Craft breweries as a neighborhood amenity: evidence from residential real estate listings

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, we make an argument for craft breweries as a neighborhood amenity. Through an examination of the literature, we suggest that craft breweries act as a particularly important type of neighborhood amenity, namely Third Places. Next, in a case study of Charlotte, NC, we use natural language processing and machine learning techniques to show how craft breweries are being advertised as a neighborhood amenity in residential real estate listings. We show that craft breweries are being marketed in neighborhoods that have other neighborhood characteristics conducive to making them Third Places, such as being walkable and being surrounded by other local establishments to create a sense of place. Previous literature has found that residents’ sense of community and sense of place is higher in walkable and amenity-rich neighborhoods. Hence, while craft breweries may act as Third Places, they do not alone create a sense of place or community. Rather they are part of a “package” consisting of multiple amenities.