On the other hand, it’s very difficult to walk to the train station, or the corner store to get milk in a town that is laid out in a branching street pattern with a series of dead-ends -aka cul-de-sacs- feeding in to a main artery. In these configurations, you can be a stone’s throw from your destination, but have to travel a mile to get there.  This may be a satisfactory layout for the car but not for the pedestrian or bike rider.

Watch this very clever video from the Congress for New Urbanism and you’ll see what I mean…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGJt_YXIoJI

Don’t try this in just any suburb.  It takes a village, a real one, to make these sorts of walk/bike tours possible.  Streets that are interconnected on a grid, sidewalks, trees to shade the sidewalks, history , a reason, a community, merchants that are involved with their community and people to participate.  One of the many reasons I love Montclair.

August 9th, 11 a.m.  -a 5K walking/running tour of several historical sites. Sponsored by the Montclair Historical Society, Fleet Feet and Destination Montclair.

August 16th, 11 a.m. – a 4 mile bike tour including historical George Washington Boulder, Charles Shultz House, Clark House Van Vleck House & Gardens. Bike rentals available from Diamond Cycle, where the route begins.