Since moving to my new residence earlier this year, I've been getting to know my area, and one thing I like about it (and which is mentioned in their logo above) is that it is "A World Within Walking Distance". Both the public transportation and walking/biking accessibility score high, and that comes in handy for me, living car-free.
The other day, I needed to bring one of my bikes to the bike store near home to get some maintenance done. After biking home from work, I then grabbed the bike needing the work, and rode it 10 minutes over to the bike store. After I dropped it off, I decided to get a haircut at the Hair Cuttery located a couple blocks up the street. I was happy to see that there wasn't a wait, and I was soon on my way, to walk the 20 minutes back home. On the way, I enjoyed viewing the established homes and their landscaped yards. I also saw my neighbors from up the street, walking their dogs and we greeted each other.
It's nice to have these stores and services within walking and biking distance. I came across a website that describes all these things, about living green and shopping locally, and the benefits for doing so:
1. Greater service satisfaction - more pleasant dealing with vendors you get to know
2. Saves time and money - don't have to travel far
3. Local purchases have lower impact on the local environment - you can walk/bike to the stores - no pollution and you get the exercise
4. Friendship and trust - getting to know and trust vendors who can provide products for your needs
Local shopping is good for my health, wallet, time and for the environment. Plus I get to know my community better, which feels good.
