Difference between 近くに and 近く in a sentence


In

> お店や学校や駅が **近くに** あります

would there be a subtle difference in meaning if 近く was used here instead of
近くに? E.g.

> お店や学校や駅が **近く** あります




近くに and 近く as adverb mean different things. The former is _near_ and the
latter _soon (temporally near)_.

So お店や学校や駅が近くにあります is the only possibility as in

  * 彼は近くに住んでいます He lives near here. (here is implicit)

This 近く is a noun meaning _neighborhood._

* * *

近くあります is possible, meaning _to happen in the near future_.

  * 日米首脳会談が近くあります. JP-US summit meeting will take place soon.

I guess **近く** 日米首脳会談があります is better; other verbs are possible 近く日米首脳会談が行われます.
This 近く is an adverb, but a bit formal and not (often) used in usual
conversations.

* * *

For comparison

  * ケーキ屋が近くにオープンします
  * ケーキ屋が近くオープンします

The former is an ordinary sentence meaning _a pastry shop will open nearby_.
The latter is a bit stiff way of saying _a pastry shop will open in the near
future_.

Technically ケーキ屋が近く近くにオープンします is possible, but of course, this is never used.




近くに and 近く as adverb mean different things. The former is _near_ and the
latter _soon (temporally near)_.

So お店や学校や駅が近くにあります is the only possibility as in

  * 彼は近くに住んでいます He lives near here. (here is implicit)

This 近く is a noun meaning _neighborhood._

* * *

近くあります is possible, meaning _to happen in the near future_.

  * 日米首脳会談が近くあります. JP-US summit meeting will take place soon.

I guess **近く** 日米首脳会談があります is better; other verbs are possible 近く日米首脳会談が行われます.
This 近く is an adverb, but a bit formal and not (often) used in usual
conversations.

* * *

For comparison

  * ケーキ屋が近くにオープンします
  * ケーキ屋が近くオープンします

The former is an ordinary sentence meaning _a pastry shop will open nearby_.
The latter is a bit stiff way of saying _a pastry shop will open in the near
future_.

Technically ケーキ屋が近く近くにオープンします is possible, but of course, this is never used.

