Give it a Whrrl

I just signed up for a Facebook-like application called Whrrl. What makes the site unique is that it's more about connecting users locally than virtually. It is centered around a map and your mobile phone -- so (for example) it makes it easy to ask your network to meet up at a certain place and time and the meeting details are distributed to your friends' phones.

Whrrl has a feature for rating and reviewing restaurants. On the heels of my post Friday that Leschi, Madrona & Madison Park residents aren't as likely to connect locally online as Cap Hill residents, Whrrl confirms this trend.

Although there are 1,000 Seattle residents using this site and dozens (probably hundreds -- I didn't count) of businesses rated there was only one rated in any of those neighborhoods -- the tasty Meskel -- of which I wrote one of my only restaurant reviews.

Which Seattle Neighborhood Most Uses Facebook?

Facebook has a number of interesting widgets designed to help you connect with neighbors. One is the aptly named "Neighborhoods Widget".

Declaring myself a Leschi resident, I find 26 other residents who have downloaded the neighborhoods widget and declared themselves from Leschi.

By neighborhood:
Capitol Hill - 601
Leschi - 26
Madrona - 50
Madison Park - 57
Squire Park - 6

The far and away winner in 98122? No surprise, it's hipster mecca Capitol Hill. (New fun game -- HIPSTER BINGO.)

Which Neighborhood is most Walkable?

Now that Leschi has been defined as walkable and a neighborhood where one does not need a car, let's check the data.

First, which of the neighborhoods is most walkable in 98122?
Leschi -- 31st & Yesler... 71 of 100.
Squire Park -- 18th & Yesler... 83 of 100.
Capitol Hill -- 12th & Denny... 95 of 100.
Madrona -- 33rd & Cherry... 62 of 100.

How many residents of 98122 actually walk to work (from city-data.com)?
Means of transportation to work
Drove a car alone: 6,464 (39%)
Carpooled: 1,539 (9%)
Bus or trolley bus: 3,648 (22%)
Streetcar or trolley car: 21 (0%)
Railroad: 4 (0%)
Ferryboat: 10 (0%)
Taxi: 79 (0%)
Motorcycle: 109 (1%)
Bicycle: 477 (3%)
Walked: 3,187 (19%)
Other means: 78 (0%)
Worked at home: 779 (5%)

Number of Households in 98122 -- Roughly 24,000
Number of Households without Vehicles -- Roughly 4,400 (18%)

Let's compare this data back to my original findings that City of Seattle estimates that there are 4K-8K biker commuters. So roughly 10% of those are from 98122.

Disclosure -- my household owns two cars. I take the bus maybe 50%, carpool 30%, drive 15%, Walk/Cab 5%. My commute is 3 miles Leschi to downtown.

[where: 98122]