Pedestrian-friendly areas in Miami (Kendall, Coral Gables: condos, hotel, home)

[Coconut1]

I guess walkable is in the legs of the walker.

I don't see any problem with walking to Downtown Coral Gables from the Metrorail, and if you didn't want to walk it you have the trolley. Walking 2 or 3 miles isn't a big deal.

If you're south of Overtown and within a mile of the Metrorail corridor, Miami is indeed very walkable.

There are more than a few supermarkets in walking distance, as is there entertainment options.

The one thing that needs to be focused on first is connecting Midtown to Downtown and Downtown to the Beach.

Bike lanes are also needed to improve the mobility of those that would rather not walk a few miles. You can bike about 4 miles in 15 minutes. Miami isn't very big in terms of land and isn't a hard ride considering it's flat.

I think the overall problem is people are lazy and heaven forbid they have to change their lifestyle, and *GASP* improve their health by doing a little physical exercise to get from one place to another without relying on a car.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

I guess walkable is in the legs of the walker.

I don't see any problem with walking to Downtown Coral Gables from the Metrorail, and if you didn't want to walk it you have the trolley. Walking 2 or 3 miles isn't a big deal.

If you're south of Overtown and within a mile of the Metrorail corridor, Miami is indeed very walkable.

I think that 15 minutes (~1/2 mile) one-way is about the limit even sturdy walkers would commit to on a daily basis. Walking from Douglass Road Station to Miracle Mile up Ponce de Leon occasionally is fine and it's a nice walk, nice architecture and landscaping and plenty of shade. But not on a daily basis.

Remember, Metrorail stations are about 2 miles apart, so it's hard to say that everywhere along the Metrorail tracks is walkable! I'd say South Miami Station is really the only really walkable one outside of Brickell/Downtown, and even that's pushing it in terms of distance of amenities and having to cross US1. In practice, most Metrorail riders either take a bus or drive to the station.

[flyers29]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

I think that 15 minutes (~1/2 mile) one-way is about the limit even sturdy walkers would commit to on a daily basis. Walking from Douglass Road Station to Miracle Mile up Ponce de Leon occasionally is fine and it's a nice walk, nice architecture and landscaping and plenty of shade. But not on a daily basis.

Remember, Metrorail stations are about 2 miles apart, so it's hard to say that everywhere along the Metrorail tracks is walkable! I'd say South Miami Station is really the only really walkable one outside of Brickell/Downtown, and even that's pushing it in terms of distance of amenities and having to cross US1. In practice, most Metrorail riders either take a bus or drive to the station.

I agree. Whether or not one is capable of walking that distance, walking 2-3 miles in the 90+ degree heat on a regular basis isn't a pleasant experience.

[seain dublin]

Speaking of pedestrian-friendly....Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville in that order are the most deadliest cities in the nation for hit and run drivers.

Memphis(finally a city out of FL) comes in at number five.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

Remember, Metrorail stations are about 2 miles apart, so it's hard to say that everywhere along the Metrorail tracks is walkable! I'd say South Miami Station is really the only really walkable one outside of Brickell/Downtown, and even that's pushing it in terms of distance of amenities and having to cross US1. In practice, most Metrorail riders either take a bus or drive to the station.

Each Metrorail station is about 1.25 miles apart, not 2 miles.

I know we're not going to agree here, so I'll save myself the typing.

[patricemendo]

Originally Posted by clean_polo

Not everything is connected in New York as well though. You ever try to walk from Lower Manhattan to a Yankee game? New York has a great public transportation system that can take you to different walkable areas.

we actually did just that when we went to our last game before moving from nyc to miami back in 2004. of course, that was only b/c we hated saying goodbye to the stadium & wanted to prolong the evening. of course we never did that any other time. thanks for bringing back a great memory for me!

[DeliaNYC]

I guess the term "walkable" is relative. Certainly I don't walk everywhere in NY. Public transportation is the most common method to get around, but it also depends on your interests and stage in life. I have no interests in clubs, eat socially at restaurants, but prefer home made meals any day, and attend shows on rare occasions. I dispise crowds, so most of my shopping is online these days. I cab it after hours or hitch rides with friends to parties or events outside of the city. But I need basic services. Most of the condos seem to have gyms, so besides food, health & beauty aids, post office or FedEx/UPS, and a bank, that pretty much constitutes my impression of "walkable" and is a service more than I currently have in downtown Brooklyn (still no supermarket!). But I'm visiting next weekend and will have to determine it for myself.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by DeliaNYC

I guess the term "walkable" is relative. Certainly I don't walk everywhere in NY. Public transportation is the most common method to get around, but it also depends on your interests and stage in life. I have no interests in clubs, eat socially at restaurants, but prefer home made meals any day, and attend shows on rare occasions. I dispise crowds, so most of my shopping is online these days. I cab it after hours or hitch rides with friends to parties or events outside of the city. But I need basic services. Most of the condos seem to have gyms, so besides food, health & beauty aids, post office or FedEx/UPS, and a bank, that pretty much constitutes my impression of "walkable" and is a service more than I currently have in downtown Brooklyn (still no supermarket!). But I'm visiting next weekend and will have to determine it for myself.

A nice perspective from the heart of Brooklyn. Some people may be under the impression that there are supermarkets every couple of blocks in NYC. Well, there aren't. You're more likely to get everyday groceries from mini-markets and local places, not big supermarket chains. There are lots of these in downtown Miami, so you can pick up things quickly (and stop at the bank and CVS or Walgreens) on your way walking from the Metromover to your condo. It's MUCH harder to do this in Brickell. While there are 3 Publix supermarkets you can walk/metromover to, these pretty much have to be separate trips or long detours from your daily to/from work. In most of the other "walkable" areas (which I again refer to as "Boutique" areas), you may be able to walk to the basic necessities, but for the most part it will be one stop per trip, and while your access to transit will be good for Miami, it's not close to what you see in downtown.

Example of "boutique" walkable area: for most apartments in downtown South Miami, to walk to the Metrorail is bit of a trek, around ten minutes. Then you have to cross 8 lanes of US1 via an old-school crosswalk, and right turns on red are allowed, and drivers don't usually stop when turning right to allow pedestrians to cross. And once you cross US1, you're still not done, it's another couple of minutes to get to the actual entrance of the station. Not surprisingly, most of the usage of that station is by bus transfer and park-n ride. While you're down here, take the train so South Miami station and cross to the Sunset Place Mall to see what I mean. Most apartments are quite a few blocks further than Sunset Place. It's not like in downtown Miami where you walk a block or two, go up the stairs, and then wait < 5 minutes for the metromover.

[JohnLee1]

If people actually say that walking 15 or even 10 minutes then they are either REALLY out of shape in a bad, medical way or they are just being negative Nancies. I've walked for around 15-20 minutes everyday to a bus stop in BROWARD where it's all suburban and absolutely NO shade, and no problem.
I've even walked 30 MINUTES everyday in Broward for almost a year and yeah, THAN I was tired, felt all hot and uncomfortable.

In the urban areas in Miami, first in the worst situations, you never have to walk more than 15 minutes to get to anything, at the wors it would be to get to a metrorail station.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Originally Posted by JohnLee1

If people actually say that walking 15 or even 10 minutes then they are either REALLY out of shape in a bad, medical way or they are just being negative Nancies. I've walked for around 15-20 minutes everyday to a bus stop in BROWARD where it's all suburban and absolutely NO shade, and no problem.
I've even walked 30 MINUTES everyday in Broward for almost a year and yeah, THAN I was tired, felt all hot and uncomfortable.

In the urban areas in Miami, first in the worst situations, you never have to walk more than 15 minutes to get to anything, at the wors it would be to get to a metrorail station.

I would give a rep. point for your valiant effort, but CD thinks I need to "spread the wealth."

But consider the average transit rider who probably wants to live in an urban area (and pay higher rent for smaller space) because transit is convenient, not just available. Walking 15 minutes and crossing US1 via a crosswalk at least twice a day is not convenient. Though physically it is not a problem for most.