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For those of you who desire a more walkable life, check out this link: Walk Score - Helping homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods.
I have had some fun playing with it today and find it fairly accurate. There are, of course, exceptions to its accuracy. But, overall, I think that it's going to give you a fairly good idea of how many resources are available nearby to any particular address.
BTW, my address's "Walk Score" is 82.
Hey, this is pretty neat! Mine was 83, but a few of the things listed were rather strange such as very loose interpretations of grocery stores. The one that puzzles me the most is that they list Glenwood Towers under "Parks"....
We live about 1 mile north of the magnificent mile in downtown Chicago.
Within a 10 minute walk or less, there are probably 100 restaurants, 2 of our bank's branches, three large grocery stores as well as a host of smaller ones, bakeries, running shops, five florists, cafes, the city's primary ZOO, the beautiful lakefront, et cetera et cetera.
Yet, our address only scores 83.
To its credit, the website points out flaws in its own algorithm, predominantly that its results are based solely on business listings with google maps. If Google's data is not current, then neither is your walk score.
We live about 1 mile north of the magnificent mile in downtown Chicago.
Within a 10 minute walk or less, there are probably 100 restaurants, 2 of our bank's branches, three large grocery stores as well as a host of smaller ones, bakeries, running shops, five florists, cafes, the city's primary ZOO, the beautiful lakefront, et cetera et cetera.
Yet, our address only scores 83.
To its credit, the website points out flaws in its own algorithm, predominantly that its results are based solely on business listings with google maps. If Google's data is not current, then neither is your walk score.
I agree that there are problems with its accuracy. That's why I mentioned it in my initial posting. However, I do think it's fairly interesting and gives one a sense of "walkability" when seeking a place to call home. I know that I would be using the tool if I were looking for a home in an unfamiliar place.
You can click on the "what it means" link next to the meter scale from worst to best and it will tell you what the score means. The following is from their website:
90 - 100 = Walkers' Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It's possible to get by without owning a car.
50 - 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
25 - 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
0 - 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!
This is neat. My walk score is a *2* (yes, that's correct). It's one of the prices we pay to live in the country. Of course, I do walk and hike a lot around my home---and there is nothing there but woods and fields :-)
Didn't work very well for me. Doesn't see the miles of greenway in my neighborhood and surrounding areas.
I think it must capture parks but not greenways. Remember, it's very formulaic with standard places the sites looks to locate. It's not perfect but a good high level tool.
For those of you who desire a more walkable life, check out this link: Walk Score - Helping homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods.
I have had some fun playing with it today and find it fairly accurate. There are, of course, exceptions to its accuracy. But, overall, I think that it's going to give you a fairly good idea of how many resources are available nearby to any particular address.
BTW, my address's "Walk Score" is 82.
Now thats fun! My address only has a score of 46 out of 100 but then, I don't do much walking anyway!!!
The distances are severely off. I put in my old neighborhood when I was in MD and it is listing movie theaters, malls and other things that are no less than 10 miles away as 1.5 and 2 miles. Another PHOOEY website
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Woefully misleading
