Do people walk in Houston? (cars, gas, parking)

[coog78]

Originally Posted by sbhubbell

Actually, in SF or Boston people take the AWESOME mass transit systems into the city on the weekends! Something we unfortunately lack. Boston is indeed way more walkable than Houston. It's mainly because of how much OLDER the city is. I personally take the high-speed commuter ferry from my family's summer house on the South Shore into Boston to do my sight-seeing, dining, etc.

I don't really see what the big deal is though about people having to drive around here...it's really just as bad in any major metro area. You can't get from here to there quickly.

Yeah I know they take the mass transit system aspect of it, but in most cases in Boston at least, they have to park their car, ahem, pawk da cah, near a metro stop and ride in. If you live on the other side of the bay in SF, same thing.

Boston is an amazing and dense city, and its age has a lot to do with it.

The answer to the opening question of this post, is YES. People do walk in Houston.

[Hayato]

Originally Posted by coog78

The answer to the opening question of this post, is YES. People do walk in Houston.

Thank you, captain obvious.

[TX_AGGIE13]

Yes, people walk from their truck, or car to the front door, or gate, etc...of the location they are traveling. Some try to walk more, but it's a pretty rough, and long walk from the average distance from downtown (say Stafford), and takes up their entire day. If you don't like working and all that maybe that would be fun though! Also driver's in Houston are fast, and to the point (No offense, I agree with this theory) so don't go tryin' nothin silly. Defensive walking prevails over defensive driving. In other words if you wanna place that's "walk" friendly try somewhere else.

[coog78]

Originally Posted by Hayato

Thank you, captain obvious.

You're welcome Seargant NoClass

[dfarina]

I was born in Houston but have lived in New York City for 13 years. I do not own a car. If I want to go to the grocery store, the deli, get some Chinese food or pizza, I walk across the street. The post office is a 2 minute walk away, my favorite bar is 1 minute away and there are 50 or more great restaurants within a five minute walk. Within ten minutes, there's a playground, a cinema, a library, a huge park, doctor, dental and legal offices. Almost all of my basic needs are met with a short walk. This is my understanding of pedestrian friendly.
Obviously people do walk and bike in Houston but that doesn't make it pedestrian friendly. People can walk and bike in every city, the question is can they take care of basic needs without a car? I love Houston but for the most part, the answer is no.
I understand not everyone wishes to live in New York (or Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, DC etc.) but as someone planning a move back to Houston, the most frustrating thing has been searching for a pedestrian friendly area.

[UHLatino]

Originally Posted by Hayato

weelll let me take a shot at boosting houston for a change...

poor people in Alief/Mission Bend walk from westheimer (major bus route) to Bissonett (ghettos). same around highway 6. thats a long walk and they do exist without cars. they have grocery kart services where they take one from the store enroute then just leave it at their destination. The store regularly picks them up later. the walkers are kind of sad to see, especially when it rains but yeah some people find houston walkable. probably a normal trek in louisiana

You mean those same 15 ppl a day that take that trek lol. I live in this Alief "ghetto" you speak of, I rarely see it. I will say this thou, I do walk to the strip mall by my house mostly bc I'm too lazy to drive. For some reason I found it more of chore to drive than walk.

I will say this, my personal prediction will be that Houston will be more walkable in the future whether by design or otherwise. The reason I say this is bc until 4 yrs ago I would have to get in my car, turn on the engine, and drive to find something. Now that they built new shopping centers on Bellaire I usually just get out my house and walk to those places. From there I get a good idea on what I want to do or eat. To me this is much better than driving and parking your car somewhere that is basically next to your house lol. The shorter the distance I discover the less a car is actually efficient. Houstonians are practical bunch that know this. now this would aided a lot faster if the city decide to start putting in more sidewalks. Bellaire is notorious for having sidewalks and then going straight grass.

[worldlyman]

I'm amazed at the amount of pedestrianism here that occurs in quite a lower density and sprawling city such as Houston.

Lots of people walking around New Chinatown's backside, along Ranchester, it's like some international diaspora...walking for pleasure or for errands. (New Chinatown itself, particularly anchored at the Sin Chao Center, is very much a shopping mob scene with foot traffic, it's so bad on weekends there's actually a hired traffic rent-a-cop.)

I noticed this too down S. Hillcroft in between Bellaire and Bellfort where the scale is more intimate.

Heck, on weekends, there is noticeable foot traffic in the Mahatma Ghandi District at the Hillcroft/Harwin axis.

Gessner between Harwin and Bellaire is more open in scale but you notice a lot of strollers and residents loitering outside their apartments, taco trucks and stuff.

I've seen this in Quitman's neighborhoods north of downtown. Old style but the local neighborhood charm is there.

Westheimer between Gessner and Winrock, especially...always people walking here and there, up and down.

See...we don't get credit for this type of pedestrianism in Houston because it's not the severely huddled type you put on those colorful tourist brochures, with the cute broad sidewalks, parallel parking and densely positioned gentrified buildings that complement (we know, the type of stuff that makes the Uptight Anal Urbanists go orgasmic). But it's there. People do walk in Houston.

More over, there is that upscale shopping strip at the corner of Kirby and Weslayan...there's a very brisk amount of pedestrian and al fresco activity as well in the space, especially in the evening.

[Ralyber]

Originally Posted by worldlyman

I'm amazed at the amount of pedestrianism here that occurs in quite a lower density and sprawling city such as Houston.

Lots of people walking around New Chinatown's backside, along Ranchester, it's like some international diaspora...walking for pleasure or for errands. (New Chinatown itself, particularly anchored at the Sin Chao Center, is very much a shopping mob scene with foot traffic, it's so bad on weekends there's actually a hired traffic rent-a-cop.)

I noticed this too down S. Hillcroft in between Bellaire and Bellfort where the scale is more intimate.

Heck, on weekends, there is noticeable foot traffic in the Mahatma Ghandi District at the Hillcroft/Harwin axis.

Gessner between Harwin and Bellaire is more open in scale but you notice a lot of strollers and residents loitering outside their apartments, taco trucks and stuff.

I've seen this in Quitman's neighborhoods north of downtown. Old style but the local neighborhood charm is there.

Westheimer between Gessner and Winrock, especially...always people walking here and there, up and down.

See...we don't get credit for this type of pedestrianism in Houston because it's not the severely huddled type you put on those colorful tourist brochures, with the cute broad sidewalks, parallel parking and densely positioned gentrified buildings that complement (we know, the type of stuff that makes the Uptight Anal Urbanists go orgasmic). But it's there. People do walk in Houston.

More over, there is that upscale shopping strip at the corner of Kirby and Weslayan...there's a very brisk amount of pedestrian and al fresco activity as well in the space, especially in the evening.

Not to mention the TMC, that place is crowded with pedestrians, first time I went there I was like NO WAY, LIKE O-M-G!

[houstonfan]

There are pockets like Tx Med Ctr, Galleria, Midtown, where you see more pedestrians. But overall, I think it's less than other major cities. Attributed by lack of continuous sidewalks, sprawl, and hot weather. I prefer to walk but due to the hot weather, I often can't bc I'd be soaked in sweat by the time I get to my destination, gross.

[War Beagle]

Hell, there's a lot of people who won't even walk in Walmart here. They have to drive their slobbo "Murica carts around to do their shopping.