Walkable Neighborhoods: Crabapple Did you know that the average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood?

When you think of the suburbs you immediately imagine large communities with winding streets, lined with a small mix of home styles. Out of the community entrance a mile-or-so down the road will be several small strip centers leading up to the larger, big-box centers with a Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc. Everyone drives and may make several trips a day to the same place. It’s the design that city planners and developers have been producing since the 50′s. It’s what we have come to expect and seem to be comfortable with.

North Atlanta isn’t known for many walkable neighborhoods and those that would be considered walkable (Woodstock, Suwanee, Vickery) still lack some of the amenities that would truly reduce the need for many of the car trips we make – like grocery stores. But these communities have the opportunity to truly become ‘walkable’ if they continue to promote smart growth and champion/support local businesses that add value, service and character to their communities.

Just imagine the addition of a small independent grocery store in Crabapple. Maybe a hardware store and garden center. Not only would car trips out of the community be reduced but demand for homes in the area would increase, resulting in higher home prices. Crabapple could be the “city center” of Milton that we don’t have.

Your kids could walk to Milton High School or Northwestern Middle. You could walk your elementary aged children to Crabapple EM. Lunch at Vintage Pizza – let’s walk. Pint of Guinness at Olde Blind Dog, sneak off with your wife to Sip, and never get in the car.

I think the buyers who have purchased in Crabapple Crossing and Crabapple Crossroads already know this. And there are other communities in the surrounding area that are close enough to walk as well, like Crabapple Chase, Kensington Farms, Six Hills, Saint Michelle and Charlotte Estates. I know people in all of these communities will be walking to the Crossroads at Crabapple Festival on Oct. 2nd.

Do you live in a walkable neighborhood? Would you choose to? Tell us what you think.