Exactly. All the person had to do was strike up some conversations in restaurants, the laundromat, whatever. "I love a neighborhood full of greenery, where should I look?" or "I love to eat out, what neighborhoods have really great restaurants?"
An AI will never be able to tell you that the "nice looking" neighborhood is full of snooty wealthy people who keep to themselves and rat you out if you do anything not up to their standards - whereas in the kinda rundown looking neighborhood everyone knows everyone, there are fun block parties on holidays, and if you need anything, people will do whatever they can to help.
Police logs don't work because police love to overpolice poor/minority neighborhoods.
Property values don't work because property values have little to do with how strong a neighborhood's community is.