Neighborhood Walkability

Thanks to my lovely mother for introducing me to http://www.walkscore.com/. On first glance, there seem to be a number of useful applications for such a website, including:

• Gain some perspective on your neighborhood in the grand scheme of walkability
• Find out the truth about places you want to live
• Find great places to live if your options are open
• Look for a good score to help your market your home when selling
• Get assistance in evaluating a potential neighborhood when considering a new purchase or rental
• Find out about treasures you can walk to in your neighborhood that you may not know about or may have overlooked
• Enjoy some photos and/or reviews of familiar locations
• Write your own reviews of locations in your neighborhood (just remember you have to confirm your email after registering before you can write a review)
• Get tips to help you advocate for greater walkability where you live
• Read "how it doesn't work" for an honest assessment of the website's own limitations, and ideas for other walkability considerations you might want to make
• Read a blog of interest

"Use Your Walking Feet..."

...It's a very silly parental phrase I picked up goodness knows where. It means, "walk," as opposed to running.

Tonight, it was as if some divine parent said it to me, "Use your walking feet 'Masasa.'" But "walk" was in opposition to driving. The battery on my van died while I was at work. G. is sure she turned off all lights in the van before giving it to me to drive to work, but she was moving dozens of boxes in and out of the van this morning, and it appears one of the back lights got flicked on. She must not have noticed that one.

So I walked home, since G. was already asleep in bed (as were the kids).

I had really worked up in my mind what this walk was going to be like, when we first put an offer on this house and I was considering changes I might make in my transportation choices. I have never liked walking. It actually makes me feel irritable, especially when the weather is not perfect walking weather. I would rather bike or skate (not rollerblade, apparently, as I have failed miserably so far at that). This walk seemed like it would be pleasurable for the first half, near the downtown area where there were things to see and people still out and about. But the second half seemed like it would be a bit dreadful to me. There is a stretch of road with quiet houses on one side and a mildly wooded area on the other side. The street lights are more stretched out, so it gets dark too. I don't like walking in the first place, but walking without landmarks is an especially dreadful activity.

I felt before doing it that the second half of the walk would be a boring one. Instead, I found the whole walk to be rather invigorating.

The first part was easy, as I suspected. I did stop at a restaurant after the first 0.3 miles or so, and thankfully there were several still open (it was around 11:45pm), just to get a sandwich since I hadn't had a real dinner and mainly to hear someone's voice besides my own. I got a cheese and veggie sub and some homefries, and ate a few bites before putting it away in my bag. Between taking some bites and checking out the different businesses, I kept my mind fairly busy. Before I knew it, I hit the grocery store that I know is between 0.7 and 0.8 miles from my house. This felt encouraging...I was getting so close.

The next stretch was the part I had been dreading. In fact, I suddenly noticed there was a little hill in front of me just to add an additional irritation. I know, I know, a little hill-- one I'd never even noticed before-- should be no big deal. But it has been a while since I've taken a walk this long aside from times when I've set out to "go hiking." I'll admit I am not in good shape right now. Nonetheless, my mind went drifting and I didn't notice I was on the hill for some time. Suddenly my other thoughts stopped and I said to myself, "man, I am getting a little tired...my feet and legs are starting to hurt." And then I realized I was on the hill, and I felt better knowing this was the cause.

When I reached the top of the hill, I could see the roundabout that is one of the central pieces of my neighborhood! I also could see a school that the neighborhood kids attend. "If they walk home from here," I thought, "I must be close." So much for no landmarks!

Soon, I was in the roundabout. At that point, mild anxiety arouse again as I considered that it felt like I was "almost home," but in fact, my street was still a ways up the road, and my house is about 0.3 miles up my street. But it wasn't too bad getting to my street. The longest stretch of the whole walk was probably the one on my own street, as it had fewer landmarks and was the darkest of them all. But I made it home in the exact amount of time I predicted: about 40 minutes. I live about two miles from my work, so I was walking a 20 minute mile, more or less, which is what I predicted. I do hate walking after all, and am out of shape, but 20 minutes seems average.

My realizations include:

• Since I am not big on walking, I wouldn't want to walk this everyday, but I think biking it will be a breeze, and I think I'd be willing to walk it on occasion.
• Tonight was a cool night, but humid. I came home somewhat chilly but also damp and sticky (ick!). I don't think I could have tolerated the humidity if it had been hot out. I was glad to be walking when the sun was down.
• I think I could walk this with M., if not the full way, at least partially (and we have already taken a bus to my work, so we could catch a bus if he got tired). I wouldn't do it with K., on the other hand. She is a hard kid to walk with in general: she gets tired very fast and also does a lot of funny walking (walking while putting her head and shoulders down so she yanks off your arm, etc.). I might try it sometime with her in a stroller, but in this weather I can't imagine tolerating our beloved backpack/frontpack carrier because we'd both be soaking...and the sling would irritate my old car-accident related upper back injury (the injury that has given me daily headaches for about five years now).
• The sidewalks for the most part are great on this walk! Nice and wide...very old New England. You don't see sidewalks going in like this anymore. It makes for a much more pleasurable walk, and if absolutely necessary, could be a safe albeit illegal haven for a biker trying to avoid crazy New England drivers. There are some stretches of sidewalks with big tree roots going right through, ripped up and ill-maintained. But most of it is nice.
• On my way, I passed a street sign where there was no street. It was a street name followed by "Terrace." It appears it is a footpath Terrace. I found that to be a delightful discovery...it felt like it must be an old street that survived the invention of cars unscathed!

All in all, I am reminded once again that sometimes I build things up in my mind to be much more difficult or unappealing than they actually are. I am glad for this reminder.

My Dream Bike

By the way, of course everyone in the below photos should be wearing helmets. Yikes!

This is my dream bike right now. I started reading the blog of someone using it, and I am just in awe. I could fit both kids AND groceries. Or heck, the dog. I could have a new baby and bring the baby too. I could bring loads of books and art supplies back and forth from work, even in the rain. I know it would be less maneuverable than a good ol' fashioned bike, but I don't mind. Really. I swear if I got this, I would drive only in the winter or when heading out of town. I am in LOVE.

It would pay off in gas, I am certain of it. Still, I don't have the money. The CHEAPEST is $2500 and would have to be shipped from out of country, putting it waaaaay over the top. Couldn't I build something like this within a $1000 range, somehow, if I knew some talent to help me??! Not that I can afford a $1000 bike either, but...one can dream. Or fundraise???

On a related but different note, I was brought to this discovery by two paths:

1. I have been looking for a good bike and a good biking system where I can take the kids around town and also pick up groceries.

2. I have begun to tiptoe into a big debate on one of my online parenting boards about the safety of bike seats for young kids, versus bike trailers, versus riding in cars. I would LOVE to see any statistics anyone can dig up on each of the above three. I would like to do some comparison, taking into account that the studies might be apples to oranges. Still, I'd like to just see.

Survival International

I learned today of an organization called Survival International. Thought a link worth sharing, and some (warning: very unsettling) videos:

http://www.survival-international.org/





The other day on NPR I listened to a political forum on the Diane Rehm show in which one speaker argued against the very notion that global warming even exists. If one can't get behind the need to reduce overtaxing natural resources for environmental reasons, surely the prevention and end to genocide might be a motivator???

That said, the idea of "uncontacted" people is a misnomer, and ethnocentric. The language isn't particularly helpful. However, I am finding a lot of the videos on the Survival International website itself interesting and more helpful. Right now I am watching one called "From the Kalahari to Court." I recommend it.