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Saw this on digg yesterday, and figured folks here might be interested. It’s a really nice little Google Maps mashup that finds the closest local schools, shops, restaurants, etc, & calculates how far away they are, totaling everything up to give a “Walk Score”.
[url]http://www.walkscore.com/[/url]
What does my score mean?
Your Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100. The walkability of an address depends on how far you are comfortable walking—after all, everything is within walking distance if you have the time. Here are general guidelines for interpreting your score:
* 90 – 100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
* 70 – 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
* 50 – 70 = Some Walkable Locations: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a car.
* 25 – 50 = Not Walkable: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving is a must.
* 0 – 25 = Driving Only: Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!
How it Works
Walk Scoreâ„¢ uses a patent-pending algorithm to calculate the walkability of an address based on:
* The distance to walkable locations near an address.
* Calculating a score for each of these locations.
* Combining these scores into one easy to read Walk Score.
Looks like I’m the winner for most walkable.
Thank god for scooters.
82 for my place in Grandview.
i live at easton, i walk to my car.
I’m not sure how accurate that thing is. I got a 67. Some of the places close by didn’t even come up.
Very cool app. We only got a 56, but we live near a ravine and the slight out-of-the way location is worth it. It’s very “bikeable”.
62.
Vic Village/Harrison West or points thereabout.
The “closest restaurant” went out of business several years ago, though…
It said the closest bar to my house is the Brickyard.
That site’s map hasn’t been updated in years.
From their “How It Doesn’t Work” page:
All of the locations shown on Walk Score come directly from the Google Maps API. Unfortunately, some listings may be missing or out of date. Business owners can go here to update their listings. Google does not provide a way for people to update the business listings in their neighborhood.
We are able to filter out some bad results manually using Google search operators. If you see an incorrect result, please let us know and we will try to remove it from Walk Score.
We got a 62 for Dennison Place which is lower than I expected.
What is interesting about the Google maps API is how inconsistent they are in the updates. On the expanded listing, the Starbucks on Olentangy shows up for coffee shops and it has been open for less time than the everything in the Gateway like the theatre, bars, bookstore, etc.
Tim Hortons and Subway, but not Wendy’s or Bob Evan’s? Monkey’s Retreat and not Barnes & Nobles or Borders? It is not so much a matter of the info being old, but really incomplete.
I am curious about their algorithim. Do they account for the number of different options for each category available under a mile?
A.
Thank god for scooters.
Yeah, but it also put the Worthington Library as the closest to you. Admin offices, it turns out.
A.
56
They fixed most of the errors with my walk score (still don’t get credit for my closest park) and I’m now an 86! Take that!
Actually, they went a little overboard and gave me credit for a movie theater called Movie Media, which is apparently 0.45 miles away. :?:
Looks like they’re mistaking this place as a movie theater:
Movie Media inc, LLC
853 South High Street
Columbus OH 43206
Main Phone # 614-443-6026
Main Fax # 614-444-1670
http://www.moviemediainc.com/
I’ve been upgraded to a 78, but I’m also getting “Movie Media” now as my nearest theater. Some of the results are pretty accurate. Others are weird.
89 now that the “Safety & Hygiene” Library is a mere 0.06 miles away!
I emailed the guy who runs the site and got a quick reply. I guess they query google with search strings and just modified them, so that explains the changes.
Updated score of 89 for my place in Grandview
Ooh, fun! I got an 86 for my place in the Short North. Some results seemed a bit off (both “G and Co” and G & Co” were on my shopping list) … but that probably worked in both directions.
Newsflash: The Short North is pretty walkable. :)
All of the locations shown on Walk Score come directly from the Google Maps API. Unfortunately, some listings may be missing or out of date. Business owners can go here to update their listings. Google does not provide a way for people to update the business listings in their neighborhood.
We are able to filter out some bad results manually using Google search operators. If you see an incorrect result, please let us know and we will try to remove it from Walk Score.
Not to mention, it’s running on Teleatlas maps *gag* Anybody that has ever used this for a customer knows that the fact Google only allows TeleAtlas for their API is ridiculous. They are the worst.
P.S. I live at a 23. Yikes. I’m VERY jealous of those that live in a place that is 70+
Wow, my new updated score is a 78.