One thing Anna Mary Wallace loves about living at Montgomery Place, a retirement community in Chicago’s South Side Hyde Park neighborhood, is that the area is very walkable. She can walk to the bank, the grocery store and services at her church, St. Paul & the Redeemer at E. 50th Street and South Dorchester Avenue.
The lakefront and beach are a three-minute walk from her apartment. Sometimes she walks to Wooded Island, a nature preserve behind the Museum of Science and Industry, which is near Montgomery Place.
Wallace also likes to go out walking because she runs into people she knows. She moved to Hyde Park to attend graduate school at the University of Chicago and she never left the neighborhood where she still has many connections.
“I go out walking everyday,” says Wallace, who worked for years as a psychiatric social worker at the University of Chicago. “I love to do it. I need to do it. Everything is readily available.”
Keeping score
Selecting a retirement community in a walkable neighborhood has its advantages. Shops and restaurants are nearby. A car isn’t necessary. Buses and trains are usually available for longer trips. Entertainment and cultural venues are close by. Walking is good exercise too.
The City of Chicago has a number of retirement communities in walkable neighborhoods. The Clare is located in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, near Michigan Avenue and downtown activities. The Admiral at the Lake is a retirement community located on the city’s North Side, close to shops, restaurants and attractions.
Chicago ranks as the sixth most walkable large American city with a score of 77.8 out of 100, according to the website Walk Score (walkscore.com), which rates cities and neighborhoods for their walkability. The website defines walkable neighborhoods as those that are pedestrian friendly and have desirable places to walk to such as parks and shops. Most errands can be accomplished on foot in walkable neighborhoods.
Hyde Park has a walk score of 86 and residents of Montgomery Place walk a lot of places, says Deborah Hart, CEO of the community. They walk to the nearby grocery store and a popular book store, 57th Street Books. The University of Chicago, where many residents have ties, is about a half-mile away. Residents who don’t want to or can’t walk that far can ride to the campus on the building’s bus.
Smith Village, a retirement community on Chicago’s South Side in the Beverly neighborhood, is located on Western Avenue about two blocks south of 111th Street, a main intersection. The neighborhood has an overall walk score of 64.
Residents walk to nearby stores and restaurants. Smith Village is close to Kennedy Park where residents can participate in programs and swim in the pool. The Beverly Arts Center is a block away. It features programs in dance, visual art, music, film and theater.
“Walkability provides another level of independence,” says Kevin McGee, president and CEO of Smith Senior Living. The Chicago-based organization owns and operates Smith Village and Smith Crossing, a retirement community in south suburban Orland Park.
Walkable suburbia
Although many suburbs score less than 30, according to Walk Score, walkable neighborhoods aren’t found only in the city. A growing number of suburban downtowns have apartments and condominiums for empty nesters who want to stay in their communities and still have easy access to services, but who don’t want the hassles that come with a big house.
Evelyn Douglas lives in northwest Indiana, in Merrillville, in an apartment building for seniors owned by AHEPA, an affordable housing organization. The building is located near the town center, with stores and other amenities.
“This is a very convenient neighborhood for seniors,” says Douglas. “Everything is easy to walk to.”
New apartment buildings and condominium projects are springing up in walkable suburban downtowns. North suburban Wilmette has two large new apartment projects downtown, in walking distance of the library, village hall, stores and restaurants.
Suburbs, city, and back
Next year, Ken Garvey and his wife Madeline are moving to a condominium at Foxford Station, a new development in downtown Western Springs. The couple currently lives in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. They moved there from Oak Brook about 15 years ago after their children were grown.
The couple decided to move to Western Springs because their children and grandchildren live nearby. But they weren’t ready to give up the conveniences of a more urban setting. And Ken, an attorney, still works part time in Chicago.
“Everything is nearby,” says Ken, describing the location of his new condominium in downtown Western Springs. “You can walk everywhere. And the train station to downtown is across the street.”
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Currently under construction, Foxford Station features 28 upscale condominiums. The units range in size from about 1,780 to 3,000 square feet.
Each unit has outdoor living space, and a high level of interior finishes, according to John McFarland, project manager at Foxford Development, the project developer. Units will also have washers and dryers, generous size bedrooms and living areas, and a large amount of closet space.
Within a three-block radius of the building is a new fitness facility, the Western Springs library, village hall, a post office, shops and numerous restaurants.
“Suburban downtowns are attractive locations,” says McFarland. Residents don’t have to get in their cars to do everything.
The big city may not be for everyone, he notes, but a suburban downtown still has that walkable downtown feel. “Everything is right outside your door,” he says.