Walking distance
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
I enjoy walking. Often times at lunch I'll take a walk - partially for exercise, partially for the fresh air, and partially to get out of the office. Having grown up in Portland, though, the suburbs have always struck me as being particularly pedestrian-unfriendly. For instance: sidewalks. Are they that hard to put in?
It struck home yesterday when I walked over to the bank yesterday. The Google Maps pedometer shows it's about a mile away. As I was walking up I marveled at the drive-way that runs all the way around the building and the fact that the bank is on the corner of an acre of parking space (being next to a Fred Meyer.) It was then that I realized that the only ATM at this branch was a drive-up ATM; there was nothing I could actually (safely) walk up to and use. I asked the teller inside and her response was "people just use the drive-up one... just be careful." Riiiiight.
One day I'd like to live within walking distance of everything I need. I enjoy driving, but I'd like to not HAVE to drive everywhere I need to go. That's the upside of urban living; in many cases, due to the population density, stores and business crop up near living spaces. The disadvantage, of course, is the high cost associated with that. Oh well... one day.
It struck home yesterday when I walked over to the bank yesterday. The Google Maps pedometer shows it's about a mile away. As I was walking up I marveled at the drive-way that runs all the way around the building and the fact that the bank is on the corner of an acre of parking space (being next to a Fred Meyer.) It was then that I realized that the only ATM at this branch was a drive-up ATM; there was nothing I could actually (safely) walk up to and use. I asked the teller inside and her response was "people just use the drive-up one... just be careful." Riiiiight.
One day I'd like to live within walking distance of everything I need. I enjoy driving, but I'd like to not HAVE to drive everywhere I need to go. That's the upside of urban living; in many cases, due to the population density, stores and business crop up near living spaces. The disadvantage, of course, is the high cost associated with that. Oh well... one day.
posted by Burton at 8:28 AM
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