When I purchased a home in Healdsburg in 1977, a major factor was being within walking distance of downtown. I walk or ride my bike to do almost all of my local errands.A couple of days ago, I came across a post titled "Walkability." The focus was on homes maintaining their value, and the conclusion is that walkable neighborhoods are worth more.
I e-mailed the link to a friend who also loves living in Healdsburg, and she responded: “…[T]here’s been no question in my mind for some time that Healdsburg’s home values and the desirability of homes within walking distance to the Plaza are completely correlated. I am always surprised by the sale price of a home that is just blocks off the Plaza compared to home prices farther out….all this in a town that is only 3.74 square miles!!!
I decided to check my Walk Score, and here’s what I found.
I’m glad that my house has maintained most of its value, but above and beyond that, I have a better quality of life by being able to live most of my life without getting into my car.
Photo: Matheson Street in the spring.
Gail is really on to something. This is a great tool. I scored 92 which is really high nationally. Who wants to go next and compare your Healdsburg score to other cities?
ReplyDeleteI checked out my score and got a dismal 58 out of 100, though it is still higher than the average of 49.
ReplyDeleteThe site also listed Big John's for "clothing and music," so I think there is room for site improvement. Obviously every area in Healdsburg has a different walkability value, but there are some interesting things missing in my walkability score.
They list the high school library, but don't list the Healdsburg Branch of the Sonoma County Library.
The site lists, under coffee shops, Flaky Cream (.9 miles) but misses the newer A Bean Affair (right across the street).
However, even noting the exceptions I would take with their methods and suggestions, I wouldn't choose to live anywhere but Healdsburg!
Gail, thank you for posting such an interesting tool.
ReplyDeleteHi Shonnie et al,
ReplyDeleteI like this blog. I'm excited you started this project.
Can you recommend a real-estate appraiser in Healdsburg? I'm looking for fair-market value on two properites.
Thanks,
Thanks for the comments. It was an easy-to-write post. I'm now working on something a little more complicated - Healdsburg's first General Plan.
ReplyDelete