What's your neighborhood's Walkability Score?

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

This site will take your address and give you a score based on what's within one mile of your home (theoretically the places you can walk to), including schools, grocery stores, libraries, etc.

Didn't do so well for me - it gave me a score of 40 but it didn't take into account the grocery store that's about 1/4 of a mile from my house as the crow flies would entail me walking a mile and a half around a canal to get to it.

[thinkerlady[$]]

MJ--the link brings me back to the Main Forum page???

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

try again

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Heh. My current address (and first home I've owned) scores lowest out of every place I've lived (40 out of 100). Three tied for highest with 74 - my parents' house, my grandmother's house, and the place Hubby and I rented longest in Long Island.

My office scored 98 out of 100. Maybe I should live there.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

From their section "How it doesn't work"

How It Doesn't Work: Known Issues with Walk Score
We'll be the first to admit that Walk Score is just an approximation of walkability. There are a number of factors that contribute to walkability that are not part of our algorithm:

Public transit: Good public transit is important for walkable neighborhoods.
Street width and block length: Narrow streets slow down traffic. Short blocks make it easier to navigate the grid.
Safety: How much crime is in the neighborhood? How many traffic accidents are there? Are crosswalks well marked and streets well lit?
Pedestrian-friendly design: Are there walking paths? Are buildings close to the sidewalk with parking in back? Are sidewalks shaded by trees?
Topography: Hills can make walking difficult, especially if you're carrying groceries.
Freeways and bodies of water: Freeways can divide neighborhoods. Swimming is harder than walking.
Weather: In some places it's just too hot or cold to walk regularly.
As MarlonBain said, "You should use the Web 3.0 app called going outside and investigating the world for yourself" before deciding whether a neighborhood is walkable!

[thinkerlady[$]]

I got a 29. I knew we weren't walkable, but I didn't think it was that bad..... Gotta try some other addresses.

[emeleel]

I get an 8 - We're too rural!

[frazzledspice]

Mine was actually "3" out of 100.

Although they missed the Aldi Grocery Store that is probably about a mile from my house.....

But that was probably countered by the fact that they put as the nearest "school" a vocational rehabilitation center--not a school that most homeowners think of for their young children.

[mtomm[$]]

We scored 68. But I'd cut that score in half because I'm not walking to most of those places in the winter.

[drmomentum[$]]

Hmmm. I didn't realize there was a zombie nest within staggering distance.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

[drmomentum[$]]

Got a 68.

Apparently, the site has also evaluated my swimming ability. I live next to a river, and some of the hits are on the other side of the water.

Well, I can see them from here; does that count?

[lynnzop[$]]

Gotcha all beat. ZERO.

But that doesn't surprise me...they neglected to take into account that I can walk to the chicken coop and get eggs and walk to my neighbor's house and borrow anything I want.

[jgibson2[$]]

12, but like JP's, you have to swim to the places that are less than a mile away. EVERYTHING else is a minimum of 2 miles.

[poseidon]

What a joke. I mean, a REAL joke.

I got a 54.

It gives me as #1 my closest "grocery" store - India's Market.

My closest restaurant as a restaurant that's been closed for over a year.

A coffee shop that is 3/4 of a mile as the crow flies. Of course, this involves crossing a busy 4-lane interstate highway with a speed limit of 65mph while traffic is doing at least 75mph. If I wanted to walk there using designated sidewalks, it is 3 miles.

The closest bar is listed as a BOWLING ALLEY.

A bookstore that is a Christian bookstore. I have nothing against Christian bookstores, but my reading tastes are beyond that subject matter.

A hardware store that is a half-mile away that is really only a paint and wallpaper store. So, if I need a screwdriver to open up the can of paint that I don't need, I have to travel about five miles to get it.

Whoever came up with this database needs to have his or her head examined.

[taurusmoon]

63. But scanning the list of shops, etc that it found, the list is woefully out of date. The street view Google mapping though is creeping me out. It's really current. As in I can recognize just about all of the cars parked on my block current.

[lynnzop[$]]

taurusmoon said

The street view Google mapping though is creeping me out. It's really current. As in I can recognize just about all of the cars parked on my block current.

Not mine. It's pre-Barn You Can See From The Moon days. Which means it's at least a couple of years out of date.

[JonSmith]

I got a 28. Also, they don't figure in your probability of being mugged while you are walking.

[magenta321]

43, but they don't mention crossing a four lane highway.

If I do my parent's house, the local library is the Episcopal church. o_O They're also counting stuff that is a 15 minute drive away... so... I'm sure if you looked from point A to point B on a map, they might be under 5 miles away, but that doesn't mean they're within walking distance.

[sycoticmind29[$]]

Anything is within walking distance, just depends on how much time you have. :]

[theworm[$]]

The house we're renting is a 32
My house in Florida was a 14
the house I'm moving to isn't on the map yet.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

sycoticmind29 said

Anything is within walking distance, just depends on how much time you have. :]