“Walkable” neighborhoods are the latest buzz in real estate. By the common definition, a walkable neighborhood is situated close to businesses and public transportation. Usually, the concept applies to urban areas with lots of density. It is used to explain the potential popularity of neighborhoods near mass transit and commercial areas. Here’s an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal:
Agents say it’s easier these days to get buyers for homes that are located in neighborhoods close to shops and services. Their pitch: Owners can save money by walking to mass transit, and using less gas when running errands. (Residents in those green areas would happily recount those reasons and more, if you asked them why they put up with some of the hassles of living in a dense urban neighborhood.) – WSJ
But, how walkable are neighborhoods in Lake Chelan? According to WalkScore.com, many are great! Walkscore gives a numerical measure of the “walkability” of various neighborhoods for comparison. Nearly any address near downtown Chelan scores right near the top. I typed an address in on the third block of Wapato in Chelan, and it scored 97 out of 100!
Why do they score so high? Well, just like the best planned urban areas, everything from employment, groceries, pharmacies, schools, clothing stores, hardware stores, restaurants and nearly every basic need can be just a few blocks from home!
Even moving out a bit further, to my listing at 6 Riverview Cemetary Road, which is outside the Chelan City limits, the walkability score is still 31 out of 100 with almost everything they measure being less than a mile from home!
Manson scores a bit worse, since the Ruby theater is almost seven miles away. WalkScore.com also doesn’t recognize the Manson Red Apple as a grocery store, making the Chelan Safeway the nearest store in their analysis. If you include the Manson Red Apple, the Manson area scores pretty well as well.
If you expand the definition of “walkability” a bit, the Lake Chelan area does even better! Within the 35 mph speed zones around the City of Chelan, you can get to virtually every type of business in the Lake Chelan area. There are a few unique businesses in Manson out of that range, but for the most part, a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle can get your most everywhere you need to go on most days. If you watch for them, you will notice several that already prowl Chelan most days.
Chelan is a good place to operate NEV’s with a moderate climate much of the year and mellow traffic compared to urban areas.
