When I lived in the Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, I could walk to endless bars and restaurants within 10 minutes. It was the perfect place for twenty- and thirty-somethings to live, socialize, and indulge in city life.
Back in 2005, at age 28, I had just bought my first single-family home—a handsome three-bedroom house built in 1924. It had charm, but it also needed work. I poured my heart into remodeling, adding a second full bathroom and upgrading an old half-bath. At the time, I appreciated the process of building sweat equity. Now, as someone in his mid-40s, I dread the thought of remodeling ever again.
Wanting to beautify my home’s exterior, I placed two large clay planters with flowers outside my front gate. It felt like a small way to make my block a little nicer. But just a month later, at 1 a.m., I was jolted awake by a loud crash. When I went outside, I found my planters smashed to pieces—probably by some drunk passerby.
That moment marked the beginning of my realization: living in a home within walking distance of everything might not be all it’s cracked up to be. I ended up owning the home for 13 years before selling it.
Think Twice Before Buying a Home in a Bustling Area
I know most people think it's great to be within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and entertainment for convenience, but hear me out—there’s a strong counterargument to consider. I didn't realize these things until I got older.
If you're planning on buying a home, please take my feedback seriously. If you make the wrong purchase, it’s costly to sell a home if you change your mind. Before any home purchase, you must think how your life and tastes will change 5-10+ years in the future.
1) Heavy Foot Traffic = More Disturbances
If you can easily walk to bars and restaurants, that means crowds from those places can also easily walk past your home. And with more foot traffic comes more noise, mess, and occasional mayhem.
You might wake up to people smoking or peeing near your garage. You might hear rowdy groups singing at 2 a.m. while you’re trying to sleep. Worse, your home becomes an easy target for vandalism or property damage.
There’s a reason wealthy homeowners prefer living in the hills or gated communities—they value peace, safety, and quiet. Think Beacon Hill in Boston, Pacific Heights in San Francisco, Malibu in Los Angeles, Denny Blaine in Seattle, Hawaii Loa Ridge in Honolulu, and so forth.
2) Higher Crime Risk
The closer you live to a high-traffic area, the greater your chances of experiencing crime in or around your home. Just take a look at any city's crime map—denser and more popular areas tend to have higher crime rates. If even one out of every 10,000 people passing through commits a crime, your risk increases simply by living in a location with constant foot traffic.
Criminals seek easy access, whether by walking, taking public transit, or driving to their targets. Sure, living a short walk from a MUNI station is convenient for commuting—but it also means anyone from across the city can easily reach your neighborhood. The more accessible your home, the more exposed it is to break-ins or vandalism. In contrast, homes in less densely populated areas tend to be naturally more secure.
If you live in the hills, most criminals won’t bother hiking up steep, winding roads to scope out targets. That alone filters out many potential threats who rely on foot traffic, bikes, or scooters. What’s left are those using cars or motorbikes, but even they prefer easy access. A secluded home with fewer entry points is simply less attractive to criminals.
Now, compare a cozy home nestled in the hills to one just three blocks from a bustling strip of restaurants and bars. The latter is far easier to surveil and attack. Criminals go where the crowds are because that’s where the opportunity lies.
If you have children, living in a safe neighborhood becomes the top priority. Fewer people milling around generally means a quieter, more secure environment. The thing is, you won’t realize your intense need for safety until after you have children.
3) Increased Temptation to Spend
Living near restaurants, bars, shops, and salons makes it far too easy to spend more money when you should be saving. If your favorite restaurants are just a few blocks away, why bother cooking?
When everything is close by, the convenience makes you ease up on long-term financial goals. It’s easier to justify an expensive meal when it’s just down the street, and the next thing you know, you’ve spent hundreds of dollars more a month on food and drinks alone. These sneaky expenses add up over time.
If you’re focused on building wealth, living farther from these temptations can be a blessing. Convenience is great, but it often leads to excessive spending that keeps you working longer than necessary.
4) No View, Just Of Your Neighbor Across The Street
Most commercial hubs are built on flat land for accessibility. But that means if you live nearby, you likely have no view. Instead of looking out at water, trees, or hills, you’re staring at your neighbors’ windows or a row of storefronts.
Once you’ve lived in a home with a view, it’s hard to go back. A great view is more than just aesthetically pleasing—it’s therapeutic. It improves mental well-being and adds intrinsic value to your home.
I remember the first time I moved into a house with a sweeping view of the ocean. Every morning, I’d wake up, sip my beverage, and go onto my deck and stretch. It was a stark contrast to my days in the Marina, where my view consisted of an apartment building and a corner convenience store that used to attract interesting characters. Oh, and then there were the incessant parties across the street.
5) Might Make You Work More At A Job You Dislike
I remember getting mocked for moving to the west side of San Francisco in 2014. An ex-colleague implied I was moving to the boonies, saying he’d never move west because he worked downtown (east side of the city). But I saw opportunity—I was buying single-family, ocean-view homes at great prices. And it was so peaceful out there.
I just shrugged and thought, You want to live closer to work so you can sit in an office for 8+ hours a day under fluorescent lights? No thank you. At that point, I was two years into early retirement and had no intention of going back to work.
In one version of the world, living close to work is ideal—nobody enjoys a long commute. But in another version, proximity to work doesn’t matter, either because you can work from anywhere or because you’re wealthy enough not to work at all.
If anything, living close to work or a MUNI stop sends a certain signal. Maybe you don’t want to be viewed as a workaholic, grinding away in an office just to climb the corporate ladder. Being seen as a wage slave isn’t exactly flattering. If that’s the case, then choosing a home near a bus stop, a MUNI station, or walking distance to the office might not be the best move. Then again, who gives a damn what anybody else thinks.
The Home In The Hills Away From The Madding Crowd
I’ll always remember a night in 7th grade when I was living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A black Mercedes Benz 280 SEL with tinted windows and fur rear seats pulled up to take me to a party high up in Kenny Hills. In contrast, my family lived on the flatlands near the American Embassy in Ampang. My parents had already headed straight to the party from work and the host, a beverage entrepreneur, had kindly sent a car to bring me there.
I stretched my legs as far as I could in the backseat and they still couldn’t reach the back of the front passenger seat. The 25-minute drive felt like luxury. The moment we entered the Hills, I couldn’t stop rubbernecking at all the massive mansions with towering gates. So this is how the top 1% lives, I thought, mesmerized.
Nothing was within walking distance of this home, but it didn’t matter—the owner had a chauffeur. Today, it matters even less, given that almost anything can be delivered at the tap of a button. The older you get, the more you appreciate the tranquility of living away from dense urban chaos.
Lifestyle Changed As I Got Older
I don’t want to party every week anymore. My gut is not interested in bar hopping or eating out constantly. If I need something urgent, I’ll order it off Amazon Prime. The only thing I truly care about being near is my children’s school.
Beyond delivery services, we have Uber and Lyft, making it easy to get around without owning a car. And by 2030, driverless cars will take us anywhere, even beyond city limits, thanks to highway access.
With the rise of remote work and delivery technology, living in a peaceful home with a view isn’t just a luxury—it’s becoming the preferred choice. But if you don’t buy such a home now, it might indeed turn into an unobtainable luxury in the future as prices rise at a more rapid rate.
Before buying a home within walking distance of everything, think twice. The convenience may seem appealing at first, but over time, the constant noise and activity can wear on you. The one thing that never gets old is tranquility.
Reader Questions
Would you rather live in a home within walking distance of all the action and work? Or would you prefer a home far from the hustle and bustle for more peace and safety? With technology making everything more accessible and the rise of hybrid work, shouldn't homes with more space and scenic views start commanding higher premiums?
Can you name some cities where the most expensive homes are located in the heart of the action rather than in the hills? It’s an interesting debate—convenience versus tranquility.
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I find it interesting in our house purchases it’ll depend on our age, social background and family dynamic plays an understated role over house prices. In Canada, you will also have to consider living in a street that’s deep inside the community away from the noise will often get your snow cleaned last lol unless of course if you’re living in Vancouver where there’s much less snow. I do like the convenience of having grocery markets close by and the odd neighborhood cafes but definitely not close to bars please. Also I think my Chinese culture plays a role as I feel home is a sanctuary and I very much like my privacy, so I guess in return for more of a private lot I’d shovel my own snow haha
Hah! Nice perspective, as I haven’t thought about shoveling snow in San Francisco since I moved out here in 2001. And I don’t think about shoveling snow in Lake Tahoe, where we have a vacation property and are currently at, because it’s at a resort.
The thing is, as soon as you have to get in the car at all, the difference between shops 5 miles away and maybe 3 miles away is not that different. So I would just rather have a home in a very quiet part of the city or neighborhood.
Personally, I do want to get away from as many people as possible. People are loud, inconsiderate, annoying, don’t pick up after their dogs, etc.
Maybe if I was still allowed and annoying one, I’d be OK with living near the hustle and bustle. But not now.
I felt this way at 28 and still live in the same house, away from anything walkable.
Do you feel it hurt your social life at all in your 20s and 30s though?
We’ve been lucky to live in a first ring suburb where the houses are old and close together, but we have sidewalks, walkable schools and a small downtown for the kids to explore safely on their own. I am thankful that our kids could bike to their friends’ houses, or walk to the local bagel shop as they started to gain their independence, without much worry on my part. Our new drivers had only to navigate 25 mph streets – no two lane highways or freeways to see their friends. I agree that living in a big city like NYC or SF comes with many problems, but there are alternatives that don’t involve moving out to the country or McMansion suburbia. Part of the decision-making depends on your stage of life. Now that the kids are older, I do dream about having more space and lower taxes.
Sounds lovely. Can you share what city/town you live in?
Sounds very similar to my town outside of Pittsburgh. I can walk to many bars, restaurants, shops, the gym, and even the dentist within 10 minutes – but my actual street is very quiet and safe.
Along Lake Michigan in the close suburbs of Milwaukee
the exact village is Whitefish Bay, WI
We are three years away from launching our youngest child. For years, I thought we wanted to get back to the city, maybe a condo?? After having land and a 3000 sq ft house in the burbs for 20 years, maybe I don’t want someone peeing on my front steps???!!!
Maybe it’s not worth the trade off for walkable restaurants, shows, gyms etc?? I appreciate your perspective, as always. We are definitely vulnerable to “grass is always greener” mentality. Great post, appreciate the mind fuel
Having land is something that I truly appreciate now that I bought a house with a lot more land than average in the city. To be able to have the kids run around and play behind a gated front and backyard feels really great. For the first five years of your child’s life, you are hypersensitive to safety and danger.
If you are used to a lot of land right now, you are going to significantly miss it once it’s gone. Perhaps rent a place first near all the hustle and bustle to see if you like it. If you do, then look for a place to buy. And if you don’t, then you can look elsewhere.
so true about living close to work or living close to a train stop making you work more. You end up, just living to work, instead of working to live.
I lived near work for the first two years when I first graduate from college to have a shorter commute because we had to get in early. But after that, I realize the area was dead during the weekends, and I moved to a more vibrant neighborhood where I felt much more balanced and alive.
Age matters, yes? Sure there might be robotaxis, but long term you eventually feel unsafe driving long distances or walking up flights of stairs. Most eventually go into ranch style homes that are in walkable areas in warm climates.
Age and where you are in life does indeed matter on where you wanna live. I don’t feel unsafe in a WayMo, Uber, or Lyft. Maybe it’s just because all of this was invented in San Francisco so we are used to it for the past 12 years.
I actually feel more safe in a self driving car where the data shows if fewer accidents. I also feel more safe when someone is 100% sober driving after a fun night out of town.
I met recently with the owner of a company in Bellevue, WA, across Lake Washington, east of Seattle, and he asked where I lived. “Seattle,” I said. He immediately asked, “You mean in the city limits? Do you do heroin?” Ha! He went on to tell me he used to be 100% team Seattle, but finally had to move east to avoid crime.
The wife and I raised the kids in a neat little place on a cul-de-sac near Bellevue. It was a 10m walk from Lake Washington, but the neighbor kids of all ages played safely in that relatively isolated little oasis with parents and neighbors always watching out for each other. A few blocks over, by all the stores, parks, and apartment buildings closer to the water, it was much more chaotic, but still much safer than Seattle.
When the kids grew up, the wife and I moved to a small place near a lake in Seattle within easy walking distance of bars, restaurants etc. It was fun at first, and certainly convenient, but had no view, was noisy, and we had to add a quarterly budget line item for crime – broken car windows, mail theft, theft of license plates, vandalism etc. Before long, we rented that place out to young people (who love it) and moved to a quiet neighborhood near the edge of city limits on a hill overlooking the water. We have to drive to almost everything, but it’s worth the hassle vs. dealing with the obnoxious behavior in the more convenient – and crowded – locations.
I agree it’s a good idea to think 5 to 10 years out when considering buying a place near busy areas and having a contingency plan to move if and when your tolerance for crime & chaos changes.
And yes, even with the current (temporary) trend of big tech companies forcing employees back to office buildings, I think peaceful, safe homes with space and views will continue to command higher premiums. As both population and wealth gaps grow and cities increasingly re-zone dense areas to make them even denser, home values will increase significantly in spacious single family neighborhoods with well funded HOAs that successfully fight densification. Every home listed for sale in our neighborhood already sells in days & usually above asking price.
Thanks for the feedback! It sounds like we are of similar views.
Living next to all those bars and restaurants is fun when you’re younger. But it gets old after a while. I don’t want to eat the same restaurants every week or month anyway. So I appreciate food delivery and exploring new places.
Having kids is the biggest difference maker, in my opinion, on whether to live within walking distance of everything or in a quiet area. The second main variable is age.
Interesting perspective. Thank you for the read. We just moved to the most walkable part of town in a south Florida affluent area… However, there is no public parking or reason anyone would walk through the neighborhood unless you live there as there are abundant parking options downtown. Also ,the only thing between us and downtown is Water so people cannot really drive through it unless you were just driving through the neighborhood for the heck of it. I wouldn’t have it any other way and love going out with the kids and walking to the water and to the abundant shopping downtown area. The downside is the cost. You can buy a 5k square foot new constitution home in A gated community (just a few miles away) in the same town with tons of amenities for essentially the same price as a tear down/lot in my neighborhood.
Congrats and I hope you enjoy your time there! Maybe you can check back in 1-2 years to let me know how you enjoy living there.
How old are you and your kids? I’m hoping that the older my children get, the less I will be concerned for their safety.
I think the size of the “bustling” really matters. Little Rock’s “best” neighborhood has a small (especially by comparison to San Fran) business district with several restaurants, coffee shops, one grocery store, one bar, one liquor store, a dentist, a few branch banks, two gift shops, etc. Within three blocks of that is some of the priciest real estate in the city because it’s so walkable and so manageable. There’s a loarge ravine park very close. They block the street that runs through the business district for the annual Harvest Festival. It’s kind of paradise. For a larger city, I think your points are all excellent.
Thanks for sharing about Little Rock, Jill. Sounds like a nice place.
How does the average citizen view Bill Clinton over there?
Love or hate, no in between.
I do have a lived opinion about this since I have lived in a 15-min. neigbourhood for most of my life. Even when growing up since my family (6 kids) were poor and hence, couldn’t afford a car until I was 14 yrs. So my parents ensured we did live in such neighbourhoods. I grew up in a smaller city outside of Toronto. It does depend which neighbourhood for walkability. I agree that never live close to bars/where liquor is served or music bands play. The reality is some folks don’t/shouldn’t drive a car. I gave up my license @21 because I didn’t feel safe driving on high speed roads. I have lived in 3 Canada’s biggest cities..Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Now, it certainly is more complicated when there’s a kid or 2 in family. Having 1 car at least, can help. With age towards end of life, I accept I will have pay for delivery of stuff and taxis. That’s ok since I still end up healthier at this time by using active transportation and redirected money savings to home, etc. In Metro Toronto, over 30% of people don’t have/use a car for transportation. That’s how high it is. What Shapes Me: Neighbourhoods That Are Walkable, Cycleable – Cycle Write Blog
Great public transportation is amazing. Unfortunately, that’s not what we have in San Francisco.
The transportation system in Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, and many of the European countries are just fantastic. It’s too bad. We can’t have more of that here in the United States. The closest we have is New York City, which is great usually. But sometimes, there are more problems and issues than riders may like.
How many kids do you have and did you not feel as concerned about safety?
I don’t have any children. However my divorced partner had 2 teen children at the time we met. He ostensibly chose an apt. in downtown Toronto where the children would take either the apt. private bus shuttle not far from a major transit bus stop in a busy area or streetcar+ subway to get to his home. This went on for 6 years. Their mother’s home was 5 km. away but still downtownish near subway. All close to their schools. These children often hung out with friends after school and were taking public transit in busy downtown areas, even in evening. Not way out in the suburbs, where the walk to a bus stop would be quiet. In the last 25 yrs., downtown Vancouver and suburban cities where there are train lines, there are alot of families living and using public transit heavily. Real estate prices in Vancouver are the highest in Canada.
Gotcha, thanks for sharing. I would be more comfortable living in a busier place with teenagers. But then again, there’s more opportunity to get in trouble, which teenagers often do! I probably would have gotten into more trouble if I could get to a club or bar easily during high school. We went clubbing and bar hopping a lot in middle school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!
And of course, we could make fake IDs as good as McLovin. Ah, fun times! Too fun that would have been so bad for my future had I continued.
When I was young and lived in an apartment, walking distance was great. Now as a homeowner, I want my peace and quiet. I don’t want people loitering or tour groups walking by. I don’t want to be next to a noisy playground or nearby restaurants either. And I definitely don’t want lonely, unwatched barking dogs either.
Luckily most of my neighbors now have older, calm dogs or cats. And my street is quiet. If I want noise I’ll go seek it out in other places but my home is where I like it calm.
I guess it depends on what “nearby” means to you. I walk to work, yet work is about 1.25 miles away from my house. If I lived in SF, almost half the city (east/west) would be within my commute distance. So those “isolated” neighborhoods would still be walkable for me. When you walk a lot, the world is a very different place, even in the Western U.S. where walking is rare.
That’s great you walk to work 1.25 miles away! That’s far enough away from the hustle and bustle.
San Francisco is 7 miles across by 7 miles tall fyi.