When I live near the San Francisco Pier, I can walk to endless bars and restaurants in 10 minutes. It is an ideal place for living in his 26 and thirties, socializing and indulging in urban life.
Back in 2005, 28, I just bought my first single-family home – a three-bedroom home built in 1924. It has charm, but it also requires work. I poured my heart into the remodel, added a second full bathroom, and upgraded an old half bath. At that time, I loved the process. Now, as someone in the mid-40s, I was afraid of the idea of remodeling again.
To beautify the appearance of my home, I put two large clay growers with flowers outside the front door. It felt like a little way to make my blocks better. But just one month later, at 1 a.m., I collapsed loudly and was shocked. When I went out, I found my grower smashed – maybe some drunk passerby.
That moment marked the beginning of my realization: living within walking distances is probably not all.
Think twice before buying a home in a bustling area
I know most people think it’s great within walking distance of shops, restaurants and entertainment for convenience, but listen to me – there’s a strong consideration. I didn’t realize these things until I grew up.
If you plan to buy a home, take my feedback seriously.
1) Large amount of traffic = more interference
If you can easily walk to bars and restaurants, that means the crowds of these places can easily walk through your home. With more traffic, more noise, chaos and occasional chaos.
You may wake up someone smoking or peeing near the garage. You may hear a loud group singing while trying to fall asleep at 2 a.m. Worse, your home becomes an easy target for vandalism or property damage.
There is a reason why wealthy homeowners prefer to live in hills or gated communities – they value peace, security and quiet. Think of Beacon Mountain in Boston, the Pacific Highlands in San Francisco, Malibu in Los Angeles, Danny Brian in Seattle, Loa Ridge in Hawaii, Black Dot, Diamond Heads in Honolulu, and more.
2) The risk of crime is higher
The closer you live in a high traffic area, the greater your chances of committing crimes at home or around you. Just look at the crime map of any city – Denisters and more popular areas tend to have higher crime rates. If one in every 10,000 people commits a crime, then your risk is simply increasing in living where there is constant traffic.
Criminals rely on easy access. They may walk, do public transportation or drive to their targets. The easier your home is to enter, the more vulnerable it is to break in or vandalize. On the other hand, houses in densely populated areas are naturally safer.
If you live on a hill, most criminals won’t hike along steep and winding roads to cover up their targets. This alone filters out many potential threats that rely on abortion, bicycle or scooter. All that remains are those who use a car or motorcycle, but even if they prefer easy access. A secluded house with a secluded entry point is not that attractive to criminals at all.
Now compare the houses located on the hill to houses just three blocks from bustling restaurants and bars. The latter is easier to monitor and attack. The criminal went to the crowd because that was where the opportunity lies.
3) Increase the temptation to spend
Living near restaurants, bars, shops and salons, this makes it too easy to spend more money. If your favorite restaurant is only a few blocks, why bother cooking? When I lived at the dock, I fell into this trap – frequent dining became the norm and fell into my savings.
When everything is nearby, convenience makes you forget about long-term financial goals. On the street, it’s the rationality of a expensive meal, and the next thing you know is that you spend hundreds of dollars a month on food and drinks. As time goes by, these sneaky expenses add up.
If you focus on building wealth, a life away from these temptations can be a blessing. Convenience is great, but it often leads to excessive spending, which makes you work longer than necessary.
4) Can’t see your neighbor across the street
Most commercial hubs are built on flat land for accessibility. But that means, if you live nearby, you may not have any view. Instead of looking at the water, trees, or hills, you stare at the neighbor’s windows or a row of storefronts.
Once you live in a home with views, it’s hard to get back. Beautiful views are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also therapeutic. It improves mental health and adds intrinsic value to your home.
I remember the first time I moved into a house with views of the ocean. Every morning, I wake up, drink my drink, and stretch on the deck. This is in stark contrast to my time on the dock, with my vision including an apartment building and a corner convenience store that once attracted interesting characters.
5) May make you want to work more in a job you don’t like
I remember being ridiculed in 2014 for moving to the west side of San Francisco. A former colleague hinted that I lived in a bo poem, saying that he would never move west because he worked in the city (east side of the city). But I saw the opportunity – I was buying a single-family ocean view house for a high price.
I just shrugged, thinking Do you want to live near work so that you can sit in the office for more than 8 hours a day under fluorescent lights? no thanks. At that time, I had retired for two years and had no intention of returning to work.
In one version of a world, living in almost work is ideal – no home loves to and from get off work. But in another version, proximity work doesn’t matter because you can work from anywhere, or because you’re rich enough to not work at all.
If anything, living near work will send a certain signal. Maybe you don’t want to be considered a workaholic, but grind in the office just to climb the company’s ladder. Being considered a wage slave is not completely likable. If so, choosing a home at a bus stop, Mooney Station or walking distance from the office may not be the best move. Again, who can give other people an idea.
Home on the mountain is far away from the crowd of madmen
I will always remember one night in my seventh grade when I lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A black Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL with tinted windows and fur seats took me to a party on Kenny Hill. By comparison, my family lives on flat ground near the U.S. Embassy in Ampang. My parents had already left work and went straight to the party, and the owner sent me a car to take me there.
When I stretched my legs out as much as possible in the back seat, they still couldn’t reach the back of the front passenger seat. The 25-minute drive feels like an adventure. The moment we entered the hills, I couldn’t stop rubber-picking all the sprawling mansions with the towering gates. That’s how the top 1% live, I thought, fascinated.
The house is not walking distance, but it’s OK – the owner has a driver. Today, this is even less given that you can deliver almost anything in the click of a button. The older you are, the more you appreciate the tranquility away from the chaos of the city.
I don’t want to attend parties every week. I’m not interested in jumping out of the bar or keeping out to eat. If I need something urgent, I will order from Amazon or Uber. The only thing I really care about is my kids’ school.
In addition to delivery services, we also have Uber and Lyft, which can be easily accessible without having a car. By 2030, driverless cars may take us anywhere, even beyond the city, thanks to highway access.
With the rise of remote work and delivery technology, living in a quiet home is not only a luxury, but a preferred choice. Think twice before buying a home within a few steps of walking distance. At first, convenience may seem appealing, but over time, constant noise and activity can hurt you. One thing that never gets old is tranquility.
Reader’s Questions
Would you like to live within walking distance of all actions and work, or would you like to stay away from the hustle and bustle of houses for more peace and security? With the rise of technology making everything more accessible and mixed work, should homes with more space and landscape views start to induce higher premiums?
Can you tell me some of the most expensive houses located in the center of the action rather than the city in the hills? It’s an interesting debate – intention and tranquility.
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