Website That Walks The Walk
Posted by Dennis DeSouza on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 12:53pm.One of the most pleasing innovations in today's online realty marketing, is the addition of the application Walk Score. This excellent tool, for those who don't know, simply awards points for the ease of access to key amenities, in relation to a specified address. With astonishing ease and speed, one can check out just how close a prospective property purchase is to public transit, local stores, schools, restaurants, bars and so on.
Should you wish to live in a neighborhood that allows for frequent car-free forays, and that provides super convenience for a range of day to day facilities, Walk Score offers invaluable help.
So, imagine you see a house that you like the look of on the La Jolla real estate listings on sellingsd.com. Simply click on the 'view details' button below the property. Choose the Walk Score search in the 'next steps' bar beneath the property photos, and a map will immediately appear on your screen. The property location is clearly marked, with an adjacent list of all the closest amenities, and their distance from your chosen house. On the bigger map version, easily displayed by clicking on the link, one can find out further information relating to each individual amenity, be it a cafe, library or bus stop.
Of course, there are a few caveats that need to be taken into account when using Walk Score, and users are urged to treat the results more as a guide, rather than relying too heavily on the information supplied. One can't really expect this tool to take into account such local elements as street design, absence of sidewalks, volume of nearby traffic, or the safety of a neighborhood. However, it will, with a considerable degree of accuracy tell you just how far certain things are from any given starting point. But, be warned, the software cannot currently interpret changes in topography, or take into account lakes and rivers that may lie in the way, so a good amount of human interpretation should be included when mapping a walking route!
Simply put, Walk Score offers users a great way to rate a neighborhood, quickly and easily. It saves home seekers a good deal of time otherwise spent trawling around areas, and even helps residents learn more about their own community. The desire to spend less time stuck in traffic is no longer a preserve of traditionally 'green' Americans; an ever-increasing number of US citizens are now looking for healthier, more cost-effective lifestyles. And if it encourages more people to seek alternatives to personal vehicle use, and to support local business, then surely everyone will benefit.
Written by the Dennis DeSouza writing team.
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