Wishing For Walkability
Posted by jefferson on Jan 15, 2013 in Saving Money | 76 comments
I have spent the better part of the last twenty years living in the St. Louis area. The city itself has only 300,000 people, but the metro area has over three million, dispersed into dozens of suburbs. Some jobs are located in the city proper, but just as many are located all throughout the area. Because of this, many folks end up living in a different part of town than they work. Since the mass transit system is mediocre at best, and the bus service doesn’t even make it out most areas, car ownership is a big part of life when you live in this area.
Throughout the suburbs, city planners here didn’t seem to focus on mixing residential and commercial zones. This leads to much of the area (especially outside of the city) scoring very low when it comes to “walkability” metrics. This leads to a situation where if you are wanting to go anywhere, you are going to need to drive there.
As for my family, we live in a lovely subdivision with a neighborhood pool and sidewalks throughout, but there is little within walking distance outside of the subdivision. One of the things that we love about living here is that we can safely take the family for a walk around the block, even at night, and we will generally see a half dozen or so other families out doing the same thing. However, walking to a restaurant for dinner, or to a local pub to watch the game is not an option. The kids schools are too far away to walk, and there isn’t a park or playground that we can visit without hopping in the family car.
I look at how much money that we spend on our cars each year and I can’t help but wonder how much money we would save if we didn’t have to drive so much. When you factor in gasoline, repairs, insurance, and of course the costs themselves to own or lease cars, the expenses can really add up. If and when we ever decide to leave our current home, it would be nice to find a way to reduce these expenses.
One option that we could take is to live closer to where I work. My current commute time is about 25 minutes, but it sure would be great to save on both money and productivity by living within 10 minutes of my employer. In the past, I was able to overcome this somewhat by regularly telecommuting (working from home), but that option doesn’t make a ton of sense in my current role. Of course, most people switch jobs multiple times in their career, and it would be a shame to relocate to be close to one employer, and then find yourself working somewhere else a few years down the road.
I don’t know if living in a true urban environment would work well for our family. You certainly get more walkability living in the city, but you also typically get an uptick in crime to go along with it. Even more important, the school system in many large cities (certainly in St. Louis), is often mediocre or worse. Living in an area with good schools is a top priority for Michelle and I.
A new option that has a lot of appeal for me personally is the “New Urbanism” planned communities that have sprung up around the country. These developments often pop up in suburban areas and include commercial districts with shops, bars, and restaurants within walking distance of the residential areas. In addition, they often include schools, parks, and playgrounds within the community. Even more appealing is how these areas often host regular social events (parades, concerts) to help bring the people together, and to keep people active. There is really only one of these developments in the St. Louis area, and while nice in some ways, it isn’t a good fit for us. That said, if we ever decide to relocate to a different city, I would seriously consider trying to settle into a “new urban” development.
Regardless of your situation, the walkability of where you live can have a direct impact on your budget. If you don’t have to purchase that second car, or can choose to walk instead of drive to all of your family activities, you could save hundreds of dollars every month. If you are a small business owner, perhaps you can choose to locate in an area with high walkability, which will increase your foot traffic and perhaps allow you to cut costs on your business car lease.
How “walkable” is your town?
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I remember when I wasw a kid, we coudl walk everywhere. We walked 1.5 miles to school, to our friends’ houses, to the arcade…everywhere! And we were in the suburbs. But someimtes today I drive through neighborhoods and don’t see sidewalks or see that they’re isolated in the middle of nowhere…it’s weird. And sucks for everyone becuase there’s no where to walk! City planners shoudl do better.
TB at BlueCollarWorkman recently posted..What It Means To Know Someone Personally
I lived in a small town when I was younger and had a similar situation.. But since then, it has been mainly suburban living.. Now, I have no objections to suburban living in general.. I enjoy the safety and good schools.. But I really can’t walk anywhere outside of my neighborhood, which is frustrating.
Wow! You nailed my pet project. I’m the President of a group in Texarkana called Partnership for the Pathway….we create more walking trails (really wide sidewalks) around town to improve walkability. This city was built at a time when the love affair with cars was in full swing, so there often aren’t even sidewalks in neighborhoods (even really, really nice neighborhoods). Great wishes, Jefferson. Trails save money, makes people healthy, and improves property values.
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What a great project, Joe!.. Good for you. Thankfully, my neighborhood itself has sidewalks, but once we leave the neighborhood.. Not much is available
Walkability is a problem for us in Southern California as well. Unless you live downtown or right on the commuter train line, it’s impossible to count on public transportation.
I would love to live in downtown setting especially now that our nest is empty, but my husband likes suburbia!
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Sometimes you gotta find that compromise in a marriage
Living downtown is just not an option for us.. The schools there are terrible, and our kids are our top priority.
I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul. It sounds like we’re a lot like the St. Louis area. Our public transit system is okay at best and doesn’t do well out here in the outer suburbs, where I live.
I also dislike the fact that I have to drive so much. I am lucky to live very close to work (about 2 miles), and starting this spring, I plan to ride my bike to work most days instead of drive.
Regarding your mention of new urbanism, I agree that it’s a good alternative to city living. Our city has something like that, about 2 miles from here. Luckily, my work is right around the corner from it too. Perhaps, I should look into renting there instead of here. That could cut down my driving significantly.
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I want to try a new urbanism setup at some point in my life.. I don’t know when. When I first started working at my current company, they were actually only a 10 minute drive (and about a 30 minute bike).. But a few years ago, they built a new office and my drive time almost tripled. The new office is nice, but not THAT nice
This is yet another “wow Kathleen is spoiled” eye openers. My city is extremely walkable, and the closer to downtown, the better.
Kathleen @ Frugal Portland recently posted..The Frugal Portland Philosophy
Portland has one of the best reputations in the country when it comes to walkability, which is great. But I know that it all comes full circle when you factor in your housing costs!
St. Louis sounds like a smaller version of Los Angeles; large, dense metro surrounded by sprawling suburbs. I’m very fortunate that I live very close to my work in the suburb I live in. I can ride my bike most days. However, walking to a restaurant is a little more difficult. Sure, I can ride my bike, but if Mr. LH isn’t feeling like doing that, then we drive. A more “urban” area would be nice if crime wasn’t any higher.
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I think that I want the best of both worlds, and I wonder how much that is really possible. I can say with certainty that the drive to and from work, in traffic each way, certainly gets old.
When you say walkability metrics, are you thinking something like Walk Score (http://www.walkscore.com/)? Mine is a 52 – right in the middle by their metrics, and I get a “Some amenities are within walking distance”, haha. Mostly schools.
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Unfortunately, even our schools are really too far away to walk. My oldest son’s middle school is a 25 minute drive.
In our community, they have made a pretty big effort to put a trail system that can get you pretty much anywhere in the city. Obviously you still have to cross major streets and such but there’s really no way around that unless you built bridges/tunnels, which is cost prohibitive. Now the trick is getting more people to use them regularly. Michigan is definitely a ‘get in your car and drive’ state.
Michael @ So You Think You Can Save recently posted..Enjoy Quiet Time
I think people are programmed that way, all across the country. But some cities are certainly laid out better than others to facilitate alternate modes of transportation. How do we get people to change their habits? I would think that continually rising fuel costs will most likely do it eventually.
I think this is a great topic. However, wouldn’t living in one of these ideal communities cost more as well? I wonder if the car savings would offset the increased costs.
Lance @ Money Life and More recently posted..What Did I Do With My Raise in 2013?
It really depends, Lance.. And I don’t know that absolutely everyone would consider them ideal. Many of these types of places have an HOA with restrictions, and that rubs many folks the wrong way. As for myself, I don’t really place a lot of value on having property out away from people where I can do whatever I want.
Consider that the value of driving less can not just be measured in pure dollars and cents.. You must also factor in the time that you can save.
I’m fortunate enough to say that my town is walkable. Sidewalks and parks everywhere. As someone who has visited st. louis twice, I do see your point on the downtown core. The burbs are very nice, with great shopping. What was interesting was trying to get a cab in the burbs to the downtown core late at night or the other way around – let’s just say I wasn’t impressed!
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Yeah.. Many parts of STL city are fairly high crime.. I think we were the murder capital of the US for a while.. But out here in the burbs, it’s crickets and sunshine for the most part.. But yeah, walkability is virtually non-existant.
Prior to moving a few months ago, all we knew was walking. We lived in NYC and Boston and loved being freed from a car. Our favorite pastime was going on walks at night through Central Park in NYC and the North End in Boston. We’ve actually really missed going on those walks.
We currently live in the Southeast and we’ve had to revert to life with a car. We’ve plotted out a path that we’ve walked a couple times on Saturday morning, but it requires walking on some farmland. And that likely won’t work out well with our current stroller. Bummer.
Johnny @ Our Freaking Budget recently posted..Financial Baby Steps for Your Baby
Yeah.. It sounds like you guys are in the midst of a fairly major change.. but I would imagine it is for the most part a good thing for your new baby..
I live in Kansas City and our situation is exactly as you’ve described it in STL. I would love a more walkable neighborhood and I also keep my eyes open for those new mixed residential/commercial communities you describe. Our next move will probably be our last – when the kids are out of the house – so I’m curious to see what pops up between now and then.
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I dont foresee us relocating anytime soon.. We really do love our house,and have plans for a few repairs that will make us love it even more. But if and when we do move, walkability will definitely be a factor.
Our city is 6 square miles but it takes me 18 minutes to drive 4mi because I have to drive through town or take the highways that form a circle around the town. Hubs and I actually decided against putting an offer on a certain condo because we would have to get a second car. After adding all the expenses up, it made more sense to wait for a condo down the street to go on the market so hubs can continue to walk to work. It saves a lot of money (and road rage).
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I think that sitting in traffic is bad for the soul.. I really do. Being able to walk to work is a huge perk that shouldnt be undervalued.
Great post and super interesting to hear about this. Being from the UK we don’t really have this problem all too much, theres almost always another option to driving (other than if you live right out in the country).
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In the UK, with everything a bit more condensed, I think that they tend to take public transportation much more seriously.. Here, it is mostly used by low-income folks (sad, but true).
We live in downtown Portland and our walk score is 98. We love it. Almost everything we need is within walking distance. Now that I’m not working anymore, I only drive once or twice a week. We also have good public transit and bike lanes so there are many options for the urban dweller. Our public high school is one of the best in the state and I feel quite fortunate to live here. Our condo is quite expensive though.
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Yeah.. sometimes you can pay for the privilege.. but I am jealous. Only having to drive 1-2 times p/week would be absolutely sweet.
I’m lucky to be in Boston, which is very walkable. I’m just outside the city center, so I’m walking distance to most things I need to get to.
I can also ride my bike, jump on the bus or subway and run to my errands for the majority of them–it’s always interesting to see my Dentist’s face when I turn up sweaty and in running clothes for my appointment…sorry!
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I think that is so great.. Are you still able to do much walking in the cold Boston winter?
I totally agree. The way many cities are planned requires so much unneeded driving. I like my suburban town but there are definitely times when I wish that I could just walk everywhere.
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There is a good side to living in Suburbia for sure, especially if you have kids.. but we do pay a price by sacrificing a good portion of our life to be spent behind the wheel.
My hometown of Canton, Massachusetts is actually quite “walkable”. It is a suburb of Boston, about 20 miles outside of the city, so its not walkable to get into the actual city, but talking about things you express here like parks or shopping areas, it is definitely quite “walkable”. I think the main idea here is in terms of entertainment for your family as a whole. Being able to walk here and there whether its to a convenient store or to a playground definitely makes a difference in gas and such.
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That is great, and is really what I am looking for. I don’t want to live *in* a big city per se.. But in a surrounding area that has a community all its own, with plenty of things to walk to..
Now that I live in the middle of nowhere, I can certainly walk but not to anything convenient! I don’t really like having to rely on a car but it has become necessary. The nearest supermarket is 30 miles away. I miss the times when I could walk everywhere, but you can’t have it all. Walking and having access to public transport is awesome, and a big money saver, although you probably still need a car for weekends and getaways.
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Yes Pauline.. I dont think you are going to ever fully shake the need for a car.. I just hate being sooo dependent. Gas prices aren’t going to get any cheaper and with the amount of driving that I do, my situation could get quite precarious.
Ours is a bit of a mixed bag. We can walk to the grocery, the gym, Walgreens, the beach, lots of restaurants… but our jobs are both solid drives away.
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I think I would take this happy medium, Mrs. Pop. Being able to walk to the beach would be amazing, of course.
I personally live in a large “town” with superb schools and great sidewalks and bike lanes. My brother and I ride our bikes to and from school everyday, and many other students walk. I personally don’t understand not being able to walk place to place because of this. My “walking score” is only a 49, but if I couldn’t use a car, I could easily bike anywhere I needed to.
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Yeah.. some of those metrics are a little odd. It sounds like your place is certainly located in a much better location than mine..
My part of town is walkable, but not spectacularly so. Ther are schools nearby, and a handful of restaurants, but groceries and entertainment are entirely different stories.
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Yeah.. Many parts of the STL metro area are like this as well…
We live in Omaha ourselves and it’s exactly the same as St. Louis. Sure, we could walk to the grocery store or a McD’s if we want, which is a about a mile away, but do I really WANT to walk to McD’s for anything?
Beyond that you have to have a car.
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Walking to McD’s would probably be a net-loss on the health factor
“…Of course, most people switch jobs multiple times in their career, and it would be a shame to relocate to be close to one employer, and then find yourself working somewhere else a few years down the road.”
This is exactly why we did not buy a house near my employer. We bought a house in a first ring-suburb that is essentially “in the middle” of it all (we live in Minneapolis-St.Paul metro area so middle essentially i mean between the two) because neither of us knows where we will be working 2,5,10 years down the road, and I don’t particularly like the area of the metro where my current office is. Thankfully where we bought we are never going to be “too” far from any one employer.
Our neighborhood is fairly walkable. There are a bunch of shops/restaurants/etc. that are about 6 blocks down. Most areas of the Twin Cities metro are similar to St. Louis, though, where walkability was NOT factored in. Public transit is tricky as well, though they are investing massive $ into light rail (unfortunately it doesn’t help you much unless you live on the light rail…).
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I love the Twin Cities .. Just a little bit too chilly in the winters for us.. That said, it sounds like your neighborhood is a good one, DC.
Thought provoking article, Jefferson. We recently moved from a “new urban” type of suburb to a home out in the country. Our urban area had lots of wonderful walking paths, and every convenience you could want. But moving further away has had benefits we did not expect.
Although hubby has to drive farther to work now, we find that for the kids and I, we are much more content to stay home and do lots less driving, and spend lots less on entertainment. Home for us now is a quiet, peaceful place, like a vacation getaway. Gone are the days of going and doing so much.
So although in theory we are further away from everything, we are spending lots less.
I realize that the country life may not work for every family, but for us, living farther away has been a huge cost savings in gas money and food and entertainment as well.
Good luck in finding the home and the town that works best for you and your family, Jefferson!
Laurie recently posted..Don’t Let ‘Em Fool You
I was recently dreaming about a development similar to the one that you mention, Laurie, and I think it would probably have the same effect on our family. If the neighborhood offered everything we needed, we would certainly drive less on the weekends.
Our new house is an older home in a suburban area that, prior to the mid 2000′s had nothing around it. Now it has a grocery store, liquor store, pharmacy, library, YMCA, some pubs, restaurants, and coffee shops and playgrounds all within walking distance. I love it!
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I would LOVE to have all of that stuff within walking distance, Daisy.. It sounds like you guys found a very nice spot.
It’s pretty much a zero where I live (but I have no housing payment so I think it evens out). If I lived in the downtown area or the party area I could walk to almost anything. Of course both those areas cost more for housing and parking so it would probably be a wash. There are times I wish I lived in a more walkable area but then it snows and I am glad I don’t
I think I would pay a little bit more for a little more walk-ability.. But I really don’t have any idea to live downtown or in a party area
While it would certainly be nice to drive less and save on gas, I wouldn’t give up living in our neighborhood. Like you, we are able to walk around safely or ride bikes. The most scary things are the deer that sometimes jump out from no where. I think for us, living in a rural area is less expensive in general,so it kind of makes up for having to drive more.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..My Child Needs Glasses, Now What?
Make no mistake about it, Kim.. I really want the best of both worlds.. Walka-bility, and a safe suburban setting.. Our neighborhood is very nice to walk around “in”.. but to go anywhere else, we have to drive.
I was on a citizen task force that provided input to a linear park system in my city (Glendale, AZ) that in part would allow people to ride bikes to work. That was 15 years ago and several budget cuts. We have some of the linear park system but it is a long way from a regional trail system that we envisioned.
Paul @ The Frugal Toad recently posted..How to Turn Savings from Everyday Purchases into Wealth
i think it will take a society-wide attitude change for ideas like that to become a reality.. i am hoping that the health consciousness becomes a priority at some point.. we sure would say a ton in health care costs if that ever happened.
When I was young I lived in big cities and in villages and both were easily walkable. Where we live now it’s walkable if you live in town, we don’t. We live on the outskirts so it’s not easy to get anywhere on foot as it would take time. I don’t mind though but the benefits for some who don’t own a car and want to walk to work and shop are greatly appreciated.
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There is no doubt Mr CBB that living in a truly walkable place will result in a bump in living expenses.
When I was in Europe the friends who I had met laughed when I asked why nobody had a car. I will admit it was awkward not being “in” on the joke but they eventually told me that there is no point in having a car when you can literally walk everywhere. My friends had no problem walking a half mile to work or the supermarket. The biggest thing I noticed from this trend was that a lot of the people I saw were in great shape. I’m not talking about 6 pack abs and huge biceps. But the men and women weren’t overweight and looked very healthy, minus all the smoking of course =)
Hah… Funny about the smoking. But you are right. America’s health problems today can be attributed to the fact that many of us sit all day at work, and sit on the way to and from work (in our cars).. Well, that, and the ridiculous amount of processed foods that we eat.
My walkability is 100%. I live 1/2 from the beach, and 1 block from main street (yes that’s the name) in an area (we don’t call them suburbs) of LA. The areas is dubbed as the Maybury of LA because it has that old time small town charm. THAT is single-handedly why I have had the hardest time leaving my current apartment. It’s not a great apt per say. I have no dishwasher and I still have to go to the laundromat (4 blocks away but I drive), but it’s so safe and I know my neighbors and feel so comfortable here. That’s hard to find all that in LA, but with all that comes the price tag. 1400 for a standard, non exciting, old fixtures one bedroom apartment. I rent my garage so it’s 1250 essentially. Crazy huh?
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I should have probably noted that “walkable” in and of itself is not enough.. It really needs to be “safely walkable”, even at night. It sounds like you have that where you live, of which I am certainly envious.
I’m with you Jefferson. I think about this a lot as well. In many ways I’m sorry I didn’t live “downtown” when I was younger and without kids. Not that I can’t do it today, but it would have been much easier before kids to experience the urban lifestyle.
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I think the “downtown” shit has sailed for me as well, Jason.. Which is okay with me.
We just got a Walmart near where we live, so our walkability is higher than it was. It’s still “car-dependent” according to Walk Score.
But as gas prices continue to go up, (a) communities like the ones you’re talking about will have more appeal, and (b) we’ll all wish that we considered this trend a little more 20, 30, 40 years ago.
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I think so too.. Even though there is a definitely an up-front price you pay to live in those communities. I think that demand will only increase as fuel prices increase.
I feel so spoiled. I live in Denver and one of the best parts of living here is that the most of the city is very walkable/ridable/etc. especially if you’re close to the city center. I live close to two light rail stations and along two bus lines so I am super spoiled. Looking forward when I move again walkability will be a huge issue for me-or being close to the light rail.
I love Denver, and if we were to leave the area– It is one place that we would highly consider.
Vancouver is one of the best cities to get around in without a car. I am able to not own a car with ease – I walk 20 min to wok and everything we need is within the same distance. Getting anywhere is easy the transit system is very good. I love it!
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That sounds so great, Brian.
My work is .. unfortunately.. located in a pretty rough area.
Walking, or living anywhere near there, is just not an option.
Bravo! I love this post. My husband and I are in the process of preparing for a move back to my hometown, where my parents still live. Their neighborhood isn’t flashy, but it IS walking distance to two parks, the town library, the post office, and dozens of retail establishments. It’s for these reasons that we’ll buy in my parents’ neighborhood, simply because it IS walkable. That’s a must-have for us.
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That sounds like a dream, to be honest. Having that many things within walking distance would be amazing.
Good thought.
South county – Affton, Lindbergh, Mehlville school districts fit your needs. The schools are all good and it is safe and family oriented. The parochial schools are outstanding also. My relative teaches at a parochial school in Mehlville. You can find smaller, reasonably priced properties (check out a major realtor’s website and you can explore) – but there’s a mix and more expensive properties are also there so it helps the value of your less expensive property. I think that the trouble with North County is that it is so close to North City. That is the drive by, murder, high crime, etc. part of the Metro area of St. Louis along with East St. Louis, Illinois. If you border a high crime area, it spills over. Criminals don’t turn around at the city border. I would be afraid in most North County areas especially walking or at night.
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