[rlcg37]

Anyone here a runner? We're considering a move to Auburn and have a number of distance runners in the family. What's Auburn like for running? Is it a sidewalk sort of place, or do people have to run on the street? Are there trails through town? When the weather's a thousand degrees out, is there a gym with any kind of indoor track? (Or maybe people just run through the summer weather, I dunno.) Any local races?

How's the town for biking? Would you feel comfortable biking places with your kids? Both bike riding for fun, and for getting places.

And lastly, what about hiking? I've driven through northern Alabama and wow, it was gorgeous. I've done a little googling around for the Auburn area, and it sure looks nice, too. For people who love hiking, what's your favorite place to recommend that's in reasonable distance (say under two hours' drive)?

[elkotronics]

rlcg37 - I don't know the answers to your questions but I will be back on here to see what others are saying. I am being offered work in Auburn, NY, and have someone looking for rental housing for us there. I see from the internet that it is beautiful there.

I asked about the cold weather and snow and, of course, there will be snow, but I was told that because it's on a lake the extreme chill will not be there as badly as more inland New York locations.

The job would be demanding and I wonder about it a bit, too, how it would go with me. So this one is a stretch a bit but the man working on it with me really wants to hire me for it.

I'll be back on here a lot in the next couple weeks.

[elkotronics]

Oops-it appears this post was talking about Auburn, AL. Sorry!

[rlcg37]

Lol, I know--I keep forgetting to designate the state when I google, and ending up with stuff about NY. Good luck with the snow!

[steveklein]

Originally Posted by rlcg37

Anyone here a runner? We're considering a move to Auburn and have a number of distance runners in the family. What's Auburn like for running? Is it a sidewalk sort of place, or do people have to run on the street? Are there trails through town? When the weather's a thousand degrees out, is there a gym with any kind of indoor track? (Or maybe people just run through the summer weather, I dunno.) Any local races?

How's the town for biking? Would you feel comfortable biking places with your kids? Both bike riding for fun, and for getting places.

And lastly, what about hiking? I've driven through northern Alabama and wow, it was gorgeous. I've done a little googling around for the Auburn area, and it sure looks nice, too. For people who love hiking, what's your favorite place to recommend that's in reasonable distance (say under two hours' drive)?

Auburn is great for running and is pretty good for biking (it is outstanding for biking relative to other cities in Alabama; It is probably the best city for biking in the state, but it is still below what I would deem good). I biked a pretty good bit and felt safe when I did, but I'm not sure I would want small children on the busier routes I take. There are plenty of neighborhoods with little to no traffic to casually ride.

There are lots of sidewalks and a decent number of roads have bike lanes. There aren't a whole lot of trails through town, but there are a couple separated from the street along Donahue Drive and Samford Avenue. These are paved so not really what you would think of when you think of trail running. But there are sidewalks all over the place.

Chewacla State Park is about 5 miles south of Auburn (it may technically be in the city limits, I'm not really sure) and offers a lot of trails for mountain biking and trail running (and I suppose hiking as well).

Cheaha State Park is a little over an hour away and offers quite a bit more.

There are a couple of gyms in Auburn, though I'm not sure if they have indoor tracks. The largest commercial gym is Max Fitness, so you could give them a call and find out. There is a world-class gym on Auburn University's campus that students and employees can use... so if you or anyone in your household is going to be affiliated with the university, that would be a good option. I don't think they offer memberships to the public, but it is worth checking.

[rlcg37]

Thanks, Steve. Yeah, we've lived in places with nice bike paths through town, only there was no safe way to get to them (and there are only so many bikes you can cart in a car that is already transporting kids). Some towns tend to have sidewalks as a rule, and some do not, which of course affects where you run and who you take along with you.

I didn't realize Cheaha was that close--nice!