Houston not walkable ?? (San Antonio, Sugar Land, Portland: 2013, home, employment)

[Staysean23]

A resident that's been there for 13 years suggest it's a bad place for bikers and people that want to walk .. Do you agree with the article

I want to walk. But Houston won't let me. - Houston Chronicle

[curbur]

Compared to other large cities, yea it's absolutely true. Is it as impossible as this person makes it to be, no not really.

[Texas Ag 93]

Although I disagree with the author's overall negative view of the people and life here, I do agree that Houston is not a walkable city at all. And I am not defining walkable in the literal sense, (i.e. the ability to safely and easily walk from Point A to Point B via sidewalks, protected crosswalks etc). I mean walkable in the sense that there are places worth walking to from many residential neighborhoods- restaurants, bars, grocery stores.

I grew up here and moved back from Denver last month due to work and family considerations. Denver is a city a fraction of the size of Houston, yet there are many, many dozens of neighborhoods like Montrose and the Heights where people (including young families) move with the express intent of living somewhere walkable. I know people in cities like Portland, San Fran etc that have similar neighborhoods and populations desiring them.

That is not Houston. I doubt it will ever be Houston. And that's okay. People who live here need to love it for what it is (and isn't) and stop trying to be like someplace else. Different cities have different cultures.

[DSL_PWR]

Everywhere is in walking distance if you have the time.

[elnina]

^^^ ... and acrobatic skills As is difficult, and very dangerous to cross highways, and many streets have no designated areas for pedestrians. While Houston has approximately 4,400 miles of sidewalks, more than 3,100 miles of Houston streets lack a sidewalk, according to a 2013 report.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news...ns-6030215.php

But there is a hope:
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/busi...in-5568405.php

https://www.walkscore.com/TX/Houston

And here are 10 most walkable neighborhoods:
http://urbanleasing.com/blog/ten-mos...ods-in-houston

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/c...ity-no-really/

Full listing:
http://www.texasmonthly.com/daily-po...e-cities-texas

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

Although I disagree with the author's overall negative view of the people and life here, I do agree that Houston is not a walkable city at all. And I am not defining walkable in the literal sense, (i.e. the ability to safely and easily walk from Point A to Point B via sidewalks, protected crosswalks etc). I mean walkable in the sense that there are places worth walking to from many residential neighborhoods- restaurants, bars, grocery stores.

I grew up here and moved back from Denver last month due to work and family considerations. Denver is a city a fraction of the size of Houston, yet there are many, many dozens of neighborhoods like Montrose and the Heights where people (including young families) move with the express intent of living somewhere walkable. I know people in cities like Portland, San Fran etc that have similar neighborhoods and populations desiring them.

That is not Houston. I doubt it will ever be Houston. And that's okay. People who live here need to love it for what it is (and isn't) and stop trying to be like someplace else. Different cities have different cultures.

Houston investing in needed infrastructure ≠ trying to be like someplace else.

[EasilyAmused]

It's walkable if you have a change of clothing and a shower at the end of your walk.

[Lbjen]

I was about to move to downtown Chicago from the outer suburbs in order to get back to a walking lifestyle when we got the call to move to Houston. I had hoped that Sugar Land would be a close second but it wasn't practical to walk even there with my kids, especially in the heat. The closest I could get was moving down the block from my kids school so that they at least walk to and from there every day.

I don't think people fully appreciate what it's like to live in a real walkable city unless they've done it (I'm talking about European style walkable). It might suck when you're living in a place where a car is impractical but you soon miss it once you are left with no option but to drive everywhere.

[thenewtexan]

If "lack of driver education" is distant, he's saying people drive well in Houston. Anyone else pick up on that? Obviously, very little thought went into this poorly written article. Take it with a grain of thought, Houston. I live in San Antonio where a pedestrian flipped me off for stopping to allow him to cross the street. True story...

[testmo]

Walkable is doable in downtown and Montrose - can walk to corner stores food bars groceries and employment possibilities. Just as walkable as europe - access to foods restaurants bars and employment opportunities. People just b*tch. Yes ive lived in europe my parents still have a home in france

Why one would think a suburb like sugar land would be a close second to Chicago walkability just shows poor planning about a move