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Even groceries... I tend to buy once a month and buy in bulk.
Do you just put your bread, meat, fruits... a whole month's worth of food in the freezer?
Anyways, regarding people walking long distances. A lot people like to walk if the walk is pleasant, which could mean a serene natural setting, or an exciting urban setting. When I'm visiting a city I'll often walk over 10 miles in a day, just like I might walk a similar amount in nature. I usually don't have the time for that kind of distance, but I still enjoy walking shorter distances through parks and in town on a regular basis. If someone is walking 15 min to the store, it's not necessarily because they're such a hard core walker but because the walk is an enjoyable one. If the walk involves walking next to high speed traffic, parking lots, monotonous architecture, few pedestrians and little nature, it's not necessarily that it's so horribly unbearable. However, at that point, going to the store just becomes another chore so you spend as little time on it as possible (by driving) so you have more time for things you actually do enjoy.
My hobby and social circle is very much tied to antique autos... starting with my 1905 Curved Dash Oldsmobile.
Each year we have National meets and monthly local tours... San Francisco simply is not car friendly unless you have a lot of money. I have friends that pay $400 a month simply to garage their car in the city and hourly parking is outrageous in many areas.
For an individual, public transportation works quite well... not so with a family or traveling in a group.
Taking BART to the SF Airport can be $10 a person one way.
Don't get me wrong... SF has a beautiful skyline and one I enjoy looking at each evening as the sun goes down along with the city lights... from my cozy vantage in Oakland.
Living in a different city and SF being out of your way, I get. I rarely go to Midtown Manhattan because it is out of my way, but I have a hard time understanding why one wouldn't go to a city to visit just because it wasn't car friendly? I would think one would want to go to SF to get out of their car and walk around. That is like saying one doesn't like going to the mall because they have to walk everywhere once you get inside.
The being into classic cars thing is cool, but not relevant to the reason why you don't like SF. Personally I love classic cars, but I also enjoy when I can get out of a car and walk around.
Once a month I go to Costco Business... easy parking and almost no lines.
I will also go to a local Safeway on Sunday mornings for little things... easy parking and no lines.
At work I'm always the one that walks... which most of my co-workers find strange... but, I also find it a little strange they drive everywhere... even a block away and then drive to the 24 hour fitness after work to exercise.
I should add that I am often with my service truck and it has been broken into several times... never in Oakland.
There are shops I will no longer patronize because my vehicle is not safe... this includes the Home Depot in San Leandro.
Provide safe and easy parking and you will get my business.
Oakland and the East Bay have a huge regional park that spans many cities and two counties and it's a great place to go for a hike... even hike the Redwoods in Oakland.
As to strip malls... the most successful new retail bar none are the outlet shops around the Bay... they are far from public transportation and yet people will travel great distances simply to shop.
Not for me... yet a very successful business model
That is much different than saying one doesn't go to SF because it isn't car friendly is what is a sad way of life. I don't go to SF much because I don't live near SF, not because it is hard to drive in the city and parking is costly and I can't park outside of every place I want to go to.
But all of those things are true.... it is a pain to drive in SF, parking sucks, and being honest there isn't a whole lot SF offers that is not in Oakland. But it is only about 10 miles away, so it isn't technically very far. It isn't worth the hassle if you want to drive, even though, back in the days, for most Oakalnders, SF counted as a local call and not a local toll call.
One of the many problems with SF, if you live on the western end of the city, it is actually faster to get to downtown SF from Oakland via transit, than it is when you originate in SF. It takes about an hour from the Richmond district, whereas for most of Oakland it is less than 30 minutes.
But all of those things are true.... it is a pain to drive in SF, parking sucks, and being honest there isn't a whole lot SF offers that is not in Oakland. But it is only about 10 miles away, so it isn't technically very far. It isn't worth the hassle if you want to drive, even though, back in the days, for most Oakalnders, SF counted as a local call and not a local toll call.
One of the many problems with SF, if you live on the western end of the city, it is actually faster to get to downtown SF from Oakland via transit, than it is when you originate in SF. It takes about an hour from the Richmond district, whereas for most of Oakland it is less than 30 minutes.
That is more of a reason than not wanting to go to SF because it isn't car friendly. I have done things on the East Bay that didn't require a car and was a lot of fun, though when I do visit the Bay Area it is to primarily go to SF.
Regarding strip malls lately, that I have noticed, is that the totally vacant ones (or 99% so) are now being inhabited by such things as UPS stores (once mlles apart), fly by night (closed in 6 months) restaurants of wierd ilk, the proverbial Scotch Tape Store [of SNL], planned parenthood (whatever that is) and various and sundry government agencies (many I've never heard of). I am waiting for cuckoo clock shop to open in the strip mall nearby, anytime soon!
I've been waiting for thefinancial institutions to go ahead with foreclosures on the huge huge loans that went into building those zillions of eventually vacant places to begin with. But the new socialist financial world has mitigated that. It'd be nice if they instead started giving me some interest on my deposits instead of, far as I'm concerned, obviously subsidizing service industries and government agencies. More then just a few are going there, I might add.
In a normal world about two thirds of them should be mowed down - not for aesthetic reasons, btw.
Last edited by StuffedCabbage; 02-17-2014 at 02:40 PM..
Undercapitalization is always a risk... those with deep pockets hold on and/or pick the bones of those that couldn't hold on.
We have areas the city would like to see any kind of development... one that is a consortium of various agencies is the Foothill Square redevelopment... something like 45 million is being spent to update this center.
Anyone that has ever heard of Peterbilt trucks knows this is where it all started... when the factory moved to expand, it became retail.
Reading the link below expresses the real concern... if they build it will people come.
Do you just put your bread, meat, fruits... a whole month's worth of food in the freezer?
Anyways, regarding people walking long distances. A lot people like to walk if the walk is pleasant, which could mean a serene natural setting, or an exciting urban setting. When I'm visiting a city I'll often walk over 10 miles in a day, just like I might walk a similar amount in nature. I usually don't have the time for that kind of distance, but I still enjoy walking shorter distances through parks and in town on a regular basis. If someone is walking 15 min to the store, it's not necessarily because they're such a hard core walker but because the walk is an enjoyable one. If the walk involves walking next to high speed traffic, parking lots, monotonous architecture, few pedestrians and little nature, it's not necessarily that it's so horribly unbearable. However, at that point, going to the store just becomes another chore so you spend as little time on it as possible (by driving) so you have more time for things you actually do enjoy.
Most people buy and freeze meat. It may taste better fresh but the constant going to the store(very short shelf life--3-4 days) is annoying. Bread and fruit(depending on type--berries not, Apples yes) can last up to two weeks and milk has about a 14-20 day shelf life. In short you could make a quick trip about every 2 weeks to stock up on things with a short shelf life and I do know people that freeze bread and milk.
Where I live the stores that are "walkable" have the least selection of bread because this area is working class and not packed with stores that appeal to those with more disposable income. They have the shortest shelf life on milk and the fruit is of poor quality(and nothing that has a short shelf life like berries). If you want quality, you are going to have to either drive or catch a bus.
Most people buy and freeze meat. It may taste better fresh but the constant going to the store(very short shelf life--3-4 days) is annoying. Bread and fruit(depending on type--berries not, Apples yes) can last up to two weeks and milk has about a 14-20 day shelf life. In short you could make a quick trip about every 2 weeks to stock up on things with a short shelf life and I do know people that freeze bread and milk.
Where I live the stores that are "walkable" have the least selection of bread because this area is working class and not packed with stores that appeal to those with more disposable income. They have the shortest shelf life on milk and the fruit is of poor quality(and nothing that has a short shelf life like berries). If you want quality, you are going to have to either drive or catch a bus.
I shop at the grocery store 1-2x a week. I get a box of produce weekly, and then I typically buy some things over the weekend to tide me over. Sometimes I pick up stuff at the grocery on the way home from work. I work downtown in a small city, and we don't have many parking spaces in my building, so I park in the downtown lots. As a result, I pass several specialty markets, and just fill in what I am missing before I get in the car. And do my main shopping on Saturday and Sunday.
I don't buy bread or milk much. (Stick with Almond milk at home.) I can't fathom only going to the store less than once a week. I change my mind about dinner daily!
Some have mentioned strip malls with Home Depots or similar...
Don't know about you... I, would not want to have to carry sheets of drywall or plywood are 50lb boxes of nails no matter how friendly.
In Urbantopia, you don't carry sheets of drywall or plywood or 50lb boxes of nails. Because you don't own a house, you rent an apartment.
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