Quick answer
For many families, sports and activities create connection faster than geography alone. Practices, games, team chats, carpools, and sidelines turn strangers into familiar faces.
The sideline matters
When you are new, a weekly place to stand next to the same parents can be surprisingly helpful. Small conversations become names, numbers, and plans.
Activities teach the area
Sports introduce families to parks, gyms, fields, schools, restaurants, and neighborhoods they might not discover from a listing search.
The schedule creates routine
A full activity calendar can be tiring, but it also gives a new family a rhythm. That rhythm often makes the area feel less temporary.
Ask before choosing a neighborhood
If activities are central to your family, look at drive times, leagues, facilities, and how the calendar fits with school and work.
I learned a lot of this area from the sidelines, not from a spreadsheet.