If you had the financial wherewithal to have a 5 minute walk to work everyday, would you do it?
From your experience does 10 minutes make a massive difference compared to 20?
What is the ideal distance from you and the office that you’ve found to be the best throughout your experiences?
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I found 8 minutes to be ideal. 7 minutes felt like I practically lived there but 9 was a hike.
I would actually actively avoid this
The problem with this is you stay in the same 5 block radius all of the time and you feel like a little science experiment rat in your tiny bubble. Want to grab lunch? Cool, you're going to your exact same lunch spot as the office. You just can't escape and you will feel like you're always at work. Literally, the building feels like it's staring at you.
IMO the sweet spot is a ~15 minute drive or a few stops but a straight shot on NYC transit. Live close to the subway station, that'll make a difference
I had both a 5-10 minute walk and a 20-25 minute walk. Really enjoyed both - sometimes it was (sadly) the best part of the day to enjoy some fresh air in good weather before grinding. Seems much more pleasant than taking the subway too.
One of the shorter walks I had was from E 65th between 1st and 2nd to 57th/Madison which was ok. A longer walk was from 6th and B to Madison Square Park which was a bit of a hike, but I kind of liked the walk and only had to go into the office a couple times per month.
Anyone else?
I think it depends on what city you're in also. Ideally probably no more than 15 minutes one way, but could do up to 20.
5 minute walk sounds good. If I could afford it and it made sense, the easier/shorter of a commute the better.
Walking? Who tf walks? Only time I walk to work is from my bedroom to the laptop. Or from the apartment to the parking garage.
You're from Texas right? Most of the Northeastern cities were designed before everyone was expected to have a car, so you can get around by walking.
Thanks for the history lesson, captain obvious. Since we're talking history, did you also know that before cars and subways those NE cities also ran into a literal s***-pile of a problem with the horses in the streets that were causing health and sanitation issues? Becoming purely walkable came down the line after several technological shifts and improvements to be what they are like now. "The more you know...!"
Also, there's plenty of walkability in Texas. We just also have the ability to have suburbs and spread out so we're not living on top of each other. Says the guy who lives in a high-rise in the heart of the city and walks to the grocery store, restuarants, work, etc.
For 2 years I lived about 100 yards from my office, pre-WFH era. I didn't necessarily do it on purpose but I liked the apartment and was comfortable with the fact that it was so close to work when I signed the lease. It was cool at first, literally could run home to shit, make lunch, handle a delivery, etc. Over time I started to resent it... My lunch spots became my dinner spots and I'd occasionally realize that it had been a week or two since I left a 5 block radius. The biggest issue was not having time to "shift gears" after work given I'd leave my office and be on my couch within 2 minutes.
For the last 4 years I've lived 30 minute walk/10 minute bike/15 minute train or cab from work and found that to be the best situation for me. It's close enough that the commute isn't onerous but long enough that by the time I get home I've largely settled the day's thoughts and can just enjoy being home.
I used to do a 40 minute walk to work for several years. Anything within a mile ~20 minutes is probably ideal, but it depends on where you live. Here in LA that's no problem; in NYC that sounds miserable in certain weather.
I never found NYC weather to be that bad. The snow was cool - made for lots of good photos.
Only if I lived in an area where car ownership was easy so I could leave my 5 block radius and check out other towns/areas. But in most places, having a 5 minute walk to work means you live in a really central part of the city with horrible traffic/parking.
15 minutes walk only.
A list of my commutes to work over my career:
5-min drive
30-min drive
2-min walk
4-min walk
7-min walk
12 min walk
If it wasn’t obvious, I very much focused on reducing my commute and it was a huge part of my decision on where to live. I loved it. I don’t go out to eat that often and I was always in the center of the various cities I’ve lived in, so the idea that my work dining options = my personal dining options was never an issue. I also took advantage of going home over the lunch hour to work out in my buildings’ personal gym rather than using the poor gym equipment in the office building. Unless you struggle with separating work from home, I absolutely suggest minimizing your commute.
In terms of walking versus driving — I always prefer to walk. Believe it or not, the extra steps every day really do add up.
Yes, I have learned this over time. I used to think walking was lame, but after I moved to NYC, I became a walker and it is really healthy and makes the body and mind feel so good.
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