the walk score website was linked on freakonomics today. it only takes a second, and is worth checking out. i plugged in a few addresses to see how walkable a few familiar places are. the website calculates how far you live from destinations you'll likely need (grocery store, restaurants, movie theatre, schools, libraries, and so on), and give you a score from 0-100. the idea is that it's good for your health and for the environment to live in a place with a higher walk score. the site even encourages realtors to post the walk score on their listings.
my current address is a 77, which according to their website is "very walkable," meaning that it's possible to get by without owning a car. i think this is quite true. heath and i can easily walk to the grocery store, movies, restaurants, the lakefront, bars, etc, and when the weather is good, we do. in 12 inches of snow, however, we usually end up driving.
i also got the score for the house i grew up in, and it was a lowly 9! that's considered "driving only," which means that there are virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. ouch! but not surprising if you've ever been out there. however, there's definitely something to be said for the solitude and quiet of living in a "driving only" area that counters at least a portion of the convenience of being able to walk to the coffee shop. the house heath grew up in got a 20, which is better than 9, but still considered "driving only." gibson's and that bright blue thrift store must've really bumped the score up! ;)
my current address is a 77, which according to their website is "very walkable," meaning that it's possible to get by without owning a car. i think this is quite true. heath and i can easily walk to the grocery store, movies, restaurants, the lakefront, bars, etc, and when the weather is good, we do. in 12 inches of snow, however, we usually end up driving.
i also got the score for the house i grew up in, and it was a lowly 9! that's considered "driving only," which means that there are virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. ouch! but not surprising if you've ever been out there. however, there's definitely something to be said for the solitude and quiet of living in a "driving only" area that counters at least a portion of the convenience of being able to walk to the coffee shop. the house heath grew up in got a 20, which is better than 9, but still considered "driving only." gibson's and that bright blue thrift store must've really bumped the score up! ;)
current home
my childhood home
