Walkable Neighborhoods

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Eric Fredericks 11:57 pm on August 31, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Photos from the Semi Truckers’ CARB Protest

Last Friday, Sacramento was quite busy for a change. Most Fridays in Sacramento are pretty quiet now that state workers and other companies have gone to Furlough Fridays. However, last Friday near lunch time was the worst traffic congestion I have seen since living here. The reasons: a constant stream of semi trucks rounding the State Capitol protesting the California Air Resources Board (CARB), another Tea Party protest, and protest about water rights.

I snapped some photos with my smartphone of the line of trucks going around the Capitol. Most of them had signs to “Dump CARB and give 8,500 teachers jobs.” While giving jobs to teachers is laudable, eliminating air quality protection agencies is not. Obviously, they are upset about CARB’s upcoming regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions established by AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. I am sure it will affect their business, however, climate change is happening, it is probably due to manmade pollution, and doing nothing could be at our peril. So, while I sympathize with truck drivers about the economic impacts of the regulations, status quo is not acceptable.

Truckers Clog L Street in Downtown Sacramento

Truckers Also Clog N Street in Downtown Sacramento

I also was asked if I wanted my photo taken with the Sacramento PD. How could I resist?

Me with the Sacramento PD

More photos (including larger sizes) of this CARB protest available in the photo gallery.

Popularity: 20% [?]

jeffery 9:40 am on September 1, 2009 Permalink

Mille grazzi for the pix of the big rigs. you are our local flaneur extraordinaire e-fred.
~jefe
Rich 3:38 pm on September 1, 2009 Permalink

Economic impact? You have no idea. Please do a little research on the specific topic of CARB and AB32 before you spout tired old lines about climate change and automatically go on the defense of something you know nothing about.
Eric Fredericks 3:54 pm on September 1, 2009 Permalink

OK, so fill us in on the economic impact. Tired old lines about climate change? I read reports from scientists that have proven there has been a significant change in global temperatures over the last few decades. And something I know nothing about? I wrote a part of the scoping report for AB 32. I think I might know a little bit about it.

Eric Fredericks 1:09 am on May 4, 2009 Permalink | Reply

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 5 through 1

Finally, the wait is over for my Top 5 favorite large US cities.

I had no idea the list would garner as much attention as it has. I need to reiterate the point that this is NOT a list of the most walkable cities (although I plan on doing one of those down the road too). You can probably think of this list as “if someone forced me to live in one of these cities, which would I be happiest in.” Which is why, as people have pointed out, I have more west coast cities on this list than southern cities. A lot of that has to do with the natural environment, the tolerance of people, etcetera. Of course, the biggest factor in my list is walkability, so I think my most walkable and my favorite lists would be fairly similar.

Also, I gave some more thought to my list, and I really should have included New Orleans in my Top 20, maybe as number 20. I have not been there post-Katrina, but when I thought about some of the great neighborhoods I’ve visited there, I definitely overlooked it the first time. Another city that I’d love to visit again is Memphis. I think it also has potential to be in my Top 20.

Now, on with the Top 5!

Midtown Sacramento during a Second Saturday Art Walk

5. Sacramento, CA – This is probably the biggest shock to most people reading this list, but hey, I have to include the place I live right? And since a large percentage of Americans have never been here, how can they argue? Well, there are certainly plenty of reasons to include Sacramento in the Top 5, and not just because it’s located very close to San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and Napa Valley. First, many probably don’t know that Sacramento has a Mediterranean climate—hot, dry summers, and mild (to cool), wet winters… with very little humidity! Second, Sacramento is the most racially integrated city in the US. We have one of the best, if not the best, urban tree canopies in all of the United States. We’re also at the epicenter of a lot of national movements like smart growth and complete streets (it certainly helps to be the capital city of a progressive state sometimes). In terms of walkability, I think my neighborhood, Midtown, is one of the best in the United States. It’s like living in a giant small town–I can’t go anywhere without seeing someone I know. There are several other great neighborhoods that border Midtown. Rather than go on and on about Sacramento, I will just give you an example. Our “Main Street” through town, J Street, is not an ideal street for walking and biking compared to its parallel streets. But nevertheless, I could walk about 53 blocks straight down J Street and most every block I’d consider to be pretty walkable. If not for a few interruptions in the grid, I could probably do that on about 10 other streets as well. I don’t feel I’d be able to do that in most other cities. For the bicyclists out there, I’ve heard that we’re the only city in America that has bike lanes on BOTH sides of one way streets, and we have a lot of bike lanes. We also have one of the best bike paths in all of America, the 36-mile path along the American River is truly amazing. Sacramento Photos

Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate Sculpture in Millennium Park - Chicago, IL

4. Chicago, IL – Chicago has forever been near the very top of my favorite American cities. I think it has the best skyline of all US cities, and the contrast with the beautiful Lake Michigan is spectacular. Thanks to Daniel Burnham, much of the Chicago lakefront is now parks and open space, including the awe-inspiring Millennium Park. Chicago has undergone a renaissance of sorts the last 15 years, with the crime-ridden public housing being torn down and replaced yuppie luxury housing (although there are some great projects that include displaced families). Every time I go back, there are more restaurants with outdoor seating, more bike lanes and cyclists, and more landscaping and greening. However, Chicago slipped a bit for me when I visited last summer. I got tired of dealing with the barriers to walking (including the most pushy and rude street people I’ve ever encountered). I also was disappointed with the transit system… though disappointment is understandable with the massive cutbacks the CTA has faced. The system is antiquated and in severe need of an update. I also do not miss those brutal Illinois winters or humid summers either. Overall, Chicago is a great city… and the best sports city in the world! Chicago Photos

Times Square - New York, NY

3. New York, NY – I don’t think I need to write a novel about this magnificent city. I am amazed every time I go there how lively it is all 24 hours of the day. It’s also a very clean city. There are just a few reasons why it is not my number one city: 1) the weather 2) not green enough 3) insanely expensive 4) sometimes a bit too urban for my taste 5) It lacks the surrounding natural beauty of some other cities on this list. My fiancé and I both sometimes dream of living here, if only for a few years. Like most of these other cities, I can’t wait for the chance to go back again. New York City Photos

Streetcar Stop at Portland State University - Portland, OR

2. Portland, OR – I have a serious crush on the city of Portland since my first visit last fall. In fact, it is number one on our places to move to if we left Sacramento. It’s more urban than I expected considering its population. To keep this short, I’m going to list 10 things I absolutely loved about it (not at all exhaustive): 1) So lush and green 2) short block sizes 3) the most breweries per capita of any US city 4) the streetcar, aerial tram, and free transit in the central core 5) the South Park Blocks at Portland State 6) the “lofty” Pearl District 7) the “small-townie” Alphabet District and Trendy Third 8.) Mount Hood looming over the city 9) the little ethnic food vendor stands all over downtown 10) Belmont Station and the funky Voodoo Doughnuts. That’s enough for you to get a flavor for why I love Portland. Portland Photos

So that leaves us with just one more city…

The Painted Ladies at Alamo Square - San Francisco, CA

1. San Francisco, CA – With apologies to New Orleans and a few other cities, San Francisco is definitely the most unique city in the United States. Every time I go to San Francisco, and I’ve been there maybe 25 times now, it still takes my breath away. I’m always discovering new neighborhoods, each with their different or often funky character and I just cannot put away my camera. It’s certainly a challenging city from a pedestrian and bicyclist standpoint at times–the hills of San Francisco are ridiculously steep at times and vehicular traffic is quite hostile–but you could walk for days around the city non-stop and still not see all the wonderful neighborhoods it has to offer. It also rivals Seattle in terms of natural beauty. The architecture is uniquely distinctive, and it remains that way through most of the city, so you always know you’re in San Francisco. In terms of destinations to walk to and density throughout the city, only New York City can rival it. The public transit leaves a bit to be desired, but it’s much better than most American cities. There is one major reason why I don’t live there right now, and that’s the weather. I like heat in the summertime and I don’t like frequent foggy days. But if I want to have a fun night out on the town with friends, or grab some great ethnic food, you’ll find me in San Francisco. Like Tony Bennett, I leave a piece of my heart there each time I leave. San Francisco Photos

And there you have it. Hope you enjoyed the list. It took a lot more work than I imagined. Here is a recap of the list articles:

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: Intro and 20 through 16

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 15 through 11

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 10 through 6

Popularity: 65% [?]

John, Rudy Wobito, Eric Fredericks and one other person are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Zac Frank 1:21 pm on May 31, 2009 Permalink
  
  As someone who lived in New York for over 7 years and recently moved to San Francisco, I could not disagree more with your ranking and criticisms of New York. I think part of that might come from our different visions for what makes a good city. I think every place should be as big and as dense as NYC. It creates a vibrancy and diversity that is unmatched anywhere in the United States. That density is what creates the 24-hour feel to the city. There are so many people and so much first floor commercial that you can walk just about anywhere in Manhattan, anytime day or night and feel safe because there are others on the street.
  
  While some neighborhoods in San Francisco are fantastic, the city as a whole leaves a lot to be desired. Outside of the world of technology, there does not seem to be anything important happening here. It is a city defined by transforming what was edgy 40 years ago into a kitsch. It’s a hippy’s Disneyland.
  
  NYC is also not as expensive as you think. The least I made per year when working there was 35k and that was plenty for me to both live comfortably and enjoy the city.
  
  But I find it troubling that someone who is dedicated to “walkable neighborhoods” would rate SF so highly. This city IS NOT pedestrian friendly. Right-turn-on-red means you have to constantly watch out for turning cars when crossing the street (something illegal in most of NYC). Signal-timing is designed for motorists. What’s more, almost everyone here has a car whereas few in NYC do. That may just be a product of the incredibly limited public transportation here, but it still is what it is.
  
  What’s more, there is plenty of natural beauty accessible from NYC. And what’s more, you do NOT need a car to access it. A quick train ride can get you to the beaches or vineyards of Long Island or up to a place like Beacon, New York. New York’s parks are spectacular and diverse, from the refined Central Park to the more bucolic Prospect Park, its waterfronts active and attractive.
  
  What’s saddest, in my mind, about San Francisco is that it has enormous potential to be a better city but everyone here is so attached to the idea that San Francisco is perfect they don’t even think about if and how they could give up their cars.
- Eric Fredericks 5:37 pm on May 31, 2009 Permalink
  
  Zac, I think you should go back and reread my post. I did say that SF is incredibly hostile to bikes and peds through many parts of the city. There isn’t a city I’ve visited that isn’t. If I was to base my favorites on that alone, I would have picked Sacramento. It’s a walkers paradise in many parts of the city, and it is flat.
  
  This is just my opinion. Mostly I place San Francisco higher than NYC because it’s in California. I love the lifestyle out here. You can’t tell me that it’s the same, because I know it’s not. And natural beauty? I lived in the East for most of my life before moving here, there’s just no comparison. Other than it being cold water, the beaches are far better here.
  
  With all of that said, it’s not like NYC was far down my list. As I stated, there isn’t much separating these cities in the first place. I think your harsh criticism was a bit unjustified when you take the whole series into consideration.
  
  I would also consider moving back to NYC if I were you, because clearly you’re not as happy out here.
- Rudy Wobito 12:18 pm on June 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  Philadelphia was entirely overlooked. Shows how little you travel. It has the 3rd largest downtown population in the US and is very walkable with tons of gorgeous architecture. How can you not include such wonderful city?
  
  San Francisco is the most overrated city on the planet. I prefer Pittsburgh.
- John 9:21 pm on June 10, 2009 Permalink
  
  I think Zac’s comment illustrates that people have different taste in cities. Some people like them to be more “urban” than others. I agree that, for someone who thrives on the true urban environment, only New York will ever be good enough (I have this problem too)…on this continent, at least. Other people judge a city by its recreational offerings and natural setting. Yet other people only care about whether a city has historic architecture and others still only seek the most modern city. Everyone is different.
  
  For the true “urban” person, there is only one city: New York. Really, nothing else can compare if “urban” is your thing. On this continent, there are only 6 big cities which will remotely please the mega-urban individual. They are (in order of urban interest – for people who like multiple diverse and vibrant neighborhoods with plenty of good people-watching):
  
  1. New York (year round)
  2. San Francisco (year round)
  3. Montreal (summer only)
  4. Chicago (summer only)
  5. Toronto (summer only)
  6. Boston (summer only)
  - – - – - – - – - – - – - – — – -(cut-off line)
  7. Washington, DC (almost made it into the list of acceptably urban cities, but doesn’t quite make the cut)
  8. Los Angeles (I was here 2 weeks ago and found that it has a ton of great neighborhoods, but you REALLY have to know where to find them. The usual “known” neighborhoods of LA are all unbearable, except for Venice. On the whole, due to disconnectedness {plus too much suburbaness everywhere and the fact that LA only a few neighborhoods that remain vibrant after dark}, LA doesn’t quite make the cut for the true “urban” lover)
  9. Philadelphia (sorry, didn’t quite make the cut; this city is still springing back from hard times, but it has some much-needed pedestrian vibrancy to work on still)
  10. Seattle (sorry, not “urban” enough)
  11. Vancouver (sorry, not “urban” enough yet…needs more time)
  12. Portland (sorry, too small)
  13. New Orleans (sorry, has only four interesting neighborhoods – not big enough)
  14. Miami (sorry – just a car city/suburb when you leave South Beach)
  15. San Diego (sorry, not “urban” feeling)
  16. Baltimore (sorry, not interesting enough, although historic — good to visit briefly when you live in neraby DC)
  17. NEVER VISITED, SO I CAN’T COMMENT: Minneapolis, St. Louis, Austin {too tiny though}, San Antonio {also not a “big” city} and Pittsburgh
  18. DEFINITELY DO NOT MAKE THE CUT: Atlanta, Dallas & Houston (all are just giant suburbs with nothing downtown)
Eric Fredericks 9:59 pm on April 19, 2009 Permalink | Reply

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 10 through 6

My apologies on the long delay for this posting. I have accepted a new job and things have become a little crazy as you might imagine. More on that to come. For now, hope you enjoy the series:

Boston Common with high-rise housing units in the background - Boston, MA

10. Boston, MA – Boston is one of those cities I really like, but when I’ve gone there to visit, I haven’t felt that it had IT. The city just doesn’t match my aesthetic or my climate preference. I think I’m due for a revisit though… Boston has a fantastic urban park in Boston Common (pictured). One of the most historical buildings in the country, Faneuil Hall, now functions as a market (with some great food). The T is one of the few subway systems in the country. And you can mention Boston without mentioning Fenway Park, can you? Don’t get me wrong, I love Boston, but I’m not jumping to move there. Photo credit David Berkowitz

A play on the famous Grant Wood painting in the Short North - Columbus, OH

9. Columbus, OH – So I might be a bit biased here since I essentially lived in Columbus part-time for almost two years, but I loved many things about Columbus from the first time I visited. I love art, and Columbus has my favorite art district in all of America–the Short North (be sure to go to a First Friday Gallery Hop). Aside from that, I could just name many of the great neighborhoods: German Village, Brewery District, Italian Village, Victorian Village, Arena District, Clintonville, and so on. What I love about Columbus is that it has great energy. It’s becoming very cosmopolitan and more walkable, but yet it maintains the charming character of its historic neighborhoods. Things to fix include the insane sprawl and mega arterials; the poor, dilapidated neighborhoods; the poor transit service, and a few other things. But it’s well on its way. Columbus Photos

5th Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter - San Diego, CA

8. San Diego, CA – There are so many things to love about San Diego: the weather, the beaches, the high rise condos and apartments, the Gaslamp Quarter, beautiful Petco Park, Balboa Park, the Trolley, and many hip neighborhoods. So, why is it ranked this low? Because most of San Diego is a sprawling concrete wasteland with freeways running everywhere. In addition, the Trolley system I don’t feel is as good as everyone makes it out to be. And, it’s uber expensive. San Diego Photos

An artist paints the Dupont Circle Fountain - Washington DC

7. Washington, DC – Admittedly, Washington, DC is probably ranked too low on my list. But, really, the differences in my rankings of the remaining cities is very small, so it could easily climb to number one after my next visit. Obviously, there are many great things to see and do in DC. I spent a lot of time doing the tourist track and not getting to know the neighborhoods. However, I know it boasts one of the best transit systems in the country. It also has a great mix of really old, historical neighborhoods, and new, high-density, mixed-use developments. I also like the fact that it’s a little farther south than some of the other great US cities. I am dying to go back for a visit! Photo credit Shubert Ciencia

Occidental Park - Seattle, WA

6. Seattle, WA – I think Seattle has the most beautiful natural setting of any city I’ve visited in the US. With the Puget Sound, natural lakes, evergreens, mountains, and Mount Rainier overshadowing the city, its location is breath taking. I also love many neighborhoods: Downtown, Pioneer Square, Sodo, Capitol Hill, the UW District, Belltown, Fremont, Ballard, and Green Lake are a few I visited and loved (among several others). The bike path system is spectacular (many thanks to my friend Pete Lagerway for that). And I’m incredibly jealous of their beautiful high rise condos and apartments, as well as the abundance of public art and parks. So, why would I rank Seattle at number 6? One obvious reason is the weather. The other bigger reason is that I felt Seattle was still too concrete for my taste. I think Seattle was quickly evolving before the economic meltdown, and I expect that it will continue afterward. It was really difficult to keep Seattle out of my top 5. Seattle Photos

I hope to not take such a long break between the next posting in this series, but my time to write will be extremely limited over the next few days. Here are links to the first two articles of this series:

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: Intro and 20 through 16

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 15 through 11

Popularity: 75% [?]

ron, db, James :{) and one other person are discussing. Toggle Comments
- James :{) 4:39 pm on June 16, 2009 Permalink
  
  No question that Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the USA, but beauty has an UGLY side! Google: Seattle Freeze. To anyone thinking about relocating to Seattle…be sure you have enough pocket change for a round-trip ticket. “Seattle nice” is a bit of a trick!
- db 7:11 am on June 18, 2009 Permalink
  
  Thanks for including Columbus on your list. I moved to Columbus right after I graduated from high school about 16 years ago. I still love it. There are such great neighborhoods, events, art, parks, fabulous bike and walking trails. And you are right, the Short North is fantastic. There’s just something about it that makes you feel a little more alive strolling down high street and in the neighboring Victorian Village. I’m glad to see someone give Columbus the recognition it deserves!
- ron 1:45 pm on September 17, 2009 Permalink
  
  Why do you mention Seattle’s weather when you mention nothing about the weather of NYC or Boston even though they both get over 12 inches more rain per year, more cold and snow days, and way more hot sweaty days than Seattle?
Eric Fredericks 11:12 pm on April 2, 2009 Permalink | Reply

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 15 through 11

A view of Downtown Long Beach from Rainbow Harbor

15. Long Beach, CA – I think Long Beach is still one of the well-kept secret gems of America. Sure, there are places around the city I would classify as ghetto sprawl, but, they are REALLY trying to make Long Beach into a hip and walkable city. The downtown has high rise condo and apartment towers, outdoor restaurants and cafes, a movie theater, hotels, a beautiful harbor, and even a bowling alley! It’s quite a nice place to visit… except for that horrible smog problem. On a personal side note, my photo of Long Beach was used in a CNBC article this week (also see page 7). Long Beach Photos

Fruitvalle Village at Fruitvale BART Station - Oakland, CA

14. Oakland, CA – I get really tired of reading Oakland bashing on the Internets, especially when most people have never been there. The truth is, there are some fantastic neighborhoods in Oakland if you know where to look. The City is also doing a lot to encourage mixed-use development, especially near transit stations. Oakland has many diverse neighborhoods, some great food, and pretty good weather. Oakland would probably get a lot more *positive* attention if it did not have San Francisco to the west and Berkeley to the north. Oakland Photos

State Street in Winter - Madison, WI

13. Madison, WI – I grew up just 2 hours from Madison, WI, and sadly did not see much of it until I was just about to move away from Illinois for the final time. What a beautiful downtown! I know that Madison has one of the best reputations for biking and walking of any city in the country. I can also say that the best beer I’ve ever had was from a microbrewery in downtown. The last time I was in Wisconsin, I briefly stopped in Madison and stumbled upon a fantastic Indian restaurant. If I get to spend more time in Madison in the future, I can see it easily creep up this list. At a minimum, I probably won’t go hungry or thirsty there! This photo (courtesy of Wade Johanson) is pretty much how I remember downtown: beautiful lights, a nice streetscape, and snow!

Sixth Street by Night - Austin, TX

12. Austin, TX – I had really high expectations for my visit to Austin last year. And I learned one important thing… to add “for Texas” to the end of of the sentence “Austin is very walkable.” There are many great things about Austin: the nightlife, the high rise condos and apartments, bike paths, music, the funkiness of the city, etcetera. But, I still found it to be very car-centric and didn’t have the cozy feel that many East and West Coast cities have. I definitely think it’s worth visiting if you’re in Texas, because it’s the best city I’ve visited there. The flagship Whole Foods store alone is worth the visit–that place is amazing! Why does Austin top Madison on my list? Because of a) the weather; and b) I know it better. Austin Photos

A view of Waikiki from Diamondhead - Honolulu, HI

11. Honolulu, HI – One of the most beautiful spots for a city I’ve ever been to… unfortunately the sprawl and auto-obsession sometimes distracts your attention away from the beauty a little too much. Nonetheless, there are walkable areas of the city. Especially the Waikiki area. Yes, it’s very touristy. But, they’ve done a great job making it more pedestrian-friendly. In addition, Honolulu does have a great bus system called… wait for it… The Bus! Don’t forget to stop by Leonard’s Bakery for some tasty malasadas. Honolulu Photos

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: Intro and 20 through 16

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 10 through 6

Popularity: 60% [?]

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 20 through 16 « Walkable Neighborhoods, and Peter are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Peter 1:02 pm on April 15, 2009 Permalink
  
  Hi Eric. I couldn’t find your pedestrian-friendly city rankings 1 to 10. I could only find ranks 11 to 20. Are 1-10 still in the process of being posted?
  
  By the way, I have a question since you are a guru on the subject. We are thinking of making a move to a pedestrian-friendly BIG city and are former residents of New York City, Toronto, Montreal and Baltimore (all of which are great, pedestrian-friendly cities, except for Baltimore, which {although historic} is only pedestrian-friendly in a few pockets and does not have DOZENS of cool neighborhoods like Toronto, New York or Montreal — it’s limited). We now need to find another city comparable to Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Boston or Montreal that is located in a better climate (even San Francisco is too cold for us). We now live in Florida, but find Miami to be unhospitable because the only interesting/vibrant/pedestrian-friendly neighborhood is South Beach. Unfortunately, South Beach has become too touristy and there are no other Miami neighborhoods worth hanging out in. It’s not a “real” city because it’s just too new.
  
  How is L.A.? Do you think it will meet our high standards? The climate would be great (much warmer than San Francisco), but is it a “real” city? We need a LOT of different neighborhoods in a city, so only a BIG BIG city will do it for us. We were thinking of checking out Chicago, but then we remembered how bad Chicago’s winter weather was. Is Greater LA the answer?
- Peter 1:45 pm on April 15, 2009 Permalink
  
  Hi Eric.
  
  Hey — I was just noticing that your site references the top 100 cities in America with a link to Wikipedia. The link is one that lists only the basic “City of ___” populations, which usually ends up being a misleading statistic. For example, if you list Buffalo or Jacksonville this way, you end up with them being listed as bigger than cities like Boston (which is ridiculous). Because the part of greater Boston called the “City of Boston” has a much smaller population than Buffalo or Jacksonville, Boston ends up being listed as the 21st biggest city in America, whereas Jacksonville ends up being 11th…which is crazy because Jacksonville has no suburbs and is about 3 million smaller than greater Boston (the same goes for Buffalo). I would therefore recommend that your link to Wikipedia be changed the following instead: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas This link shows the actual sprawl population of each city, including suburban areas. It shows how many people REALLY live in a city or travel into US cities on a daily basis. If you don’t like that link, you could instead use this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas I just find that the basic “city of ____” population statistics are totally misleading and don’t truly represent the number of people living in an urban area. ….just a thought, Peter.
Eric Fredericks 1:22 pm on April 1, 2009 Permalink | Reply

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 20 through 16

I’ve been meaning to do a list like this for a long time, but it’s not the easiest list to put together—I felt I actually had to visit most of the largest 100 cities in the United States before I could create my list. I’ve had the good fortune to visit many of the cities on the list, especially those that I believe are the most walkable. Walkability is the most important quality for cities on this list, but it’s not the only factor. Weather, transit service, amenities, access to water, and other factors were also important.

It should be noted that there are a few cities that I have not visited (or spent enough time in) that I think could crack my top 20. Some of these include: Philadelphia, Denver*, Pittsburgh*, Milwaukee*, Minneapolis/St. Paul*, Louisville*, Nashville*, Charlotte, and Baltimore (cities with an asterisk I’ve been to, but not spent enough time there recently to judge). Please see my comment in the comments area below for my background on why I feel confident creating this list.

20. Indianapolis, IN – Indianapolis has seen a lot of recent revitalization of its downtown. The city circle is one of the most beautiful public spaces in all of America. Indianapolis Photos

19. San Jose, CA – For a city that’s synonymous with urban sprawl, there are many things to like about its downtown. Like Indy, San Jose has a great public space in Plaza de Cesar Chavez. It also has very nice weather and close proximity to many amenities of the Bay Area. San Jose Photos

18. Cleveland, OH – Despite being labeled the poorest city in America and home to some of the worst foreclosure problems, Cleveland does have some redeeming qualities. One of my favorite spots: Little Italy. They also have a new BRT line! Photo courtesy of Joshua Rothhaas

17. Cincinnati, OH – Cinci has a nice location along the Ohio River. It has some very livable neighborhoods and a nice urban downtown. That’s the good news and we’ll leave it at that. Cincinnati Photos

16. Los Angeles, CA If it were not for the massively wide and congested streets, LA would probably be a really incredible city. It’s actually more dense than most people think, and it has one of the best transit systems in the country (seriously!). LA is definitely a city to watch as they plan to add tens of thousands more people to their downtown. Los Angeles Photos

Thanks to John Williams for featuring this article in Centerlines.

UPDATE: I also decided that I should have included New Orleans in my original Top 20.

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 15 through 11

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 10 through 6

My Top 20 Favorite Large US Cities: 5 through 1

Popularity: 79% [?]

Rosalie, Rudy Wobito, jennie and 5 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Rob 5:35 am on April 2, 2009 Permalink
  
  You should do some more traveling and spend more time in cities first before you write such an article.
- Eric Fredericks 7:45 am on April 2, 2009 Permalink
  
  Rob, I respectfully disagree. I would wager that I’ve been to more US cities than 98% of Americans. When I go to these cities, I try to visit as many parts of the city as I can, spend several days there (usually riding transit systems, walking , and/or biking), and I usually take hundreds of photos. And I don’t even think it’s necessary to do that really, I think I can get a feel for a city within 5 minutes of being there. Those cities with an asterisk above, some I’ve actually been to like 6 times and I still didn’t include them.
  
  Besides that, I’ve only released 5 cities so far… and these are MY favorites. I certainly think I’m entitled to my opinion every now and then.
- Peter 2:00 pm on April 15, 2009 Permalink
  
  Hi Eric. I couldn’t find your city walkability rankings from #1 to 10. Are they on this site?
  
  Hey — since you’re a guru on this subject, perhaps you could make a recommendation for us. We have moved to Florida for a better climate, but don’t find any of the cities here to be interesting. We previously lived in pedestrian-friendly cities which have TONS of cool neighborhoods, including Toronto, New York, Montreal and Baltmore (well, Baltimore was the exception. Baltimore actually didn’t meet out standards because it didn’t have nearly as many neighborhoods as the other three. It’s not a “BIG” walkable city like Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Boston or Montreal. We love all five of these cities. All five have so much to offer, have so many great funky neighborhoods, and are incredibly historic/pedestrian-friendly and vibrant. The problem is that they are all located in cold winter climates (even San Francisco is too cold for us). Miami has a great climate, but the only interesting neighborhood is South Beach — and we’re kind of “done” with it. Miami is just too new to be an interesting city. It’s mostly just sprawl and no urban density. So, we’re ready to move on to somewhere else and are considering LA. Will Greater LA do it for us? Only a VERY big city will meet our standards because we need a place that has DOZENS of cool neighborhoods, where people are on the streets walking and enjoying life. Chicago would probably meet our standards, but it would pose the same problem all over again — winter weather. We hate waiting for winter to end every year so that we can enjoy a measley 5 month summer. I know that LA has \great weather year-round…but is it a “real” city? Any suggestions?
- Vanessa 2:46 pm on May 11, 2009 Permalink
  
  Peter – I just moved to Los Angeles this year from the Bay Area and I love it here! I was nervous about moving because I had to learn how to drive (I grew up in Manhattan and had never owned a car before) and because I thought L.A. was going to be a nightmarish, smoggy, sprawling wasteland. L.A. is definitely a “real city” and I actually think that Los Angeles is a much more interesting and vibrant than San Francisco. L.A. has endless neighborhoods to explore, great architecture, world-class museums/cultural offerings/restaurants/etc…, and beautiful botanical gardens, parks, and hikes. And, while I wouldn’t recommend living here without a car, it is definitely possible to set up your life so that you don’t have to drive everyday.
- jennie 4:49 am on June 1, 2009 Permalink
  
  What was your answer to Peter on his April 15th blog wanting a great city with nice weather.
- Rudy Wobito 12:12 pm on June 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  I cannot beieve that you did not include Philadelphia in your top ten. It easily one of the most walkable and beautiful cities in the country. I am very disappointed.
- Rudy Wobito 12:15 pm on June 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  San Francisco was the absolute worst city that I have ever lived in.
  
  My top 10
  1. NYC
  2. Chicago
  3. Philadelphia
  4. Los Angeles
  5. Washington DC
  6. Boston
  7. Seattle
  8. Portland
  9. San Francisco
  10. Miami/South Beach
- Rosalie 3:24 pm on October 6, 2009 Permalink
  
  See! No one even cares about Kansas City. I’ve looked on like thousands of websites like this, with thousands of different opinions and yet not one has Kansas City been mentioned. Not even on a top 100 list. It makes me so sad to know that I live in a magnificent city that most people probably haven’t even heard of. Hello! Kansas City is the city of fountains (which are amazing ecspecially the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain), best BBQ (look it up I’m not making this up), Heart of America (as in middle), beautiful skyline, perfect blend of normal life and nature, and don’t even get me started on haw beautiful and wonderful KC is (I mean have you seen the Country Club Plaza). There are so many reasons we all love KC. You should check it out, I’ll admit it is not the best city ever (by a long shot) but it is still awesome. someday I’ll make Kansas City the #1 city in America, again (it was like as important as New York is now like a long time ago, because of the Missouri and Mississipi Rivers (that is like the one bad thing, we’re landlocked and the only water is so brown it just looks like a river of mud)) If you visited here you’d all like it too.
- Rosalie 3:24 pm on October 6, 2009 Permalink
  
  See! No one even cares about Kansas City. I’ve looked on like thousands of websites like this, with thousands of different opinions and yet not one has Kansas City been mentioned. Not even on a top 100 list. It makes me so sad to know that I live in a magnificent city that most people probably haven’t even heard of. Hello! Kansas City is the city of fountains (which are amazing ecspecially the JC Nichols Memorial Fountain), best BBQ (look it up I’m not making this up), Heart of America (as in middle), beautiful skyline, perfect blend of normal life and nature, and don’t even get me started on how beautiful and wonderful KC is (I mean have you seen the Country Club Plaza). There are so many reasons we all love KC. You should check it out, I’ll admit it is not the best city ever (by a long shot) but it is still awesome. someday I’ll make Kansas City the #1 city in America, again (it was like as important as New York is now like a long time ago, because of the Missouri and Mississipi Rivers (that is like the one bad thing, we’re landlocked and the only water is so brown it just looks like a river of mud)) If you visited here you’d all like it too.
- Rosalie 3:25 pm on October 6, 2009 Permalink
  
  oops sry bout the double post
- Rosalie 3:42 pm on October 6, 2009 Permalink
  
  Oh yea! So there is no confusion I was talking about Kansas City, MO.
Eric Fredericks 11:45 pm on March 31, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Switched Site from Textpattern to Wordpress… Expect Some Bugs

I am excited to announced that it appears I have successfully moved Walkable Neighborhoods from Textpattern to Wordpress! I am still tweaking the design, but you are welcome to check it out. There are, of course, a few glitches which will be painfully obvious. The biggest problem is that NONE of my images moved over. The problem was that I was using a special plugin in Textpattern that placed some code in my posts that Wordpress cannot interpret. So, I am going to have to go back and redo all of those old posts. I needed to do this anyway.

I’ve been using Wordpress on a few other sites (see fremontpark.net for one), and I decided that it’s just so much more user-friendly and seems to have a lot more momentum going for it. Textpattern seemed to be dying, and while I loved the customization capabilities, it was just too cumbersome and complicated for my needs. With Wordpress, I can whip out new designs pretty easily… the code and the function is a little more separated for my tastes. There are a plethora of plugins to choose from that will also add some great functionality to the site once I implement them.

The main reason for the switch is the ability to post articles more easily. I found it pretty difficult and time consuming to post how I wanted to in Textpattern. So far with Wordpress, it seems much better. I hope I’m right.

I’ve decided to hold off for now on the Top 20 Cities series for now. I couldn’t wait any longer to make the website changes.

And by the way, yes, we are back to the name Walkable Neighborhoods instead of neighborhoods.org. Everyone still referred to this site as Walkable Neighborhoods anyway, and I think it is more effective in letting people know what we’re about. I am still working behind the scenes on some big projects and I’m hoping with this move, I will be able to intergrate things a little better.

Popularity: 23% [?]

alex, werner, Cary Real Estate Blog and 6 others are discussing. Toggle Comments
- Chad McCullough 4:50 pm on April 1, 2009 Permalink
  
  It’ll all come together. A move as large as yours will always come with a few glitches. Recently, I switched my site from Textpattern to Drupal (since I do a lot of Drupal development) and I’ve been much happier. Textpattern is described as “user friendly” in all the reviews but I never thought of it as such. You’ll be very happy with Wordpress. It’s in constant development and there are lots of plug-ins.
- Eric Fredericks 7:17 pm on April 1, 2009 Permalink
  
  Thanks for the words of encouragement, Chad. I considered Drupal at one point, but I think WP will be just fine for this site. I might consider it in the future.
  
  The lack of photos is killing me though
- John 9:40 pm on April 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  Stupid move. Textpattern is so much more flexible than Wordpress and its inline php code. Whatever. Some people like garbage.
- Eric Fredericks 10:23 pm on April 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  Perhaps it was a stupid move. Seems that people can much more easily leave me nasty comments now.
  
  I’m not a hardcore programmer. I think Wordpress suits my needs much better. It takes forever to craft a post in Textpattern the way I’d like to see it vs. Wordpress. The main reason I switched is that I felt Textpattern was a sinking ship. Wordpress has momentum. Wordpress doesn’t have near the power that TXP does, but I don’t need it and found it quite frustrating at times.
- Carolyn G-Tu 11:07 pm on April 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  Eric, I think you made the right move to WordPress – think maybe you just need more plugins – I’ve noticed quite a few bloggers even requiring registration to slow negative people from just dropping comments.
- Eric Fredericks 11:40 pm on April 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  Thanks, Carolyn. I was kind of being snarky in my last remark. By far and away I get positive comments from people.
  
  I definitely agree with you. More plugins are on the way. I just need to find some time to work on it!
- Adam Kayce 8:28 am on April 17, 2009 Permalink
  
  Congrats on the move – I’m a WordPress designer myself, so I know what you’re now into.
  
  I just had to leave a comment about the registration issue… unless you have a huge—and I mean HUGE—readership, enforcing registration is probably going to kill the conversation on your site. New people will consider it more work to register than just leave a comment, and you’ll end up only hearing from the extremes – total fans, or total haters.
  
  Instead, make it so only people who have previously moderated comments can leave one; otherwise, they go into the moderation queue, and you can spam/delete/approve them as you see fit.
  
  If you add a little “No trolls” proviso, you’re setting the stage for cool people. The losers will know they’re going to be banned, and will probably leave you alone. After all, this is your house — no reason to let the morons come in and crap on your couch.
- Maggie 11:48 am on June 14, 2009 Permalink
  
  COngrats on moving to wordpress! You can play around with the various themes and plugins that wordpress offers
- Cary Real Estate Blog 7:25 am on August 17, 2009 Permalink
  
  Great blog! Thanks a lot for it!
  
  Regards
- werner 7:33 am on October 16, 2009 Permalink
  
  So its safe to say the talk about the attack on wordpress is just a load of rubbish?
  mind you, i’ve come to like wordpress
- alex 6:02 pm on October 21, 2009 Permalink
  
  i love how detroit isint on here. im from chicago and i live right outside of detroit now and i hate it! everybody around here loves detroit and bashes chicago when u obviously see how great chicago is. it dominates detroit! chicago should be higher than new york tho
Eric Fredericks 5:10 pm on February 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis Biking Through Midtown Sacramento: Video of the 2009 AMGEN Tour of California Time Trials

The video above is Lance Armstrong biking down N Street Through Midtown Sacramento. The video below is of Floyd Landis. You can hear the crowd yelling “Floyd! Floyd!” See more photos and video of the 2009 AMGEN Bike Tour.

Popularity: 18% [?]

KFZ Auto Versicherung is discussing. Toggle Comments
- KFZ Auto Versicherung 2:02 am on October 7, 2009 Permalink
  
  I thought that sun shines always in Sacramento and it is hot but On the video I can see the opposite. Looks like winter is coming Thanks for the video.
Eric Fredericks 4:28 pm on February 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Fabian Cancellara wins the AMGEN Tour of California time trial

Cyclist during 2009 Amgen California Time Trial

Fabian Cancellara won the Tour of California Sacramento time trial. (Note: this is not Cancellara pictured). He finished the 2.4 mile course with a time of 4 minutes, 32.90 seconds. Lance Armstrong finished with a time of 4:37.17. The rain held off for the entire race, with just a few sprinkles during Floyd Landis’s run. More news, photos, and videos to come…

Popularity: 17% [?]
Eric Fredericks 2:25 pm on February 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Videos and Photos from the 2009 AMGEN Time Trials in Sacramento

The time trials are underway as I type this. The crowds on the street are great! Here is a video and some of my first (not necessarily the best) early photos of the time trial. The rain is holding off… for now. Lance Armstrong still to come! Some drunk guy keeps yelling “Dig Deep” at every rider that passes by.

Popularity: 15% [?]
Eric Fredericks 2:01 pm on February 14, 2009 Permalink | Reply

Video of the Sacramento Community Bike Ride – AMGEN Tour 2009

Sorry for the quality, I had my dog on the leash. See more of my photos and videos of the 2009 AMGEN Tour.

Popularity: 16% [?]