Downtown Living vs. the Suburbs
April 23rd, 2008 categories: Buyers, Dormont, Downtown Living, Mt. Lebanon, Peters Township, South Side, Upper St. Clair
There are some great benefits to living closer to downtown — proximity to food, entertainment and shopping, as well as access to the amazing cultural scene. There are also wonderful aspects of living in the suburbs, like owning a bit more land and having a larger house as well as enjoying community pools and having barbecues in the cul-de-sac.
Some people want to live downtown because they can walk to everything. But keep in mind there are suburbs that also are considered to be very “walkable.” If you’re looking for a house where you don’t have to get in your car every time you want a gallon of milk, then check out Walk Score.
You enter an address or zip code, and it finds the distance to the nearest grocery stores, post offices, restaurants, libraries, movie theaters and other useful destinations, and then assigns a score based on the walkability of your location.
Here are how 4 local areas rank at keeping you near the hustle and bustle:
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Downtown – 86 out of 100
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South Side – 80
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Mt. Lebanon – 63
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Dormont - 60
Upper St. Clair, I’m sorry to say, scored a 12. Peters Township wasn’t much better with 28. Walk Score is a great tool for anyone looking to find a home in a walkable neighborhood.
