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Old 05-22-2015, 08:02 AM
 
Location: Central Mexico and Central Florida
7,150 posts, read 4,902,399 times
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This link settles this debate:

https://www.walkscore.com/FL/St._Petersburg/Downtown
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:38 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PDF View Post
I don't think weather should come into play when determining if an area is walkable, as some on here have done. A city/neighborhood is either walkable or it's not. Yes, our hot weather does play a factor in how enjoyable it is, but at the end of the day it doesn't affect how easy it is to live car-free or not.
I have lived in St. Petersburg FL (both downtown and a bit further up off of 4th street) without a car for 6 years now, and my experience is that it is not easy...and weather absolutely does play some part in this.

Biking/walking/standing at bus stops, lugging groceries/parcels home, etc. in 90-plus degree temps is not easy. The blocks here are much longer than typical city blocks...despite what others have posted, traffic is quite significant here...the air is dusty...the busses are slow and pretty much stop running at 10pm...St. Petersburg is VERY spread out and vast...if it is so easy to live without a car here, why do people look at me like I am nuts when I tell them I do not have one? And why do so many people have cars here? This is not the carless mecca that others here describe: folks who struggle financially (such as myself) are the ones who do not have cars here and it is tough.

Carless for me means not owning a car and having to walk to and from work, having to walk to and from grocery shopping - struggling with bags...getting poured on when the skies decide to open up, etc.

Carless for others here seems to entail driving their car over from Gulfport/Tampa/Dunedin/etc. and parking it along Central Avenue so that they can dip into the quaint little shops and cafes for iced tea and dessert, then drive to the beach for a swim before driving home: two completely different experiences.

I have lived in cities that are ACTUALLY walkable: NYC and San Francisco being the most notable...I have spent time in Boston: the ease with which one can get around in those cities does not even remotely compare to St. Petersburg...I have also lived in Austin and Austin is probably most like St. Petersburg in terms of "walkability": it's very hot, spread out and one really needs a car in order to enjoy any quality of life there.

Not trying to hate on St. Petersburg, or sound "bitter" as (again) I know that it's a great place for many people...but to claim that St. Petersburg is as walkable as genuinely walkable cities are is just not accurate.

Last edited by Lindacy; 05-22-2015 at 10:47 AM..
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lindacy View Post
Not trying to hate on St. Petersburg, or sound "bitter" as (again) I know that it's a great place for many people...but to claim that St. Petersburg is as walkable as genuinely walkable cities are is just not accurate.
I do agree with that, which is why I would never move to St. Pete as Downtown St. Pete is really just one walkable area of a very small city. I like to have an entire city at my disposal with multiple vibrant neighborhoods.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:43 AM
 
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Originally Posted by PDF View Post
I do agree with that, which is why I would never move to St. Pete as Downtown St. Pete is really just one walkable area of a very small city. I like to have an entire city at my disposal with multiple vibrant neighborhoods.
And this is precisely what I have been trying to say all along

Last edited by Lindacy; 05-22-2015 at 10:26 AM..
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:46 AM
 
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Having lived in a walkable city almost my entire life, I agree. But sure is nice to have DT St pete and things you can walk to vs. nothing to walk to at all.

Also, I like having a car and having a place to park it - something you do not have easily (or less than $500 a month to park it) in Nyc & SF. Having a car = exploring north Fl. - s. Fl - driving to Atlanta and lots more.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:48 AM
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And this was precisely what I have been trying to say all along
Hehe, we are getting somewhere.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:53 AM
 
Location: Seymour, CT
3,639 posts, read 3,338,756 times
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Certain sections of downtown are really easy to walk as others have said, but I disagree that weather SHOULDN'T take part in whether something is walkable or not! 0.25 mi isn't a long walk... but at 90 Degrees w/ 90% humidity it'll feel like a lifetime for some of us!

NYC is def an example of what a truly walkable city is. Don't get me wrong, I love DTSP... I just don't know that I could get by without a car. I MIGHT get by with a bicycle most of the year.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:57 AM
PDF
 
11,395 posts, read 13,413,542 times
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Originally Posted by wolf39us View Post
Certain sections of downtown are really easy to walk as others have said, but I disagree that weather SHOULDN'T take part in whether something is walkable or not! 0.25 mi isn't a long walk... but at 90 Degrees w/ 90% humidity it'll feel like a lifetime for some of us!

NYC is def an example of what a truly walkable city is. Don't get me wrong, I love DTSP... I just don't know that I could get by without a car. I MIGHT get by with a bicycle most of the year.
Have you been to NYC in the summer? It's pretty much the same. I just meant that omitting the weather, Downtown St. Pete can be just as walkable as other areas in other cities. The weather does not change the basics of a place that makes it walkable or not walkable. When you add in the weather and other factors, then you're not really discussing walkability any longer.
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Old 05-22-2015, 09:57 AM
 
49 posts, read 57,550 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 071402 View Post
Having lived in a walkable city almost my entire life, I agree. But sure is nice to have DT St pete and things you can walk to vs. nothing to walk to at all.

Also, I like having a car and having a place to park it - something you do not have easily (or less than $500 a month to park it) in Nyc & SF. Having a car = exploring north Fl. - s. Fl - driving to Atlanta and lots more.
I agree with both points, but they speak more about choice than necessity...one does not HAVE to have a car and pay $500 a month for parking in SF/NYC - that's a choice...one can live car-free in those places and walk/take public transit/bike and rent a car to explore areas outside of the city.

One really must have a car in order to "explore" and enjoy the entirety of St. Petersburg.
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Old 05-22-2015, 10:14 AM
 
Location: Seymour, CT
3,639 posts, read 3,338,756 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PDF View Post
Have you been to NYC in the summer? It's pretty much the same. I just meant that omitting the weather, Downtown St. Pete can be just as walkable as other areas in other cities. The weather does not change the basics of a place that makes it walkable or not walkable. When you add in the weather and other factors, then you're not really discussing walkability any longer.
I've been to NYC in the summer and the winter. I live just outside of Fairfield county in CT and have been to NYC more times than I can count. There are times when the heat is REALLY high in NYC, but it happens for a short while and then it's nice and cool again. Same thing can't be said about St. Pete.
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