At 8:30 this morning I walked 15minutes from my apartment on Capitol Hill to Downtown Seattle where I work.Mid-day I jumped on my bicycle (I left it here last night) and cycled 20 minutes to a lunch-time pick up soccer game in the Queen Anne neighborhood.After the game, I stopped by my father’s house for a cup of soup and a quick rinse. I was back downtown 10 minutes later. (My whole day’s route is highlighted in red on the map.)
By 6:15 tonight, when I get home, I’ll have put in seven and half hours on the job, gotten plenty of exercise, and spent time with my family.Needless to say, it feels great to have my life close at hand. I’m not sure yet what I’m doing tonight, but perhaps I’ll head out to one of the 483 restaurants within one mile of my house. Or maybe I’ll just stay home.
anna
I agree! Good living in the city when you walk-it, bike-it and run-it! Could be even better with improved bike lanes throughout the city…. food for thought!
Lansing
The Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, where I live, is also a great urban village kind of neighborhood where it’s easy to live without a car. Almost all needs are supplied in the business district just a few blocks from my house, & I can easily bike to most other city destinations I’m interested in. (I work from home, so commuting’s not an issue.) I rarely even take the bus, as a bike & my own two feet are all I need to get around. Let’s hear it for living lightly in the city!
scarlson
Cities are both more fun and more efficient than the suburbs or rural areas, for those of us who like to bike and bus and play soccer. Check out these maps done by the Center for Neighborhood Technology, http://www.travelmatters.org/maps/regional/chicago. City dwellers crank out much less travel greenhouse gas per person. (Sorry, no map of Seattle, but you can look at the national map.) The map is a nice visual version of what happens, on the larger scale, while Derek is having fun.