The Maple Leaf neighborhood is “very walkable,” according to a new Web site that ranks neighborhoods to see whether you need a car to live there.
Maple Leaf scores around 80 out of 100 points on Walk Score‘s patented algorithm – sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, depending on the address. Ten points higher and we would be a “walker’s paradise,” where “most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.”
The system ranks neighborhoods by how hard it is to walk to nearby amenities. The Roosevelt neighborhood qualifies as paradise, as do lower Queen Anne, downtown, the University District and Pioneer Square. Ballard, Fremont, Phinny Ridge and Greenwood share Maple Leaf’s “very walkable” designation. Hilly Magnolia, though, gets a 61 – “somewhat walkable.”
There are variations. Maple Leaf Ace Hardware on Roosevelt Way, for example, has a score of 82, as does LC’s Kitchen down on Lake City Way. Most residences that aren’t on arterials score in the high 70s.
Oh, and Walk Score includes Google Street View. Plug in your address, click on “go to street view,” and see a photo of your house.
What’s your walkable score?
Hey, Maple Leaf Park isn't on Walk Score's map! I just submitted the park to Google Maps, so maybe that will raise our score.