Walk Score

Monday, April 25, 2011

Shawn and I found this website this weekend and we can't get enough:


You just type in your address, click "go," and it gives you a score between 0 and 100 of how "walkable" that address is. It's based on lots of things, including public transit, number of people, if the streets are built to be pedestrian-friendly, and how many errands you can run without a car.


So I happened to first type in our address in Chicago where we used to live...
The results?
Walk score: 98 - "Walker's Paradise"
There were grocery stores within a block, every restaurant imaginable, public transportation, and even an Anthropologie within 0.01 miles (I know... it was dangerous).

Then I typed in our address where we currently live.
Walk score: 0 - "Car-Dependent"
I had a feeling that might be the case.

So we've had both extremes, and we've come to realize that walkability is actually really important to us. To some, it may not be - but having lived in the city for several years, we grew to love walking as part of our daily lives. Currently, we have to drive 20 minutes to get about anywhere we need to go. We really, really miss being able to go somewhere on a whim and not having to sit in a car for an hour to do so.

So I promise this post isn't a downer about how I'd rather live anywhere than Nashville (which ranks in the Top 3 Least Walkable Cities) because truly, we know we're here for a reason and love our gorgeous rental house on lots of beautiful land. But I have to say, this website is going to be a super helpful tool for wherever we choose to live next! I'm hooked!!

So I'm curious... (if you choose to go to the website), what's your walk score? How important is walkability to where you choose to live? I'm excited to hear the results.
Category: ,

14 comments:

  1. LaurenApril 25, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    My walk score was 22. :-( Not too great.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bethany @happyhomemakermeApril 25, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Mine was 51...but 93% of the people in my city have a better walk score than I do. lol!
    Cool website!

    ♥ Bethany

    www.happyhomemaker.me

    ReplyDelete
  3. leigh annApril 25, 2011 at 10:21 AM

    Wow! I typed in where my husband & I are currently renting & we got a 95! I knew I liked this place for a reason. Now I'm off to look at where I grew up & a couple places we were considering buying a house in.
    Thanks so much for sharing!
    <3 leigh

    ReplyDelete
  4. RachApril 25, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    I like walkscore...it's fun to play around with! We get an 86 where we are in the Lakeview area of Chicago, and that sounds right, because we walk a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AllisonApril 25, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    where we live now is a 34 and where i grew up is a 0. though i love walkability and would love it in the next place we live, eventually, i want to move to a 0. i love 0s. the countryside and i get along well :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. MackenzieApril 25, 2011 at 11:43 AM

    We live near downtown Franklin (at the intersection of Columbia and Battle Ave.), and ours was a 77, which is apparently in the top 2% of Franklin residents. We walk to downtown Franklin ALL the time and LOVE it! We'll sure miss it when we move to my childhood home next month.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Winkler'sApril 25, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    oooh ooh! I have an 85% "Very Walkable"...I'm in the top 1% of Bowling Green-ites. :) Thanks for this! It's fun!

    ReplyDelete
  8. becca jordanApril 25, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    mine was definitely a zero. but you are right... i am obsessed with this website... and more than that, obsessed with lusting over living in the city! unfortunately, we both work at christian camps and those are pretty much never "in the city". :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dulapul cu viseApril 25, 2011 at 1:19 PM

    Oh, I would love to live in a 0. To me walking means dusty roads, hills, green grass, flowers and trees, not traffic and shops and concrete. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. IncenseAndMyrrhApril 25, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    that is a cool website! We got a 45%... Sounds right. If we 'wanted' to we have places we could walk to. But not a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Moments and ImpressionsApril 25, 2011 at 4:09 PM

    We used this to help choose areas when we were house hunting! We are a 79. I walk a lot... grocery, pharmacy, library. The downside is that our public transit is pretty awful. 98 wow that is really great.

    ReplyDelete
  12. JessApril 25, 2011 at 8:07 PM

    8-not a fan of that. And yes, I'd love to be back in Chi too, walking everywhere and enjoying the city. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownApril 26, 2011 at 10:11 AM

    My score is 54. I walk as many places as possible, so for me, I'd consider it higher. I love being able to walk to run errands. It's nice to combine exercise and function.

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownApril 27, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    This is a cool website! We got an 83! We love walking from our house to anywhere in our little town. I understand the whole mind set. Can't imagine having to drive everywhere! Arrrghhh!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
CopyRight © | Theme Designed By Hello Manhattan