What's the most pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in Texas? (Houston, Dallas: theater, construction)

[atxcio]

It's West Campus in Austin. The roads are narrow, everyplace you need to go is walkable, sidewalks are everywhere, and pedestrians and cyclists absolutely dominate the roads. A car is far more likely to get hit by a bicycle or pedestrian than vice-versa.

Of course, I'm sure there are many student areas like that all over Texas; but not of the same size and magnitude.

Downtown Austin is getting there, especially with all the new residential and bike/car sharing programs. But it is still less safe to cross the roads and there is no urban rail yet.

Outside of Austin, I'd say Montrose in Houston above Uptown Dallas or Midtown Houston.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by atxcio

It's West Campus in Austin. The roads are narrow, everyplace you need to go is walkable, sidewalks are everywhere, and pedestrians and cyclists absolutely dominate the roads. A car is far more likely to get hit by a bicycle or pedestrian than vice-versa.

Of course, I'm sure there are many student areas like that all over Texas; but not of the same size and magnitude.

Downtown Austin is getting there, especially with all the new residential and bike/car sharing programs. But it is still less safe to cross the roads and there is no urban rail yet.

Outside of Austin, I'd say Montrose in Houston above Uptown Dallas or Midtown Houston.

Same things I was thinking.

Basically, the most walkable neighborhoods aren't listed on this poll.

[stoneclaw]

Montrose Houston and Rice Village Houston are easily just as pedestrian friendly than Uptown Dallas, if not more. I think what pushes people to think Uptown Dallas first is its high modernism: the style of developments (retail below condos/apartments) and the trolley running through. While the setting of it does appear to cater to pedestrians more, it doesn't automatically make it more pedestrian.

Midtown Houston is growing and is well on its way to achieving the same thing. I mean, there are more residents living there than Uptown Dallas. Hopefully with all the new residential developments, the superblock, and superblock park, it won't be long before developers interest spark for a new hotel or mid- sized tower(s) in the area.

[orzo]

Originally Posted by atxcio

It's West Campus in Austin. The roads are narrow, everyplace you need to go is walkable, sidewalks are everywhere, and pedestrians and cyclists absolutely dominate the roads. A car is far more likely to get hit by a bicycle or pedestrian than vice-versa.

Of course, I'm sure there are many student areas like that all over Texas; but not of the same size and magnitude.

Downtown Austin is getting there, especially with all the new residential and bike/car sharing programs. But it is still less safe to cross the roads and there is no urban rail yet.

Outside of Austin, I'd say Montrose in Houston above Uptown Dallas or Midtown Houston.

Where in Montrose exactly is more walkable than Uptown Dallas? You're right that it should have been on the list, but I just don't see being as walkable as Uptown.

[Komeht]

Uptown Dallas but its closely followed by downtown Austin which is increasingly good, especially if you consider nearby SoCo and SoLa as downtown. In next 5 years Austin will ride part 2 of this wave and will be well on way for creating a large walkable/livable district.

San Antonio is only walkable for tourists. There really aren't the necessary goods and services for being livable - not like Dallas or Austin anyway

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by orzo

Where in Montrose exactly is more walkable than Uptown Dallas? You're right that it should have been on the list, but I just don't see being as walkable as Uptown.

The Westheimer curve/lower Westheimer in Montrose is very walkable by the nature of the shops close together in a small mile radius. And it doesn't just end there, more spills over to Montrose Blvd (north of Westheimer) and even immediately south of Westheimer. The streets in the southern portion of the 'trose are very narrow like what you'd see in Philadelphia or Uptown Dallas, which makes it easy for proximity of retail, bars/restaurants, and clubs to be close together.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by orzo

Where in Montrose exactly is more walkable than Uptown Dallas? You're right that it should have been on the list, but I just don't see being as walkable as Uptown.

The Montrose neighborhood as a whole. Sure, walkscore is a flawed measure... but is there an alternate metric that can be used?
Walk Score of montrose houston

Couldn't really find "Uptown Dallas" as a neighborhood itself listed on Walkscore, but looking at the neighborhoods that comprise it (made sure to include locations close to the rail), it's lower:
Oak Lawn Dallas | Walk Score

Other than that, it's pretty much up to anecdotal/personal experience (which is what the poll is about, right?) In my experience, Montrose is more walkable.

[R1070]

Originally Posted by stoneclaw

To me, Downtown San Antonio still holds the crown as the most pedestrian friendly neighborhood in Texas.

Uptown Dallas is quite impressive and I think it probably holds a close second, maybe tied with Austin's 6th street. Midtown Houston is still in the making and is currently booming, so it shouldn't be written off yet.

But I think Downtown Fort Worth, Rice Village and Montrose Houston deserve to be on this list.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Montrose area of Houston, but I've seen other posters refer to it as walkable and I'm not really sure I agree.
What i've seen of it is narrow broken up sidewalks (if the street even has a sidewalk) and very little streetscape if any. Some of the streets in the residential area in the NE quadrant of the Montrose/Westheimer intersection don't have sidewalks at all, the streets are very narrow (almost has a rural look to it but with townhomes, etc built there. It's quite an odd look, I don't really understand how it's laid out. Quite a bit of the neighborhood has strip shopping centers that are very car oriented also. I do like the quirkiness of the neighborhood though, I just don't know if I'd really consider it as one of the more walkable areas of Texas.

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by R1070

Don't get me wrong, I like the Montrose area of Houston, but I've seen other posters refer to it as walkable and I'm not really sure I agree.
What i've seen of it is narrow broken up sidewalks (if the street even has a sidewalk) and very little streetscape if any. Some of the streets in the residential area in the NE quadrant of the Montrose/Westheimer intersection don't have sidewalks at all, the streets are very narrow (almost has a rural look to it but with townhomes, etc built there. It's quite an odd look, I don't really understand how it's laid out. Quite a bit of the neighborhood has strip shopping centers that are very car oriented also. I do like the quirkiness of the neighborhood though, I just don't know if I'd really consider it as one of the more walkable areas of Texas.

Well with respect, your personal standards may be different. Just because you don't see it as a walkable neighborhood in Texas, doesn't mean that there aren't pedestrians there. It doesn't mean that there aren't clubs/bars, and retail stores all within a close proximity. What you might call rural, someone else might see it as eclectic/nostalgic. Even if it gives that kind of feel, I have to say congratulations because that could be viewed as a characteristic, because in actuality, there's nothing rural about Montrose.

New Orleans Louisiana, a city known for a quirky/fun city is a pedestrian city by the way its built. It has older style developments. Just because its not built exactly like Uptown Dallas's new and shiny appearance, doesn't take away from it. Bourbon street, New York City has plenty of cracking or no sidewalks, still pedestrian in terms of proximity to everything. Uptown Dallas is very impressive, and almost feeling like a mini San Fransisco with the trolley and slight hills. It seems to thrive on having more patio bars and things in a small mile radius than Houston, but i've too seen mini strip shopping centers in the Uptown Dallas area. Its not like Houston doesn't offer a taste of what you see in UTD because Midtown Houston is currently on the rise.

[R1070]

I think Montrose has the business base, I just think Houston could do a better job investing in the pedestrian infrastructure in that area. I feel like Knox-Henderson and Oak Lawn (which do flow into Uptown Dallas) are more pedestrian oriented than a lot of the inner Houston neighborhoods as well.