Kid-Friendly Neighborhoods And Things Parents Should Check Before Buying a House

Whether you already have children or plan to start a family in the future, the kid-friendliness of a home you’re looking to purchase and the neighborhood it’s in is a very important factor to take into consideration. It’s essential to ensure that both the home and the neighborhood will be a good fit for you and your family now and a few years down the road. The tricky part is knowing what exactly to look for when shopping for a home. To help with that, below, we highlight kid-friendly features of some of Los Angeles’ hottest neighborhoods, as well as specific home features to look out for in your house hunt.

3 Kid-Friendly Neighborhoods in Los Angeles

Mar Vista

Westdale Trousdale Gem with Pool — 3476 McLaughlin Avenue

Nestled between Venice and Culver City, Mar Vista is definitely a family-friendly Westside neighborhood you can call home. With more space to spread out, homes here typically have bigger yards, which means more room for kids to run around. Mar Vista is also not too far from the beach and has ample parks and recreational activities for the whole family.

Culver City

Incredible detached duplex. This could make a great home for a multi-generational household — 4142–4144 Commonwealth Avenue

Culver City is known for being a business and entertainment hub, but it has lots to offer for families too. The neighborhood has its own school system and some of the best public schools in the county. There are also lots of parks and playgrounds for kids and families to enjoy.

Santa Monica

Location, lifestyle and fabulous views — 401 California Avenue #5

If great schools are at the top of your neighborhood priority list, look no further than Santa Monica, which has some of the best public and private schools. In fact, the Santa Monica-Malibu school district is ranked as the top 18th school district in all of California. Plus, there’s no shortage of activities that will keep the entire family entertained, including museums, restaurants, and the beach. Santa Monica is known for its walkability, too.

4 Kid-Friendly Home Features to Look For

Bedrooms and placement

Modern Spanish in the Oxford Triangle — 3025 Stanford Avenue has 5 bedrooms with 1 downstairs (perfect for office, guest or in-law quarters). Two of the secondary bedrooms share a jack-and-jill bathroom (perfect for kids to share).

The number of bedrooms you need to fit your entire family comfortably may seem like an obvious feature to look for, but the detail that’s often overlooked is where the bedrooms are located within the home. For instance, you may have a room perfect for a nursery, but it may be far away from the master bedroom, making it inconvenient when you have to get up multiple times throughout the night. Or, in some cases, the main bedroom may be located downstairs while the children’s bedrooms are upstairs. So while you’re home shopping for a home, mentally review how functional the bedroom placements are and how they’ll work for your family.

Open floor plan

Stunning modern farmhouse with a pool —2819 Grayson Avenue not only has a kitchen that is open to a living area, the whole space opens to the outdoor pool.

Not only are open floor plans in homes the more modern option these days, but they’re also the most practical for families with children. An open floor plan allows you all to be in one big room, which means it’s easy to keep an eye on the kids while they’re playing or watching a movie in the living room, and you’re whipping up dinner in the kitchen. The same goes for the backyard. Look for homes with clear sightlines to the backyard so you can watch the kids as they play outside.

Walkability

Timeless craftsman on the Venice Walk Streets — 860 Nowita Place is situated on a road off limits to cars, making it an ideal starting point for a neighborhood stroll.

Although Los Angeles is very car-centric, a home and neighborhood’s walkability is a major plus for families with children. Being able to walk to the park, playground, or to take the kids out for ice cream without having to pack up the car every time will eliminate so much hassle. Plus, it allows you and the kids to go outside, get some fresh air, and move around. Just make sure that you’re also checking that the walkable areas have sidewalks, which will make those family strolls feel much safer.

Neighbors

Feeling safe and comfortable in your home and neighborhood is the most important thing. Before making an offer on a home, check out the people who live in the area and get a feel for what they’re like. Are they friendly? Do they have children that your kids can potentially play with? Will you and your family feel safe and comfortable around them? Also, do your research by checking crime rates and sex offenders in the area. And most importantly, trust your gut when feeling out if the neighbors will be a good fit for you and your family.

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