Appreciate your time in a walkable community

If you know us in real life, then you know that we both share a new personality trait: we spent a summer living and working in D.C. Other than maybe New York, we discovered that D.C. is debatably the most walkable city in the United States.

We had two large grocery stores within walking distance of our apartment and a farmers’ market nearby on the weekends, both less than a half mile from two metro stations and dozens of restaurants and coffee shops. With the exception of a few Uber rides, we were almost never in a car.

When we came back to Minnesota, we were shocked at how often we relied on cars—something we had never even considered until we lived in a walkable community all summer.

Now, you may be asking yourself, how does Washington, D.C. relate to our two campuses?

Apart from a select few American cities like D.C., college campuses are the only places in the country that could be considered walkable communities. Between our two campuses, students can walk to two coffee shops, four dining areas, all our classes, a gym and our jobs. All that is without even mentioning the resources that St. Joseph has to offer within a walkable distance.

College is oftentimes referred to as “the best four years of your life.” We’d argue that this is because of their walkable nature.

After college, you and your friends might move across the country, but for now, all your best friends live within 10 minutes of you. Four years from now, you won’t be able to send a text in the group chat asking to meet for dinner in five minutes or show up and knock on your friends’ doors asking to watch a movie.

College campuses are also tremendously pedestrian friendly. Admittedly, neither of us go to college in a major city, but even in cities that are walkable like Minneapolis, college campuses are easily the most walkable areas. Campuses in cities are designed for walkers and not drivers—something all cities should all strive for. The U of M campus is undoubtably the most pedestrian-friendly area in the entire city.

Not only do walkable areas enhance the community but they’re also more environmentally friendly, more accessible for wheelchairs, provide daily exercise and help citizens save money by not using gas or cars.

What makes the college experience so great and idealized isn’t the multi-million dollar football stadiums or science labs taught by renowned professors—these things are great and valuable, don’t get us wrong—but what truly makes college great is the freedom to go where you want when you want with very few restrictions.

It’s being close to the resources you need to live, to the human connection that is so essential to human well- being. College campuses are built on a human scale that none of us will ever have the chance to experience in quite the same way again. Enjoy it while you can.