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How to Feel at Home in a New City
Meet the Neighbours
The next time you see your neighbours, don’t be shy just say hi! All it takes is one friendly face to make a new setting feel more comfortable. Find out how long your neighbours have lived in the area and what they like or don’t like about it. Do they have a favourite restaurant or local shop? Are they married with young children? Perhaps a play date for the kids or double date for the adults is in your future! Ask these types of questions and you’ll find yourself not only building new connections for your family but getting acquainted with your neighbourhood at the same time. Who knows, you might be introducing yourself to a lifelong friend or at the very least someone to collect your mail while you’re on vacation.
Find Your Local Amenities
There are many free mobile apps that will search the surrounding town and nearby cities for all the local amenities available to you. Atlas also has a number of City Guides that provide you with all the essential information about your new city. These can be great resources to help you find things like your new favourite coffee shop or local recreation center and gym. Take advantage of our partnership with Welcome Wagon, a national Canadian service company designed to help families get familiar with their new community since 1930. Welcome Wagon offers personal visits, coupons to local stores and restaurants, organized events to meet your community and many more exclusive deals and services. Visit our Bonus Offers page to learn more about Welcome Wagon and more value added programs.
Transportation Options
Figuring out a new neighbourhood is a bit like finding your way through a maze. Take a walk or drive down the nearby streets to get familiar with the names of the roads. Map out how to get to and from important places like the local hospital, work, grocery store, pharmacy, gas stations, etc. Google Maps is a great tool to help you navigate throughout your city. With real time traffic updates, directions and route options, you will find your way around in no time.
Give It Time!
It’s important to realize that adapting to a new environment doesn’t happen overnight and it could take several months before you feel fully settled. There is no need to rush through or pressure yourself to feel comfortable right away. Take the time to enjoy the process of figuring out your city and truly make it your own.