I just stumbled across a fascinating website called www.walkscore.com. Walk Score is an index that grades each town and city on "walkability", or how accessible that various amenities and necessities are if you don't happen to own a vehicle. I had never heard of it before, but I imagine that awareness of it will only grow in the upcoming years for obvious reasons.
I can't imagine that many towns in the U.S. rate very high, and my town is no exception. The town of Medford, NY has a "walkability" rating of 28, and is listed as "car-dependent". It takes me the better part of a mile, through the most detestable and unsightly suburban sprawl, to walk to the nearest Starbucks or to catch a bus. I don't really mind the walk, I just wish it was through more desirable scenery. As a source of comparison, I then checked out Port Jefferson, NY, a town not far from here that I've always been fond of, and it got a "walkability" rating of 75. A full list of locations like supermarkets, bookstores and bars are included in each listing.
My dream has been to be able to live in a place where I don't need a car, where on a Friday or Saturday night, I can actually go out and do something rather than sit in front of the television playing video games. If that actually does come to fruition someday, I imagine that this would be a very helpful website.
3 comments:
Hello Jeff,
I hope you are doing well. It's been a while huh?
I am glad you are still adding to this site. I always learn something. "The Walk Score" link is pretty interesting-I tried it and my city scored a 90.
Anyway... I hope we can keep in touch.
ttyl
Hi Sara,
Yes, I'm doing okay. Pretty much the same. I'd pretty much given up on finding employment and am looking to do some volunteer work. But as a point I was making in this post, even that is difficult when you do not have a car in a society that is dependent on them.
But other than that, everything is okay. Like I said, you can give me your email address or something, we don't have to correspond through here. Hopefully you come back and read this. I am envious of you for living in a city with that high a walk score.
Thank you for checking up and reading. Comments like yours inspire me to press on; there are really so many websites and blogs out there that I wonder if my blog is basically me talking to myself and no one listening, or even being there. Your eyeballs show that that isn't the case, and I thank you. Again, please, please give me an email address or something.
Jeff
Hey Jeff,
I am glad to hear you are doing alright. I am glad we can keep in touch.
Yeah some of the ratings, where it is very car dependent is kind of disheartening too. Although my city scored high, there are still many places that are difficult to get to, and without a car and a lousy transit system-that doesn't help.
Yeah I don't use Yahoo much now, but definitely write me. shodgin3@gmail.com
ttyl
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