Tasmania, Australia (StreetScore 81.92), resident ozecard says:

"This crescent has everything a family needs. Park for the kids, friendly general store, hairdresser, bakery, specialty stores. Schools and public transport close by but a very peaceful area which retains that community feel. An active Neighborhood Watch (not that it's often needed). The perfect place to live, close to the city centre, but without the traffic."

At Karla Place, City Beach, Western Australia, Australia (StreetScore 89.85), resident sandnsurf says:

"Ultra quiet, on top of a hill overlooking the Indian Ocean to the East and the North. Overlooks the valley into Scarborough and Wembley Downs. Great neighborhood watch with vigilant neighbors. Street party once a year. Accomodating to new arrivals. Very peaceful street with no major issues. Currently has underground power and other services, with excellent mobile and internet 2+ connections for broadband. Great access to parks, shops and schools."

At Sarah Crescent, Templestowe, Victoria, Australia (StreetScore 77.15), resident cinnamon says:

"Sarah Crescent is a quiet residential street with acre blocks. The houses are of a consistent standard and when there is a sale in the street, the value more than keeps up with inflation. It is a safe area with no crime, and has a neighborhood watch system providing a measure of security for children. Traffic is consistently quiet, with the occasional house looker on the weekends. There are not many sales in the street, so I guess most people once they buy into the area like to stay put."

Photo by Wade Rockett - Creative Commons License

At NE Cleveland Avenue, Portland, Oregon, United States (StreetScore 70.35), resident burgesg says:

"My wife and I recently moved from San Francisco to Portland. It took us some time to adjust to the slow pace of Portland, but our neighborhood is great. Utility lines are run through the alley so the streets are lined with huge mature trees. Just a few blocks away several new restaurants have been opened greatly improving the restaurante scene near this historic Piedmont street. Additionally, the neighbors are fantastic and take great pride in looking after each other's homes. A new neighborhood watch group has recently began patrolling the neighborhood and property values have skyrocketed. I would strongly recommend this diverse neighborhood to families and couples. The schools are not the strongest, but that has been changing and one of the cities premier parks is just a few blocks off of Cleveland Avenue--a beauty!"

At Pacifica Drive, San Diego, California, United States (StreetScore 66.45), resident MCM says:

"Strong police presence on Grand and Garnett is probably a result of the bustling college partying in downtown PB, which is the area's greatest liability; unless of course you happen to be between 19-25 y/o. School districts poor compared to adjoining La Jolla. Coastal clouds burn off later in the day and temps are much cooler than just 3 miles inland. Think SF, Monterey, Santa Cruz. Active neighborhood watch and intellectual scene. Prices range from 400-550 dollars a square foot for residential real estate."

As you can see, an active Neighborhood Watch and proactive neighbors create strong places to call home that also attract good prices and high scores in StreetAdvisor.

What do you think of these stories? Do you participate in your Neighborhood Watch? Log into StreetAdvisor.com and tell us about what the local Neighborhood Watch is doing in your street.