When searching for our property we would walk to the nearest shopping centre, train station etc taking note of the quality and care of properties in the street, cleanliness of shopping centre etc to ensure that it would attract future tenants. We also looked for easy access to  parks, schools and proximity to the CBD. We only did this for the ones that we were really interested in after our initial visit. You can see so much more if you walk around the area before committing to the property.