Traditional Neighborhood Developments

[shebestova]

My husband and I are interested in relocating to a TND (traditional neighborhood development) in our area. A TND is a village style neighborhood in which all of the houses are constructed in an old style and are centered around small shops and restaurants. The whole point of a TND is to make a return to life as it "used to be" in which neighbors socialized more and you can walk to restaurant or shop down the street.

I would love to know if anyone lives in a TND or has heard about the advantages/disadvantages of one. The whole concept is very intriguing.

Here's a link to the TND in our area:

http://www.nortoncommons.com

[yby1]

Very interesting! I love the idea, but it seems so manufactured. :p I hope they have independent stores in the community center instead of the usual chains.

[shebestova]

All of the business must be "mom and pop" businesses and no chain stores are allowed. I really like that aspect of it that local businesses are supported.

I went there this weekend and it really feels like a normal neighborhood. It doesn't hurt that all of the houses are beautiful and each one is unique. They have strict building codes to comply with architectural standards.

[yby1]

All of the business must be "mom and pop" businesses and no chain stores are allowed. I really like that aspect of it that local businesses are supported.



That is AWESOME.

[boilermaker]

My parents looked into building a home in this type of community. While the idea was quite intriguing to them, they were turned off by the many regulations and the fact that the overall cost of living there was about 10-15% higher than other neighborhoods with houses in the same price range.

[ManteoChik]

I think its an awesome idea....but my only concern are the postage stamp size lots these homes are on. I don't need a ton of acres but I at least need a decent size back yard able to be fenced in.

[Ali]

Population density would be an issue for me. Especially if the neighbors turn out to have negative personality traits.

How ample is parking for people who want to shop/eat in that area but don't live there?

The sale prices seem high for the size of the houses and the lots.

My grandparents used to live in a nice neighborhood near a hospital (and close to other establishments...). There was a break-in spree in their neighborhood, once upon a time. The police never caught the criminal(s), but found a shoe print somewhere and concluded that the robbers were parking in the hospital parking lot and walking over to rob the neighborhood.

Ever since I heard that story, I have always been wary of living too close to high traffic areas where someone could park and then walk over, or just sit and "observe" and "blend in" . I'm not just concerned about robbers, but also other unsavory types as well.

[countrymouse]

We have a neighborhood like this in our town. The houses are incredible (they also have townhouses and condos above the stores) and very unique, and the residents can walk/drive golf carts to the town square. The restaurants are all great and draw a lot of business.

The down side? The prices were outrageous,the lots were tiny, and there was no parking for guests. It was a nightmare just driving around the neighborhood since 2 cars could barely fit on the tiny street. Would be hard to live there with kids, but I can see the appeal if you were child free. I love the concept of walking to 'town', but it was cost prohibitive for us- the single family homes were easily a million dollars.

[ManteoChik]

We have a neighborhood like this in our town.

My "neighborhood" is similar to this, although there are no problems with the size of the streets. We're a gated waterfront community made of up condos, townhomes, and SFH. Amenities include pool, playground, clubhouse, and fitness center. We also have a full service marina, ships store, and restaurant. Most people get around on golf cart just because its silly to drive your car 3 min to the marina....BUT, the prices are insane (we rent, while looking for a house in town), the lots are tiny, and its very seasonal - meaning we have a lot of people who own property but put it in a rental program for vacationers to do weekly rentals.

It would be an awesome community (aside from the price) if it weren't mostly seasonal people - because I think it would be great to raise a family in that type of environment. The major difference is that we are lacking the stores and many restaurants and other shops found in a TND but for us its a 3 min ride into "town". I don't think I'd ever buy in here because of the price and the tiny lots.

[Sha259]

That does seem like a really great idea! However, I would have to agree that those houses look exspensive for KY, even if it's a new construction. I guess you can say I live in a TND, except it was built a long time ago. In PA we have Buroughs (kind of like mini-cities in the burbs), which tend to have the same atmosphere and feel of the TND you posted. We've been in our current Burough for the past year and really like it!

[Jenyfer9]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but is it realistic to think that something new can feel like something "old"? I mean, we live in an established neighborhood, and we have all those things... the walk to town, the postage size lot, etc...

I guess I just wonder why you need something new to get something "the way it used to be". I'd wonder about that. Oh, and while I don't live in KY, my ILs do, and those prices seem pretty high for the area. What if the idea fails? You might not be able to get your money back out of it.

[mamax2]

Maybe this is a dumb question, but is it realistic to think that something new can feel like something "old"? I mean, we live in an established neighborhood, and we have all those things... the walk to town, the postage size lot, etc...

I guess I just wonder why you need something new to get something "the way it used to be". I'd wonder about that.

TND's are usually built in 'newer' areas where you can't find a charming older neighborhood close to amenities. There are a lot of people who think the idea of being 'in town' would be nice, but due to expenses (esp. taxes in some city limits) or lack of availability, etc. moving into the old, quaint city isn't an option. TNDs are typically in a suburban area and can help bridge the gap between people who want something between city and suburban living.

I like the idea of TNDs, but we don't have any here. I've worked on marketing a few though when I worked for architects/master planners. The guidelines and covenants would be tough on me though. Most TNDs are *very* restrictive.

[phoenics]

When I lived in Chapel Hill (grad school), there was a place like that - Southern Village. I thought about getting an apartment around there, but ended up not doing it due to the high cost... but I always think about moving to that area and living there - I loved the old style of the homes... it reminded me of my parent's house in my hometown...

I'm a small town girl at heart.

I think it's an awesome idea, but usually these kinds of development have an upcharge to them, but maybe it's worth it for the environmental benefit of having shopping so close to home that you can walk?

Plus I love the tree-lined streets and the neighborhood feeling. *sighs wistfully in nostalgia*

[larslobster]

We don't live in a TND but we do live in a small development in the suburbs whose homes were built to look old. Ours looks like an American Foursquare. They are built on small lots just like all the other new suburban homes (and like traditional homes in the city) but we have a huge park across the street that we live at in the summer. We also can walk to a few shops and a grocery store.

I'm someone that NEVER would have considered living in the suburbs if it hadn't been for this particular house. When we bought this house, we'd just spent 3 1/2 years renovating a 1920s bungalow that had a huge yard which required work every weekend. So, the idea of a new house that looked old, that didn't require constant work, in a fabulous school district, where we could actually walk to a few things really appealed to us.

I think this type of development attracts a certain type of person - it isn't for everyone. We know all of our neighbors (9 houses), talk to them regularly and all get together several times a year. We love seeing them with the kids at the park and hanging out on our front porches in the nice weather.

As for cost, yes the house probably cost more than something of a similar square footage. But all the detail work that goes into making a house look old (trim, coffered ceilings, wood floors throughout, lots of windows, etc.) is expensive. But these homes probably attract people like me, that are willing to pay a premium for those details.

[KristyK]

Well I'll chime in since I live close to one, and actually looked at several houses there. Ours is called Avalon Park. It's beautiful, and people that I know that live there love the "small-town" feel. However, they keep building and building. There are hundreds of empty townhouses, and tons of houses on the market that are close to foreclosure, and those that are for sale are so extremely overpriced because they overpaid for the houses in a boom, yet can't sell for those prices, so many of them have been on the market for over ayear or more, yet they keep building more. The HOA's are extremely high (over $1000 a year) and they were trying to make them higher due to the large number of foreclosures (this is what I was told from someone that lives there). They do have one large grocery store, a few small chain stores like Subway, but for the most part it's like a small town.

The biggest downside I see. You get the neighborhood feel, but you have no public transportation, no type of bargain shopping whatsoever, no parking, and your neighbor is within 10 feet of you! To get anywhere is at least a 20 minute drive, and around here, the traffic is hell because they only built one-lane roads to and from Avalon Park.

My DH and I were discussing that we are so happy that we "didn't" buy there, although its cute and quaint, its too far from anything and we both have a bad feeling that it's going to go downhill due to the continued development that nobody is buying.

Good luck in your house hunting!