question for CitizenSourPuss

what kind of sauce do you and your family use for chicken fingers?

oh...another question...did you consider the following before moving here?

1. Local Businesses
Check out the businesses that are close to your new home. If there are a lot of tattoo parlors, pawn shops and payday loan stores, that could be a warning sign. That isn't to say that those businesses are inherently bad; they each provide a service and are perfectly safe to frequent. One or two of these businesses in the area isn't cause for concern, but if they are on every street corner, it is worth noting as a possible downside of the area.

2. Homeless Population in the Summer
If you drive through a neighborhood and see 20 homeless people in as many minutes, that's a clear warning sign. However, if you live in a climate with a formidable winter, you may only get a true sense of the homeless population in the summer. Also, if you are looking in a busy city, you may not be able to find an area completely free of the homeless; if you are unwilling to move farther into the suburbs, this may be a tradeoff you can live with.

3. Empty Storefronts
This can be tricky, because empty storefronts could also be signaling an area in transition, which may be a good thing if your plan is to flip the property in five to 10 years. If that isn't your goal, those corporate for rent signs may indicate that businesses don't want to be there. Low demand in an area may not attract the kind of businesses you would like to see near your home. At the very least, it's another potential store or service that you won't have access to.

4. Police Presence
As Richard Baker of BuyYourHomeGuide.com points out, police departments assign officers to the area where they are most needed. If you notice a lot of police cars patrolling the area, that may be a bad sign.

5. Street Maintenance
This may be more noticeable when snow is on the ground. See how quickly the snow is removed, if the sidewalks are cleared, and if they salt the roads. In the summer, see if there are city-planted trees and plants along the roads, and if they are taken care of. More obviously, if there is a lot of trash that doesn't seem to be cleaned up over time, that's a red flag.

6. Neighborhood Activity
When the weather is nice out, watch for bake sales, yard sales, block parties and, in the city, street festivals. Are there kids out playing in the front yards and streets, or are they relegated to the backyard and inside? Do people spend time out on their porches or walking in the neighborhood?

These are all signs of a friendly neighborhood; but that isn't for everyone. These same signs can be a reason to discount an area if the thought of participating in a neighborhood barbecue makes you queasy. However, if people are comfortable spending time out front of their properties or around the neighborhood, it could indicate that the area is relatively safe.

A Disclaimer
If you are looking for a home for a family of five, you may be more put off by a high homeless population than a working couple interested in living in a busy downtown core. None of these signs should immediately disqualify an area you are considering, nor should they cause you to run out and put your own home on the market. Before you start looking, make a list of attributes your ideal neighborhood would have, and carry it with you when you scope out potential locations. Also, be careful to consider your home in the context of the area – paying twice as much for the by-far nicest place in a four-block radius may make reselling tough.

The Bottom Line
You can't change the location of your home once you buy it. A beautiful home might be tough to sell if the neighborhood isn't that great, so be careful where you choose. Everyone's definition of a bad neighborhood is different, but you can't go wrong looking for a neighborhood that is safe and clean.

I think my question is far more important.

But you CAN move a house.

@deank ---> We are purists, and eat our chicken fingers without dip. If I were forced to pick a dip it would probably be some permutation of honey mustard.

@AgesAces --> My husband is a picky snob, and would only accept North River Heights. Nothing else would do. So, yes, all of those things were taken into consideration. I've lived in pawn shop/money lending galore areas in BC before, and there was a distinct correlation between the number of Honduran crack dealers and the number of pawn shops in the area. Never more, not with little kids.

@electrician --> Yes. You can ask the house to turn around in horrible phonetic Russian by cackling "Eise bushka! Eise buskha!" It will promptly grow chicken legs and rotate. /Babba Yaga reference

North River Heights is a good neighborhood.

It could be worse, you could have bought in EK.

The only area worse is Garden City/Maples

Just Kiddin Dean.

no no.. its okay.

GC and Freeman live there so its definitely and undesirable area.

honey mustard is allowable... but you really need to get used to the honey dill sauce.

CitizenSourpuss wrote:@AgesAces --> My husband is a picky snob, and would only accept North River Heights. Nothing else would do. So, yes, all of those things were taken into consideration. I've lived in pawn shop/money lending galore areas in BC before, and there was a distinct correlation between the number of Honduran crack dealers and the number of pawn shops in the area. Never more, not with little kids.

Hope you have lots of money.

First for the overpriced house that will be driven $40,000 over list due to the 30 competing offers, then for the obvious repairs that the previous owner left you to do, and then for the foundation repairs that north River Heights is notorious for.

Have you considered Fraser's Grove? Close to downtown, big tree, character homes, and tons of walkable amenities.

@deank, It was undesirable until I moved in. I am surprised at how quiet and crime free my neighbourhood is, we have had no problems.

@CS, Riverheights is a very nice area, congrats!

Sputnik, CS et al have already purchased their new Winnipeg abode (North River Heights) and have arrived in the "Peg.

Just stay away from Tuxedo and charleswood. that is where all the riff raff live.

sputnik wrote:

Have you considered Fraser's Grove? Close to downtown, big tree, character homes, and tons of walkable amenities.

Isn't Fraser's Grove just a fancy name for E.K. Shithole?

" I am surprised at how quiet and crime free my neighbourhood is, we have had no problems."

Heh... last time I said that it was during a meeting of people from across the northern part of the city... and about 10 minutes later there were about 40 cops swarming the area looking for a fugitive that ended up being taken down in my neighbours yard.

We've already bought the overpriced house, and it is already a money pit of epic proportions. However, I won't even pretend I had a say in where we lived. I lobbied hard for something slightly outside the city where I could have acrage like LaSalle, Steinbach, Selkirk --> but the Old Dog won't learn new tricks, and likes to be close to the airport for work/travel. My last gasp at having what I wanted (new clone McMansion) petered out when we kept losing bids in Island Lakes, and the shitholes we toured in Sage Creek sucked goat balls.

Dean, I haven't seen honey dill sauce. Is that on the menu at the Chicken Finger place??

mmmm....honey dill. It was on the menu with my chicken fingers at the vendome for lunch.

CitizenSourpuss wrote:Dean, I haven't seen honey dill sauce. Is that on the menu at the Chicken Finger place??

Yes!

Excellent. I will have to try it now. If it sucks, you're all geting a lump of coal in your stocking this Christmas, even if you're a Jew.

We have two token Jews in the sandbox. I am not one of them. However, a lump o'coal is a lovely Christmas present since I never get any.

I didn't know there were 2 token jews on this side! How degrading to have such low standards! I thought the cut-off was Ukrainians living in Point Douglas ward!

North River heights! Is that close to Wellington crescent? i used to live there I think, or am I getting it mixed up with 465 Mountain Avenue? Damn it, i cannot remember anything anymore!
At least I managed to get to JJ's for supper tonight! Nothing like a fine catered squishy burger!

We have no Ukrainians in the sandbox.

None is too many!!

LOL

CS et al

Lunch at Mitzis next friday?

I cannot. I have a job interview in East Kildonan AND it's my kid's first day of school.

Rain check!