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Jun 27
2009
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Brand New Amenities- What might they be?
Posted by: James Martin on Jun 27, 2009 01:00 Tagged in: Untagged
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I was flying back from Kentucky having been out there consulting on a couple of properties and got to thinking about fresh ideas for community amenities. What got me thinking was that they were tearing out the old tennis courts. Tennis courts once were a huge draw. Now, not so much. Here, no one was really using them and they needed extensive work. The decision was there was not ROI for tennis courts.
A lot of thought and effort goes into creating amenities that will be pleasing to residents and something that will really keep them at our communities. Right now business centers, work out facilities, spas, event rooms for watching film or sports in groups with bars and kitchens are all popular depending on the community.
But I started thinking what is on the horizon? What could be done with this huge space that was being dug up. I starting thinking that a community garden might be a real resident pleaser. Urban Gardens are ALL the rage this summer as environmentalism and local food come the fore in what people are thinking about. A community garden spot. The more I thought about it the more it seemed like a real cost effective way to get people feeling like their community really was home. It would be easy to do, put in some water, measure out some
plots, maybe even have a community tool shed. Neighborhood gardens in the inner cities and new urbanist developments are hugely popular all across America. Why not in an apartment community? It's dirt cheap!
Another huge thing I see everywhere and especially popular with younger people but catching on with all demographics is the WiFi hot spots. They are at coffee houses, bookstores, record stores, even McDonalds. The idea is not so much the opportunity to use your computer, people can do that at home. The real draw seems to be being able to congrugate with other people. Interestingly enough actually interrelating with those people does no seem to be too important. It seems more like just having other people around is comfortable and pleasing. Let's not get into the question of sitting around with people you have nothing to do with in order to communicate with people somewhere else. That's not for me to understand.
But here is an idea that could really easily be carried back to our communities.
Clubhouse are already set up for this but making them more of a Al Fresco situation would really be a selling feature. Maybe poolside. But the group WiFi locale is definitely a phenomenon. Why not put it to use to make gathering at "home" an amenity.
There are doubtless others. How about a community dog park? Here is a concept that is also Huge in the inner city and in New Ubanist commuities. It takes pet friendly to a whole new level and makes a community really distinctive. Because it not only is pet friendly, it is owner friendly as well whith is even more important.
We need to start thinking about not what traditional amenities have been but what our residents are looking for outside of their community. Bringing some of that home is a good way to insure tenent loyalty.
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Comments (7)
I agree, there are lots of potential tie ins, Lowes, Petsmart for the dog park, a local coffee company for the hot spot. I think the industry is missing a lot of what is going on especially about how younger residents socialize, communicate and where their needs are. I think giving some way to be actively eco conscious is a huge one.
James
James
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Great article James. I just came back from the National Apartment Association Show in Vegas and found that owners and property managers are really looking for a way to differentiate themselves since every property seems to have a pool, fitness center and business center these days.
Our company, Inspire WiFi, has taken your WiFi idea a step further by adding a social networking feature similar to Facebook to our community-wide WiFi solution so that residents can network with each other and find friends with similar interests. This really creates a sense of community that will keep occupancy and retention rates high.
Thanks for bringing the topic up. Let me know if you have any questions.
Regards,
Steven Scheck
VP Operations
Inspire WiFi
http://www.inspirewifi.com
Our company, Inspire WiFi, has taken your WiFi idea a step further by adding a social networking feature similar to Facebook to our community-wide WiFi solution so that residents can network with each other and find friends with similar interests. This really creates a sense of community that will keep occupancy and retention rates high.
Thanks for bringing the topic up. Let me know if you have any questions.
Regards,
Steven Scheck
VP Operations
Inspire WiFi
http://www.inspirewifi.com
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One of my favorite amenities that stands apart from the classic pool, fitness center, etc is a frisbee golf course. This may not be feasible in the urban properties due to space constraints, but it is a great amenity to showcase if you have the land for it!
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James,
Insightful thoughts, as usual. I have had success in the past with community gardens at senior communities. Makes sense to try to use this space for something at other communities. Tennis courts have to be one of the most over sold amenities of the last 30 years.
Others have commented on WiFi above; there is no question that the success of coffee shops has partly been from being able to share space in a public setting and be connected. Some properties do lend themselves to this kind of environment.
Bob Landis
Insightful thoughts, as usual. I have had success in the past with community gardens at senior communities. Makes sense to try to use this space for something at other communities. Tennis courts have to be one of the most over sold amenities of the last 30 years.
Others have commented on WiFi above; there is no question that the success of coffee shops has partly been from being able to share space in a public setting and be connected. Some properties do lend themselves to this kind of environment.
Bob Landis
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James,
I think you’re right on the money regarding the draw of Wi-Fi in community areas. Spot On Networks last year alone deployed well over 100 common area and community wide Wi-Fi networks for our building owners, managers and partners. I recently ran the usage statistics for one of our clients who has several common area Wi-Fi deployments with us and for 2009 they ranged between 4,500 to over 21,500 separate log ins per property. That means approximately 25 to 120 users logged on every day in one of the common areas. I believe the proliferation of Wi-Fi use in common areas is not just because people use laptops more often. People have realized that they can use their portable gaming devices and Wi-Fi enabled cell phones on our networks within their complex’s common areas. In some locations, we have implemented common area networks that provide residents with the ability to print and transfer files while in the common area.
Visiting one of our properties recently, when I walked by the pool it was almost as if I were walking by an apple store, that’s how many iphones were in use.
Oliver Oetterer
Spot On Networks
I think you’re right on the money regarding the draw of Wi-Fi in community areas. Spot On Networks last year alone deployed well over 100 common area and community wide Wi-Fi networks for our building owners, managers and partners. I recently ran the usage statistics for one of our clients who has several common area Wi-Fi deployments with us and for 2009 they ranged between 4,500 to over 21,500 separate log ins per property. That means approximately 25 to 120 users logged on every day in one of the common areas. I believe the proliferation of Wi-Fi use in common areas is not just because people use laptops more often. People have realized that they can use their portable gaming devices and Wi-Fi enabled cell phones on our networks within their complex’s common areas. In some locations, we have implemented common area networks that provide residents with the ability to print and transfer files while in the common area.
Visiting one of our properties recently, when I walked by the pool it was almost as if I were walking by an apple store, that’s how many iphones were in use.
Oliver Oetterer
Spot On Networks
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I love the community garden idea. I hate to garden, but like looking at other people's gardens. So it gives a feeling of home to everyone. The only downside is that it is a seasonal addition.
And with a space as large as a tennis court, you can even do a mixed space. I have found that wi-fi areas in apartments aren't used as much as they could be. However, Oliver's statistics are pretty exciting.
My take on why Starbucks is such a big draw is that people feel lonely and enjoy having refreshments at their fingertips. But they also kind of like the anonymity of a fairly large group of people. There is a buzz and energy in a busy Starbucks, and you don't feel like your conversation is constantly being listened in to by the next person.
I could be wrong, but having a wi-fi area where only one or two residents is using it at a time is kind of pointless. People may log on for a minute or two and then take off. However, if you have certain times where things are happening like "Papers and Pastries" on a Saturday morning or a "Blended Coffee Night", "World of Warcraft LAN party" or anything fun to bring residents in for a time, I think it would begin to catch on as a place to be and you will not only see residents feel connected online, but also in real life.
And with a space as large as a tennis court, you can even do a mixed space. I have found that wi-fi areas in apartments aren't used as much as they could be. However, Oliver's statistics are pretty exciting.
My take on why Starbucks is such a big draw is that people feel lonely and enjoy having refreshments at their fingertips. But they also kind of like the anonymity of a fairly large group of people. There is a buzz and energy in a busy Starbucks, and you don't feel like your conversation is constantly being listened in to by the next person.
I could be wrong, but having a wi-fi area where only one or two residents is using it at a time is kind of pointless. People may log on for a minute or two and then take off. However, if you have certain times where things are happening like "Papers and Pastries" on a Saturday morning or a "Blended Coffee Night", "World of Warcraft LAN party" or anything fun to bring residents in for a time, I think it would begin to catch on as a place to be and you will not only see residents feel connected online, but also in real life.
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Also, when it comes to social/wifi hotspots, I read something a long time ago from Starbucks founder, Howard Schwartz. In essence, he said that Starbucks found one of the biggest draws to their stores was the social aspect, even though something like 10% of people actually talked to each other! People want to be around others, even if they don't take the time to actually say anything. Creating these social spots will not only create more stickiness for the residents, but will also be a huge selling tool for prospects!