Page 8 - KW LUXURY MAGAZINE

WALKING THE WALK
By Marlene Ridgway
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Get ready to park your car. There’s only one way to experience these walkable cities and that’s putting foot to pavement.
the city unique.”
There is an increased community sense
when you are out on the streets interacting
with locals and tourists, which is dif cult to experience or facilitate in a car. Walking, rather than driving around a city also decreases traf c, takes the strain off of public transportation and promotes healthier lifestyles that go hand-in-hand with frequent walking. Local businesses also feel the appeal of possible customers passing right by their front doors. Customers are more inclined to wander in and try new places, such as restaurants and shops if they are easily accessible on their route home or in the path of work or other errands.
The importance of being out in a city to truly experience it is recognized throughout cities all over the country. “You have to walk to smell the red beans cooking and hear the tinkling of a piano and get caught up in a second line parade. You can’t get that on a bus,” says Samara D. Poche, a broker for Keller Williams Realty New Orleans. Wandering into restaurants because you
Walkable “scores” have been shooting up on priority lists for buyers around the United States, and the explanation is a growing number of reasons that range from the environment and wellness to tourist rates and property values. Cities with a higher walk score, (ratings range from 0 to 100), have been known to hold a greater sense of community, increased tourism, and even stronger economies. Popular cities such as Boston and New York may have long dominated top city lists, but components such as green space, traf c, and opportunities to meet and mingle are largely coming into play for these destinations.
“Walking in the city allows me to feel connected to the history and its residents,” says Chris Suarez, broker/owner of PDX Property Group, Keller Williams Realty in Portland,
Oregon. With a walk score of 97, Portland has been deemed a walker’s paradise. Determined
by the number of errands, jobs, and stores/ restaurants that are accessible by foot, a city’s walk score can attract buyers from all over. Kendra Todd, managing broker at The Kendra Todd Group, Keller Williams Greater Seattle, explains that a walkable city, “is one where you have almost immediate access to a variety of resources and services that satis es whatever your lifestyle requirements are.”
Heather Murphy, an associate broker at The Heather Murphy Group of Keller Williams Realty Coastal Area Partners, agrees when it comes to Savannah, Georgia. “Walking around a city will change your experience of that city by enhancing your sense of place and providing you with a better perspective of what makes
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