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.
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. It’s too costly to sell a home soon after purchase.
1) Heavy Foot Traffic = More Disturbances
If you can easily walk to bars and restaurants, that means crowds from those places can 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, Black Point, Diamond Head 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 rely on easy access. They might walk, take public transit, or drive to their targets. The more accessible your home is, the more vulnerable it becomes to break-ins or vandalism. On the other hand, homes in less populated areas are 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.
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? I fell into this trap when I lived in the Marina—frequent dining out became the norm, eating into my savings.
When everything is close by, the convenience makes you forget about 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 far 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.
5) Might Make You Want To 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 living in 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.
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 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 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 had kindly sent a car to bring me there.
As I stretched my legs as far as I could in the backseat, they still couldn’t reach the back of the front passenger seat. The 25-minute drive felt like an adventure. 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.
I don’t want to party every week anymore. I’m not interested in bar hopping or eating out constantly. If I need something urgent, I’ll order it off Amazon or Uber Eats. 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 likely 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. 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.
Invest In Commercial Real Estate
If you’re looking to invest in real estate without the hassle of remodeling, check out Fundrise—my favorite private real estate platform. Fundrise focuses on high-quality residential and industrial properties in the Sunbelt, where valuations are lower and yields are higher.
Some commercial real estate valuations have dropped to levels near the 2008 financial crisis lows, despite today’s stronger economy and healthier household balance sheets. Seeing this as an opportunity, I’m dollar-cost averaging into the sector while prices remain attractive. Fundrise, a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai, has been part of my strategy—I’ve invested over $300,000 with them so far.
A Home Within Walking Distance Of Everything May Not Be Ideal is a Financial Samurai original post. All rights reserved. Everything is written based on firsthand experience and expertise because money is too important to be left to pontification. To build more wealth, join 60,000+ others and subscribe to my free weekly newsletter.
