Living across from an elementary school

[Anonymous]

Pros and cons? I’m looking at a house located across the street. Obviously will be a pro commute-wise when my toddlers age into kindergarten and beyond. It’s a highly regarded public school, if that matters. I realize at drop off and pickup there will be traffic, but what else am I not thinking of?

[Anonymous]

Evening activities at the school - is there enough parking?

[Anonymous]

Noise. Kids are loud.

[Anonymous]

I live across the street and 5 doors down from our elementary school. There is more traffic btw 820-835 every morning and 315-340 every afternoon than at other times of day, and there are sometimes lots of cars parked on the street (we have a driveway so it doesnt matter to us). The benefits are vast: I can not state enough how amazing it is to not have to deal with a bus stop or pickup line. If a kid forgets something, its no big deal to drop it at school. Same with getting them if they have to come home sick. Also, we are walking distance to most scout meetings and many sports practices bc they are held at the school as well. I also find myself volunteering more at school and attending more parent things, as well as going to school stuff in the evenings bc it is only a 1.5 minute walk away.

I wah so can hear the kids playing on the playground if my office window is open during the day. But its an adorable sound in the middle of corporate dullness.

[Anonymous]

PP again. Living so close to the school has also promoted independence w my kids bc they have been able to walk to and home from school alone from an earlier age than they would otherwise. And Im a total helicopter parent, so thats saying a lot 😀

[Anonymous]

Increased traffic in general. Is the elementary school parking lot a bus stop for middle school/high school buses (at least in my district, students can choose to go to a school they are not zoned for, and the local elementary school is used as a bus stop for these transfer students.)

Are there sports fields where rec teams practice/play in the evenings weekends?

Does a church rent out the space for Sunday morning services?

[Anonymous]

There have been a few threads about this over the years if you search.

[Anonymous]

Personally I wouldn’t mind the noise, but I would want to make sure I had a clear entrance and exit path to my parking during pick up/drop off not dependent on no one blocking my driveway. So maybe an alley. Then once you establish that, there should be a discount because other people will not want the noise. But for me personally it would be fine so if the price reflected it I would probably go for it.

[Anonymous]

Get that decibel meter out and walk around the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in a house on a lot that backed up to our ES. I liked always being able to walk to school or hanging out on the playground and basketball courts any time I wanted, even well into high school. While our properties were adjoining, there was enough distance between our house and the school that noise was not a problem. Occasionally I was jealous of the kids who got to take a bus, which seemed cool, but it was also nice not to have to worry about missing the bus.

The only “problem” I remember is that some kids would cut through our front yard walking home after school, even though there was a sidewalk in front of our house, and my grandmother, who was living with us, would yell at kids to use the sidewalk. That would embarrass me and I’d beg her not to say anything, but it wasn’t how she was raised and she felt it was disrespectful. The difference back then, of course, was that the kids actually did as asked!

[Anonymous]

Traffic, people parking in front of your house, after school related noise due to activities ( and on the weekends, too)
Less privacy due to the above

[Anonymous]

NO

[Anonymous]

People blocking your driveway or even parking in it.

[Anonymous]

I live a couple houses down from a school. The biggest thing is the noise throughout the day when kids are outside but it’s joyful sounds! It doesn’t bother me at all but it does bother some people. And the traffic. But it’s very contained timing.

[Anonymous]

I live behind an elementary school and I love it. I don’t have the traffic problem, so it is a bit different. Maybe ask one of the neighbors how it really is.