Like most people, the location of my home has been one of the most important factors for me each time I’ve decided to move.  For some people, nearby schools might be the key issue. For others, easy access to highways or a good fitness center might be the most important factor in picking a location.

For me, I need to live in an area that is walkable.

My current home hits a home run. Within 1 block, I can walk to Northwest Coffee, Scottish Arms (pub), The Block (restaurant, butcher shop & bar) and Cafe Ventana (free wifi cafe). If I stretch my walk another 2-3 blocks, you can add West End Grill & Pub (restaurant, bar & theater), Five Guys (burgers), a place that does BBQ daily plus more. Turn it into a 10 minute walk, and I’m down to Euclid at the location of the future Whole Foods store or at the Fox Theater, plus a dozen places in between.

How Walkable is Your Neighborhood?

Before I sold my house last fall, I was living in a part of University City that is definitely walkable…but I didn’t find myself walking all that much. My Walk Score was a 60.

I didn’t move because of the walkability issue. But since I was going to move, I wanted the area to be even more walkable than what I had been experiencing.

I succeeded.

My current home has a walk score of 80. And it definitely feels more walkable.

Of course, there is more to making an area walkable than just having places you could walk to nearby. My first house was in Rock Hill and it rates a 72 Walk Score. But, every single place I could walk to required me to walk along Manchester Rd, a major 4 lane street without sidewalks. Nobody walks around there unless they don’t have another option.

My University City home shown in the map above with a walk score of 60 was much more walkable than the Rock Hill house. It had nice quiet residential streets, sidewalks on major streets and plenty of people walking every day.

What is your walk score? 

Type in your address into the map on this website and find out how your neighborhood rates.

Do you think it is accurate in describing if your neighborhood really is walkable?