StreetAdvisor Blog

Improving the view with a chainsaw

Despite living in large houses in comfortable suburbs with lovely views, some home owners want more. They want to improve their city, ocean or harbour views and are prepared to break the law to cut down trees that obstruct their view.

At N Beach Road, Karrinyup, Western Australia, Australia, some residents are trespassing on the neighboring Lake Karrinyup Country Club golf course to kill trees that block their view south to the Perth CBD.

A similar thing has occurred at Wolseley Road, Point Piper, New South Wales, Australia, where a man has been accused of illegally lopping trees on a neighbor's property to improve his harbour view.

Sydney seems to be full of tree killers. Similar reports discuss view-enhancing tree-killing at Gordon's Bay in Clovelly and Blackwattle Bay in Glebe.

Image by Greg Wohlford from the Erie Times-News

The problem is not limited to Australia. Someone wants to see more of Presque Isle Bay at Erie, Pennsylvania, United States (CityScore 68.10). The photo above shows the trees at the end of Liberty St.

Other people are slashing trees at Glendale La Loma Park on La Loma Avenue at Berkeley, California, United States (CityScore 68.02).

What will your neighbors do to improve their view? What are you willing to do about it? Do you want to protect your local environment? You can use StreetAdvisor.com to share your opinions and discuss the issues with your neighbors.

Empty homes and the housing crisis

Some stories in the media don't seem to fit together. According to many reports, there is a severe shortage of housing in Australian cities. This is being described as a housing crisis, particularly for renters, who are struggling to compete to be the successful applicant for an advertised property.

At the same time, there are reports of many empty buildings in Sydney and Adelaide. Other people question whether the housing crisis even exists. This website maps vacant properties in Australia.

In Perth, the resources industry boom that has delivered low unemployment and high wages has driven the housing market into a frenzy. Record high prices have now stalled as everyone is trying to cash in by selling their property. There are more sellers than buyers.

Some vacant properties are not suitable for housing as they have been squatted in, vandalised, and stripped of valuable fittings, thus making them dangerous to inhabit.

In the US, foreclosures are currently happening more than ever before, and people are ending up homeless. In communities that have not experienced explosive growth or inflated prices, it is believed that the negative effects of the housing crisis are not as severe.

Apparently, even Hollywood celebrities are suffering from widespread declines in property values. The human side of the whole foreclosure and housing crisis is documented here.

One US charity works by buying up cheap properties during downturns in the market and then provides affordable housing to low income families. It sounds like they are going to be very busy.

How has the housing crisis affected you? What impact has it had on your community. StreetAdvisor.com is the perfect place to share your opinions and concerns about the housing crisis. Log in today and start talking about these issues with your neighbors.

Renovations on StreetAdvisor

It's time for renovations! StreetAdvisor community members are writing about their own renovations and commenting on the work of others throughout the site.

At Regent Street, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia (StreetScore 86.94), resident Rooftop says:

"Nestled between the two premier streets in Elsternwick lies a hidden gem... Regent street. It's lined with wall to wall Victorian homes built two centuries ago... and to this day only half are still untouched by renovators hands. Note: Some still have that 50s look about them.

But alas... there is a hype of activity in the street as 5 homes in the street are going under major renovations. House prices have really soared in the past few years... only recently a house sold for $1.89 million purchased by a high profile recording artist. Only one street across in Elizabeth St houses one of Australia's most popular TV stars... I won't say who but here's a clue... "loike at moi Kimmoi!" Ok so that was a bad send up!

We're only new to the street but we know more people here than when we did in 5 years living in Elwood in an apartment block of approximately the same population. A lot of the people have been here for some time... and there's one thing you never ask... how much they bought their properties for... it'll make you cry. But alas... it's all worth it for a street that has great nuances... it's leafy... it even still has the original blue stone gutters... and so much more.

I could go on... but I really should attend to my renovations..."

Photo by eye of einstein - Creative Commons License

At Walker Street SW, Atlanta, Georgia, United States (StreetScore 67.03), visitor markahorn tells us that:

"On Walker St. between Fair St. and Nelson St. you find a stretch of older buildings undergoing renovations. I would like to call this area Atlanta's Loft City. It is unusual to find such a level of renovation in an area not know for inflated real estate prices. Take a trip to this area and see a neighborhood in transformation. From old and worn to vibrant and new..."

At Spring Run Avenue, Orlando, Florida, United States (StreetScore 52.92), visitor BrokerClem describes a:

"Relative quiet street that is slowly shifting to smaller families as children are already grown. Close to all theme parks, shopping and downtown Orlando. Homes are 20-30 years old but due to the excellent location there has been quite a bit of renovation going on the past 10 years or so."

Photo by eye of einstein - Creative Commons License

Not everyone is excited by renovations. At Thornwood Drive, American Fork, Utah, United States (StreetScore 35.28), visitor mjane tells us about:

"A little wooded, residential curved street in the middle of square blocks. The residents seems to enjoy living there in their 1940's style houses, that they each had to renovate or pass on the work to the next lucky person who was "blessed" enough to live there. There was an air of importance and prestige in these houses. It was a pretty street to stroll down, nice in the hot sun. But it was because of this street I will never consider an older home - it screamed "money required to fix-up just to live in it." No thank you, I will leave the renovations, mold, busted pipes, plaster walls, lead paint, and small spaces to the "blessed" ones who get to live there. On a scale of one to five I give it a two, only for strolling down."

The decision to renovate is complex. Where do you draw the line? What are you willing to fix and what make you walk away from a property? Log into StreetAdvisor.com and share your renovation experiences.

Block party!

It is a long-standing tradition in many places for the residents of a street to hold an annual block party. They can be a lot of fun and enable local residents to get to know their neighbors and to share information about their communities. Here are some fantastic recent stories from StreetAdvisor community members about their local block parties.

At Townley Road, Beachwood, Ohio, United States (StreetScore 88.20), resident AndOne says:

"Wonderful collection of personalities and careers. Annual block party where we dance in the street. Neighbors will walk your dog if you are not well. Clean, safe, beautiful."

At Salamonie Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (StreetScore 77.32), resident webonics says:

"This neighborhood is about five years old in the oldest section but many homes are as new as two years. The Homeowners Association is active and there is a community spirit with some block parties and kids events a couple of times per year. Property taxes are VERY HIGH particularly in Franklin Township but hopefully pending legislation will alleviate the disparity. Additionally, the township has begun to allow more commercial development to subsidize residential property taxes.

The neighborhood has an excellent location. It takes only 10 minutes to downtown Indianapolis..15 minutes to the Northside... and only 5 minutes to the Southside. Lots of shopping and restaurants within reasonable driving distance."

At King Street, Richmond, Victoria, Australia (StreetScore 64.28), resident Cannondale says:

"For inner city life, King street has a very suburban community atmosphere. All neighbours get along very well and the annual street party goes off very well at Christmas each year. Neighbours collect each others mail, bring the bins in and say hello each morning."

Photo by orcmid - Creative Commons License

At Bellingham Circle, O'Fallon, Illinois, United States (StreetScore 82.34), resident kk33 says:

"The people who live on Bellingham Circle are very friendly, and each evening when the weather is nice, just before dusk you will see families out walking around the neighborhood with their children and/or their pets. The street is kid friendly. It is a circle that has low traffic and is not a main road of the subdivision. This is the type of community where you wave and say hello when you see a neighbor and the families of Savannah Hills get together to host a subdivision block party. Women in the neighborhood meet once a month for Bunko. The home owners take pride in their homes and have beautiful yards and landscaping."

At Thistlebridge Drive, Rockville, Maryland, United States (StreetScore 82.90), resident peachfuzz says:

"Thistlebridge Drive is the main street in an upscale neighborhood at the cross of 108 and 97. It's quiet, very safe, and community-oriented (lots of block parties and open houses). A network of walking and hiking paths are nearby, with quick access to Lake Needwood. Olney shopping and dining is within a five minute drive."

Photo by RJL20 - Creative Commons License

Does your community organize activities such as street and block parties? If not, maybe you could take the initiative, then share your story and photos on StreetAdvisor.com.

You can't choose your neighbors

We get to choose our friends, and we partially choose our family, but we have little control over who becomes our neighbors. StreetAdvisor community members have many good things to say about their neighbors, but some also have told us that living with some of their neighbors is hell. Here's the latest on what people have to say about unwelcome neighbors (and they're not always people).

At Sherman Court, Allen, Texas, United States (StreetScore 64.21), resident irishrose411 says:

"Sherman Ct is a great place to live. The neighbors are friendly and it feels safe. There is an elementary school right in back of the street, so it's a great place for kids. There does seem to be a problem with rats currently, but otherwise it is a clean place. There are a good number of trees and green places, at least for Texas. It's an upscale suburban neighborhood."

Photo by o2ma - Creative Commons License

At Highway 202, Beeville, Bee, Texas, United States (StreetScore 45.95), resident eliciam says:

"I currently live on this street. It goes from Beeville Texas to Refugio Texas. It is just a normal country highway. The busiest times are like 530-630 in the morning and 530-630 in the evening. There are two prisons located on this street and that is the busiest times when they are shift changing. It is also busy on the weekends with visitors going to visit their family or friends on the weekend that are in prison. The speed limit in front of my house is 55 miles a hour so I do not recommend it for families with small children. Not many restaurants or convenience stores on this street."

At  Buchanan Road, Annapolis, Maryland, United States (StreetScore 33.40), resident jgish says:

"I can't honestly recommend that anyone come here. Frequent hot water and A/C outages, unreliable Internet access, bizarre dress codes, lack of access to downtown most of the time, and sometimes it seems everyone who lives here is out to get everyone else. Find a few extra dollars and move somewhere you'll be not only proud to have lived, but happy too."

Have you had some difficult neighbors move in recently? Log into StreetAdvisor.com and tell us about it.

Living in a college town

Some cities and towns are famous for their universities and colleges. When a neighborhood has an influx of thousands of students from all around the country it creates a special environment. Here is what some StreetAdvisor community members have to say about student neighborhoods.

At Hill Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States (StreetScore 70.56), visitor anniecatt says:

"This street just south of the main U-M campus, it is filled with older houses occupied by longtime residents mingle with large fraternity, sorority, and cooperative houses and student apartment buildings. This is a great place for students to live, it's within walking distance of downtown and the main campus."

At Camino Tranquilo, San Diego, California, United States (StreetScore 52.92), visitor reza79sh tell us that:

"This area is traditionally more popular among university of California San Diego graduate students (as opposed to undergraduate students who occupy most of this neighborhood). It is fairly close to UCSD, Westfield Mall, with access to inter state 5 and high way 805. Rent is in general more affordable than neighboring areas. Very nice and quite overall."

At Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia, United States (StreetScore 67.03), visitor shanaeb says:

"I traveled up and down this street for a long time while in college, it really has everything here, well for a college student to survive. Off this street is several shop to buy clothes, original restaurants of my favorite school in the world Howard University. But this street also has personality. This street has polar opposites also, on one end is a very rough neighborhood but on the other is a very expensive neighborhood. You can travel along this street to get to the most memorable land marks in Washington D. C., like the Washington Monument."

At N Highland Avenue, Tucson, Arizona, United States (StreetScore 67.50), resident ChrisTurk says:

"The street itself is dominated by dorms and more dorms, and that means college students as far as the eye can see. It's in walking distance to a Safeway if you're feeling ambitious, but you're better off riding a bike or driving. There's plenty of parking and stuff to do besides go to classes. Nightlife is down on 4th avenue and on University Dr, and well within walking distance. The university rec center takes three minutes to walk to. Being right beside the stadium, it isn't a quiet place come game night, and the roads are almost always very busy. The university has plenty of green space to hang out on, but you won't be doing much of that in the summer."

MacDougal Street, New York, New York, United States (StreetScore 88.67), is described by visitor rickyrade as:

"A student haven full of cheap restaurants and decent student bars. Avoid ‘Off the Wagon’ like the plague.. There’s a great feel here most nights of the week as NYU is just around the corner. Decent comedy nights downstairs from Olive Garden (can’t remember the place, I think it’s Comedy Village). A favourite of mine is ‘Hummus’ for either a decent and healthy take away meal or a tight sit down restaurant. Across the road is also a killer Ethiopian restaurant that serves up mountains of food."

If you're a student you'll probably love the atmosphere of a college town. If, however, your home town is a college town you may feel differently about it. The services and amenities may be welcome, but the noise could be a problem. Tell us what you think on StreetAdvisor.com.

Hello Officer

A highly visible Police presence in your neighborhood is something that makes many people feel safe. But that is only half the story. Are the Police Officers out on the streets because there are real problems that need their attention? Or is their  presence enough to make  residents feel secure? Here are some of the stories StreetAdvisor community members are telling us  about their local Police.

At Routier Road, Sacramento, California, United States (StreetScore 88.20), resident CB4Real  says:

"This is a great neighborhood for families, and those is mostly due to the community center being on it. This center is a great place for kids to play basketball, or even take martial arts classes. there are classes for adults too, and even a daycare center that runs from the morning to the evening. It is a very safe neighborhood due to the neighborhood watch and police station being not too far either. Great for families or anyone who likes safety."

Photo by webg33k - Creative Commons License

The next three reports are all from Texas. It sounds like law and order is an issue that concerns many Texans. At Goodson Circle, Mineola, Texas, United States (StreetScore 52.92), visitor Nsomn  tells us that:

"Goodson Circle houses income subsidized apartments for low income families. The street is lined with the brick apartment houses on small grassy lawns. The lack on trees gives this street an unfriendly feel, but the residents here are usually fairly friendly. Goodson Circle offers its residents a convenient coin operated laundry room next door to the main office. Good supervision and police patrols makes this a pretty safe neighborhood."

In contrast, Nsomn is far less complimentary about Stone Street, Mineola, Texas, United States (StreetScore 17.64):

"Stone Street is not a very friendly street in Mineola. Although the local police presence has improved along many of the streets in and around the neighborhood, there is still an increasing problem with drugs and crime. Stone Street, along with several neighboring streets, has earned a bad reputation for its easy illegal drugs and its bootleggers."

Life is better at Poppy Hill Lane, Keller, Texas, United States (StreetScore 81.23), where resident comstockkc says:

"Best neighbors I've ever had. Quiet and safe. I think there are 5 police officers that live within a block of me."

How safe is your street? Do you feel secure walking around your neighborhood? Log into StreetAdvisor.com and tell your local community how you feel.

StreetAdvisor on Union St, San Francisco, part 2

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

We're back at the fabulous 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.

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.