If you are considering a move to a certain neighborhood or if you have just moved in to a new home or apartment, you might be wondering: "Where is the nearest coffee shop (or drugstore, or hardware store, etc.)?"
Luckily, there is a great resource called WalkScore.com which covers NYC in this regard.
On its face, WalkScore.com is a website devoted to scoring and ranking different neighborhoods based on their walkability (i.e. trips that wouldn't require a car).
Why WalkScore is really useful when searching for real estate:
Walkability is all fine and good, of course, but the site is infinitely more useful for getting a snapshot of the businesses and services nearest an address, regardless of if you'd need a car to get there.
With every address search, WalkScore returns the 8 closest locations for 14 different business and service types. That's 112 local business sorted by catagory and displayed on a map: it's like doing 14 Google Maps searches in one shot!
Now, it's easy to see what's in the neighborhood, even if you haven't been there in person yet.
Check out this sample score and map for Bayside, NY and then check your address' Walkscore to see if you discover a local business you didn't even know about.
Work with a buyer's agent who is also a licensed architect.
Andrew Wilson: NY Architect and REALTOR(r)
