Houston is the most "walkable" city in Texas (Dallas: shop, moving)

[mchan1]

Try walking at certain areas outside the loop at night especially on the West side like Westchase and south of Harwin.

Many areas are not that "safe". Ever look back in your car's mirrors to see some vehicle follow you for a few blocks? Ever have people follow you then come up to you panhandling? Try telling that to a single female.

At least inside the loop, there's more sidewalks and street lights in what looks like a "normal" neighborhood in most places but not in Houston. There's lots of places, as many posters have commented, that lack sidewalks or even brightly lit streets.

Also, the hot weather is not conducive for walking. You'll literally pass out from dehydration/sunstroke on days when it's hot!

Not everyone has a decent paying job to afford living in decent neighborhoods in the inner loop like the Montrose or Upper sections of Houston. There's more to life than those found in the inner loop.

[winkosmosis]

Originally Posted by mchan1

Try walking at certain areas outside the loop at night especially on the West side like Westchase and south of Harwin.

Many areas are not that "safe". Ever look back in your car's mirrors to see some vehicle follow you for a few blocks? Ever have people follow you then come up to you panhandling? Try telling that to a single female.

At least inside the loop, there's more sidewalks and street lights in what looks like a "normal" neighborhood in most places but not in Houston. There's lots of places, as many posters have commented, that lack sidewalks or even brightly lit streets.

Also, the hot weather is not conducive for walking. You'll literally pass out from dehydration/sunstroke on days when it's hot!

Not everyone has a decent paying job to afford living in decent neighborhoods in the inner loop like the Montrose or Upper sections of Houston. There's more to life than those found in the inner loop.

Yeah, kind of bizarre that a lot of the urban neighborhoods in Houston have no sidewalks. Just a ditch. Plus the road is narrow

[Spade]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Yeah, kind of bizarre that a lot of the urban neighborhoods in Houston have no sidewalks. Just a ditch. Plus the road is narrow

The barrow roads don't bother me that much. It's the ditches and no sidewalks that's a problem. I have to remind myself if I'm in a major vibrant growing metropolis or if I'm in Crossett, Arkansas when I'm in Houston.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by Spade

The barrow roads don't bother me that much. It's the ditches and no sidewalks that's a problem. I have to remind myself if I'm in a major vibrant growing metropolis or if I'm in Crossett, Arkansas when I'm in Houston.

lol and they're still doing it.

They recently went through an urbanization process in midtown Houston, but the sidewalks are still crazy small and that area gets heavy feet traffic on club nights.

[wooliemonster]

Midtown is reasonably walkable. I take the train to my office everyday; a 10 minute walk and a 10 minute ride. However, even here some blocks don't have sidewalks (!!!) and the lack of shade is absolutely brutal in the Summer. Biking is a nice option when it's cooler outside, takes about 15 minutes on a bike designated street. However, the attitude of drivers in this city is unacceptable, and I have had people going 45mph down a quiet residential street try to force me off the road.

[wooliemonster]

I had a long comment typed up about how Galveston is really the best model for an urban and walkable city for SE Texas, but the terrible forum software gobbled it up when the site went down for maintenance.

And to the person who left a reputation comment "roads are for cars", that's a great example of why this native Texan is leaving the state.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Spade

The barrow roads don't bother me that much. It's the ditches and no sidewalks that's a problem. I have to remind myself if I'm in a major vibrant growing metropolis or if I'm in Crossett, Arkansas when I'm in Houston.

LOL - I agree. I wonder if folks who have lived in Houston all their lives think the presence of ditches and the lack of sidewalks is how simply how all cities are designed. I can honestly attest that I don't recall seeing ditches in any other major city I've ever visited or lived in. Here are a few examples (And these are ITL):

http://goo.gl/maps/8iVtQ

http://goo.gl/maps/qMA3J

http://goo.gl/maps/N7iZM

Remember, this thread is the most walkable city in Texas. It is 23rd when looking outside of the bubble at the entire country.

[Spade]

^^ yes. The infrastructure of Houston definitely needs improvement. No maybes in that. Yes I rarely if ever saw ditches along areas with or without sidewalks in other cities. This is fine if you were still a city of 50k. Not a metro of 6.3 million.

Originally Posted by wooliemonster

Midtown is reasonably walkable. I take the train to my office everyday; a 10 minute walk and a 10 minute ride. However, even here some blocks don't have sidewalks (!!!) and the lack of shade is absolutely brutal in the Summer. Biking is a nice option when it's cooler outside, takes about 15 minutes on a bike designated street. However, the attitude of drivers in this city is unacceptable, and I have had people going 45mph down a quiet residential street try to force me off the road.

Your last part hits the nail perfectly when I discuss with people regarding sidewalks. People try to justify walking in the road is not anymore dangerous than walking on sidewalks. Anybody with this type of mindset has never lived outside Texas. Cars nor pedestrians are not ever willing to compete with each other. Cars and bikers aren't either.

[Ralyber]

Originally Posted by oducksftw!

oh riiiiight city centre... The perfect example to prove to everyone that houston is a more walkable city! And oh look theres a studio movie grill there as well.

And there is nooo way these folks drove here... They must have definitely walked here. Those cars sitting in the multistory garage parking lots? Nah those are just there to make it seem that the garage is being used.

Houston is so beautiful, i mean look at those pictures, just wow, there is no way thats a facade, definitely indicative of the city as a whole.

+1

[Calisonn]

Is Houston really the most walkable city in Texas? If so....