| We can't get away from the fact that high oil | | | | see an increase when people realize that they |
| prices are going to seriously impact our | | | | can no longer sustain the suburban lifestyle. |
| ability to use cars for transportation. | | | | |
| Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood | | | | A "walkable" or "bike |
| will help you cut down on gas, improve your | | | | able" neighborhood is not |
| health and help your environment. If you're a | | | | one-size-fits-all. It boils down to what you, |
| cyclist, you can still afford to live in | | | | personally, consider "walkable" or |
| suburbs close to your place of work and | | | | "bike able". For some people, |
| necessary amenities. The bottom line is that | | | | walking any distance over a half-mile is too |
| the car as we know it is on its way out. | | | | far. For others, cycling 20 miles is all in a |
| Start thinking human-powered transportation. | | | | day's work. It depends on your personal |
| | | | fitness and the time you want to spend in |
| What is a walkable neighborhood? Ideally, | | | | transit. There is also the issue of access to |
| it's one where you can access work, home and | | | | community-wide transportation, like buses. |
| shopping within a half-mile radius of your | | | | |
| residence. When considering a home, consider | | | | There are also issues of crime rates and the |
| whether you can get to the important things - | | | | development of the neighborhood you are |
| income, food, recreation, etc. without the | | | | considering. A coffee shop may be only a |
| benefit of an internal combustion engine. The | | | | half-mile away, but if that half-mile |
| less you use your car, the less money you | | | | involves a swamp and a major freeway, it |
| will spend on gas... pretty simple. | | | | might not be as walkable as Google or |
| | | | Walkscore might indicate. The presence and |
| There are other reasons besides the high cost | | | | repair of walk-friendly structures, like |
| of gas. America has an epidemic of obesity | | | | sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle/walking paths |
| and health problems caused by poor eating and | | | | and pedestrian bridges are also things that |
| lack of exercise. A walkable neighborhood | | | | indicate whether you will be comfortable |
| encourages you to get out and walk to work, | | | | walking or biking in an area. |
| to shopping and to the local coffee shop for | | | | |
| get-togethers with friends. It's easier to | | | | Don't put your faith too much in Google or as |
| walk when the store is only a couple of | | | | of yet. While these are useful tools to get |
| blocks away - and carrying groceries home is | | | | an idea about the walk ability of a |
| great exercise. | | | | neighborhood, they are still very much in |
| | | | their infancy. Neither are necessarily |
| The environment is being changed by fossil | | | | up-to-date on businesses and often ignore the |
| fuels. People are slowly coming to the | | | | presence of businesses unrepresented on the |
| realization that we are not just seeing | | | | Internet. Keep your eyes on them, though, |
| something confined to big cities, but | | | | since the increased interest in walkable |
| something that is affecting the entire | | | | neighborhoods likely means that they are |
| planet. Choosing to use the car less and only | | | | going to improve. |
| for necessary trips is one method of | | | | |
| combatting this artificial climate change. | | | | A neighborhood where you can walk or cycle or |
| | | | use some other kind of human-powered |
| Homes in walkable neighborhoods are starting | | | | transportation is something worth finding. Do |
| to see increases in value. Every mile closer | | | | a little extra research around your |
| to resources means that a house will go | | | | prospective home to determine whether it is |
| higher on the value scale. Buying property in | | | | going to fit your needs in the future, as |
| a walkable neighborhood will mean that you | | | | energy-consciousness comes to the fore. |