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Sprawling cities tend to get a lot of flack from those that prioritize walkable non car dependent development, so I thought I'd make a thread highlighting good urban development in metro areas not known for it.
So what are the best neighborhoods for a car-light lifestyle where you can easily get by only using your car a few times a month, with maybe the exception of commuting to work?
I'd like to exclude downtowns and CBDs with the exception of ones that have high residential populations. Many downtowns are structurally urban but lack good access to amenities needed for living because they are functionally used as urban office parks.
There are a surprising number of urban areas in the core parts of Orlando. It just gets overlooked by outsiders due to the hideous sprawl surrounding it.
In Austin:
Very urban neighborhoods would be West Campus (but it's almost entirely students), Downtown (it's definitely not an office park and has a rapidly growing 30k or so residents), and the east side directly east of I35 by plaza saltillo. You can definitely live day to day life without a car in the Domain area as well, though there would be a lot less variety than you get downtown. Mueller can also be walkable for day to day life but there aren't too many offices there.
Walkable suburban areas would be the core neighborhoods like Clarksville, Zilker, Bouldin Creek, Holly, Cherrywood, Hyde Park, etc. You'll want to own a car here but you won't need it every single day, particularly if you like riding a bike. Transit coverage in these neighborhoods is good but it can be a bit slow; I usually prefer biking. We are a one car family in one of these hoods.
There are a surprising number of urban areas in the core parts of Orlando. It just gets overlooked by outsiders due to the hideous sprawl surrounding it.
I had no clue Orlando was like this until recent posts on CD. Only thing missing is LRT or BRT?
Quote:
Originally Posted by whereiend
In Austin:
Very urban neighborhoods would be West Campus (but it's almost entirely students), Downtown (it's definitely not an office park and has a rapidly growing 30k or so residents), and the east side directly east of I35 by plaza saltillo. You can definitely live day to day life without a car in the Domain area as well, though there would be a lot less variety than you get downtown. Mueller can also be walkable for day to day life but there aren't too many offices there.
Walkable suburban areas would be the core neighborhoods like Clarksville, Zilker, Bouldin Creek, Holly, Cherrywood, Hyde Park, etc. You'll want to own a car here but you won't need it every single day, particularly if you like riding a bike. Transit coverage in these neighborhoods is good but it can be a bit slow; I usually prefer biking. We are a one car family in one of these hoods.
Austin is serious about being a big city. I can't wait to see how the city feels when they get LRT.
These are a few of my favorite hoods that are not considered as CBD. Lafayette Sq and Tower Grove are missing Metrolink access but both have pretty good bus connection. All have markets and grocery stores and plenty of amenities.
Last edited by mjtinmemphis; 06-04-2022 at 05:45 PM..
Houston which has excessive suburban sprawl has several urban neighborhoods that are walkable and bike friendly.
1. Midtown is south of downtown, has many local restaurants and shops and straddles a light rail line.
2. Montrose is west of downtown. Very walkable with many local shops and businesses.
3. Heights is northwest of downtown. Bike paths throughout that connect the neighborhood to downtown. A hot spot for new restaurants and local shops.
All of these neighborhood are getting more densely populated. Many apartments are being built in each neighborhood. Good or bad, there is extensive gentrification going on in each area as well.
Other neighborhoods that border these neighborhoods include Sawyer Heights and Rice Military.
There are a surprising number of urban areas in the core parts of Orlando. It just gets overlooked by outsiders due to the hideous sprawl surrounding it.
Atlanta actually has very nice urban in town neighborhoods such as Midtown, West Midtown/Atlantic Station, Old Fourth Ward, Grant Park, Virginia Highlands, Buckhead. These areas are very walkable and bustling with plenty to do and have good diversity. Even a little further from the city center you have the Cumberland/Vinings area and the Perimeter area which are still fairly urban but require a car. There are other areas as well these are just areas off the top of my head. There’s a lot gentrification going on in parts of the west side, Mechanicsville, and other parts of the city. For a sprawling metropolis I think Atlanta does well and offers a fairly urban lifestyle for those that seek it. It’s not New York or Chicago but for a southern city it’s not terrible.
There are a surprising number of urban areas in the core parts of Orlando. It just gets overlooked by outsiders due to the hideous sprawl surrounding it.
Wouldn't have guessed Orlando had many neighborhoods like that with its reputation! South Eola looks particularly impressive, and Baldwin Park looks like a nice upscale area with dense housing. I'm sure it's a matter of zoning but some more commercial activity mixed into the areas away from New Broad St would do a lot for Baldwin Park.
Quote:
Originally Posted by whereiend
In Austin:
Very urban neighborhoods would be West Campus (but it's almost entirely students), Downtown (it's definitely not an office park and has a rapidly growing 30k or so residents), and the east side directly east of I35 by plaza saltillo. You can definitely live day to day life without a car in the Domain area as well, though there would be a lot less variety than you get downtown. Mueller can also be walkable for day to day life but there aren't too many offices there.
Walkable suburban areas would be the core neighborhoods like Clarksville, Zilker, Bouldin Creek, Holly, Cherrywood, Hyde Park, etc. You'll want to own a car here but you won't need it every single day, particularly if you like riding a bike. Transit coverage in these neighborhoods is good but it can be a bit slow; I usually prefer biking. We are a one car family in one of these hoods.
Its been a few years since I've been to Austin, but there was a impressive amount of focus on its core. Between a rapidly growing downtown, lots of infill in the surrounding neighborhoods and light rail coming I'm excited for the city's future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis
I had no clue Orlando was like this until recent posts on CD. Only thing missing is LRT or BRT?
Austin is serious about being a big city. I can't wait to see how the city feels when they get LRT.
These are a few of my favorite hoods that are not considered as CBD. Lafayette Sq and Tower Grove are missing Metrolink access but both have pretty good bus connection. All have markets and grocery stores and plenty of amenities.
St. Louis definitely flies under the radar for urban neighborhoods that are a great value, as do several legacy midwestern cities.
These are a few of my favorite hoods that are not considered as CBD. Lafayette Sq and Tower Grove are missing Metrolink access but both have pretty good bus connection. All have markets and grocery stores and plenty of amenities.
While I wouldn't characterize St. Louis as a city know for urban sprawl, it definitely seems to be underrated for its urbanity as are several other Midwestern cities in general.
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