Sure, you could drive around and explore solo — but you’d be missing out on so much…
For many families, exploring the suburbs is a solo activity. En route to a family party, you drive through a neighboring community, checking out Main Street and swinging by the local public school. Friends from your building make a move to the ‘burbs and can’t stop raving — so, naturally, you start Googling houses and school rankings and distance to Whole Foods, from their town. Or your summer Friday wanderlust means driving to suburbia, and checking out local shops, restaurants, and cafes within an hour or so — and picturing what life could be like if this was your coffee shop or dog park or weekend farmers’ market.
It’s a great jumping-off point — but, when it comes to finding your new hometown — exploring suburbia can’t stop there. You need insider guidance from someone who’s been there, done that, and lives here. You need a true town tour.
What Suburban Jungle town tours are all about
Since day one, we’ve helped thousands of people move from the city to the suburbs, from the suburbs to the suburbs, and, in some cases, from halfway around the world to a new community. No matter the move, though, we always take a “town-first” approach — in other words, find the right town for you and your lifestyle, then focus on finding the perfect place to call “home.”
So why start with the town? It’s simple. You can always change a house — gut renovate, paint, bring in new furniture and fixtures, add a pool. But you can’t change a town — at least not in the immediate. If you’re in the right community, you’ll know it and you’ll feel it — and you’ll be much more likely to stay put.
Finding that town, then, means getting to know different suburbs, communities, neighborhoods, and even streets — because, as you’ll quickly discover, towns can be incredibly different even block to block. And that’s insider knowledge you’ll never get by driving around, stopping for a bite, or even popping into local neighborhood blogs and social pages.
That’s exactly where our town tours come in. After working with your Suburban Jungle Strategist to create your personalized strategy, you’ll schedule town tours with our local partner agents in each community. Together or caravan-style, you’ll drive through each suburb, with your agent sharing insights, need-to-knows, and other hidden gems from around town — the “intangibles” you ordinarily wouldn’t get a peek at until you’re well-settled in a community.
Why it’s all about the “intangibles”
While those behind-the-scenes details may not feel important, it’s those intangibles that can make or break your experience. A good example? In some communities, residents clear out in the summer — vacation homes, sleepaway camps, and lengthy vacations. If that isn’t your plan when the temperature rises, you could feel a little on-the-outs every year. Or if you’ve got a significant commute, but all of your essentials — schools, grocery stores, daycare, doggie daycare — are farther away, it may be tricky to manage your day-to-day errands. But, again, until you’re settled it may be hard to understand the full impact of intangibles like these. By then, though, it could be too late.
Likewise, it’s easy to make assumptions about a community based on solo exploration. A bustling downtown might not be a town’s weekend go-to, despite the heavy foot traffic — or people may head to adjacent suburbs for a night out. And don’t forget those hidden gems — one team member shared that her town’s community pool and private beach are tucked away, and only accessible to active residents. If you’re driving around yourself you likely won’t even spot it, let alone be able to access it.
Getting a lay of the land — and properties
Lastly, let’s not forget about the houses. By digging into town tours and getting that inside scoop, you’ll have a better understanding of local market intel. Once you start searching houses, it’s important to know that the single-family home across the street sold for $25,000 over ask, or that a similar house sold for $50,000 more once the owners installed a new kitchen. Our agents will help you navigate the market and provide insight along the way to make… Recent sales, comps, concessions — given the state of the market, it’s essential to understand the norm… and to have someone in the trenches alerting you to real-time changes.
It’s also good to get that insider context to specific neighborhoods and properties. That amazing house across from the middle school is perfect if you crave walkability. But if you’ve got a new baby, it’s important to know that evening sporting events go late — and that they can get loud, especially as fans make their way to their cars, after hours.
Again, it all comes back to these insider insights — the intangibles you likely won’t discover without our Strategists and local agents helping power your journey to suburbia. Go it alone and you can do your homework, post questions on friendly community pages, and hope for the best. But why hope when you can know?
That’s the power of Suburban Jungle town tours.
Ready to start your town tours? Get in touch with our Strategy team now. We’ll work together to discover the intangibles that matter most. Start now.