I like walking when I’m not in a hurry and the weather is nice, but the weather usually isn’t nice in most parts of the country (the US West Coast is an exception to that). I’m looking at moving to a southern state now and the only reason I’m even considering it is that I would be living in a car-centered area where I wouldn’t have to spend more than a couple of minutes a day outdoors during the summer. Compare that to NYC where I used to live: milder summers, but still hot, and I had no choice but to endure them (and winters, and rainy days) because I couldn’t drive to most places I went to. The unpleasantness of that far outweighs all the advantages of walkable neighborhoods for me.
I do welcome you sharing your perspective, but I also feel like we must be of different species, because I so profoundly cannot relate at all. Fascinating!
I want to clarify that I like spending time outside - while in California I spend at least an hour outdoors on most days. Having to be indoors all summer would be a real sacrifice.
Yea I can understand having a pretty set comfort range, climatewise. If that were my situation, I would be dead set on living in a walkable place in California. I walk and bike from -25 C to 35 C (~0–90 F) and will just put on raingear if needed, that’s freedom for me.
Just because I don’t want to endure something unpleasant doesn’t mean I can’t - the argument I’m responding to isn’t that walking is survivable but that it’s preferable.
I like walking when I’m not in a hurry and the weather is nice, but the weather usually isn’t nice in most parts of the country (the US West Coast is an exception to that). I’m looking at moving to a southern state now and the only reason I’m even considering it is that I would be living in a car-centered area where I wouldn’t have to spend more than a couple of minutes a day outdoors during the summer. Compare that to NYC where I used to live: milder summers, but still hot, and I had no choice but to endure them (and winters, and rainy days) because I couldn’t drive to most places I went to. The unpleasantness of that far outweighs all the advantages of walkable neighborhoods for me.
This comment is truly mindblowing to me!
I do welcome you sharing your perspective, but I also feel like we must be of different species, because I so profoundly cannot relate at all. Fascinating!
I want to clarify that I like spending time outside - while in California I spend at least an hour outdoors on most days. Having to be indoors all summer would be a real sacrifice.
Yea I can understand having a pretty set comfort range, climatewise. If that were my situation, I would be dead set on living in a walkable place in California. I walk and bike from -25 C to 35 C (~0–90 F) and will just put on raingear if needed, that’s freedom for me.
Your city was built by people who walked. Your ancestors just weren’t as delicate and lazy as you are.
Just because I don’t want to endure something unpleasant doesn’t mean I can’t - the argument I’m responding to isn’t that walking is survivable but that it’s preferable.
Best just seal yourself in a hermetic box and be done with it, then.