An old discussion about shoveling sidewalks and winter walkability has been reopened at the Heights Observer forum.
The timing is interesting; it coincides with an article in the Observer that, according to Walkscore.com, Cleveland Heights is one of Ohio’s 3 most-walkable cities.
I wasn’t surprised to learn this; I’ve always been proud to live in such a walkable place. Within a 10-minute walk from my front door are:
- my bank
- my grocery store
- 2 coffee shops
- at least 10 restaurants
- 2 book stores
- 2 elementary schools (only one of which is still open) and a middle school
- and a bunch of other places that offering things I occasionally want or need.
Enlarge the radius to a mile – admittedly longer than I’ll usually walk, but within an easy bike ride when the weather is on my side – and the amenities expand to include:
- my barber
- the best corned beef sandwich in Ohio, if not the universe
- a movie theater
- 5 more coffee shops
- 3 pharmacies
- 2 libraries
- more bars and restaurants than I’ll visit in a year
- 5 or 6 gas stations (for the gas can for my lawn mower, yeah, that’s it)
- a whole bunch of other places that get my business at least occasionally.
I also happen to live on a major bus route – which, earlier in my career, I used all the time to get downtown. (I’ll admit to not having used it regularly in about 15 years, and only once since leaving the corporate world in 2009.)
So I was surprised when I plugged in my address at Walkscore and learned that my house has a “somewhat walkable” score of just 62 out of 100 – and that 78% of Cleveland Heights residents live somewhere more walkable.
It takes about 20 minutes to walk a mile at a comfortable place. I think I’ve just decided to do so more often.
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