Every neighborhood can be described from three standpoints: its people (your future neighbors), what it looks like, and where its services are located.
Any neighborhood description is highly subjective, though, which brings up another observation from my experience. No matter how much hard data you can gather about a neighborhood, nothing compares with information that local people provide.
Whether it’s fellow workers, letter carriers, or people at a bus stop – neighbors are the best observers of a neighborhood. It is a good idea for you to visit a neighborhood and talk with the people there to help you make your decision.