Hey, Move! Living Better by Walking Around

In my last piece, I convinced you to save lots of money by selling your car. Well, at least I suggested it.

The selling the car part actually comes after you decided to move to one of those towns – like Ambridge – “where everybody knows your name.

I’ve lived in several places like that: Sea Breeze in suburban Rochester, NY; Williamsburg, VA (sigh!); Athens, GA (double-sigh, go Dawgs!); Bartlesville, Ok; West Hartford, CT; Springfield, VT (where “The Simpsons” movie premiered); Carnegie, PA (two miles from downtown Pittsburgh); and Ambridge, PA (18 miles from Da Burgh).

What factor is most important in moving to a town or small city? Well, since you don’t have a car, EVERYTHING’s gotta be easy-to-reach.

Ambridge has about 7,000 people – roughly the same sizes as Williamsburg (in the early 70s) and Springfield. Williamsburg, Ambridge, and Carnegie are in a three-way tie for placing just about everything where I need(ed) it.

I live at 818 Duss Avenue in Ambridge, an “old mill town” that somehow seems forever new. I’m right near 8th street in a town that has about 16 blocks of small businesses – surrounded by street where most people live.

So, what’s within 5-10 minutes walking distance? The CVS pharmacy, the Citizens Bank (and several other banks), Charles’s Men’s Store (nice, small), the post office, the Fire Department, the Police Department, the Ambridge Municipal Building (containing the place where I pay my water bill), my insurance agent (Carolyn Dunn), the Maple Restaurant (famous roast beef sandwiches), the use appliance store (cheap!), the Chinese Food place, the pizza place, and the Laughlin Memorial Library (lots of books!).

About 15 minute away – down on 1st Street – is my doctor’s office, a three-physician operation. Since I’m a big fan of the military, it doesn’t hurt that all three doctors are veterans – two, Kathleen and Donna, of the Air Force, Michael of the Army. They’re the best doctors we’ve ever had.

Food is something of a challenge. The old Foodland – 20 minutes away – closed. So we need to go to Pick and Pay, which is a 30-minute walk (gulp). But it’s great exercise – at least my wife says so, because she’s the one that always goes to the grocery store. Hee hee.

Like many Western Pennsylvanians, I share the addiction to high school football. Ambridge High School is right across the street, on Duss. The football stadium, named after historic coach Moe Rubenstein, is a one-minute walk. Go Bridgers!

There are a couple of gas stations/convenience stores nearby. But since I don’t have a car, all I do is note the petroleum price increases.

It’s true that we don’t have a Museum of Modern Art or a Yankees Stadium or anything approximating traffic jams

But we have everything we truly need within walking distance. Would we walk everyplace if we lived out in the fashionable burbs? Of course not.

This weekend I’ll talk more about Ambridge, why we love it, and how living here saves us a lot of money.