If, like me, you are a fanatic about walkability, you will love this article I came upon in Huffington Post. It's very comprehensive and includes almost anything you want to know about who wants to live in a walkable area and why. The biggest takeaway for me was neither revolutionary nor surprising: people who live in areas where they can easily walk to things are reportedly more satisfied with where they live than those who have fewer walkable options.

This makes sense. Walking makes people happy.

The piece cites a few things that you should consider when looking for a walkable area to settle in.

1. Well-connected streets. The smaller the block size, the more easily and directly you'll be able to get from one place to another. 2. Things to walk to, like movies, stores, cafes, parks. Part of the satisfaction, it seems, is having a destination. 3. Good infrastructure for safe walking. If you're looking for housing in an area that doesn't have sidewalks, there's a good chance there won't be a lot of pedestrian street life.

This seems the perfect segue for another article I came across last month: These 12 Towns in NJ Have the Best Main Streets.

Montclair is number two! Restaurants galore. Cute stores. Movie theaters. Activities.

This time of year - when people are all out and about doing their holiday shopping - is when I truly appreciate having options other than the mall. I might be crazy, but being able to do my shopping locally, on foot, makes the holidays feel more special to me.

Ok, maybe not that's not so crazy coming from a Walkability Fanatic!