Houston's Shocking Honor
Houston dubbed the No. 1 most walkable city: No, really
Despite our unwavering love for this city, it's hard to argue that walkability is Houston's strong suit. That's why a ranking by the folks behind WalkScore.com proved a surprise: Houston was named the most pedestrian-friendly large city in Texas.
Based on the amount of amenities available within .25 miles of any given address, Houston took No. 23 in the United States with an overall walk score of 50, trailed by Dallas at No. 30, Austin at No. 31 and San Antonio at No. 40. El Paso took No. 44 on the nationwide list, and Fort Worth ranked No. 47.
ADA compliance is unfortunately uncommon, sidewalks often end unexpectedly, utility poles are inconveniently placed.
Though the Bayou City is still scores behind New York (at No. 1, of course, with a score of 85.3), San Francisco (No. 2, 84.9), Boston (No. 3, 79.2), Chicago (No. 4, 74.3) and Philadelphia (No. 5, 74.1) in overall walkability, our individual areas proved to be self-sufficient.
Neartown/Montrose, for instance, earned a walk score of 82, while Greenway/Upper Kirby, Midtown and Downtown all scored 78, 77 and 76, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, the Hunterwood area had the lowest walk score — a meager 11.
At ground level, though, every neighborhood has room for improvement: ADA compliance is unfortunately uncommon, sidewalks often end unexpectedly, utility poles are inconveniently placed.
But at least it's not all suburban sprawl.
Singas Pizza is coming to Houston.Photo courtesy of Singas