Dump Jenny Craig - Buy a House in a Walkable Neighborhood
February 21, 2008
If your waistline has been expanding, it may be because of where you live.
In a recent article in the New York Times, Allison Arieff writes:
“A report by the Ontario College of Family Physicians on public health as it relates to development patterns suggests that the greater the density, the fewer the fatalities per 1,000 people, as calculated over 83 United States regions covering two-thirds of the total population.
Contrary to popular belief, the pace and proximity of urban living can actually contribute to more healthful lifestyles, while lower-density communities tend to have a higher incidence of cardiovascular and lung diseases, including asthma in children, as well as cancer, diabetes, obesity, traffic injuries and deaths; these are exacerbated by an increase in air pollution, gridlock and traffic accidents, and by a lack of physical activity. The study recommended that people seek out cities and towns with reliable public transportation systems, bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths, ones that have schools, businesses and stores within walking distance.”
Some other benefits to higher density living can be seen here - scroll over the pictures to see how higher density living can reduce your transportation costs and increase access to businesses.
Higher Density Towns/Developments
Where do you find such a lifestyle in Hartford County? There are plenty of existing homes in these communities where you can walk to a park, restaurant or local market.
Cities: Hartford, New Britain, Bristol, Enfield, Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford
An example of a new low-density development would be the Loomis-Wooley townhouses in West Hartford
Towns: Newington, Wethersfield, Windsor, Plainville*
*These are the best examples. Other towns may have smaller areas of higher density living but these have a downtown area, sidewalks, single family houses with access to shops, restaurants and schools.
In related news:
Entry Filed under: Connecticut, Real Estate Market. Tags: hartford county, new urbanism.
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1. Real Estate » Dump &hellip | February 21, 2008 at 5:32 pm
[...] melanie@financialhelpservices.com (Larry Goins) wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
2. Port Orange House | February 22, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I like it when there are sidewalks and parks and grocery stores within a mile or two. This is one of the reasons I love this area.
I live half block from beach and you can ride your bike in road or even the sidewalk bike path. This runs for 50 miles from Ponce Inlet to St Augustine but in our area right alongside the ocean where you can stop at parks for a rest or bathrooms and enjoy many seafood eateries along the way. There are many great views to enjoy the ocean the surf kites that seem to glide up and down the coast. I think there are more parks in Florida than anywheres else I have every been and tennis and basketball courts and pools also. So I find my area full of ways to exercise.
I do think in the city you do more walking!
3. daytona beach florida remax | February 29, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Location is key when buying a home. Will it meet your needs easy accessability to city, stores, restaurants, parks, public transportation. This is something living in a city does. So trade in the car and move to the city and start walking and enjoying all that it has to offer.