suburbs: Wow! What A Morning In Chevy Chase! - 10/05/11 04:25 AM
"What?!," asked my pre-teen daughter, "we are what?" 
"Getting up a bit earlier and walking to school," I said. "October 5th is National Walk-To-School Day."
"You've got to be kidding."
My daughter normally takes the bus to a magnet school that is--according to Google--2.7 miles from our house.  Walking allows for a cut through public park land--according to Google Maps 2.3 miles and an estimated 50 minutes.
When she heard that fresh croissants from a bakery on the way could be part of the picture, the kid came around.
We took off in perfect walking weather.  It was a crisp, sunny … (7 comments)

suburbs: Back To The Future -- How The Gas Prizes Will Change Our Towns And Could Make Our Lives Better - 08/05/08 05:43 AM
The lives of realtors in metropolitan areas are at a turning point.  And I'm NOT talking about a slowing market here.  What I'm talking about are our clients' criteria, needs and desires.  More and more buyers are weary of the suburbs now, at least the ones that aren't really "close-in."  Read on and you'll see what I mean.
A hundred years ago, a "suburb" was a green place to live that could be reached in 15 minutes on a streetcar.  Today, make that 1 hour and 15 minutes, and forget about the streetcars -- you're more likely to spend that time … (12 comments)