A poster to the Newdowntown listserv is contemplating the big move from New York to LA, but questions our car culture and her need to use her legs:
Subject: NYC to Downtown LA?
Hi all!I am writing this from Brooklyn, New York where I sit, mulling over a possible move to Los Angeles next year. With peak oil looming, it is not, I realize, a great time to be rejoining a car culture -- which is why your downtown area appeals to me! Can I really live in LA and be part of a growing, walkable community, I wonder?
I will be returning to LA for a reading in March and want to become more familiar with the area while I am there. Any good suggestions? Walking tours? Places to eat? Best blocks to check out?
All of LA is walkable, if you think about it. Some people just have no patience for walking more than a mile to buy their groceries. So the question really isn't "Is LA walkable", it's "Are you willing to walk?"