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Most Americans would rather live in a big house in a car-based community than a small house in a walking-based community. (www.pewresearch.org)
submitted 7 months ago by to c/fuckcars@lemmy.world
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[–] 19 points 7 months ago* (8 children)

I want to live in a modest house within walking distance of downtown and unspoiled wilderness. How do I make this happen?

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago

    Look for an older town, built out before cars.

    I have a lot of that where I live

    • walkable downtown, centered on a train station - settled since 1600s, bedroom community of a major city
    • first zone for single family homes so I do have a small yard/driveway/basement yet still walkable to center of town
    • I got one of the “new” houses, built in 1946 out of very solid materials, with a usable basement, yard, and driveway. For example, my own EV charging
    • just a few blocks away is a sizable reservation of undeveloped land and a six mile loop of ridge trail - we occasionally get coyotes that presumably live there
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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (2 children)

    Any small town in New England

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    Such as? I feel like New England is like 90% sprawling suburbs like the rest of the country.

    Also by downtown I do mean a real downtown with actual amenities.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    A lot of bigger cities do have car-dependent sprawl around an unaffordable city center like Portland, Hartford, Burlington etc but a lot of the smaller towns are much more walkable and community-oriented, where you can probably afford a quarter acre lot within walking distance of a downtown. Brattleboro is a good example but getting pricey, Bennington maybe, Hanover NH, Montpelier, Farmington ME etc.

    You're not going to find Boston-level amenities in i.e. Brattleboro but you'll get a minimum of a coffee shop or two, a brewery, a few good restaurants, shops, etc. plus small-town community and an affordable home

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