Getting to Know Your New Neighborhood
The lease is signed, the boxes are ready to go, and your roommate is due in town any minute. You’re ready for the apartment, but are you ready for the new neighborhood? Moving is one of the top five most stressful events in life. At Apartments.com, we understand how hard it can be to adjust to your new place as well as your new town. Never fear, we’ve assembled some tried-and-true tips that will have you cruising your new city as if you’ve lived there for years!
Even before you pick up the keys to your new apartment, there are a few things you can do to help make yourself feel more comfortable in your new surroundings. A month or so before you move, tape this list to your refrigerator to check off before the big move:
- Call your new town hall or community center and inquire about upcoming neighborly gatherings.
- Transfer or look into a new gym membership or other activity that you enjoy. Perhaps the local recreation center offers tennis lessons, and you know you’ve always meant to get more acclimated with a racket.
- Transfer or establish a new bank account.
- Arrange to have your mail forwarded (this can be done online at https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS).
- Transfer or order new utilities, including water, heat, electric, cable, and internet.
- If you have kids, look into local schools and arrange visits.
- Call or visit the website of your new town’s chamber of commerce to find the locations of the closest grocery stores, general retailers, discount shops, movie theaters and other places you’re interested in visiting.
- Check out your bookstore for a travel guide for your area.
Once you’ve arrived, don’t drive yourself crazy with the need to immediately have every spoon and towel in its place. Instead, get outside and explore. Locking yourself in and obsessing about every detail will only make you feel isolated. If you’re a real social butterfly, you might be able to make friends in line at the pharmacy or while petting a friendly dog. For those who aren’t quite that outgoing, you can still find plenty of ways to meet people who you can really click with:
- Take a class at the local art center, YMCA, or other cultural center.
- Go to the library. No, you may not be in school anymore, but local libraries can be great places to check out community boards and pick up community and transportation route maps.
- If you’re comfortable, go online to a local chat board and look for others with whom to network.
- Read the newspaper and free local magazine and browse the classifieds for restaurants, shops and community events.
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