Now that all 1.7 million Chicago bloggers are in Austin, TX attending Netroots Nation
(temporarily transforming my city into a
mutant-strewn wasteland not unlike
this)
mutant-strewn wasteland not unlike
this)
the eerie silence of the streets -- punctuated by the occasional, unearthly baying from a handful of suddenly unbridled 41st ward Chicago Republicans -- bends my thoughts in the direction of this Huffington Post re-print of a wildly irresponsible "Daily Green" article on the "Most Walkable Cities in America":
Top 10 Most Walkable Cities In America
The Daily Green | Brian Clark Howard
1. San Francisco, CA
The city is known for its stable, relatively mild climate and progressive viewpoints, and 90% of San Francisco residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above, while 99% have a Walk Score of at least 50. Only 1% live in so-called car-dependent neighborhoods. The top areas are Chinatown, the Financial District, Downtown and North Beach.
2. New York, NY
Most of Manhattan, and even much of the boroughs, are well known for their heavily foot-based culture. In fact, many New Yorkers don't even own cars, given the city's 24-hour, reliable public transportation, not to mention the high cost of parking and gas.
3. Boston, MA
With it's famously labyrinthine roads and tight parking, it's a good thing Boston has world-class subway and ferry service (although many lament that the T does not run 24 hours). 74% of Boston residents have a Walk Score of 70 or above, and 97% have a Walk Score of at least 50.
...
Of course, longtime residents of Chicago know this is arrant nonsense.
The most walkable city in America was, is, and alway will be, Cartoon Town. In fact, this politically-vital, All American bellwether city, has become so vital to both parties that, even now, Senator McSame is there trying to pitch a little woo in the direction of Lady Voters.
Let's join him and his advisor in the Straight Talk Express make-up room, shall we?
The Second Most Walkable City is, as always,
Tiny Town.
4 comments:
"Boston has world-class subway" in mayor menino's mind, that is.
boston has spent the last 30 years DISMANTLING its "world-class subway" system.
don't let the hype fool you.
i lived there for almost 25 years and finally moved away in 2001 because it was in fact becoming more and more difficult to survive without a car.
YOU try to buy household supplies when you have to take a subway and two different buses each way and STILL have to walk a distance to get from bus to store and bus to home.
I remember, Anonymous. I lived in Boston until 1996 and by that time, it was a very common habit for us "carless" Bostonians to rent a car for the weekend every couple months to load up on laundry soap and bulk comestibles.
Driving down Lakeshore Drive in Chicago on July 4 I saw lots of car-free folks enjoying foot-power. Those of us in cars were the unlucky ones, wasting what was, I assume, a rare perfect weather day looking for parking.
Every time I park in Chicago, my car gets towed and I have to descend into the mutant-ridden bowels of Lower Whacker to retrieve it. Brrr.
I have enjoyed San Francisco's walkability (spent a day walking from near the Bay to the ocean). But putting together walkability plus 24/7 PT, my New York wins, hands (feet?) down.
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