What do you love most about your community? The cleanliness of your neighborhood? The schools your children attend? Friendly neighbors? Your favorite coffee shop down the street? Certainly it isn’t the number of Wal-Mart Supercenters nearby or the bland grey sidewalks. Oftentimes, the things we love about our communities are the things that make them special and unique. Each community has something different to offer and the more we celebrate those qualities, the more attached we feel.
The Soul of the Community survey was created in partnership between John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup. The survey took place over three years and was used to measure what reasons and motivators are behind people’s individual attachments to their community and city. “Great schools, affordable health care and safe streets all help create strong communities. But is there something deeper that draws people to a city – that makes them want to put down roots and build a life?”
The study revealed that there was a strong correlation between the level of attachment of people in their community and economic growth of the area. “Social offerings, openness and aesthetics are most related to community attachment in all the 26 communities we studied.” What does this mean? It means that a feeling of “home” and a “place” go beyond a pinpoint on a map or the four walls around you. People feel at home and attached to their community because of the specialness and vibrancy of the world around them.
One residential apartment brand, MCLife is taking a new approach to renting apartments. If you look at any one of their regional sites (ie: MCLifeTucson.com, MCLifeAustin.com, MCLifeHouston.com etc.) you will see a map of the city on their homepage with mulit-colored pins. The large “MC” pins represent properties you can live in, while surrounding blue, green and orange pins represent where you can eat, shop and play around their apartments.
MCLife recognizes that looking for an apartment is a big decision and we often look at a variety of factors that go beyond the building itself. What is around you? What is there to do? Where can I go for dinner? Are there shops nearby? What can I do with my kids on the weekend in the area? These pins on the homepage, representing eat, shop and play are helping people get a wider view of the community they are moving into. The pins are part of the 5-5-5 program which means each site is within 5 miles and 5 minutes of our properties. They are educating residents on the neighborhood around them so that they can better connect and explore.
How many apartments have you lived in that allow you to test drive the apartment? None? Well MCLife has created the 30 Day Good Life Promise which is designed specifically so that you can live in our property for 30 days to make sure that is the right fit for you. They are also changing the apartment game with policies like the Life Interruption Relief , and the Rent Rescue Program. These programs recognize that sometimes life happens and there isn’t anything you can do about it; Life can be messy and complicated. Their policies won’t penalize you if you if you can’t pay rent if you unexpectedly lose your job, or if get into an accident or suddenly lose a roommate. These policies, called their 5 MCLife Promises, are setting them apart from your usual apartment complex that views residents simply as a monthly income rather than people navigating through life.
MCLife properties are building a community within their apartments. Aside from their policies that allow you to be you, they spend time and resources on social good within each city that they operateIn Tucson they have partnered with Tucson Pride and Yelp Zootacular at the Tucson Zoo. Across Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma they have joined the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at Great Strides Events in seven cities to raise awareness and support for those fighting cystic fibrosis. Their #CFShoeSelfie movement has picked up traction throughout the country as a way to get people talking about cystic fibrosis. They are also developing a project with the Southern Autism Research and Resource Center and Walk Now for Autism Speaks to raise support for the three million children with Autism in the United States.
Stop for a minute and think about the communities you have lived in since you were a child. Have you always been in one place? Have you moved around? What makes each place different and unique? It is probably the little ice cream shop you would visit after basketball games, the park you would go to with your friends or the summer festivals and events that you haven’t found anywhere else. Each community is unique and different in their own way. These differences and minute details make up the wider picture and contribute to our overall image of what home is. Our home is the world we live in, the people we surround ourselves with, and the culture and society around us. When looking for a new place to move, the community around you should be considered. Luckily MCLife, a residential apartment brand in Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma, is giving their residents access to the world around them and providing prospective ones with opportunities to explore, connect and turn an apartment into their home.
If you want to know more about each region MCLife operates in, you can visit their regional sites for: Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Tulsa, Phoenix and Tucson. Each site has information on available units, contact information for leasing managers and more.
