Comments on Cranky Fitness: Walkable Neighborhoods: Yes, Please!

Hey Crabby! We just moved to a small town and I LO...

2007-09-19T14:11:00.000-04:00

Hey Crabby! We just moved to a small town and I LOVE being able to walk to restaurants or to the little store to pick up a few things. The only problem is that we don't live in the nicest area so I have to take a male companion or my dog (a great dane) with me. Companion is fun because I have someone to talk to, dog sucks because he only weights 15 lbs less than me and HE does the walking. We are looking to move soon and I would much prefer to live in a walkable are. With the dog we HAVE to have enough room for him to run and play so luckily that means no urban living for us (darn...I've never been much of a big city person!)Since moving to a walkable area I definitly find myself walking more than I did before we I would have to drive to a park to walk. And I don't know about anyone else but the weather in Georgia right now is GREAT for walking!

Hi Sarah, Susan, Jennifer, Diva & Pelikan, and sor...

2007-09-19T06:33:00.000-04:00

Hi Sarah, Susan, Jennifer, Diva & Pelikan, and sorry to lump you all together! (Time management problems). But it's really interesting to read what everybody else's neighborhoods and priorities are like. I'm not seeing anyone who would RATHER drive everywhere, which is great. And thanks for the links Database Diva, I love that there are organizations like this!

Ooo, everybody has already written so much! I don'...

2007-09-19T01:33:00.000-04:00

Ooo, everybody has already written so much! I don't have the time to read it all. Yet. Because I know it'll be interesting. That's the excuse for not commenting on others and repeating the intelligent things that have already been said (or come up with unheard of stupidities...)

I love Europe! Before finding this blog, I didn't realise how the US can be (is?) Not being able to walk?! I would feel imprisoned. Gaah! Just thinking of it makes me creepy! I don't even have a car, and i am so glad that I can walk, bike and take the train/bus/underground. Thank you for reminding me how good my life is! (and how it could be...)

Hi Crabby,Another excellent post on an important t...

2007-09-19T01:26:00.000-04:00

Hi Crabby,

Another excellent post on an important topic. I find the subject of sustainable growth quite interesting. Sustainability is a very popular subject on the west coast. Vancouver BC, San Franscisco, Seattle and Portland are all making efforts to redevelop into mixed use areas where people live and work, and don't need to commute. This is also the goal of the livable cities movement. Here are a couple of links that are worth checking out http://www.livablecities.org, http://www.livablecity.org/about.html

I am fortunate because my job allows me to work from home. I used to drive about 300 miles/week, now I drive less than 500/month. I live 1.5 miles from the vet, the grocery store and the post office, so I can do a lot of errands on foot, if I have time. That can be a big if. Since my job pays me to be home, they expect me to be available 7x24, so sometimes it is hard for me to leave. If I have an errand to run, it must be quick, so I end up using the car. Fortunately, I have a treadmill right next to my desk, so I can still get my run in while watching the monitor for e-mails and listening for the phone.

I would not describe my neighborhood as walker friendly, but it also isn't bad. There are some sidewalks, but there are also many places that don't have them. We are about 7 blocks from an elementary school. When the school first opened, they insisted that the kids from our neighborhood ride a bus. I thought that was crazy, but they got really upset if any of their students walked. The expense finally became to great, and they adopted a more realistic policy.

Well rapper Jennifer here... kind of late but...I ...

2007-09-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

Well rapper Jennifer here... kind of late but...

I do live in a walkable area and I did indeed plan it that way. We live in a place with two play areas and lots of sidewalks on the premises and right across the street from a community center; city park; and community garden. The downtown area is within a three minute drive (small old school downtown) and it's great for walking and we live three minutes from a grocery store and farmers market.

All good. Cedar and I go to the city park almost every day and usually on a long walk too. (or skate / walk).

But when we get another house I'm thinking it will be harder to find a walkable area. There are a lot of stupid homes close together here without big yards. If you want land you have to move to the country.

But for right now it's all good.

Yay! Planning! (I'm getting my MA in Urban Affair...

2007-09-18T21:56:00.000-04:00

Yay! Planning! (I'm getting my MA in Urban Affairs and Public Policy and when I pulled this up tonight, I did a double take because I thought I pulled up Cranky Fitness! I did!)

What's even wonkier is the people who vote to NOT put in sidewalks. They don't want "those" people around, whatever "those" people are. NIMBY!

Anyhow, my neighborhood isn't walkable. There aren't even sidewalks. There are bike lanes, though so that's good at least. But the college town I live in, if I drive about two miles away, is very walkable. Alas, it is also expensive. So in my car I go.

When I graduate and Settle Down, I really really want to live somewhere I can walk to work. Then again, I'll be moving in with the boyfriend, so we've got some stuff to work out with where we're going to live, I guess.

Our neighborhood's not bad for walking, and the To...

2007-09-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

Our neighborhood's not bad for walking, and the Township has added walking trails as well. It's pretty easy to get to the next neighborhood over, for instance.

I'd prefer kinder drivers, myself, so I can bike. We have some narrow bridges and overly busy roads that many of us won't bike on. Makes it that much harder, which sucks. I prefer biking to walking, any day. Yes, even in the rain.

Can't help it--two more then I'm really going.Kati...

2007-09-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

Can't help it--two more then I'm really going.

Katieo, I SO get why kids needs have to be a top priority in living decisions. It would just be great wouldn't it, if people didn't have to make so many tough choices and there were more walkable communities designed to accommodate families!

Hi KdoubleA! From what you said, I'm thinking I'd much prefer Knoxville to Detroit too! I've been lucky to live a lot of places with good mass transit, and it really is a major plus. Thanks for visiting!

I grew up in Detroit, where everything there encou...

2007-09-18T16:10:00.000-04:00

I grew up in Detroit, where everything there encouraged a need for a car. I hated that about Detroit. Everything is so spread out, and the mass transit system is a joke, that you couldn't fully live in Detroit w/o a car.

So when I moved to Knoxville TN, the mass transit was a little better, downtown was a little smaller, and this city is a little more walkable.

I really would love living in a city with a subway system like Chicago, NYC, or even Atlanta. You could live without a car in those cities, and I strive to make that happen for me in the future.

Nice Topic!

As with Vickie, choice depended on price. We're in...

2007-09-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

As with Vickie, choice depended on price. We're in a pretty typical suburb. Kind of near stuff but not near enough to walk (I'm lugging three little ones don't forget)
But when we lived a university housing complex, I would pack up my kids and walk EVERYWHERE. We were so much closer to everything- and the kids were smaller, I could just throw them in the stroller. I LOVED it.
I miss that in a lot of ways, but enjoy the perks of our new home a little too much to want to go back to apartment living. BUT if I were single or kidless, I'd rely a lot heavier on walkability when choosing somewhere to live.

So just a warning, folks, that Comment Reply may b...

2007-09-18T14:45:00.000-04:00

So just a warning, folks, that Comment Reply may be a bit hit or miss on this post this afternoon/evening... but I Always Read Them!

Norabarnacle, I agree that 43 mile thing seemed hu...

2007-09-18T14:43:00.000-04:00

Norabarnacle, I agree that 43 mile thing seemed huge to me, especially as an Average! And I hope those drivers are really careful of pedestrians.

Mary,
It is interesting how many people don't even consider taking walking/biking options into account when they pick somewhere to live and consider it just a "lucky" bonus. (For those who DO have options, of which I'm convinced there are quite a few).

Samantha,
I think I remember reading an article somewhere praising Chandler for it's awesome bike trails. (Sunset maybe?) Anyway, urban living does have it's charms and I totally love it. (Though my fantasy would be to combine a city place with a seaside getaway--Lotto gods willing).

Hi Leth,
Cambridge is cool! And I'm with you, 2 hrs is a bit much, but there's nothing better than combining commute time with exercise.

Bag Lady--so that's why the name! I was wondering. I won't spoil it for readers who want to pop over to leah's.

Jim,
I'm with you, half the fun of urban living is the way you can combine Sinful Indulgence with Virtuous Exercise. Whether it's purveyors of cupcakes or Mai Thais, you feel a bit less guilty if you visit them by walking on your own two feet.

Melissa, I don't think I've ever visited Fort Lee (even though we did live in NJ and NYC for awhile. Sounds nice! But I agree, a Central Park location would be truly awesome. It's a beautiful park.

Jessie Mae,
Wow, a walker in L.A.! Steve Martin did a really funny take on that in some movie or another. You are a rare species indeed. But I think that's really cool that you found a place close enough to things to make that workable! (And there at Cranky Fitness, there is no such thing as blathering. Especially since Crabby herself can never manage the "succinct" thing.

Vickie,
Makes total sense to me! I think everyone has a whole bunch of factors to trade off regarding price/schools/etc. I'm just amazed at all the people who don't even WANT to live in walkable neighborhoods--according to that study, there's a whole bunch of 'em!

Terrie, good for you for taking advantage of all that! Sounds like you're in a great neighborhood for walking.

Marie, it sounds like we think exactly alike on this one. And I know I'm ridiculously biased in favor of Canadian attitudes and lifestyles, but it really seems like you folks are on average more active, more healthy, and less materialistic than most Americans. (And I promise I'm not just sucking up because so many of the Cranky Fitness Commenters happen to be Canadians!)

i live in canada's largest city (aka: the centre o...

2007-09-18T13:28:00.000-04:00

i live in canada's largest city (aka: the centre of the universe), so everything is walkable. I also happen to live & work in the downtown core, which forces me to walk to and from work everyday, about 3km. Everything I need is within 10 minutes by foot.

it baffles me when i go visit one of my brothers just 10 minutes outside of the city's eastern limits to find we have to take a 5 minute car ride to get to the nearest corner store and there are no sidewalks on his street!

I know he chose the neighbourhood based on lower income taxes and his ability to purchase a larger house for the same price as a smaller house in TO, but I personally would want my amenities (groceries, gyms, schools, libraries)within walking distance because teaching the importance of physical activity to my family is also a priority.

Hi Crabby, I am one of the lucky ones. I live in t...

2007-09-18T13:08:00.000-04:00

Hi Crabby,

I am one of the lucky ones. I live in the eastern end of New York City, in the borough of Queens. All day to day stuff is walkable (anywhere from a block to a mile away) and I have a 600 acre park one block from my house with trails and kettle ponds galore.

If it wasn't for all that available walking space, I'd probably weight 600 pounds.

Terrie

Choice depended on price. I do live in a walkable...

2007-09-18T12:57:00.000-04:00

Choice depended on price. I do live in a walkable neighborhood but do not work there. My commute is short (5 miles), but it is not a safe, bike-rideable commute, especially in the dark and winter and snow. I used to live 20 miles north, in the burbs, and the commute was horrible, but it was a choice that was made at the time because of schools. Once school was no longer an issue with the kids, it was move back to the city time. However, if I knew then what I know now, I would move to another part of town, less than 5 miles from where I am now, that wouldn't necessarily be a walkable neighborhood but would be far more convenient and result in driving less, even though I had to drive everywhere. I do all or most of my shopping in that area, it is close to bike trails where I have to drive to now, and close to the highway, which I take to work. Where I am now, even while it is a walkable neighborhood, it is land-locked, meaning it takes so long to get to the highway, which is only 2 miles away because of the amount of traffic, that that makes up the majority of my commute time. I spend an average of 7-8 minutes getting to and on the highway and only another 4 getting to work. In the other neighborhood, it would take as much time for the whole commute, but it would all be highway. Problem? Too expensive. Make sense?

How walkable the neighborhood was a huge factor in...

2007-09-18T12:49:00.000-04:00

How walkable the neighborhood was a huge factor in choosing my current apartment. And I definitely take advantage of it. My car often sits in the garage for weeks unused.

The sad thing is I don't see that many other people living near me walking places. I grew up in a part of Chicago where walking was normal, but here in Los Angeles, people seem amazed that I've walked 1/2 mile each way to the grocery store.

Oh, and not to blather on, but I think another big factor is how safe a neighborhood is. Previous to moving in July, I lived somewhere were things were technically close for walking, but I drove some of the time, because it was also a place where people were getting shot in front of my house. Now I live some where safe, and as it turns out walking is much more pleasant if you are worried about stray bullets.

Hi all,Well I live in Fort Lee, NJ which holds up ...

2007-09-18T12:40:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Well I live in Fort Lee, NJ which holds up the west end of the George Washington Bridge. So out my window I see Manhattan, where I work. I take mass transit to work, but that does require some walking and going up and down stairs.

Now that "the season" has started back up, I have started walking from job to job in the city when I can, and fortunately most of the walks take me through Central Park!!! I SO love that.

Fort Lee is a wonderful little village with lots of shops, and my apartment building is just a block from Main Street. The sad part is I hardly ever have time to go down there and shop, and a lot of the shops are for Asian commodities. We have a huge Asian population. I also find myself driving farther afield because the grocery store is just a little too far to be carrying or carting groceries back.

The big issue around here is TIME. I realize NYers are so testy and in a rush because they have to spend so much time getting from place to place (it takes me 1:15 to get to work. One Way.) that the non-commuting time they do have left is ultra-precious to them. It does tend to make one cranky and tired and not inclined to grocery-shop on foot.

I wish I lived next to Central Park, though, that would be awesome.

Since I'm currently rotting in the suburbs (so man...

2007-09-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

Since I'm currently rotting in the suburbs (so many trees! so...few...bars) my motives for getting to the walkable neighborhoods of Chicago are not entirely pure, but I dayum sure want to get to them. The wide open spaces and comparative tranquility of the 'burbs can be nice, but not when you get so entrenched in using your car that a half-mile walk seems excessive. I was as fit as I'll ever be living in Tokyo, and I want to go back to that lifestyle.

Crabby - if any of your loyal readers want an expl...

2007-09-18T12:09:00.000-04:00

Crabby - if any of your loyal readers want an explanation for my name, they could check out Leah's blog today - the Goat's Lunch Pail. I'm more than just an 'old bag'!

Mary, that just goes to show how clueless people c...

2007-09-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

Mary, that just goes to show how clueless people can be about exercise. I think one of the major differences between the States and France (where a fraction of the number of people do organized exercise) is that in France, walking around, walking up stairs (instead of the elevator), and such are just standard. Here people think you're a nut if you walk a half mile.

I live a walkable distance from Cambridge (near Boston). I didn't realize until I'd lived in my condo for a year that I had a bike path right near my house, but now that I've realized it, I walk to the train in the morning, then after the train, I walk another 10 minutes across the park to work. It gives me so much energy. When I have to take the bus (when it gets cold and/or rainy), it's just not the same. There are a LOT of people who walk to the train in the morning. And on of my friends just told me that he recently moved and has been biking 2 hours each way to get to work in the morning (because he doesn't have a car). Now, that'd be a bit much for me, but more power to him! And he's lost 35 lbs!

I live in a neighborhood that has a lot of walkabl...

2007-09-18T11:37:00.000-04:00

I live in a neighborhood that has a lot of walkable areas. When more things come in too we will be able to walk to stores and things eventually too. I love it. I guess I am one of those people that are walkers living in a walkable neighborhood.
I think that I would love to live in a city like NY one day and be able to walk absolutely everywhere. Here Arizona is really built for driving and it is really hard to get around it completely.

I got rather irritated the other day when someone ...

2007-09-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

I got rather irritated the other day when someone told me I was "really lucky" that I was able to bike to work. I'm able to commute by bicycle because when I decided where to live, bikability was a major factor. (Yes, that is too a word. In my dictionary if nowhere else ;)
My last place was 1/2 mile from my work, and everyone thought me an exercise freak for walking to work. My supervisor, who also lived 1/2 mile from work, drove every day. She went on to have gastric bypass surgery because she "couldn't find a way to lose weight."
Did you read the article about how the British would "rather die" than lose weight? Don't think it's limited to Brits, somehow:
http://tinyurl.com/37mufh

43 miles a day! Geez, no wonder the planet's going...

2007-09-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

43 miles a day! Geez, no wonder the planet's going to hell in a hand basket.

I live where there are no sidewalks, so I just walk and run in the street. Drivers are used to that here. Sometimes they try to hit me, but they are mostly supportive. I try to steer clear of the really narrow hedge-rimmed lanes.

Hi Bag Lady,That's one of the interesting trade-of...

2007-09-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

Hi Bag Lady,
That's one of the interesting trade-offs I think of country living--lots of fresh air and open country and all that good stuff, but sometimes, in some rural areas, it's hard to find safe places to walk! Still seems like a really healthy environment to live in, and especially when you throw in all the physical chores.

BunnyGirl, it's great that you've found such a walkable location--and I think I remember from your blog that it wasn't by accident, that it was a factor you really weighed. And I love the small-town walk-to-everything sort of communities like your Grandmother's on Cape Cod. (We're big P-town fans, though it gets a bit crazy during the height of the season).

Leah,
Sounds like you live in a great place--all that awesome scenery, plus stuff you can walk to! Somehow in our Canadian wanderings we've missed that area and will have to remedy that next Van trip!

Missicat--I agree, there is so much cool stuff to do here! We've been trying to really take advantage of it and have been walking our asses off. Thanks for the suggestions, those are on our list as well as the Hopper exhibit which I think either just opened up or will soon. We're already scheming to figure out how to get back here again!

Hilary--why is it that walking paradises have to be made additionally confusing for drivers? I can understand curvy streets and dead ends and such, but what's with the changing street names? I hate that. And I'm not surprised your city is such a great walking city--overall, it seems Canadians are much more sensible about these things. At least in my experience.

Amanda, good for you! And isn't it funny that people think you're odd for wanting to walk? Like it's some kind of bizarre personality quirk? (I once got pulled over at some residentially part of DisneyWorld and escorted back to my hotel in a Security Van because I was jogging through the neighborhood. I hadn't violated any No Trespassing signs or anything, but apparently several people had called in to report me. I guess jogging wasn't allowed. Even though there was nowhere else nearby to exercise!)

I love walking places, which is rather odd in Kans...

2007-09-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

I love walking places, which is rather odd in Kansas City because it simply isn't built for that lifestyle. People here all live in suburbs and drive everywhere... that being said we found a great house in this little neighborhood where it taks 3 minutes to walk to the store, 5 minutes to walk to Target, 5 minutes to walk to the movie store and a number of restaurants. I never ever drive to these places now because it feels wasteful and I can always use the exercise. My friends find this odd and don't really understand it, but I can't imagine moving now because I love that found this!