Featured image credit: leimertparkvillage.org
It can start to feel like, when it comes to real estate, success is measured purely in square feet. But there’s more to finding that feeling of home than square footage, or bedroom counts, or even proximity to your place of work. To see what we mean, look no further than Leimert Park, where the inignorable presence of “third places” makes life all the more meaningful for its residents.
How Third Places Factor Into Life in Leimert Park
Never heard of third places? These are community locations that are neither your home (first place) nor your workplace (second place). Some of you are probably wondering, “What else is there?” In the vibrant community of Leimert Park, third spaces most popularly present as trendy cafes, shopping plazas, performance spaces, community centers, and other, less formal spots for gathering with others. These third spaces didn’t just pop up by chance. They were carefully planned, and remain a crucial factor in how the neighborhood functions as well as how it’s perceived by residents, prospective buyers, and the area’s housing market as a whole.
In Leimert Park, most of the community togetherness stems specifically from Leimert Park Village. With its plaza structurally open to emphasize a welcoming spirit, its concentration of locally-owned small businesses, and its full calendar of social gatherings, Leimert Park Village provides countless excuses for community interaction. Savvy real estate professionals will see beyond the community character and recognize the underlying value: neighborhood cohesion. When buyers look at Leimert Park, they see a consistently spirited community, not a passing trend. And if they like what they see, they want to buy their own piece of it.
No Matter Where You Go, Third Places Remain Important
This isn’t a distinction unique to Leimert Park. Reports on urban planning and housing economics frequently turn up supporting evidence that buyers prioritize communal spaces in their home hunts. Communities that provide accessible third places often enjoy stronger social bonds among residents and even longer average tenancies for homeowners. Of course, third places can’t carry the burden of boosting listing prices on their own. But they do have an unmistakable influence on homebuyers. Several surveyed Leimert Park residents cite community engagement and cultural continuity as reasons why they consider their homes much more than short-term investments.
Third places can be found in most communities across the Greater LA area, but consistency can’t be ignored. Leimert Park isn’t the type of neighborhood where businesses come and go at the drop of a hat. Its third places often stand on decades of history, bringing a welcome sense of stability to the community. It’s not just good for residents who want to feel at home. The long-standing presence in the community encourages buyer confidence and reliance on businesses that show they have what it takes to survive several market cycles. While other area communities struggle to lock in identity among a constant shift of small businesses, Leimert Park’s character is undeniable.
The Exponential Gift of Reliable Third Places
It may seem obvious, but third places can also impact buyer priorities. A welcoming, open community inspires prospective homeowners to factor in walkability, proximity to communal areas, and even potential for frontyard interaction. Neighborhoods like Leimert Park promote a lifestyle in which homes are less secluded retreats and more individual pieces of an interlocking ecosystem.
A community with strong third places like Leimert Park is fantastic for neighborhood homeowners and homebuyers lucky enough to secure a place there. But it’s also beneficial to anyone in the community ready to sell. Often, sellers neglect to make thriving third places a part of their home’s story. But if we’re using buyers considering property in Leimert Park as an example, these third places factor into the ultimate decision.
In most cases, buyers looking at properties in Leimert Park aren’t just expecting a home. They’re expecting an entrypoint into a reliable community. Sellers can bring the focus to community aspects by highlighting access to well-known gathering areas and other popular third places. It balances the transactional nature of real estate with the promise of a lived-in neighborhood with opportunities for authentic social connection.
In Leimert Park and Beyond, Factor Third Places Into Your Real Estate Strategies
Leimert Park is a sterling example of how property value can extend well beyond the property line. But this isn’t the only community in the world, or even in Southern California, with successful use of third places. If you’re not considering these public centers for community togetherness in your buying needs or selling strategies, you’re overlooking an, at times, vital piece of the experience. People need places to meet, to collaborate, and to be a part of something bigger than their individual needs. Third places inform the market because a home without a community is often just a house.
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Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
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