For anyone who enjoys both the fast-paced city life as well as a peaceful lake environment, choosing to buy a house in an urban lake area may provide the perfect balance you’re seeking.
According to the Encyclopedia of Lakes and Reservoirs, an urban lake is defined as an inland body of water, which is larger than a pond surrounded by an urban environment. An urbanized area encompasses both the region’s city and surrounding areas, such as towns and suburbs.
To qualify as an urban area, a city and its neighboring parts should have a high population density (at least 50,000 people). In addition to providing an aesthetically pleasing balance of cityscapes and landscapes, urban lakes have several practical functions. They encourage biodiversity, assist in flood control, and provide a recreational spot for the city’s many residents.
Further, there are several personal advantages to living on an urban lake. There’s the apparent advantages — the opportunity to have that high-powered city job while also going boating, swimming, and fishing on the weekends.
But there’s also the lesser-known benefits of living by a “blue space.” For example, research suggests that living by water has a positive impact on physical and mental health. While scientists have yet to determine the reason behind this correlation, it certainly has implications for the benefits of urban lakes.
If you’re already sold on the possibility of living adjacent to both natural beauty and a concrete jungle, check out these five thriving urban lake areas in the U.S.
Continue reading “The Best of Both Worlds: A Look at Five Urban Lakes in the U.S.”