In March of this year, the National Association of Realtors commissioned a market research firm to conduct a survey regarding Americans’ housing and community preferences.  Over 2,000  randomly selected adults took part in this updating of a 2004 survey. In both cases, a significant portion of adults indicated that living in a community where they could walk to shops was either “important” or “very important.”

The economy  has seen big ups and downs over the past seven years, and people’s housing priorities have changed in certain areas. I was interested to see that 66% (two-thirds) of the adults  polled this year said that being within an easy walk to places in their community was important to them.

Clearly, walkable suburbs are still seen as very desirable places to live. I’d love to show you some of New Jersey’s finest.

Well guess what? It turns out commercial real estate benefits from walkability too.  Not that I’m surprised.  According to The Harvard Business Review, an increase of 10 points in walkability out of a score of 100 increases the value of the property by 9%.  What does this say to me?  That houses and retail have a symbiotic relationship and it’s good when they’re not too far away from each other.

Montclair NJ is a great example of how well this works.  Montclair has 5 thriving business districts all of which are nicely nestled among our neighborhoods.  From north to south there’s Upper Montclair Village, Watchung Plaza, Walnut Street, Montclair Central and South End Village. If you live in Montclair, what restaurant do you walk to?

Relaxing in Essex County's Brookdale Park

It’s unusually cold for this time of year, but since it is in fact April, I assume that we’ll see warmer weather soon. For me, that means more time outdoors, specifically in Brookdale Park.

I’ve been going to Brookdale Park since my kids were babies: I spent many afternoons pushing their strollers along the paths and later helped them navigate the equipment on the two playgrounds. Several years later, I found myself at the park again, cheering them on from the sidelines of the soccer and softball fields with fellow Montclair moms.

My kids have moved on to other activities, but I still love the park. Whenever I get a chance, I meet a friend for some tennis (there are 11 courts). I  also love the art shows held there in spring and fall, as well as the free summer concerts and July 4th fireworks. Note to gardeners: there are dozens of  different species of roses in the gorgeous rose garden.

Brookdale Park was designed by the Olmstead brothers, who also designed New York City’s Central Park. Since I grew up in the city and spent a lot of time in Central Park when I was young, I really feel right at home here.

There is, however, a form of energy that is safe, cheap, and absolutely clean: human kinetic energy (walking). For families with school-aged children, October is International Walk to School Month; next Wednesday, October 6, is International Walk to School Day. This was started in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America and quickly grew into a nationwide movement. There are so many benefits to walking to school: less gasoline used, safer and less congested streets, more fresh air and exercise, even an increased sense of community. Of course, walking to school isn’t always feasible, but if you can do it, why not give it a try? Let me know how it goes!

“Today’s home buyers aren’t just looking for good schools and low crime rates when they evaluate a neighborhood, many brokers say. They’re paying much more attention to what they can walk to.” (emphasis added)

The growth of walkability as a desirable quality comes from homebuyers who want to avoid traffic as much as possible, and may also be looking forward to a day when gas prices get too high. Aging boomers buying homes to retire in and younger couples buying their first homes are both starting to look for the same easy proximity to town restaurants, shops, and activities.

This is why the towns I work in are so popular, and why I focus on the benefits of walkability when buying or selling homes. Though walkability depends on a number of factors - traffic patterns, topography – I have found that buyers are more and more looking to be within walking distance of things to do, and are willing to pay more for it.

walking in Montclair neighborhood

I’m a big fan of the rating website, www.walkscore.com, but its algorithm relies mostly on the proximity of a house to stores and community resources.  But to find walkability rating, it’s not just about distance — it’s also about the quality and ease of the walk.  Factors like wide sidewalks, shade trees, good lighting and flat topography matter a great deal in determining a walkability rating.  I downloaded this walkability checklist from www.walkinginfo.org and walked through my own Watchung Plaza neighborhood in Montclair.

Here’s what I found, both good and bad.

What makes Montclair a Walkable Community?

Montclair NJ

• Lot’s of large trees to keep the sun off your back
• Most streets not to wide to cross
• Most streets have sidewalks
• Streets and sidewalks are free of litter and debris
• No loose dogs
• Curb cuts in many sidewalks (for strollers and wheelchairs)
• Flat heading East toward the train station

Things to Improve…

• Many sidewalks uneven and cracked from tree roots
• Spotty lighting – some areas well lit, others not so much.
• Steep hill heading West toward the “Mont” of Montclair
• Tricky intersection at Park St. and Watchung Ave

How walkable is your neighborhood?  Download the checklist and let me know.

There’s a positive ripple effect.  With longer store hours people walk in the streets until later, and they’re more likely to go get some dinner or a coffee on Church Street after they’ve browsed (or shopped in the store).    Anthropologie gives outsiders another reason to bypass the mall and come visit Montclair, and maybe pop into Semplice or the Montclair Book Center.

What’s interesting is that more and more big retail stores want to be located in a walkable downtown like ours.  For the first time in forty years, the trend is shifting away from malls.  People want to shop locally.  They don’t want to get on a highway to buy a pair of jeans or that perfect gift.

This holiday season you’ll find me at the sale rack sometime around 8:30 pm.  Anthropologie is located at the corner of Church Street and Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair.

Here’s a list of all the stores that are extending their hours this holiday season:

Accents With Flowers

Afro-Brazilian Cultural Center of NJ

Alicia’s

Amanti Vino

American Sampler

Anthropologie

Artistic Illuminations of Montclair

Aunt Jean’s Toys & Treats

Blu Lotus

Bobbi Brown Studio

Buds For You

Catcom

Chez Renee

Cisco Station

ColorStoryHome

Creative Endeavors

Culture Couture

Dobbs

Dulce Candy Boutique

Euro Glass Art

Essex Fine Arts Gallery

Fleet Feet

Four Eyes & Ears

Gallery 51

Gallery Loupe

Go Lightly

Glenridge Taekwon-do

Hampton House

HipNotique

Irish & More

Jerry’s Antiques

Johari

Little Cricket

Makeready Press

Modern Yarn

Montclair Antique Center

Montclair Art Museum

Montclair Pet & Feed

Nest & Company

O Soleil

Parlor Hair Salon

People Store

Phil Cantor Photography

Ruby

Sahana Spa

Salon Organic

semplice

Stix-n-Stitches

Terra

Tory Janes

Urban Outfitters

The Woodhouse Spa

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