Why did Don Draper leave the suburbs after his divorce from Betty? Perhaps he was onto something.
Since there is less space to expand around city or town centers, moving away from these town centers has always meant gaining square footage. And when there's the opportunity choose bigger, we do. Until now.
According to a new survey,
more than three quarters of [Americans] consider having sidewalks and places to
take a walk one of our top priorities when deciding where to live. Six
in 10 people also said they would sacrifice a bigger house to live in a
neighborhood that featured a mix of houses, stores, and businesses
within an easy walk. (via Good.is)
Today, a search across real estate listings will show that a "walkable neighborhood" will be in the first sentence of any property description.
Suburbanites don't fret: It's not just city-life or bust: Suburbs also have walkable neighborhoods that are more highly desirable than their isolated, larger counterparts. I live in a walkable suburban home myself and if I wasn't just 3 blocks from our small town center, I would have never agreed to live here.
So why the big shift favoring more walkable neighborhoods than larger living spaces?
A High Walkability Index* for your home means:
LESS driving = MORE savings on gas = INCREASED human interactions = INCREASED sense of community = INCREASED sense of fulfillment (we are social beings, after all) = MORE time spent outdoors = LESS stress
= And shhh, it's even better for your health (so it will save you money on health costs, too!)
And that's why today's Stand-Out, Shout-Out Tuesday goes to everyone out there who is opting for a high *Walkability Index when choosing a place to live. Let us know if you find walkability or square footage to be more important in choosing your home. Join us on Facebook!
