Walking proximity to everyday destinations fosters walking in seniors

[haha]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17226537/

I spent most of my childhood and young adult life until 35 or so in urban walking neighborhoods, then a long child rearing spell in the country. I felt my wife would resist moving after the kids were gone, but she surprised me and moved herself (without me).

So now me and the country are over. One requirement I have for my new life is that a car must be optional for daily stuff. Car is OK for getting to the mountains or shore, OK for going somewhere at night when the buses won't be running. But I want groceries, entertainment, doctors, a big library and some museums or galleries close at hand so I can walk or at worst take a bus. I would also like to be able to visit my kids and at least some friends without needing my car. Nice if there might be some free chamber music and some jazz free but for the price of a drink.

My Dad had this, and in spite of having about a million chronic diseases he lived pain free and in good spirits until he was 87. Although we didn't have the smoothest relationship whenever I visited we could rely on having some nice walks downtown, and in the university district where he lived. When he was about 75 he got pretty badly beaten up by some punks but he didn't let that stop him.

So I agree with this article--if your conditions of weather, crime and proximity to destinations are good, you will get in some walking, even if you can't find companions, or can't work up the oomph to go to the gym or get onto the torture mill.

In the city I rarely get fewer than 14,000-15,000 steps in a day pretty much without trying, in the country I tend not too, even though I can take a beautiful trail down to a beautiful beach. Trouble is, it is more or less deserted, and I guess I am looking for more daily social interaction.

I know I will have to give up some of my stuff and some of my hobbies-like shooting my pistol in the back yard- but life is compromises I heard somewhere, and that observation seems to be correct.

Ha

[donheff]

I agree completely. If you are moving back to a city after a long time I would recommend that you rent at first and spend time getting to know the neighborhoods. A few blocks can make a big difference in satisfaction. I prefer big cities - New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston. DC, where I live, is at the small end of what I prefer. The problem for many is that the best, most walkable areas, of these major urban centers are very pricey.

[dex]

I chose where I currently live so I could walk to shopping - WalMart and a couple of restaruants.

HaHa, I 'm sorry to read about your father getting beating up. I can understand getting mugged for your money but the idea of just beating up an old man for no reason I can not comprehend.

When I go for a walk I usually carry a walking stick; just because I like to - not for protection. I'm giving thought to carrying a pocket gun - not because I live in a bad area; but because of stories like your father. The kicker is - I don't look old maybe early 40s and in good shape.

There are a lot of nuts out there these days.
Teen 'sport killings' of homeless on the rise
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/19/hom...cks/index.html

[Nords]

Originally Posted by dex

When I go for a walk I usually carry a walking stick; just because I like to - not for protection. I'm giving thought to carrying a pocket gun - not because I live in a bad area; but because of stories like your father.

Or maybe there are safer places to walk. And public-safety staffs who are paid (by our tax dollars) to contend with the problems.

Martial arts training has taught me to avoid the places where danger could be found-- not to seek them out with higher-caliber tools or to continue one's habits despite a changing environment.

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Where the heck is Charles Bronson when we need him?

[ladelfina]

Though I conceivably have MOST of what I need w/in walking distance, we've been horrible in maintaining our car-centric American habits. The 3 (small to mini to tiny) markets in town don't stock EVERYthing we like or need, so we opt for the weekly trip to the 'regular' supermarkett 15 min. away by car where prices are also usually better across the board. [Note: the best-stocked town supermarket is owned by the communists, so DH wants to boycott it.]

We do see one old guy out walking all the time. A friend of ours challenged us to guess the guy's age.. we looked at him and said, "I dunno.. 75?"..

"NO! He's Ninety-Eight!"

Out walking every day.

Yep. Gotta change our ways. Even if it means paying more at the mini-mart or financing the Communist Party, I guess...

[justin]

Originally Posted by ladelfina

[Note: the best-stocked town supermarket is owned by the communists, so DH wants to boycott it.]

Have you pointed out the logical inconsistency with this? Assuming your DH is a free-wheeling free market capitalist, shouldn't he patronize the store with the best combination of products, prices, and service?

Question: when you say owned by "the communists", do you mean the Communist Party, or by an individual or group, all of which are communists?

[sailor]

Mike,
some reasonable compromise (at least for me) is a bicycle.
It allows me to cover greater distances in suburbs/country surroundings, not be dependent on car and provides great exercise.
I'm hoping even when I become an old geezer and have trouble with balance etc, I might be able to ride a tricycle.
Who knows maybe my SWR at this time can support a slick tadpole recumbent trike like Australian Greenspeed

[ladelfina]

Originally Posted by justin

Have you pointed out the logical inconsistency with this? Assuming your DH is a free-wheeling free market capitalist, shouldn't he patronize the store with the best combination of products, prices, and service?

Um, yes. If they have stuff on sale, I say "who cares.. get the discount!"
To get the real discounts, though, you have to give them € for a membership.

Question: when you say owned by "the communists", do you mean the Communist Party, or by an individual or group, all of which are communists?

weeeeelll.. it kinda works like this. The COOP supermarket (and others like them) is set up as a non-profit by communist-aligned cooperative organizations. The profit they make is siphoned to the Party. They don't pay the normal business taxes that an independent enterprise would have to pay, so they can offer goods at full price and make 2x the money, or put things on sale but still be ahead profit-wise over a "normal" business. The taxes thus avoided, of course, means just that much less for all the social services that (naturally) the communist parties demand.

The same kind of thing works with banks around here. One party or another is aligned with a bank. The party gives the bank favors where they can, and the bank bankrolls the party. No Italian that I have ever heard of actually makes political contributions no matter how impassioned they are, nor do I ever see signs of public fund-raising.. the money for campaigns just seems to "come from somewhere."

The banking mess has been highlighted recently during a series of attempted inter-Europe bank mergers that involved BNL (Banca Nazionale di Lavoro -- you can tell by the name where this is going; "lavoro" = work), Unipol, and AntonVeneta. There are Chinese boxes within Chinese boxes. The political parties set up these banks, control them, are financed by them, and block straightforward financial maneuvers that might involve them. Crazy manipulations arise by which, through a series of holding companies, fake bookkeeping, and share schemes, entities with a tiny stake can effectively overthrow the majority.

The governor of the Bank of Italy (in some ways like the Fed, and which approves bank deals), who has a lifetime position and is accountable to NO-one.. was embarrassed to the point of resigning over (questionably legal, but publicized) telephone interceptions which proved he was putting his thumb on the scales in the matter.

An English-language summary (though superficial) of the merger attempts is here:
http://tinyurl.com/2ty54v
I only skimmed the article, but the parts about paternalism, nationalist pride, and fear are BS.. a whitewash.. or rather a "grey"wash. This is about Big Money, Big Power and Big Control. The fact that the banks have retail "customers" is to them practically an inconvenience (and it shows on the retail level, let me tell you..). That's not where their real concerns lie.

To paraphrase Dorothy, "we're not in Kansas.."

This is maybe a better summation of the affair:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/debates...articleId=2776

[justin]

Originally Posted by ladelfina

To get the real discounts, though, you have to give them € for a membership.

Those commie bastards! COSTCO is the same way, but I won't give them red bastards $50 either!

We have a local version of the Communist Co-op:
www.weaverstreetmarket.com

[donheff]

Originally Posted by justin

We have a local version of the Communist Co-op:
www.weaverstreetmarket.com

But, can you walk to it?

[justin]

Originally Posted by donheff

But, can you walk to it?

Nope! It's a couple of counties over (on the very edge of the metropolitan area). I can, however, walk to a number of different grocery stores, restaurants, the library, etc. in my neighborhood. Just none of the stores are commie (except the vietnamese grocery store - haven't established if they are N or S vietnamese ).

I do walk more because of the proximity of these retail and entertainment options. "Walking" is a true mode choice for me to get pretty much anything I need (although I don't get to walk nearly as much now with two kids under age 2!). Otherwise, there are a few bus routes within a half mile that could take me anywhere else I wanted to go (including being dropped off at the door of my office).

[ladelfina]

COSTCO is the same way, but I won't give them red bastards $50 either!

[shiny]

Hey Ha,

Since moving to Seattle I walk almost everywere! I really love it.

I just have to remember to only get a hand-basket at the grocery store though, otherwise it is too heavy to carry home - it its probably just as well I can't walk to Costco.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Ha,

As I recall, you live somewhere near the Seattle area yourself (King County?). I suspect your dad lived near the University of Moscow, Seattle Campus (football team named "the Ruskies"). The "Ave" has changed a lot since I was an underachiever at the UW.

The Seattle police told me that the highest crime rates are in areas of the city that have the highest transient population (e.g., Capitol Hill, the Ave, etc.). Unfortunately, these areas are usually also the most interesting places. It never hurts to ring up the police, tell them who you are and why you are asking and ask what areas or districts to avoid. They know.

Seattle used to have a marvelous public transit system. Maybe still does. Find a safe place with local amenities and access to the fun places via transit. You don't have to live in the middle of all the excitement, just have easy access.

Just my two cents.

Gypsy

ladelfina lives in Italy. Yeah, the local grocery could very well be run by Communists. Paper or plastic, comrade?