Two Body Problem (orig)

I don't like driving. All things being equal I much prefer walking or taking public transportation. Unfortunately, you just can't live in LA without a car. As far as LA locations go, however, I think my neighborhood is fairly walk friendly. Now there's a website, Walk Score, that confirms this. The site is a Google mashup that rates your neighborhood on a 1-100 scale of walkability. Mine got a 72.
Overall the site is a great idea with mediocre follow through. The measurement is based on proximity to businesses in a dozen or so categories and some of the choices are a little strange. For example, it lists a nearby grocery store as a 7-11 and a nearby bar as an Orange Julius (the bar might actually be closer than the Orange Julius). Never mind that there's an actual grocery store and an actual bar not much further. Several important factors like sidewalks are not included. It also doesn't seem to mash all that well with Google maps. It seemed to think my childhood home was either in Dallas, Texas or nonexistent. Darn, I was so looking forward to boasting how my neighborhood was more walkable than that of my Prius owning dad.