Social media has become an indispensible tool for keeping in touch with old friends, staying current with the news and enjoying the latest viral cat video. But did you ever consider using social media to learn about a neighborhood? If you’re getting ready to relocate and want to do a little reconnaissance before your arrival, here’s how you can use social media to help.

Facebook

Facebook makes it easy to find out all kinds of information about your new neighborhood. Simply type the name of the city or neighborhood into the search bar, and narrow the results by clicking “places” at the top. This will show you all the great restaurants, shops and other attractions that are popular in your new community. Facebook also has a feature called places where you can easily discover great places in every city.

Instagram

If you want to get a picture of how your new city or neighborhood looks, then Instagram is where you want to search. Type in the name of the city and click on “Places” in the top bar and the app will show public posts that have been geo-tagged with that location. You can also search for popular local spots to get a feel for the culture of the neighborhood.

Twitter

There are a couple of different ways you can use Twitter to find out more about a neighborhood. First, do a simple search for the name of the city or community. You can also search using popular hashtags for your city, which will show you all the posts tagged with that hashtag. If you want to take it a step further, you can use Twitter’s Advanced Search, which allows you to search for posts that come from a given location. It’s a great way to find out about what’s trending in your new neighborhood. You may even discover some local blogs that are full of useful information.

Pinterest

Pinterest may be your go-to social media platform for recipes and decorating ideas, but you can also find out about a neighborhood using the app. By searching for your neighborhood or city, you’ll find all the pins related to it. It’s a great way to become familiar with local attractions, top destinations in the area, favorite restaurants and even local architecture. You can even start your own board on Pinterest to collect and save information about a neighborhood.

Yelp

Finally, another great way to learn about a neighborhood is by searching for it on Yelp. Here you’ll find not only reviews of local restaurants and bars, but also information about parks, public spaces and much more. Discover all the can’t-miss places and see real pictures and reviews taken by locals. That way, on moving day you’ll know just who to call to deliver a hot, delicious pizza to your new place.

You probably already spend a little time each day on social media catching up with friends, family and the news. Why not spend some of that time researching your new home? By the time you arrive on moving day, you’ll feel like you’re already familiar with your surroundings and settling in will be that much easier.

Compliments of Virtual Results