<p>second spring–I guess it’s all in what you are used to. When I left the suburbs to go to an urban college campus, the first few weeks I woke up at night every time I heard a siren, which was frequently. Turns out there were many hospitals near the dorm. Adrenaline rush!</p>
<p>The “How it Doesn’t Work” FAQ is helpful. </p>
<p>The most annoying factor of suburban malls is that it is almost impossible to walk TO the mall. You can walk for miles IN it, if you have driven there, but you take your life in your hands if you try to walk across the street and navigate the parking lot to get there. Or cross the street to the neighboring shopping plaza. There are never any sidewalks or crosswalks, just a maze of car-friendly entrances. Grrrr.</p>
<p>What fun! DS’s college is 66, similar to my home town which was a college town (63). My suburb is 42 but at least one restaurant is wrong - it shows as .33 miles since it’s locating the place at East XXX St when it’s actually at West XXX St - 1.1 miles away. It also shows a movie theater on the wrong side of E-W. But at least I’ve learned that downtown is exactly .56 miles!</p>
<p>Lots of problems with this analysis. My son’s apartment came in at 66. But the analysis was considerably flawed. They apparently depend on databases of services and I saw several errors on the report on the left.</p>
<p>Our residence came in at 51. For grocery stores, it has a White Hen Pantry (essentially a convenience store). It missed the Super Shaws (Alexander buyout a while back) that’s just as close. The funny thing is that it listed a library in an adjacent town as being 0.81 miles away. That library is across a major river and it would take a ten to fifteen mile drive to get there as there are no nearby bridges.</p>
<p>I just tried the house that I grew up in expecting a very high walk score. Instead it generated a low score. This place was a half-mile away from an MBTA train stop which provided easy access to Boston, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton and many other cities. Bus service was a quarter of a mile away. Shopping was a mile away - it uses the village concept and your major services are within a mile away.</p>
<p>Mine’s 72. We can and do walk to shop, eat out, and play at the park, yet it’s a quiet street.</p>
<p>My suburban college has a 92 - hip hip hurray.</p>
<p>Just checked it out for our address (score 68) and it has quite a few inaccuracies. They included a movie theater that has been gone for over a decade, did not have the elementary school that is very close but listed a private academy that is closed, did not list the closest restaurants. Take it with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>The map really was pretty accurate for my address, but there was one mistake. It showed 2 libraries that are close, but not in walking distance. We have a nice one that is in walking distance, but it was not listed, and it was not on the map. That library has been there forever (not a new library).</p>
<p>Yippee! I live in an 86. But I knew this already. I walk to work, H bicycles.</p>
<p>Another zero here. It’s a beautiful neighborhood and many people drive here, park and walk on our street, but you are never going to get anywhere by walking.</p>
<p>The kids chose schools with scores of 92, 78 and 49 (although this one seems low for the area).</p>
<p>No big surprise–a big fat 0.</p>
<p>I love my trees and privacy and it works for us because I can often work at home and DH always works at home. We’ve become very good at combining trips to schools, etc. with trips to the grocery, post office, and other things. </p>
<p>It didn’t show a park (on federal property) that we can and do walk to sometimes. That is less than 1/4 mile away. Also didn’t recognize a boat store/convenience store/gas station less than a mile away. My children will sometimes walk there. </p>
<p>I think, at least out in my area, some of the distances are “as the crow flies.” I know the grocery store is more than 5 miles, as listed, away driving distance. </p>
<p>Some are just way off. The nearest library is listed as being about 7 miles away. The library listed is several counties away and at least 50 miles. Our county library comes in 3rd or 4th and is much closer. </p>
<p>The home I grew up is rated a 51 which seems about right. I walked to many places as a child. DH’s family home is a 0. Guess how we ended up living in a 0???</p>
<p>Scored an 85. Just bought a Geo Metro for the times when I do need to drive in our small city.</p>
<p>Our house in NJ was an 89. I did love the ability to walk to absolutely everything in that town, including the train station. Now I want to move.</p>
<p>I think that a good measure for a city is the number of ZipCar franchises there.</p>
<p>I also question the accuracy. Two elementary schools and two parks, all within a half mile, were not found.</p>
<p>Mine is 69, we often walk to a bank, Whole Foods, Pizza place,Thai restaurant and a pharmacy. I have never heard of the library or movie theatre that site listed for my area so as somebody mentioned above, I don’t know how accurate or helpful it is.</p>
<p>And it’s too hot most of the time here to actually walk for errands.</p>
<p>Beat you all…I got a 2. However, seeing as the town is only 35K people and the hub of the county…the only place you are walking to is the nearest chicken, pig or corn farm!</p>
<p>The new home we bought got a 3, but then again the area is an equestrian area and all of the homes sit on 10 acres…a little hard to walk to any place</p>
<p>ours is 74, but I think it is designed for wussies since it only ranks the amenities under 1 mile, we often walk more than 10 minutes! to go or get something. ;)</p>
<p>( I question accuracy too, since the score for Reed cites the closest school as Reed at .16 away however I do recognize all the places on my list and that is where we usually go)
D’s house she is moving out of this weekend has an 83.</p>
<p>My feet are swelling from all the grains of salt.</p>
<p>Inaccurate here, too. I’m at 49, but actually can get everything I need within walking distance. They list a daycare center as a restaurant and do not include a big Bruegger’s Bagels and two better restaurants that are 3/10ths of a mile from my house. My DDs both live in 98s and walk farther for many of the same services…</p>