Most walkable U.S. cities

Who wouldn't enjoy a short commute to work, a convenient grocery store, nearby schools for the kids, and green parks to relax at on the weekends? Where can you live in a place like that?

Try the top pedestrian-friendly American cities, as ranked by WalkScore.com. Combining U.S. Census data, real estate information, and Web technology, this site plots over 1 million locations in over 2,500 neighborhoods across the country. You can even plug in your own address to see how walkable your neighborhood is.

The current top-10 rankings feature some expected metros and a few surprises:

1. San Francisco, CA
2. New York, NY
3. Boston, MA
4. Chicago, IL
5. Philadelphia, PA
6. Seattle, WA
7. Washington D.C.
8. Long Beach, CA
9. Los Angeles, CA
10. Portland, OR

Sure, big cities with lots of public transit like San Fran and NYC are walkable, but a sprawling Southern California ‘burb like Long Beach and the tangled freeway mess of Los Angeles? Yep, those aren't typos -- even these areas have plenty of neighborhoods that are great for walking.

WalkScore.com bases the ranking primarily on mixed density. This means a city must have a useful mix of housing, jobs, shopping, schools, and parks. If you live there, you should be able to easily walk to all the everyday services you need. Also, the streets have to be equally safe for pedestrians and bicyclists as they are for cars.

Many newer suburban developments have been built around cars, not people. Ultra-wide streets encourage speeding, intersections don't have crosswalks, and distances between shops and parks are vast. That's why older, big cities tend to rank higher on walkability.

But Southern California proves that pedestrian pockets can exist most anywhere, thanks to careful city planning. And many people can add some walking into their lives with a little planning of their own.

Find just one shop or park near your house (use WalkScore.com or another map tool), and make a point of walking there instead of driving. If you usually drive your kids to school, encourage them to walk once a week. Try walking or biking to work when the weather's clear. Or if the office is too far, take public transit so you only have to walk a few blocks.

Walking is great for your health, it's cheaper than a gym membership, and it reduces pollution. Plus, you'll see a side of the neighborhood you usually miss when sitting in a car.