Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are not young professionals sporting briefcases on our walks to work, we are on our way to getting old, many of us with some degree of physical impediments to walking far. A town or inner-city n'hood may be inviting to walk around, as in let's walk around downtown on Saturday afternoon. But if you are truly talking about "walkable" as in doing without a car as a voluntary or necessary option, you are first talking about living IN town, not on the outskirts even. How many places can you actually live IN town, as in right down where all the amenities are? And how many cities or towns have all or even most of the amenities (shopping, food, post office, library, etc) concentrated even within a mile radius?
Even in the smaller and smallest towns in America, sadly, you need a car. As several have pointed out, schlepping groceries and stuff from a hardware store and a few books from a library...and you get many a 75–80 year old calling for a cab or a friend. Sure there are hale and hardy seniors who will say they're fit enough, etc etc, but that is not the norm as we age. I maintain that "walkable" means "able to walk around," not "live entirely without a car if you so choose."
BTW, if anyone finds such a town with grocery, pharmacy, library, hardware, P.O. and at least one doc all within walking distance (as in Doc Martin's PortWenn), please let me know asap.
Downtown Edina, MN - has it all - except both libraries are located away from downtown. They even approved "Happy Hour" (very archaic) so you can get hammered and stagger home. Be prepared to bust open your piggy bank - very expensive.
I keep hearing this walkable town idea and now as we travel I look for a place like that. I don't need this myself as we live in a county that loves its older people and has county transportation by appointment for those that cannot any longer drive themselves. Every time you get into the van it is my understanding you hand them a couple of dollars. About $10 each way will get you to medical places outside our county. Considering what we pay for our two cars, that is very reasonable.
Some walkable towns I have noticed:
Culpeper, Virginia
Waxhaw, N. C.
Matthews, N. C.
Sun City, S. C.--They drive their golf carts to the nearest shopping center right outside the gate.
Myrtle Beach, S. C.
N. Wilkesboro, N. C.
Davidson, N. C.
I was trying to think of a way for anyone to find these towns without having to go there and looking at the list I realize all of these towns except one are older towns. So walking used to be the way people traveled in town and these are still that way. So maybe look for older towns in an area you are interested in.
There aren't many towns where you can live without a car. The walkable urban areas tend to be in big cities. But many college towns come close. Our kids went to college without cars and managed to get to jobs, grocery store, Target etc. either walking or taking public transit.
I agree that as we get older, walking becomes more difficult for most of us.
But then, so does driving.
As i've mentioned on other threads, I chose a college town that has a free inter-college bus for anyone to use, and also a very good senior transport system (minivan, with assistance from the driver). These, and the fact that I can walk the parklike campus and walk to a few shops, a food store, a bookshop, and a theater make this as close as I think I'm going to get to a place meeting my personal needs. My daughter is an urban planner and as you say, the planning is happening mostly in city downtowns and along riverfronts. This walkable feature means walkable for leisure and pleasure, not so much for getting to everyday necessities. Some college towns like Columbia, Mo. are working on bike paths through town and downtown condos, but those are being taken mostly by young professionals who can pay the high rents and don't mind the street noise. I've yet to see a "downtown" development specifically for seniors that would also offer peace and quiet and safety. Seems like developers could get moving on this.
walkable feature means walkable for leisure and pleasure, not so much for getting to everyday necessities...
I've yet to see a "downtown" development specifically for seniors that would also offer peace and quiet and safety. Seems like developers could get moving on this.
I'm thinking every city with sidewalks could be termed "walkable," at least part of the year. It's the walkable to everyday necessities that I'm interested in.
The home we bought two years ago is in a quiet neighborhood, but within a couple blocks is a grocery store, a pharmacy, a bookstore, a small mall, several restaurants, a UPS store... A short bus ride away is a Target, a library, more restaurants, a Lowes... It's not entirely walkable, as we still would need to drive for our annual physicals. But between Amazon and the places within walking distance, when the time comes for us to quit driving (which our kids insist is any day now , we won't be stranded.
As to developers investing in peaceful walkable development for seniors, I wonder if there's enough money in this to make it attractive. The young couple that live next to us think nothing of spending a hundred dollars or more for dinner and drinks. I can't remember the last time we did that.
Sometimes retirement communities are built near small strip malls with grocery stores, Target, etc. I see seniors riding golf cars and Rascal mobility scooters around to do their shopping.
I suspect we are going to see more of that as the number of drivers over 80 triples within the next few decades.
I researched for two years trying to find a walkable town in Florida to retire to. We thought since Florida has beautiful weather year round and a plethora of retirees there'd be many walkable towns to choose from, but that's not what we found. Florida is very car-centric and to find a walkable town was difficult. (We defined walkable as within a mile because, although we can walk longer distances now, we're not sure we will be able to as we age.) We finally found a location where we can walk to the library, grocery, doctor, dentist, local and chain restaurants, our mechanic, the veterinarian, and a credit union. Home Depot, Lowes, and Target are within two miles, which we can bike to. It isn't perfect, but it's the best we could find.
And where would that be? Or is it your 'little' secret?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunnydee
I researched for two years trying to find a walkable town in Florida to retire to. We thought since Florida has beautiful weather year round and a plethora of retirees there'd be many walkable towns to choose from, but that's not what we found. Florida is very car-centric and to find a walkable town was difficult. (We defined walkable as within a mile because, although we can walk longer distances now, we're not sure we will be able to as we age.) We finally found a location where we can walk to the library, grocery, doctor, dentist, local and chain restaurants, our mechanic, the veterinarian, and a credit union. Home Depot, Lowes, and Target are within two miles, which we can bike to. It isn't perfect, but it's the best we could find.
When we discuss 'walkable towns', we need to consider winter weather because when it's snowing/blizzard, or icy, etc., there is no way one is going to walk to a grocery store or to a library. Even trying to walk to the corner to catch a bus can be very risky.
I researched for two years trying to find a walkable town in Florida to retire to. We thought since Florida has beautiful weather year round and a plethora of retirees there'd be many walkable towns to choose from, but that's not what we found. Florida is very car-centric and to find a walkable town was difficult. (We defined walkable as within a mile because, although we can walk longer distances now, we're not sure we will be able to as we age.) We finally found a location where we can walk to the library, grocery, doctor, dentist, local and chain restaurants, our mechanic, the veterinarian, and a credit union. Home Depot, Lowes, and Target are within two miles, which we can bike to. It isn't perfect, but it's the best we could find.
Beautiful weather year round? Florida? What the hell are you talking about? Florida may well be the least walkable state in the union for six months out of the year, with its oppresive heat and humidity, not to mention bugs and mosquitos. Who is going to walk when even a short walk results in being drenched in sweat? A few years ago I was in Gainseville in APRIL and it was simply unbearable.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
, we won't be stranded.
What?
