#23 of 40 - America's Most Walkable Neighborhoods

**English** · July-16-10, 10:23 PM

With a score of 51 out of 100, Detroit's CBD and Midtown are ranked 23rd on a list of America's Most Walkable Neighborhoods:

http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/mo...ble-cities.php

Here's the link to get your "walk score" for other neighborhoods.

http://www.walkscore.com/

My walk score is 43 in the U-M area neighborhood I'm leaving. More than 3/4 of Ann Arbor is more walkable than where I live, which is why the rents and mortgages are cheaper here. Still, we're only a 5 minute walk away from an AATA stop. I've actually loaned my car out several times while I was up here, and was able to grocery shop, get to work and class, and do everything else using public transportation and on foot. So I'd say that they're underestimating A2's walkability.

Not surprisingly, the North Cass Corridor, where I lived once and am considering again, has a walk score of 94 - a walker's paradise. Half the places that come up on the map did not exist 10 years ago. [[No wonder the rents have gone up so much!)

**mwilbert** · July-16-10, 10:56 PM

I think those numbers are for the city as a whole.

If you check the University District, which is definitely not as walkable as Midtown [[but more walkable than people think), you get a score of around 58. On the other hand, if you put in 150 E. Ferry, which is a building on the Wayne campus whose address I happen to remember, you get a 91. On the third hand, if you put my old address in NYC in Soho in, you get 100.

It is also weird that they say the CBD is one of the most walkable areas. I put in a few downtownish places:

1300 E Lafayette -- 2
Washington Square Apts - 15
Fyfes - 10

I put in my brother's place in Ferndale and got 95, which I would say is pretty believable.

**p1acebo** · July-17-10, 01:04 AM

Originally Posted by mwilbert

I think those numbers are for the city as a whole.

If you check the University District, which is definitely not as walkable as Midtown [[but more walkable than people think), you get a score of around 58. On the other hand, if you put in 150 E. Ferry, which is a building on the Wayne campus whose address I happen to remember, you get a 91. On the third hand, if you put my old address in NYC in Soho in, you get 100.

It is also weird that they say the CBD is one of the most walkable areas. I put in a few downtownish places:

1300 E Lafayette -- 2
Washington Square Apts - 15
Fyfes - 10

I put in my brother's place in Ferndale and got 95, which I would say is pretty believable.

I disagree with Fyfes as a 10, how do they calculate this? I walk by there all the time.

Blarf · July-17-10, 01:21 AM

What a STUPID catigory.

**hudkina** · July-23-10, 05:53 AM

Downtown's score is actually 89, which isn't terrible, but compared to many other urban centers, it's a bit behind. Interestingly, if you put in 200 East Maple, Birmingham, MI you get a score of 100, which is the highest score possible.

These are the highest scores I could find for a few select suburbs:
Birmingham - 100 [[200 E Maple)
Royal Oak - 98 [[300 E 4th)
Northville - 95 [[100 E Main)
Plymouth - 94 [[500 S Union)
Rochester - 94 [[500 Main)
Grosse Pointe Park - 91 [[15300 Kercheval)
Southgate - 91 [[14400 Eureka) - interesting for a non-"village".
Grosse Pointe - 88 [[700 St. Clair)
Grosse Pointe Farms - 85 [[30 Kercheval)

**iheartthed** · July-23-10, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

I disagree with Fyfes as a 10, how do they calculate this? I walk by there all the time.

I just mapped the Fyfe Building's address and it looks like the Walk Score map doesn't list any of the bars or restaurants in that immediate area. It says the closest bar is nearly 1.5 miles away, which is clearly not true.

**mwilbert** · July-23-10, 07:37 AM

Downtown's score is 89

I know they say that, but I can't find any address downtown that scores even close to that. Down by RenCen I can get up to about 35. It is 17 at 1000 Woodward. Cadillac Square is 23.

I'm not sure where the problem is, but those numbers are not consistent with the neighborhood score.

If you look at the detail, for the Fox theatre the nearest bar it lists is 1.5 miles away, and the nearest restaurant .7 miles, so I think there may be a small data problem.