The 100% Truth About Good Ol Pittsburgh (Washington, California: restaurant, floor, stores)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by gameguy56

Do you mean hard to walk like it's physically difficult, yes. But you can't avoid that, Pittsburgh is built on hilly terrain. I'd say Pittsburgh is pretty walkable in comparison to most other cities in America, as long as you stay within the city limits. Naturally, suburbs are less walkable. Some suburbs do have walkable cores (like Sewickley), but most are like the North Hills. Just houses and strip malls.

I think the problem with these studies is they don't take stuff like the above into account. If you read the study, Minneapolis was highly rated. Minneapolis is one of the coldest cities in the US. My DD went to college in that area. You don't walk unless you have to in the dead of winter there! The hills are an impediment to walking in Pittsburgh. Cold in Minn. Heat in Phoenix. Etc.

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by oktaren

Mt. Washington is part of the city, is it not? And its not the only place in the city that is hard to walk. It was just one example.

I think you are vastly misinterpriting the spirit of my comment. You Seem to think that I was saying that Pittsburgh is the easiest place to walk, when I suggested no such thing. I suggested that Pittsburgh has more walkable neighborhoods than most other cities. More places where most of your needs are met in one general area which can be walked if you are willing. Damn right the terrian is difficult, I never denied that.

I have been to plenty of cities. And, I have walked quite a few of them. I did live on the street for a bit, so I know a bit about walking.

You attempted appeal to my emotions here won't work... I don't have any.

Of course if you compare it to something that stinks worse, it will smell better, but that doesn't mean it still don't stink.

Compare it to a place where you can easily walk, and Pittsburgh doesn't rank near the top.

Strawman. I said that Pittsburgh rank highly in terms of walkablility... not that it was a mecca of walkary... I invented a word there. Certainly Amsterdam is better... but that wasn't part of the comparison, so....

And I don't know why you find walking so difficult anyway, true, if you happen to live in one or two places where it sucks... then it sucks... but most of the parts of the city I have been to are good when it comes to what I can do without a car.

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I think the problem with these studies is they don't take stuff like the above into account. If you read the study, Minneapolis was highly rated. Minneapolis is one of the coldest cities in the US. My DD went to college in that area. You don't walk unless you have to in the dead of winter there! The hills are an impediment to walking in Pittsburgh. Cold in Minn. Heat in Phoenix. Etc.

Actually, Downtown Minneapolis has a system of subterranian and above street walkways so that often times, you don't have to leave the inside... at least not for long.

Even still, the weather wasn't great tonight, yet I had no real trouble walking from Pitt campus and back.

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

That is the study I saw, too. Unfortunately, it is in pdf which means you can't copy excerpts. But I thought this was too funny: "prior to 1987, Denver had no walkable areas" (paraphrasing). Excuse me? We lived in the city from 1980-82 and found a lot of walkable areas right in our own little hood. Downtown is where it has always been. Most of the city neighborhoods had the same little shopping areas they have now (there may be a few more, but the population has grown, too). If you make the definition specific enough, I guess you can find anything you want.

It's interesting that the Brookings Institution is located in Washington, DC and the report concluded that DC is # 1 and a model for the rest of the country!

If you are suggesting that Brookings has an agenda by placing the cities as they did, hardly. In fact, the D.C. metro is very, very good based on their criteria. Not only is Washington very well ploted out, but Georgetown and Alexandria are perfect examples of what great (19th century) urban planning can do, and they have fought hard to keep it that way.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by supersoulty

Actually, Downtown Minneapolis has a system of subterranian and above street walkways so that often times, you don't have to leave the inside... at least not for long.

Even still, the weather wasn't great tonight, yet I had no real trouble walking from Pitt campus and back.

Those are the key words. Yes, I've been there, I know about the walkways. In fact, I've used them. They don't go everywhere you want to go. And it's a lot colder, in general, in Minneapolis than it is in Pittsburgh. Average January temps in Minneapolis: high, 21; low 3. Currently 6 degrees. Averages in Pgh in Jan: High, 35; low 20, currently 30.

Re: your second critique, I was more referring to their comments about Denver. That is just hilarious, in addition to untrue. Plus, I've been to DC. I've seen the horrendous traffic, all day long on the highways. There may be walkable spots, but there is a ton of traffic there, too. Even with the Metro, which we took when we could.

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Those are the key words. Yes, I've been there, I know about the walkways. In fact, I've used them. They don't go everywhere you want to go. And it's a lot colder, in general, in Minneapolis than it is in Pittsburgh. Average January temps in Minneapolis: high, 21; low 3. Currently 6 degrees. Averages in Pgh in Jan: High, 35; low 20, currently 30.

Well then bundle up. I was out walking here a few days ago when it was +10 degrees with a windchill of -10. I've walked around in Erie when it was 0 with a wind chill of -20. When did people become so soft?

Re: your second critique, I was more referring to their comments about Denver. That is just hilarious, in addition to untrue. Plus, I've been to DC. I've seen the horrendous traffic, all day long on the highways. There may be walkable spots, but there is a ton of traffic there, too. Even with the Metro, which we took when we could.

You would know better than I would about Denver.

As for the traffic, well that has nothing to do with the topic of conversation, really, other than to say if more of those people got out and walked we might not have a problem there. ha

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by supersoulty

Well then bundle up. I was out walking here a few days ago when it was +10 degrees with a windchill of -10. I've walked around in Erie when it was 0 with a wind chill of -20. When did people become so soft?


You would know better than I would about Denver.

As for the traffic, well that has nothing to do with the topic of conversation, really, other than to say if more of those people got out and walked we might not have a problem there. ha

But did you walk extensively every day in temps like that? I"m telling you, that's what it's like in Minn, just about every day in the winter. So cold, my DD's college had "interim" in Jan, when most people studied off campus in places such as Hawaii. I agree, people in DC should drive less.

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

But did you walk extensively every day in temps like that? I"m telling you, that's what it's like in Minn, just about every day in the winter. So cold, my DD's college had "interim" in Jan, when most people studied off campus in places such as Hawaii. I agree, people in DC should drive less.

I am quite familiar with D.C. so I know what you are talking about there.

As for Minnesota... yeah, its cold, but I know what its like Erie gets pretty bad too. As bad, no... but its not enough to make a place totally unlivable.

[BrianTH]

I can't speak to Denver, but the Washington metropolitan area rating highly given this methodology makes perfect sense. It is in fact true that Washington has many distinct areas combining the various elements required. Just to give one example, the string of communities along the Orange Line in Arlington (Rosslyn, Court House, Clarendon, Ballston) were all credited, and rightly so since areas fitting the definition have developed around those Metro stops.

[Katarina Witt]

Well, the scientific method used was the experience and observations of the author, augmented by some other unnamed people and web-based searches. Hmm. In other words, the author may not have been to all these cities, in fact, in some cases, no one may have been there.