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Thread: Walkable Towns

  1. #11
    Senior Member kib's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    well, I am unhappy that they are moving the library to a bigger building that ismfurther away, but that is not the main problem for me with this plan.. The problem is that access is from a highway WHERE THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS. That sucks majorly.
    Yes it does! Sometimes I miss Bisbee so much! Aside from the cost of housing everything was expensive, but it was truly walkable, the isolation meant the entire community got its various supplies and services within a half mile walk of my house on charming main streets and interesting walks past unique houses. There was A bakery and A post office and A library, take it or leave it, and for the most part is was extremely "takeable".

    Here, the problem is two-fold: so much choice I'd never choose what's in my own back yard, and everything on ugly, busy streets. We do have sidewalks, but it's not a pleasant experience.

  2. #12
    Senior Member KayLR's Avatar
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    With retirement a year or so away, I've been considering giving up my car (DH has one). I live blocks from a Safeway, but not close to too much else. BUT, transit here is very good and the bus stop is right by the Safeway. I was a transit user many years in my earlier life, and wouldn't hesitate to use it regularly in retirement to go to hair and doc appts., library, etc. The Downtown is very walkable. Just getting there by bus would be the thing.
    My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!

  3. #13
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Walkability is a pretty high priority for us. Our current place has a walkability score of 94. That includes 2 libraries less than 10 minute walk away, 3 grocery stores less than a block away (including safeway), a wine shop, a movie theatre, walgreens, our vet, a little french bakery, and countless restaurants/bars/coffee shops all less than 10 minutes walk.

  4. #14
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    Walk-ability is very important to me given my aversion to driving, and I really do like to walk. I am less than a 10 minute walk from my dentist, the library, a bus stop, 7-11, 2 liquor stores, at least 7 take-out restaurants and one decent sit-down restaurant. The rail trail that we walk every day is about 15 mins away, also a national historical site/park where we sometimes walk. It takes 30 minutes to walk to my mother's house, my dog-walking gig, my hairdresser or the post office, although I do usually drive if I'm going to the other side of town, but it's nice to know I can walk it if I prefer. Our auto mechanic is also about 20 mins away.

  5. #15
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    The walkability score for an entire community is probably based on a great many assumptions.

    Each residential address has its own walkability score. I thought the best use for the "Walk Score" site was to zoom in on a specific address and then do some searches for what is nearby. I arbitrarily chose Walla Walla, Washington, and the "Affinity" 55+ apartment building... at the address 1706 Fairway Drive. That building was not among those with blue icons, but the nearby buildings with icons had walkability scores that were in the 40s. FWIW, the website of the property claims that it is "... a walker's delight... within walking distance to a variety of restaurants, cafes, shopping, parks, and other amenities."

    I searched "Public Transit", "Routes", and found that bus route 5 has a stop about 2 blocks away from the building at 1706 Fairway Drive.

    I searched for "groceries" (checking the box), and the map showed nothing nearby. But when I typed in "Safeway" in the search box, the map showed a Safeway a block or two from the building.
    I typed in "bank", and the map showed a branch of the Baker-Boyer Bank.

    These little inquiries convinced me that while Walla Walla as a city might have a "Walkability score" around 47, a specific building might be a very short walk from identifiable services. (For instance, a carless trip from "Affinity" to the public library would involve a short walk to the nearest bus stop (buses run every 30 minutes in Walla Walla), then a ride downtown on Route 5.

    Individual interests and affiliations would make a great deal of difference, for example walking to shul compared to say, a United Methodist Church.

  6. #16
    Senior Member rosarugosa's Avatar
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    Dado: Good points, you prompted me to look up my walkability score and it is only 52, but it feels better than that to me.

  7. #17
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    My city has a walkability score of 30 but my address has a score of 78. Almost every single thing I could need from doctor, dentist, groceries, hardware, vet, library, shopping, restaurants, etc. is a walk away within a one mile radius. Choice of neighborhood is critical.

  8. #18
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    My address has a score of 42 and the city as a whole 38. If you live in one of the newer subdivisions you couldn’t walk anywhere.

  9. #19
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    My village is very walkable, and indeed the planning codes for it go into great detail about it being a "walking village", and some restrictions to encourage it to remain that way.

    It is unfortunately about 5 miles from my house to the village. The village is also at sea level, my house at about 1200 feet of elevation. So I have to bike down to the village to begin my "walking village" experience which is fine. And if I'm only getting 2-3 bags of groceries, I can bike back. If I need to procure anything really bulky or heavy, I have to drive a vehicle alas.

  10. #20
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    I frequently walk to the post office and sometimes to a little strip center that looks like it came out of the 1950s about a mile away - it has a coffee shop, diner, grocery, liquor store, bank, hair salon, and hardware store. Best of all though, is a great walking park at the end of our block. Not a fan of new houses in the burbs so always look for older suburbs near downtown to live in.

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