I’m using my imagination, and it’s still a hard call. I mean, I think an all black neighborhood would be kind of depressing. And the heat index in summer... it would have to be very northern. OTOH, an all white neighborhood would show dirt very quickly. And the glare....
I like living in my neighborhood which is a blend of Hispanic White Black and mixed. I like it though not because of colors but because it’s working class.
High class people can be judgmental and nosy and critical. Low class feels a little less safe and there can be blight next door. Working class feels flexible and accepting, and you can have a party with music outdoors until midnight, and people tend to keep properties fairly cleaned up. You can work on your car in the driveway and go outside in non-Barbie doll clothing. It’s perfect for me.
We have a mix of income levels. The original owners bought cheap and now a 800 sq ft 1950’s ranch is 300k. It appeals to both millennials and retirees that don’t want HOA’s. Some young people have painted beautiful colors on the outside and some have immaculate gardens in their front yard. None of this would fly in a HOA.
Tammy and Terry, both neighborhoods sound really nice. My favorite neighborhood we lived in was probably considered working class, and my husband could walk to work, and you could walk to work to the factory. We had a really nice backyard and I rode my bike everywhere.
Prior we lived in the suburbs. We wanted to downsize and be in town. We can walk downtown as it’s 1.2 miles. Luckily we bought when prices were down. We love it.
I prefer a really mixed neighborhood, mixture of ethnicities, ages, jobs. I find diversity stimulating, maybe because I grew up in San Francisco, and even all those years ago I was a (white) minority. I love to hear many languages being spoken in public. It’s also been my experience that people are more likely to tolerate “cultural differences” and there is less drama in mixed areas.
I live in a predominantly white, retired, neighborhood now, a small enclave of 75 homes, in a rural area (river on one side, vineyards on all the others). I find myself choosing to shop in the mixed areas, though there are white areas equidistant from us.
The United States Census asks about race (and maybe it is a dumb, dumb question). The Census Bureau explains that the question is based on self-identification, and reflective of "a social definition of race". The question of race originated in the US Census of 1790.
So with a little research (I used the statistical atlas linked below) I found that in the state of Florida, for example, 15 zip codes are 100% white (non-Hispanics), and 30 zip codes are 100% black (including black Hispanics)
A person shopping for a house or condo may find that a realtor will not answer questions about the racial composition of neighborhoods. Although the federal government publishes detailed census data on racial composition, updated every 10 years, realtors (and the state commissions that regulate their conduct) consider it unethical to talk about it.
http://statisticalatlas.com
I would prefer a neighborhood where people are black on the right side and white on the left side. The alternative would be completely unacceptable.
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