b5media.com

Advertise with us

Enjoying this blog? Check out the rest of the Travel & Culture Channel Subscribe to this Feed

The Seattle Traveler

Find a Walking Neighborhood

by Mary Jo on November 11th, 2007

walking neighborhoods When I was at BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas, I shared a cab with a couple of guys from New York City.  One of them was explaining that he and his fiance were planning to move away from NYC, and were researching the Seattle area.

We talked a little bit about what they were looking for in terms of housing, neighborhood, employment opportunities, etc., and I think Seattle would be a really good fit for them.

The conversation got me thinking about the various Seattle neighborhoods, and how each one has its own special appeal and “feel,” making it the perfect living place. 

There are lot of factors to consider when choosing a neighborhood, from affordability, housing style and choices, commute time, etc.  If walkability is important, check out WalkScore to see how your neighborhood measures up.  (Mine scored poorly — 22 out of 100.) 

Why did you choose the neighborhood where you live?  Why would you recommend it to someone wanting to move here?  What charm does it offer a traveler?

Photo credit:  morgueFile

_____________________________________________

Share This

Related Stories

POSTED IN: Getting Around - Local Transportation, Great Walks, Lunch Hour Fun, Sports & Recreation

6 opinions for Find a Walking Neighborhood

  • Salem
    Nov 12, 2007 at 9:42 am

    I’ve never thought too much about this before but when we bought our house one of the factors was walkability. My wife and I both wanted to be able to go out for a drink or two or dinner and a movie and not have to drive home. I just checked my walkscore and my neighborhood scores a 98!

    Thanks for the great info.

  • Mary Jo
    Nov 12, 2007 at 10:23 am

    You’re lucky! I’d love to have a neighborhood where everything was that convenient.

    Walkability will be high on my list of things to consider in my next move.

  • Matt
    Nov 12, 2007 at 10:36 pm

    I have seen that site before, and my neighborhood scored fairly high: 83. My only issue with it is that it included resources close to 2 miles away. While I CAN walk that distance, there is a difference between what I CAN walk and what I’d LIKE to walk. A certain grocery store may be a mile away, but I wouldn’t want to walk a mile back with groceries in my arms.

  • Salem a walking city | The Salem Insider
    Nov 13, 2007 at 7:42 am

    [...] recent post over at the Seattle Traveler got me thinking about the true “walkability” of Salem. In prior posts I have stated [...]

  • Mary Jo
    Nov 15, 2007 at 9:24 pm

    I envy you, Matt. Chicago has lots of very walkable neighborhood. Although, 2 miles does seem a bit far for groceries.

  • Linda
    Nov 28, 2007 at 2:30 pm

    I think Walk Score is a service that can be especially useful for those who are going to buy a house but haven’t chosen the region yet. I ve tried but my score was rather low, about 25. But how often do we walk nowadays? People go by car much more often i think. At drivescore.fizber.com it is possible to get your drive score and see how close establishments are by car. I ve tried and this time my results were much better.

Have an opinion? Leave a comment: