Whether you are moving to a new location, heading off to college, traveling on holiday, or traveling for work, it is important to do a bit of research and exploration of the new neighborhood.
The longer you plan to live there, the more research you need to do.
Since I'm planning on putting my house up for sale and moving in the near future, I will soon be investigating new neighborhoods to move to.
I don't plan to stay in Oklahoma for another 10 years so after selling my house in the next year or two, I will take up temporary residence somewhere.
These are the things I've already sort of started to do, and have created a "book" to store the information in so I can make a well-informed decision when I do move, even if it's temporary.
Before you move:
Find out what the local laws are. Zoning laws, garden and compost laws, pet laws, noise ordinances, and "junk" laws should be available. Also laws regarding clotheslines and homesteading (assuming you're interested in those things). Concealed and open carry laws are becoming critical to know, too, so find out which businesses allow concealed or open carry. This may determine who you patronize for business, or at least what you need to look out for.
Find out what the local social customs are. From my travels I have learned quite a few “unwritten” rules from the people I have visited including: you don’t disparage NASCAR or country music in the south, California rest stops are full of mean people but their Highway Patrol is awesome, you don't talk to people in elevators in Chicago (well, I did, and shocked everyone!) and New Jersey is full of people who sound rude but aren’t--that’s just the way they talk.
Research what natural disasters are common in the area as well as what to do before, during, and after such disasters. A map is useful, one that lists counties/parishes as well as cities so if you're traveling or in temporary residence, you can look up where bad weather is in relation to you. Even now, having lived in Oklahoma for more than 30 years, I still have to check a map when Itzl tells me tornado sirens are going off because the weather channels all love the "street by street" weather reporting - and that does me no good if I don't recognize the streets or the area, let alone the city they name. Our sirens lately seem to go off if a tornado is within 200 miles...and I'm not heading for shelter if it's 200 miles away and heading away from me.
Research what man-made disasters could happen in the area. Everything from chemical plants, to major freeways, to rail lines, to having a forest behind your new home that is popular with weekend shooters could pose a problem for you; know about these things ahead of time. Sometimes these things get built after you buy, but you can at least start out without some of them.
Don’t forget to find out about hazardous flora and fauna in the area. I live in a dense suburb which is actually now more like the middle layer of a sprawling city, yet I've chased off coyotes, foxes, feral dogs, and hungry hawks.
Add local online resources to your web browser’s “favorites” list. Mine include a half dozen local news sources, a link to the Department of Emergency Management for my local area, links to the Oklahoma City reddits (kind of like a giant bulletin board for nearly every large community on the planet), and another half dozen links to Oklahoma City blogs and local websites that cover everything from updated entertainment options to continuously updated lowest airfares from my city airports. Not that I travel, but since OctopodiCon, I've purchased a lot of plane tickets.
Find out what resources are available to you. This list is huge and can include student discounts at local businesses, locals discounts for attractions and shows, discounts on property taxes if you are a senior citizen, rebates and freebies from your utility company, gym passes if you are an enrolled student at a local college, free days each month at the museum, and so on.
Pull out a map (or pull up a map on your computer) and orient yourself to your new location. See where you are in relation to major landmarks, know what city/county/state/precinct/etc. you are located in, and identify what surrounds you. Become familiar with the names of the major streets - and look up the "snow routes" and "emergency" or "evacuation" routes and how to get to them. Plot the best routes to the places you are most likely to visit (grocery stores, theaters, vets, clinics, gas stations...).
After you Move:
Write down the address and phone number of the place you are staying. There's nothing quite like heading out to explore your new environs and forgetting how to get back home again… Keep this address and phone number on you until you can remember how to get back without the reminder.
If you have a phone or other type of GPS device, mark the location on the device for future reference. This also makes it fun to play geocaching games.
Save the following numbers on your cell phone or in a phone book you carry with you: local friend or relative, non-emergency police number, emergency number (if it is different than 911), local hospital, local pharmacy, local taxi, closest embassy (if you are out of the country), local media (TV news or newspaper), etc. The number to any person or service that could help you out of a jam should be saved (and for double protection, you may want to laminate a list of these numbers/addresses and put it in your wallet in case your phone dies).
Walk or drive the local roads and look for two or more ways to exit the area in a hurry. Also look for other things that could come in handy during an emergency (sources of water, sources of emergency food, sources of wood for heating, etc). Mark these on your map, and keep the map in a handy place (like, say, with your go-bag or in your car - or both!)
If you have a question—everything from the best auto shop to the best carry out Chinese food place to what is that (whatever) for type question—ask someone. The Welcome Wagon is a great place to ask, but if your new neighborhood doesn't have one, ask a neighbor. That's actually a great way to meet your new neighbors - and do meet at least some of them. You will be living among them and it helps to know who they are, their habits (like mowing at 6:00 am - of which I am guilty! - or parties every Friday night until the wee hours), their work schedules (in case someone comes to their house and "moves" them while they are gone), their pets and children. This helps you know when strangers are nefariously in the neighborhood. Also who to depend on for the neighborhood BBQs.
Make yourself seen in your neighborhood. You don’t need to necessarily make friends (as suggested in the previous paragraph), but when people are able to recognize you, whether from your daily walks around your neighborhood to your daily visits to your favorite new coffee shop, you begin to become part of the fabric of the community (this can come in handy in an emergency).
Try the local food. And the local toothpaste. And the local everything else. Unless you are staying relatively close to where you were before, local brands do change, as do favorite local restaurants. Local brands can become your new favorites. Here, in OK, I depend on a brand of local syrup and mustard that aren't available in other states, but I'm sure I could find an equivalent when I move.
Whether you will be in your new location for days, weeks, or years, it pays to situate yourself as quickly as possible so that you will be comfortable—as well as safe—in your new place. And if you're there for the long haul, it's important to integrate into the neighborhood quickly, to participate in the community culture, and to gently guide it to be something you'd like.
I like having neighborhood BBQs, and block parties, and such. Most of my neighbors know me - even the ones I don't talk to because they are too far down the block, or they're short term renters. I know what most of my neighbors look like, and I know all the kids and pets in the neighborhood. When I move, I expect I will make new friends and meet new neighbors - and get to know their pets and children.
When I travel, I always familiarize myself with the areas I will be in, or pass through.
It just makes sense to me to do these things. It give me confidence when I travel, especially since I am old, disabled, and female. Knowing these things makes me more relaxed and able to enjoy myself more.