The other day I was out with a buyer looking at homes. They mentioned to me that they liked the proximity of the home to various types of stores and hospitals. I asked them if they had driven around the area and looked at the local shopping and schools. They said no. They went to a website called www.walkscore.com. I admit I never heard of the site before that day. Boy, when I got home and visited the site I was astonished at all the great information that the site provided.
In today's society we are more conscious than ever about gas consumption and in the Charlotte area more and more people are using public transportation or walking as alternatives to driving. This website ranks the neighborhood you are looking to live in on the walkability to various types of stores, hospitals and schools.
Another feature I loved about the site was it told you basically what was nearby. One of the things when you move into a neighborhood that you have never been in before is finding places to shop, worship, and find places. With Charlotte being a large relocation area; people are not aware of what is around them for various shops and stores. Once you put in your address IT gives you a list based on closest proximity to you what is out there. A great tool for someone who is not familiar with an area.
So how did Charlotte rank? I looked to see how Charlotte ranked in comparison to 2500 major cities in the United States. Charlotte came in at a respectable 38th. Making it somewhat walker friendly. Now there are variations depending on where in Charlotte you live. The center of town rates at 100% walker friendly. While outskirts of Charlotte rank significantly lower.
So, if you are looking to see how your neighborhood would stack up visit www.walkscore.com and punch in the address for your home and it will give you the walkability of that neighborhood.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Agent
www.davedicecco.com
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